SK Telecom to provide AI-based imaging assistant service 'X Caliber' for animal hospitals in Japan

By Kim Joo-heon Posted : October 3, 2023, 13:49 Updated : October 4, 2023, 08:44
[Courtesy of SK Telecom]
SEOUL -- South Korea's major mobile carrier SK Telecom partnered with Japanese electronic medical record solution provider Anicom Pafe, to supply "X Caliber," an AI-based veterinary imaging assistant service to animal hospitals in Japan. The web-based service helps veterinarians read and diagnose images quickly.  
 
X Caliber, released in September 2022, was adopted by some 300 South Korean veterinary hospitals. It detects abnormal findings in dogs' musculoskeletal system, heart, and chest within about 30 seconds after X-ray photos are uploaded. Without installing separate servers, animal doctors can receive results anytime through linked mobile devices or PCs. X Caliber was used to analyze more than 37,000 diagnosis data in South Korea.
 
SKT said in a statement that the company will work with Anicom Pafe to provide X Caliber to Japan's animal hospitals. Anicom Pafe specializes in electronic medical records (EMC), which is a digitalized information system to prepare, control, and retain medical records. EMC system has to be set up before establishing an AI and big data-based robot doctor system. SKT plans later to use X Caliber for diagnosing cats.
 
"We will upgrade X Caliber into South Korea's leading AI healthcare service for pets and expand it to the global market," SKT's chief development officer Ha Min-yong said in a statement on October 3.
 
Ancom Pafe is a subsidiary of Japan's major pet insurance company Anicom Holdings. The South Korean mobile carrier also signed an agreement with Anicom Holdings to carry out research projects for AI-based pet healthcare services. By combining SKT's AI technology and Anicom Holdings' animal lifecycle data, a new solution would be created. 
 
According to data released by SKT, the Japanese pet healthcare market exceeded 3 trillion won ($2.2 billion) as of 2021. The number of animal hospitals in Japan was about 12,000. Anicom Holdings has partnered with more than 6,000 veterinary medical facilities in the country.

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