Digital medical specialist PainChek (ASX: PCK) has received a Notice of Allowance for its pain assessment invention from the Australian Patent Office.
The Notice of the acceptance will appear in the Australian Official Journal of Patents on 14 May 2020 and confirms the patent prosecution has been successfully completed.
The patent allows PainChek to protect the intellectual property of its invention in Australia, provides a platform for growing the brand in international markets and gives PainChek exclusive rights to exclude others from making, using, selling or importing the invention until 18th August 2035 which is 20 years from the completed filing date in the Australia.
According to Philip Daffas, PainChek’s CEO, PainChek is the world’s first smartphone pain assessment and monitoring device. The app automatically assesses pain via artificial intelligence and facial recognition technology. Research shows it is already driving higher quality aged care and improved pain management in residential settings around Australia.
Mr Daffas said the patent is the latest in a series of growth milestones for the company.
After working on this application since early 2017, we now have accepted patents for PainChek technology in USA, Japan and now in our home market Australia. We are awaiting further approvals in other markets including Europe, United Kingdom and China” Mr Daffas said.
The announcement comes as PainChek has recently submitted the FDA De-Novo pre-sub supplement to the FDA which provides a regulatory pathway for PainChek to market the adult version App in the US.
Mr Daffas said the ongoing De Novo application confirms PainChek is a first in kind from a US regulatory standpoint and the granting of the US patent confirms that we are first in kind from an intellectual property standpoint.
“From a business perspective, the US, Japan and Australia are cornerstone markets for our global strategy and where there are more than ten Million people living with dementia. Establishing our intellectual property in these markets is a crucial step forward as part of protecting and growing the PainChek brand internationally,” he said.
