Based in south Korea and founded in 2018, DC Medical is a technology commercialisation company that works with manufacturing partners to transform existing research and technology into market-ready medical devices. The company – one of six that CC is mentoring as part of as part of MedTech Innovator Asia Pacific – is currently focused on a diagnostic solution for premature birth called EveryBaby, a handheld device that employs impedance spectroscopy.
CEO Dabriel Choi shared the inspiration behind the initiative with me. He’s had the personal experience of three close relatives who gave birth at various preterm dates. More widely, Dabriel referenced the World Health Organisation’s statistics of 15 million preterm births every year – and the fact that over one million sadly die from complications. Many of those who survive suffer lifelong disabilities associated to high financial and socials costs. “This is why I started the journey to bring this amazing technology to market without hesitation,” he said.
Rising to the challenges of premature birth
Although there are various prevention methods when problems are diagnosed early enough, DC Medical set out to tackle two key challenges. The first is that current gold standards have either a short diagnostic window or are not accurate for all mothers. The second involves accessibility for all mothers everywhere. The company’s aim is to introduce a technology solution that is not just cheaper than current gold standards but is portable enough to be used anywhere. Essentially, the prevailing treatment of vaginal ultrasound has limited accuracy and is not accessible to all women.
EveryBaby is a patented handheld and mobile device that provides a much more accurate and easier-to-use alternative to transvaginal ultrasound. The concept uses pioneering patented technology involving a novel method of impedance spectroscopy to pick up on changes to the composition and structure of cervical tissue when a mother is nearing birth.
What will the benefits be?
The benefit of EveryBaby will be more accurate diagnostic to enable doctors to provide more accurate treatment. Secondly is promises to decrease the direct medical burden and – last but not least – it will reduce the social costs of premature births. I was delighted to be able to share high level advice on many of the aspects that start-ups face when turning breakthrough ideas into commercial reality – including investment partners and funding. I wish Dabriel and his team well for the future.
