Dong-A ST (CEO Jung Jae-hoon) announced on the 14th that it signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Pusan National University Hospital on the 13th to build smart wards and jointly develop an AI (artificial intelligence) and wearable-based maritime medical support system.

The signing ceremony was attended by Jung Jae-hoon, President of Dong-A ST; Kim Hae-young, Director of Pusan National University Hospital; Kim Sang-soo, Vice Director for Medical Affairs of Pusan National University Hospital; Park Jung-hwan, President of MEZOO; and Hong Sung Pyo, CEO of People&Technology, among others.

The agreement aims to improve in-hospital patient monitoring using wearable medical devices, and to develop a system that can track the health of seafarers in maritime environments with limited access to healthcare and connect them with medical professionals.

Dong-A ST will collaborate with Pusan National University Hospital, MEZOO, and People&Technology to build smart wards using 'HiCardi M350', a wearable ECG monitoring device. The partners plan to establish a system that monitors patients' vital signs in real time and detects abnormal signs at an early stage.

Dong-A ST will support project implementation and the establishment of the collaboration framework, while Pusan National University Hospital will provide the clinical site and be responsible for system implementation and the evaluation of operational outcomes. MEZOO will provide the patient monitoring solution along with system deployment and technical support, and People&Technology will support the introduction, installation, and operation of the medical devices and related systems.

In the field of maritime healthcare, Dong-A ST, Pusan National University Hospital, and MEZOO will jointly develop a support system based on on-device AI and wearable medical devices. The system will monitor the health of seafarers on ocean-going vessels and, when abnormal signs are detected, connect them with medical professionals to support a timely response.

The three organizations plan to develop technologies for vital sign monitoring, anomaly detection, and connection with medical professionals. They will also develop technologies for automated medical record documentation, real-time multilingual translation, and clinical decision support, as well as technologies that can operate in environments with low bandwidth or intermittent connectivity.

In addition, the partners will pursue clinical and technical validation in real maritime environments and cooperate on medical device approvals, international certifications, and standardization. They also plan to jointly plan and secure government-funded healthcare R&D projects.

Dong-A ST will support product and service planning, commercialization, and regulatory approvals. Pusan National University Hospital, led by its Convergence Medical Institute of Technology, will be responsible for defining clinical requirements, setting the direction of R&D, and conducting on-site validation, while solution companies including MEZOO will develop the medical devices, vital sign analysis technologies, and the maritime medical support platform.