SEOUL NATIONAL UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL

Radiation dose management system INFINITT DoseM, developed jointly by a Seoul National University Hospital (SNUH) research team and Infinitt Health Care, has been recording a sales surge in Europe.

INFINITT DoseM is ranked second in the market share by attracting more than 200 medical institutions in Germany alone, including University Medical Center Freiburg and Helios Hospital Group, said the SNUH research team, led by Professor Lee Chang-hyun of the Department of Radiology, in a news release on Monday.

Profess Lee Chang-hyun of the Department of Radiology at Seoul National University Hospital

The product’s software analyzes and archives radiation dose data obtained from medical radiation generators from multiple modalities. Patients are inevitably exposed to radiation when screened for images, such as computed tomography. The medical providers should minimize unnecessary exposure to radiation while keeping the quality of the image.

INFINITT DoseM continuously monitors the radiation dose during the test and contributes to patients' safety.

For instance, if the radiation dose of particular equipment is higher than that of the same model, it can predict a defect in the equipment or an error in the test protocol. In this way, the device can manage the patient’s exposure to radiationㅇ a minimal level under a strictly controlled environment.

Professor Lee and Professor Kim Jong-hyo have developed a system that automatically calculates the radiation dose and won a patent for it.

Also taking part in the research were radiologists, including Kim Eun-sung, Choi Eun-young, and Shin Yong-hwan, who used the system in medical fields and helped to increase the equipment’s convenience.

Professor Lee Chang-hyun of Seoul National University Hospital tests INFINITT DoseM to collect radiation dose.

"According to our analysis based on the collected data through INFINITT DoseM, exposure dose decreased by 28 percent," said Lee Min-soo, another professor at SNUH’s Department of Radiology. "We were able to protect the patients from unnecessary exposure to radiation, and clinical specialists were also satisfied with the software."

Profess Lee Chang-hyun added that the equipment’s development is an exemplary case of creating a new value resulting from the collaboration between university researchers and business corporations.

He emphasized that Korea needs to discuss radiation dose management at medical institutions.

Advanced countries in Europe, the United States, and Japan have legislated radiation dose management to minimize the risk of patients’ exposure. Korea lacks related laws, and only some hospitals, including SNUH, voluntarily manage the radiation dose.

"Although there are many patients expressing concerns about radiation exposure, it is difficult to conduct optimal tests because medical professionals do not know the patients’ cumulative exposure at various institutions," Professor Lee Chang-hyun said. "For the patient's safety, Korea needs to work out measures to manage medical radiation data in an integrated manner and medical institutions to maintain an adequate level of radiation."

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