Medical AI company AIDOT Inc. (CEO: Jaehoon Jeong) announced that it has received a Korean patent registration decision for its "X-ray Image-Based Urinary Stone Detection System and Method."

The patent was filed in October 2025 (Application No. 10-2025-0144381) and was granted registration on July 10, 2026, following examination by the Korean Intellectual Property Office.

The patented technology enables AI to automatically detect the presence of urinary stones using a single KUB (Kidney-Ureter-Bladder) X-ray image.

By applying Contrast Limited Adaptive Histogram Equalization (CLAHE) to enhance stone visibility, the AI algorithm automatically identifies the kidney, ureter, and bladder regions and quantitatively analyzes the location, size, and number of urinary stones for clinical review.

A key innovation of the technology is its dual correction mechanism, which significantly improves diagnostic accuracy. It combines feature-based filtering to eliminate structures that can be mistaken for stones—such as bones and vascular calcifications—with a post-processing algorithm that detects and refines the anatomical ureteral pathway between the kidney and bladder. This approach reduces both false-positive and false-negative findings.

Although abdominal CT remains the gold standard for urinary stone diagnosis due to its high accuracy, it requires interpretation of hundreds of cross-sectional images and involves relatively high cost and radiation exposure.

In contrast, X-ray imaging is fast, cost-effective, and exposes patients to significantly less radiation. However, interpretation has traditionally depended heavily on physician experience because of overlapping anatomical structures and limited soft-tissue contrast. The newly patented AI technology addresses these limitations by providing rapid and consistent stone detection, supporting both initial diagnosis and follow-up evaluation.

With this newly registered X-ray-based technology, AIDOT has now completed its multi-modality urinary stone diagnostic portfolio, complementing its previously registered CT-based AI technology. By integrating results from both imaging modalities, the company aims to provide cross-validated diagnostic information and further improve clinical confidence.

Jaehoon Jeong, CEO of AIDOT, commented:

"This patent registration officially recognizes the originality and innovation of our AI-based X-ray urinary stone detection technology. We will accelerate product commercialization and clinical validation so that even primary care clinics can achieve accurate urinary stone diagnosis using accessible X-ray examinations."

AIDOT develops AI-powered medical imaging diagnostic solutions and continues to expand its intellectual property portfolio across the medical AI field.

Korea Economic TV / 2026-07-14 / Deputy Managing Editor Jae-jun Yang