Japan's first patent application submitted for AI technology to assess the progression of bedsores - Image analysis AI app enables rapid and accurate diagnosis -

Focus Systems Corporation(Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Mori Keiichi; hereinafter referred to as "the Company") has filed a patent application in collaboration with Tottori University (Tottori City, Tottori Prefecture; President: Nakajima Hiromitsu (※); hereinafter referred to as "Tottori University") for AI technology aimed at automating the diagnosis of bedsores (bedsores)*¹ assessment tool "DESIGN-R®"*².

Going forward, we aim to obtain PMDA approval*³ for Japan's first AI app for assessing the progression of bedsores and provide it as a medical device covered by insurance, with the ultimate goal of linking it with electronic medical records. In addition to striving to secure a pioneering position in the medical AI market, we will promote the spread of this app both domestically and internationally, contributing to the standardization of bedsore management and reducing the burden on medical professionals.

An AI app for assessing the progression of pressure ulcers using this technology will be exhibited at the 22nd Academic Meeting of the Kinki Branch of the Japanese Pressure Ulcer Society to be held on February 24, 2025.

(*¹) Part of the skin becomes reddish, swollen, or scarred due to poor blood flow or stagnation in areas that are compressed by the body's weight, such as due to being bedridden. Also commonly referred to as "bedsores"

(*²) A pressure ulcer status assessment scale developed by the Academic Education Committee of the Japanese Pressure Ulcer Society to classify the severity of pressure ulcers and quantify the healing process.

(*³) Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency (Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency)
To inspect the quality, efficacy, and safety of each item of medicines, medical devices, regenerative medicine products, etc. used in medical settings, as well as over-the-counter medicines, prescription drugs, and quasi-drugs used in daily life.

(※) The character "広" in Nakajima Hiromitsu's name is a variant. The official character is "madare" with "yellow" on top.

background

Pressure ulcers are common among the elderly and long-term hospitalized patients, and as of 2021, it is estimated that there are approximately 30,000 to 60,000 people nationwide who suffer from pressure ulcers among hospitalized patients, facility residents, and home nursing care users (*according to our research). If home nursing care users and non-home nursing care users are included, the number of pressure ulcer patients is even higher, and it is expected to continue to increase in the future due to factors such as the aging population.

Pressure ulcers can be painful, so proper evaluation in the medical field is key to their treatment. However, current evaluation methods have many evaluation items and rely on the experience and subjectivity of medical professionals, making accurate evaluation difficult.

History of patent application

Since 2021, we have been working with the Department of Plastic Surgery at Tottori University Hospital to develop AI technology that analyzes bedsore images taken with smartphones and other devices and automatically calculates "DESIGN-R®."

This technology has been deemed novel and inventive because it has the potential to resolve issues with the conventional visual assessment of bedsores and significantly improve the accuracy and efficiency of assessments. Therefore, we have filed a patent application for this technology.

Currently, some of the seven evaluation items of "DESIGN-R®" have been proven to have a high accuracy rate of over 90%. In the future, we aim to achieve a diagnostic accuracy rate of over 70% for all items, and we will work towards practical application so that we can support high accuracy diagnosis even in places where there are no doctors who specialize in the treatment of bedsores.

• “AI for determining the progression of bedsores” initiative page https://www.focus-s.com/action/0006
• Official website of the 22nd Annual Meeting of the Kinki Chapter of the Japanese Society of Pressure Ulcers https://www.jspu-kinki22.org/

About Focus Systems

Focus Systems Corporation was established in 1977 and is not only involved in system development and operation in public and communications sectors and other highly social fields, but is also actively promoting business expansion with an eye on the trends of the times, such as IoT, cloud computing, and AI. Our corporate slogan is "TECH with HEART" This embodies the passion and sincerity with which each employee approaches their work at Focus Systems, which connects people with technology.
HP: https://www.focus-s.com/

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