Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine Leading the Digital Transformation of Korean Medicine

Soon, the AI Korean Medicine doctors will become primary care physician that protects the health of individuals on a daily basis. The AI Korean Medicine doctors manage a patient's health from infancy to old age, predicts the likelihood of disease based on a patient's genetic information, constitution, and body characteristics, and prescribes the most appropriate treatment and diet. This allows individuals to take care of their health on a daily basis and to predict and prevent diseases in advance. The Korea Institute of Korean Medicine is a research institute that serves as a center for Korean medicine research by conducting research and development on Korean medicine theory, technology, and medical practice. In the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, we are promoting the digital transformation of Korean medicine for personalized medicine. We are introducing an artificial intelligence system in various fields of Korean medicine, such as clinical, diagnostic, and herbal medicine, and laying the groundwork for using scientific and objective data for Korean medical diagnosis and treatment.

Development of AI-based Korean Medicine Doctors

The Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine has promoted the 'Clinical Big Data Collection and Service Platform Establishment for the Development of AI Korean Medicine' project since 2019. AI Korean medicine is a platform that offers quantified outcomes, scientific evidence, and standardized services for data-driven oriental medicine-based diagnosis. In order to develop an AI Korean medicine doctor, standard data required for algorithms to learn must first be collected. To this end, we are developing a protocol for diagnosis and are collecting data on the Korean-Western medicine examinations of 3,000 healthy individuals and the diagnoses of 200 patients’ devices. We are also constructing a 'treatment support system' that retrieves the most recent research findings from classic literature, as well as a system that serves as an AI assistant for Korean Medicine doctors, offering optimal diagnosis and treatment based on the vast amount of data that is impossible for Korean Medicine doctors to recall in full. By 2024, we hope to have collected data on the biomarkers of 10,000 healthy Koreans. By doing so, we do not merely achieve subjective and abstract diagnoses, such as having a 'weak pulse,' but it is possible to create an environment in which objective indicators can be presented and explained, such as being in the 'top X percent of Korean women in their fifties.'

Objective of Korean Medical Medical Diagnosis Using Digital Diagnostic Devices

The Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine's digital diagnostic devices have increased the objectivity of Korean medicine diagnosis. In the traditional diagnostic method of Korean medicine, the doctor directly observes the patient's body through the senses of sight, sound, touch, and smell, and determines the direction of treatment based on the patient's specific symptoms. Digital diagnostic devices collect and analyze patient clinical data through the classification of images, voices, and waves, and diagnoses patients objectively and scientifically. Pulse Analysis System, Tongue Image Analysis System(K-TAS), and Sasang Constitutional Analysis Tool(K-Prism) are the main diagnostic devices.In Korean medicine, the patient's wrist pulse is used as a primary diagnostic tool to determine whether there is an abnormality in the patient's health. To precisely measure how the pulse travels from the heart to the wrist, the Pulse Analysis System can objectively and accurately diagnose the patient's condition by measuring the size, width, length, and strength of the pulse via a pulse sensor that mimics the sensation of an Korean Medicine doctors' fingertips. Recently, digital pulse analysis technology combined with wearable devices are being developed in order to continuously observe changes in the pulse in response to daily environmental changes and use this information for personalized diagnosis. Tongue diagnosis is used to examine the vitality of the body, severity of disease, and the strengths and weaknesses of the organs based on the shape and color of the tongue itself, as well as the color and distribution, thickness, and moisture level of the tongue that adheres to the surface of the tongue like moss. The Tongue Image Analysis System(K-TAS) diagnoses the patient's condition by quantitatively measuring information on the tongue using 3D image processing and analysis technology. This enables a reliable and consistent diagnosis of the patient's condition. Finally, the Sasang Constitutional Analysis Tool(K-Prism) is developed by reflecting the analysis results using over 3,000 samples of Sasang constitution-related data and various expert opinions on the comprehensive constitutional elements of facial image, voice, body shape, and questionnaire responses. Prescriptions and treatments in Korean Medicine vary according to an individual's innate constitution. Using standardized criteria, it is possible to objectively categorize a person's constitution as Taeeumin, Taeyangin, Soeumin, Soyangin, thereby enabling constitutional diagnosis.

Introduction of AI to Identify Herbal Medicines

Herbal medicine is the most emblematic form of Korean medicine. It is crucial to correctly identify herbal remedies made from the roots, leaves, and fruits of different plants. Currently, the distribution market for herbal medicines relies primarily on visual identification by trained professionals. However, as the number of identification specialists declines, concerns about medicine-related accidents are increasing. In order to address this issue, the Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine has developed a deep learning-based artificial intelligence technology that can differentiate herbal medicines. The maximum accuracy of the discrimination technology based on deep learning is 99.4%, which was greater than the average discrimination accuracy of 94.8% when judged by human experts using only their eyes. By utilizing this technology, it is anticipated that accidents caused by the misuse of counterfeit herbal medicines by non-professionals will be greatly reduced, and we plan to increase accessibility by creating an app for identifying herbal medicines in the future.

A. Herbal medicines with similar appearance: Sinomenium Acutum (SA), Akebia Quinata (AC) and Aristolochia Manshuriensis Kom (AMC). Due to its toxicity, the use of AMC has been banned, but it can still be found on the market in herbal medicines.
B. Schematic Diagram of Korean Medicine Identification Process Using Deep Learning

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Mobile App for Korean Medicine-based Health Management - Mibyeongbogam

The Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine has created the 'Mibyeongbogam' app for Korean Medicine health care by collecting and standardizing the clinical data of study participants. Subhealth(Mibyeong, 未病) is defined as a state in which the capacity to recover to a healthy state is diminished, but without the presence of clinical disease. Subhealth(Mibyeong) refers to an uncomfortable condition of feeling heavy or tired that, by current standards, is not a disease. About 47% of adults who are not ill complain of various health problems, and about 70% of them complain of fatigue and other symptoms such as indigestion, depression, and sleep disruption. Because Subhealth(Mibyeong) refers to a condition that is not yet a medically recognized disease, it requires daily management rather than special prescriptions or treatments. We created the 'Mibyeongbogam' app using the Subhealth(Mibyeong) clinical database and an evaluation algorithm. When a user enters his or her health information via a mobile phone or device, the system analyzes and evaluates the data before informing the user of the outcome. Users can receive recommendations on Korean medicine-based health management methods, such as lifestyle management methods tailored to their constitution, herbal teas, and exercise therapy, based on the results. Through future app development, it is anticipated that the scope of the app will expand to include hospital treatment.

Mibyeongbogam App Main Screen Mibyeongbogam App Analysis Results 1 Mibyeongbogam App Analysis Results 2

When the objectification and science of Korean Medicine are fully realized through the various digital transformation projects promoted by the Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, a new paradigm of preventive medicine based on convergence with contemporary science will emerge. For the promotion of national health and the globalization of Korean Medicine, the Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine is conducting a variety of research and projects, including the development of digital Korean Medicine medicine leading technology, the establishment of an oriental medicine information platform, and the formulation of Korean Medicine policy strategies.

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