JW Pharma unveils S.Korea's first homegrown hybrid incubator

South Korea's JW Pharmaceutical on Wednesday released three products from its new incubator brand Hi-Mammi.

The company's rollout of hybrid and high- and low-end models was its first product launch since acquiring the medical device unit of affiliate JW Bioscience in January.

The Hi-Mammi incubator simulates the environment of the mother's body to help the development of a premature baby of a certain weight or a newborn with abnormal symptoms. The hybrid model needs higher technology because the proper temperature must be maintained with a heating device even when the top panel is open.

JW Pharmaceutical is South Korea's first to produce and launch a domestically developed hybrid incubator.

The domestic incubator market for front-line medical institutions has shifted toward one combining closed and open types, but no domestic company had made its own before JW Pharmaceutical. This has allowed just three companies – GE Healthcare Technologies of the US, Atom Medical of Japan and Drager Medical of Germany – to control over 90% of the domestic market.

The Hi-Mammi incubators are designed to support a newborn's mental stability through a built-in speaker that transmits the mother's heartbeat or voice into the compartment through a smartphone or MP3 player.

The family screen shows the infant's treatment status at a glance and displays family photos or messages of encouragement. Other features are full-body imaging of a baby and stronger soundproofing to minimize stress from noise.

In addition, JW Pharmaceutical will develop an artificial intelligence-based smart care system using deep learning technology grounded in clinical data to create a customized environment for neonatal intensive care.

Write to Ji-Hyun Lee at bluesky@hankyung.com