MindsAI Receives MFDS Approval for Clinical Trials of Two Mental Health Software Programs

Diagnosis of Severe Depression Through Saliva Collection and Online Survey

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heeyoon] Minds.AI, a medical software company led by CEO Seok Jeongho, announced on the 6th that its psychological assessment software ‘Minds.NAVI’ and emotional disorder treatment software ‘CHEEU.Forest’ have received clinical trial plan approval from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety for efficacy and safety evaluation.

The approved psychological assessment software Minds.NAVI diagnoses major depressive disorder through a non-face-to-face survey method using saliva collection at home for stress hormone analysis and online questionnaires. CHEEU.Forest is a virtual reality (VR) program that lowers suicide risk and provides treatment for depression.

Minds.NAVI integrates psychological and physical indicators for patients with major depressive disorder to assist in screening depression subtypes with high suicide risk. It comprehensively evaluates psychological indicators measured by self-report psychological assessment questionnaires and biological markers (salivary hormones cortisol, DHEA) analyzed through radioisotope immunoassay based on saliva hormone concentration. The results are presented in four stages: ▲Good Green ▲Borderline Yellow ▲Caution Orange ▲Suspected Disease Red.

CHEEU.Forest conducts assessments based on virtual reality self-assessments developed from content such as ▲Overcoming childhood trauma ▲Controlling suicidal impulses ▲Theory of mind understanding ▲Dialectical behavior therapy theory for patients with major depressive disorder. Additionally, it is software that supports emotional disorder assessment and treatment through educational and training programs. According to Minds.AI, private digital therapeutics like CHEEU.Forest can activate patient inflow suffering from depression and are expected to have positive therapeutic effects.

The company added that this software clinical approval is the first case in Korea where clinical plans for both depression diagnosis and treatment programs have been simultaneously approved as digital medical devices.

Seok Jeongho, CEO of Minds.AI, said, “Based on this clinical result, we will continue research and development to improve the accuracy of depression diagnosis by combining digital technology-based non-face-to-face medical care and counseling development with artificial intelligence (AI) technology.”

Minds.AI is a mental health service venture company based on biomarker technology and AI convergence. Through the development of digital therapeutics, it secured seed investment last August from Stonebridge Ventures, Bluepoint Partners, Insight Partners, MIP Partners, among others. It was also recognized for its technological capabilities by being selected as one of the ‘1000 National Representatives of Innovative Companies’ announced by the Financial Services Commission in December last year.