PainChek expands internationally with Person Centred Software UK distribution agreement
As part of its EU and UK expansion strategy, PainChek will establish a UK operation to look after its new markets.
PainChek (ASX: PCK) has secured a binding distribution agreement with Person Centred Software paving the way for the company to launch its pain assessment and monitoring technology into international markets.
The agreement allows for Person to distribute PainChek’s namesake app to its UK client base, which comprises more than 1,200 aged care providers and over 40,000 residents.
Person has already integrated the app into its Mobile Care Monitoring system to provide carers with seamless pain assessment and monitoring of residents within aged care facilities.
“The agreement will provide us with rapid access to [Person’s] large UK client base,” PainChek chief executive officer Philip Daffas said.
“Their team and product offering are highly complementary to PainChek and together we can leverage the positive learnings and market acceptance from Australia into an even larger market,” he added.
According to PainChek, UK prices will be in line with Australia’s with revenue to be underpinned by up-take of the app.
Person co-founder and director Jonathan Papworth said the companies had received “extremely positive feedback” during joint visits carried out earlier this year.
European Union market in PainChek’s sight
As part of the UK and EU roll-out, PainChek plans to establish an operation in the UK in the near future.
“We are establishing a core PainChek UK team who can take advantage of the large European market opportunity and work with strategic partners, like Person, on a country-by-country basis,” Mr Daffas explained.
In readiness for infiltrating EU markets, PainChek’s app has CE Mark clearance.
It is believed there are about 7.5 million people living with dementia across the EU, with more than 20 million carers.
PainChek technology
PainChek’s technology uses a tablet or smartphone camera to capture a brief video of a person.
Using the PainChek artificial intelligence facial recognition software, the video is analysed in real time to detect facial micro-expressions that indicate the presence of pain.
The data from the analysed video is then combined with other pain indicators such as vocalisations, behaviours and movements to calculate a pain severity score.
Using this technology, carers are able to detect and measure a person’s pain and then monitor the effectiveness of treatment.
The technology has been designed for adults who are unable to effectively verbalise their pain such as dementia sufferers.
However, the company is looking to adapt it for children who have not yet learned to speak.
This morning’s news sent PainChek’s share price soaring more than 10% to reach $0.102 before midday.