Buzzpole, the developer of the AI-based cervical cancer screening service "Cerviray A.I.", announced on the 28th that it has received Ministry of Food and Drug Safety approval for its specialized cervical cancer screening camera and has begun mass production, marking the start of full-scale export preparations.

According to Buzzpole, Cerviray A.I. has advanced its AI engine performance through approximately two years of joint research with the Korea University Anam Hospital Industry-Academic Cooperation Foundation and professors from the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

In October, it was the only Korean AI medical ICT company to participate in the NTTDATA regional preliminaries held in Shenzhen, China, where it received positive reviews for its service model and marketability.

Buzzpole is already in the process of signing contracts with companies in Southeast Asia, including China, interested in implementing its system. It anticipates achieving tangible export results early next year, becoming the first Korean company to achieve tangible results.

Buzzpole's Cerviray A.I., which utilizes its own deep learning algorithm, recently received certification from an internationally recognized software testing institute for its sensitivity of 87% and specificity of 90%.

Dr. Lee Dong-hyun of Buzzpole Research Institute explained, "While sensitivity can be increased to 99%, this simply overemphasizes sensitivity without considering specificity."

He emphasized, "For example, a technology that identifies cancer patients based on even the slightest abnormality would naturally be ignored in real-world settings." He added, "In the field of medical imaging interpretation, AI engine performance must balance both sensitivity and specificity."

Choi Seong-won, Director of Buzzpole, who has strategically driven the China and Southeast Asian markets, expressed confidence, saying, "We plan to begin full-scale mass production early next year, and based on this export performance, we will gain recognition for the global competitiveness of Buzzpole's AI service."

Director Choi specifically criticized, "No matter how many research papers there are or how good the technology is, there's no market in Korea due to various regulations and the lack of health insurance coverage. Furthermore, more advanced companies already exist overseas. If we don't introduce the product, it's all just empty talk."

He emphasized, "While some domestic AI medical ICT companies are blindly betting on the much-discussed technology special listing system without considering specific business options, Buzzpole has been working hard to expand overseas despite the challenging circumstances, and now we're seeing tangible results."

2019-11-28 11:34 / MedicalTimes / Reporter Jeong Hee-seok