AIDOT (CEO Jung Jae-hoon) announced on June 30 that it has obtained a Korean patent related to its microbiome-based disease diagnosis and prediction precision medical AI solution, BIO dot AI, titled “Method for Generating Training Data for Automatic Disease Diagnosis and an Automatic Disease Diagnosis System Using the Same.”

AIDOT is currently conducting R&D verification (demonstration) for BIO dot AI, a precision medical AI solution designed to diagnose and predict chronic (alcohol-related) liver disease, as part of Gangwon Province’s Regulatory Free Zone (Regulation-Free Special Zone) innovation program. The company is preparing for clinical trials and MFDS (Ministry of Food and Drug Safety) regulatory approval.

According to the company, the newly granted patent is not limited to chronic alcohol-related liver disease. Instead, it covers a broader technology scope involving a method for generating training data using gut microbiome data and an automatic disease diagnosis system. AIDOT emphasized that this patent extends beyond the current functionality of BIO dot AI, making it especially meaningful in terms of intellectual property coverage.

An AIDOT representative stated that the patent can protect not only BIO dot AI but also future AI solutions developed using microbiome data, adding that it strengthens AIDOT’s position in the microbiome AI analysis market and raises barriers for late entrants.

AIDOT also explained that chronic liver disease has a high treatment success rate when diagnosed early, but existing testing methods have limitations. Invasive approaches, such as liver biopsy, can cause pain and side effects, while non-invasive methods like CT and MRI are costly and may have lower sensitivity and specificity compared to biopsy.

The company said its microbiome genome analysis AI solution functions as an in vitro diagnostic (IVD) medical device that uses patient-derived samples (stool), and is designed to provide results with high sensitivity and specificity comparable to biopsy, while reducing cost and enabling early detection of liver disease risk without side effects.

AIDOT added that commercialization could extend beyond liver screening through general and workplace health checkups, and could also move toward insurance-reimbursed screening models that allow lower-cost access. The company noted that microbiome analysis is increasingly used for diet-related purposes, and stated that BIO dot AI could provide more reliable and precise alcohol-related liver disease results, enabling broader commercialization opportunities. Because it can diagnose and predict alcohol-related liver disease using only stool samples, AIDOT also expects competitiveness for expansion into countries with high alcohol-related disease prevalence.

Published: June 30, 2023 / MoneyToday / Reporter Lee Doo-ri