| VPIX Medical Wins IR52 Jang Young Shil Award for ‘cCeLL Digital Biopsy Platform’

The cCeLL Digital Biopsy Platform, developed by medical device company VPIX Medical, has been selected as a Week 39 winner of the IR52 Jang Young Shil Award. The technology enables medical professionals to examine tissue in real time inside a patient’s body during surgery. By shortening both examination and surgical time, the platform is expected to significantly reduce the burden of surgery on both clinicians and patients.

During cancer surgery, medical professionals must distinguish cancerous tissue from normal tissue, but cancer tissue cannot be identified with the naked eye. Conventionally, suspected tissue must be frozen, thinly sectioned, and examined individually under a microscope. Results can take approximately 30 minutes, and the process may need to be repeated until cancerous tissue is identified, placing a considerable burden on both clinicians and patients.

VPIX Medical’s digital biopsy technology enables tissue to be observed by placing a microscope directly in contact with the surgical site, without the need to remove the tissue. This allows real-time tissue examination without separate excision. According to clinical research, examination time was reduced from approximately 30 minutes to five minutes, while diagnostic accuracy reached 94%.

At the core of the technology is an ultra-compact microscope developed by Kyungmin Hwang of VPIX Medical, who holds a Ph.D. from the Department of Bio and Brain Engineering at KAIST. The system’s ultra-compact optical components are integrated into a probe measuring approximately 4 mm. Clinicians can insert the probe directly into the patient’s body to scan and examine multiple tissue areas. Unlike conventional examination methods, suspected areas can also be assessed repeatedly.

An optical fiber within the ultra-compact optical system rapidly oscillates to scan tissue. Whereas conventional systems acquire images by scanning tissue line by line, the rapidly moving optical fiber can capture information across a wider area at once. VPIX Medical successfully developed an algorithm that reconstructs images acquired through the vibrating optical fiber, enabling the company to complete the final product.

As a digital platform, cCeLL can be applied not only to an ultra-compact microscope but also to a variety of diagnostic devices. In addition to real-time intraoperative examination, cCeLL can be used to assess excised tissue when more detailed evaluation is required. The ability to support multiple clinical environments with a single technology is one of the features that differentiates the platform from competing products.

The system provides image resolution at approximately 1 micrometer and can capture up to 10 frames per second. Compared with competing overseas products, which capture up to 2.35 frames per second, this represents more than a fourfold improvement in imaging speed. The faster frame rate helps minimize the effects of patient breathing and movement, as well as hand tremor from medical professionals.

VPIX Medical is also developing technology that integrates its digital biopsy platform withartificial intelligence (AI). The goal is to use AI to analyze imaging data, provide additional diagnostic insights, and offer clinicians more information to support decision-making. Because cCeLL enables real-time examination, clinicians may also be able to use AI assistance during surgery to support more accurate diagnosis and surgical procedures.

Kyungmin Hwang of VPIX Medical said, “Our goal is to help physicians make decisions even faster and more accurately,” adding, “We aim to build a digital environment in which AI supports clinical decision-making.”

Won-seok Choi, Reporter(choi.wonseok@mk.co.kr)
Maeil Business Newspaper