South Korean telecommunications giant KT Corp. is backing Samsung Medical Center to apply smart and connectivity solutions to medical treatment powered by 5G network to enable remote and automated medical care in a country with restricted telemedicine services.

The two announced on Monday that they have successfully tested various applications for new 5G medical services throughout Samsung Medical Center’s complex since a memorandum of understanding was signed last September.

The tested applications include 5G digital pathology diagnosis, proton treatment information inquiry, 5G surgery guidance, AI-based smart care, and autonomous driving robots inside the operating room.

The 5G digital pathology analysis is the world`s first of its kind that can revolutionize medical practice using the 5G network. Certain procedures are now accessible at lower cost compared to installing wired internet infrastructure. A 4-gigabyte image from biopsies can be sent at an average speed of 1 gigabyte per second, allowing colleague doctors in different buildings to check the image promptly and deliver a precise diagnosis. Previously, the process took longer as the doctors had to walk between buildings for about 20 minutes to check pathology test results.

The 5G surgery guidance is an innovation in medical education. A surgeon wearing the so-called Sync CAM using 5G can livestream his or her surgery procedure to other doctors or trainees.

There are other solutions for streamlining hospital work at Samsung Medical Center in southern Seoul. A 5G-based autonomous driving robot in the operating room can remove infectious materials or medical waste generated during surgery, minimizing the risk of secondary and tertiary infection.

Smart Care Giver, an AI-based patient support system built in the hospital room, enables patients to control the room condition, helping reduce workload of nursing staff.

KT and Samsung Medical Center said they will continue to develop 5G-based smart patient care services and solutions to make hospital operation more efficient.

Based on 5G, these solutions will help secure the mobility and continuity of medical services from healthcare professionals at Samsung Medical Center and make it a smart innovation hospital that provides better medical services, said Park Yoon-young, Senior Executive Vice President, Enterprise Business Group of KT Corp.

By Lee Yong-ik and Minu Kim

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