Sung-Hoon Kim, CEO of Signal House
CEOKim has been working in the Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine atAsan Medical Center for 20 years
Clinicaltrials are underway for a cardiopulmonary sound monitoring and risk predictionsolution
“I have been serving at theDepartment of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine at Seoul Asan Medical Center for20 years, and Signal House is a professor-founded startup I established fouryears ago. We are developing an AI-based surgical patient monitoring device toenhance patient safety, leveraging our accumulated clinical experience andR&D capabilities. Last year, we successfully completed an exploratoryclinical trial approved by KFDA and secured TIPS investment. We are nowpreparing for a confirmatory clinical trial in the second half of this year.”
SignalHouse’s flagship product is an AI-based surgical patient monitoring device toenhance patient safety. The product currently in clinical trials is acardiopulmonary sound monitoring and risk prediction solution. The companyholds ten pipelines across four product groups. Signal House acquired theinitial algorithm discovered by the Asan Medical Center clinical research teamand is advancing its sophistication and commercialization.
“Existing methods forpreventing post-surgical patient safety incidents rely heavily on medical stafflabor, which leads to fatigue and burnout among healthcare workers. Additionally, the socioeconomic burden associated with managing and recoveringfrom complications arising after surgical anesthesia is substantial. OurAI-based surgical patient monitoring device to enhance patient safety improvesmedical staff workflow, reducing their burden and providing an environment inwhich patients can undergo surgery with peace of mind, free from blind spots inthe care process.”
Thecompetitive edge of Signal House’s product lies in its development reflectingunmet needs in clinical settings, making it a genuinely necessary solution onthe ground. Medical startups often develop products with state-of-the-art(SOTA) technology, yet they often face challenges in actual practice adoption. There are also cases of frustration due to the inability to persuade regulatoryauthorities during the KFDA’s authorization and permission process or insurancereimbursement listing. Aware of these issues, Kim aims to incorporate userfeedback from the early development stages and resolve problems through activecommunication with regulatory authorities.
“As this is a medicaldevice requiring a specialist’s prescription, it needs interest and supportfrom academic societies. First, the equipment must demonstrate clinicallymeaningful results and provide practical value in real-world settings toultimately earn user adoption. Therefore, alongside clinical studies for ourproduct, we are conducting academic seminars, and we plan to pursue full-scalemarketing after the product launches.”
SignalHouse currently employs 10 staff members, including the CEO. The keydepartments are the development team, the regulatory affairs team, and theresearch team. The development team is responsible for product development, UIdesign, and AI model implementation. The regulatory affairs team manageselectrical testing and inspection and the KFDA’s authorization and permissionprocess. The research team designs clinical trials based on hospital data,develops AI models, and conducts verification. They also collaborate with aresearch team affiliated with the Ulsan University College of Medicine.
Regardingfuture plans, Kim stated, “Successfully completing the two ongoing KFDAconfirmatory clinical trials is our most critical goal,” adding, “We willconcentrate all resources over the next year to achieve this.”
Founded:February 2021
Mainbusiness: development of an AI-based patient monitoring device to enhancepatient safety
Achievements:Moved into Asan Medical Center’s industry-academic collaboration center in2021; Obtained GMP certification in 2022; Established a company-affiliatedresearch institute in 2023; Secured TIPS investment in 2024; Participated inthe Asan Life Science Research Institute’s Core Facility Program in 2024
reporter jinho lee
jinho2323@hankyung.com
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