StellarCube begins joint AI pain management research with Korea University Anam Hospital
Full-scale development of PainX (now PainCube), automating prediction, assessment and dosing
PainX is the former name of PainCube. This article reproduces the wording used at the time of publication.
StellarCube, an AI health tech company, has signed a research agreement with Korea University Anam Hospital for the development of PainX, an AI-based pain management algorithm, and has begun a twelve-month clinical study.
The research focuses on developing PainX, a technology that automates the path from prediction to assessment and dosing recommendation using multiple biosignals such as ECG and PPG, in order to address the limitations of existing pain management: subjective assessment, reliance on clinicians' experience and variation in dosing.
The joint research aims to overcome the limitations of conventional pain assessment and to develop AI models that quantify and predict pain through real-time analysis of a range of biosignals including ECG, PPG, GSR, SpO₂ and respiratory rate.
This is the core technology of the project as set out in the research plan, and is expected to become a new standard for managing pain through objective indicators in clinical practice. By predicting at an early stage the acute pain experienced by 70 to 80 percent of surgical patients and the risk of transition to chronic pain, it is expected to produce clinical benefits across several areas, including shorter recovery periods, optimized dosing and improved patient safety.
The Korea University Anam Hospital research team will carry out retrospective and prospective patient data collection, establish pain labeling criteria, and demonstrate the algorithm in real clinical environments including wards, intensive care units and recovery rooms, building a clinical structure that meets global standards.
Professor Hee Jung Kim said: "If biosignal-based pain prediction AI is successfully developed, the existing approach to pain management, which has relied on clinicians' experience, will improve dramatically. Anam Hospital will focus on creating a solution that can actually be used in clinical settings, through clinical validation and data-based interpretation."
Starting from this joint research, StellarCube will accelerate the technical maturity and commercialization of PainX, its AI-based pain management solution.
Alongside core technology development covering EMR and waveform integration, an analgesic dosing recommendation system (CDS) and a central monitoring dashboard, the company is also preparing for MFDS (Ministry of Food and Drug Safety) authorization and, in future, FDA entry.
Jinseob Noh, CEO of StellarCube, said: "This research is an important turning point in Korean medical AI technology reaching world-class level. StellarCube aims to create a pain-free recovery environment through AI, and we will build technology that reduces the burden on clinicians while fundamentally improving patients' quality of life."
According to the research and development plan, the results can be applied across a range of areas: pain monitoring systems for hospitals and care facilities, home-based pain management services, development of AI-equipped monitoring devices, pain prediction services in industrial safety, and data provision for health policy.
If the research succeeds, it is expected to become an important case of the Korean medical AI industry gaining competitiveness in the global pain management market.
With social factors such as population aging, rising surgical volumes and the spread of chronic pain converging, the market for AI-based precision pain management is growing rapidly in the United States and Europe. The collaboration between StellarCube and Korea University Anam Hospital, combining private AI capability with a university hospital's clinical expertise, is expected to be a starting point for a new paradigm in pain management.