KT and SMC have developed digital diagnostic pathology, proton therapy, teaching surgery, an AI-enabled care, and an autonomous robot for operating room
SMC Medical staff with sync cams to proceed surgery of a patient. (Credit: KT Corp.)
Korean telecommunications firm KT (former Korea Telecom) and the Samsung Medical Centre (SMC) have jointly developed advanced 5G-powered medical services, as the first step to build 5G smart hospital.
KT and SMC have signed a memorandum of understanding in September 2019 to develop better medical services, including digital diagnostic pathology, proton therapy, teaching surgery, AI-enabled care, and an autonomous robot for the operating room, by applying 5G.
Under the collaboration, KT has provided dedicated 5G network at SMC, developed service environments in operating and proton therapy rooms, and conducted a test operation, for the pilot project.
KT ICT convergence business department vice president Park In-Young said: “KT, in partnership with the Samsung Medical Center, is pioneering innovative medical services for the new 5G era. We will continue to further refine 5G-powered medical technology by applying VR and AR technologies for real-time education.”
SMC has conducted a digital pathological analysis, which is the world’s first on-site medical procedure using advanced 5G technology, to facilitate rapid and uninterrupted access to pathological data obtained during surgery, for determining the patient condition.
The network is said to enable the pathologists to access materials, containing about 4GB of data, ensuring better medical services, and provide quick access to CT and MRI data on proton therapy.
KT, SMC develop a 5G-assisted education programme
In collaboration with the SMC, KT has developed a 5G-assisted education programme, which enables surgeons in the operating room to teach medical trainees in a separate lecture room in real-time, using sync cams on the 5G network.
In addition, the companies have developed a delivery robot for operating rooms to remove contaminated materials and medical wastes for disposal and carry surgery supplies.
Smart Care Giver, an advanced AI-assisted system that works on KT’s GiGAGenie engine, has been developed to enable patients to control their hospital room with a voice command.
SMC smart hospital project in-charge Park Seung-Woo said: “Based on the verified new services, we will continue our collaboration with KT to promote convenience for all of our customers, including patients, medical staff and visitors.”