Body Tech Med announced on the 13th that it has received approval for domestic use of a diagnostic kit (ichroma™ Vitamin D Neo) that can determine whether or not there is a vitamin D deficiency within 12 minutes. Accordingly, the kit can be used at local hospitals.
This kit is being evaluated for overcoming the shortcomings of the existing vitamin D diagnosis method and speeding up the popularization of the product. Most vitamin D diagnosis is done by requesting an institution that uses large equipment. In addition, there was the inconvenience of having to visit the patient once more to check the results following the examination. The Body Tech Med kit can be diagnosed immediately at a hospital, hospital-level medical institution, so there is no need for patients to revisit.
In particular, the inspection time was greatly reduced from 30 minutes to 12 minutes compared to the existing products sold for overseas export. The sample was also expanded from the existing serum and plasma to whole blood that does not require a separate purification process. It is also compatible with the Body Tech Med rapid antigen diagnostic device.
The number of patients with vitamin D deficiency in Korea increased by 19.5% annually from 1.17 million in 2018 to 2.38 million as of 2021. Vitamin D functions to regulate calcium and phosphorus levels in the blood to normal ranges. Vitamin D deficiency increases the risk of osteoporosis in adults and impairs bone growth in infants and adolescents. In particular, recently, as outside activities are restricted due to the impact of COVID-19, the number of patients with vitamin D deficiency is increasing.
Body Tech Med is the only Korean manufacturer to have the Vitamin D International Standardization Certification Program (VDSCP) hosted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Body Tech Med CEO Choi Eui-yeol said, “The ability to quickly determine whether or not vitamin D is deficient in hospitals, hospitals, and medical institutions used by 30% of patients is expected to bring regarding a significant change in the diagnosis method using existing large-scale equipment.” .
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