[KIMES 2026 Special Interview] CHOISTECHNOLOGY Targets Operating Rooms with Wireless Core Body Temperature Monitoring ‘Thermosafer’
CHOISTECHNOLOGY Targets Operating Room Market with Wireless Core Body Temperature Monitoring “Thermosafer”
Soonpil Choi, CEO of CHOISTECHNOLOGY, during the KIMES 2026 special interview with AVING News | Photo: AVING News
CHOISTECHNOLOGY CO., LTD. (CEO: Soonpil Choi) will participate in KIMES 2026 (The 41st Korea International Medical & Hospital Equipment Show), taking place from March 19 to 22 at COEX in Seoul, as part of the INSPIRE Special Pavilion.
CHOISTECHNOLOGY has developed medical device solutions that measure and monitor various biological signals using wireless communication and sensor technologies. Recently, the company introduced ThermoSafer, a non-invasive continuous core body temperature monitoring device, expanding its application in clinical settings, particularly in hospital operating rooms.
In this interview, Kim Gidae, Publisher of AVING News, met with CEO Soonpil Choi to discuss the background behind the development of ThermoSafer, its technological competitiveness, potential applications in healthcare environments, and the company’s strategy for global market expansion.
Q&A Interview
Q. Could you introduce yourself and describe the type of leader you are?
Soonpil Choi, CEO of CHOISTECHNOLOGY:
CHOISTECHNOLOGY was founded with the goal of creating products that did not previously exist and that go beyond existing technological limitations. We have continuously developed technologies and products that differ from conventional approaches, creating new markets along the way, and I have personally led that direction.
For many years, we have built our business around wireless communication and sensor technologies, particularly in the education and presentation markets, where we still maintain stable revenue streams. More recently, we have expanded these technologies into the medical field, developing solutions that measure biological signals and enable wireless monitoring.
In many ways, the company and I share the same vision: to create something new and open new possibilities, which has been our mission from the beginning and will continue to guide us.
Q. What has been the market response to Thermosafer?
ThermoSafer has been in development for nearly a decade since we began promoting the brand in 2016. During the early stages, we experienced several challenges and iterations. However, last year we significantly upgraded the product from a skin temperature monitoring device to a core body temperature monitoring system, launching the new version.
Initially, we targeted the consumer (B2C) market, but with the new product we shifted our strategy to focus first on hospital environments.
Currently, ThermoSafer has been introduced in the operating rooms of major tertiary hospitals in Korea, including:
Severance Hospital
Seoul National University Hospital
The Catholic University of Korea hospitals
Sales began immediately after launch. Approximately 30,000 units were sold last year, and key customers estimate that over 100,000 units may be sold in the domestic market this year alone.
Overall, the initial market response has been very positive.
Q. What is the key competitive advantage and differentiation of ThermoSafer?
In hospitals, continuous monitoring of patient body temperature is essential before, during, and after surgery. Traditionally, different thermometers are used at different stages—for example:
Ear or axillary thermometers before surgery
Invasive probes inserted into the body during surgery
This fragmented approach often leads to inconsistent measurement methods.
ThermoSafer addresses this limitation. It is non-invasive, meaning it does not require insertion into the body, yet it provides temperature readings close to core body temperature accuracy.
Once attached to the patient, the device enables continuous monitoring from pre-operation through surgery and recovery until discharge.
Its key strengths are therefore:
Non-invasive safety
Continuous monitoring capability
Consistent temperature measurement across clinical stages
Additionally, ThermoSafer recently received recognition for its design excellence by winning the iF Design Award in the medical device category.
Q. In which environments do you see ThermoSafer being most needed?
Our primary target market is hospital operating rooms.
In the medical device industry, gaining validation in environments where medical reimbursement systems apply is important. We believe the first step is to demonstrate the product’s necessity and effectiveness in hospitals.
Moving forward, we plan to gradually expand applications to:
ICUs (Intensive Care Units)
Recovery rooms
Hospital wards
Since ThermoSafer allows continuous temperature monitoring throughout the entire patient journey after surgery, its usability across hospital departments is significant.
In the longer term, we also see potential expansion into consumer markets, particularly for infants and newborn care at home.
Furthermore, wireless temperature monitoring may become especially useful in infectious disease environments or isolation settings, where minimizing direct contact is important.
Q. Are there plans to expand business based on the collected data, and how do you view expansion into advanced markets such as the United States?
Currently, temperature data collected by ThermoSafer is stored within hospital EMR (Electronic Medical Record) systems, and we are conducting clinical research in collaboration with institutions such as Severance Hospital and Seoul National University Hospital.
However, expanding data utilization requires overcoming additional medical regulatory barriers, including certification processes. For now, our priority is to further refine the product as a safe and convenient non-invasive temperature monitoring solution.
Regarding overseas markets, we are preparing to enter both the U.S. and European markets, although the regulatory barriers are quite high. At present, we are focusing primarily on the United States, where we are preparing the necessary documentation and plan to submit regulatory applications around April or May.
Because the U.S. healthcare system has a complex insurance structure and high entry barriers for hospital markets, our initial strategy may focus on OTC-based B2C channels, such as distribution through retailers like CVS, before expanding into hospital markets.
Q. What are your short-term goals and long-term vision?
In the short term, our goal is to ensure that ThermoSafer firmly establishes itself in the domestic market and builds strong clinical references. In the medical device industry, references are extremely important, which is why we are currently expanding adoption among major tertiary hospitals.
In the long term, we plan to expand into broader wireless medical monitoring platforms.
We already have certification experience for medical devices such as:
Electrocardiographs (ECG)
Pulse oximeters (SpO₂)
This provides a foundation for expanding into various biological signal monitoring solutions.
Even within the thermometer market, we believe ThermoSafer has clear differentiation. While many products measure skin temperature, there are relatively few devices worldwide that estimate core body temperature through the skin, especially with continuous wireless monitoring capabilities.
Recently, ThermoSafer received the CES Innovation Award, and at international exhibitions such as World Health Expo (WHX) we have received multiple partnership proposals, confirming strong potential in global markets.
Q. Could your technology also be applied to areas such as sports or military training where body temperature monitoring is critical?
Yes, we believe there is potential in those areas. However, the current product was designed primarily for stable indoor hospital environments, so there are still technical challenges to address when operating in outdoor environments with large temperature fluctuations.
Recently, we have begun collaborative research with Seoul National University College of Medicine to develop temperature monitoring solutions aimed at preventing heat stress and cold-related illnesses in environments such as:
Construction sites
Logistics operations
There is growing demand for technology that can improve worker safety in extreme weather conditions, including heat waves and cold environments.
We also see potential applications in agriculture and industrial fields, where workers spend long hours outdoors, and we are researching wearable temperature monitoring technologies suitable for such environments.
Q. Do you have any advice for aspiring entrepreneurs?
When I started my company in 2001, the startup environment was very different. At that time, the venture ecosystem was just beginning to form, and there was a strong spirit of building something from scratch and completing it ourselves.
Today, there are far more support programs and better conditions for startups. However, I sometimes feel that entrepreneurship has become too focused on exit strategies.
In my view, entrepreneurship ultimately requires the determination to take responsibility for the products and businesses you create and to see them through to completion.
If someone is considering starting a business, I would advise them to have the strong determination to solve a problem and the responsibility to stand behind the results.
Q. What type of talent does CHOISTECHNOLOGY need to continue growing?
Above all, we look for people with a strong sense of responsibility and pride in their work.
It is important to take ownership of what you create and to feel genuine pride in the results. Rather than simply completing assigned tasks, we value individuals who can confidently say, “This is something I built.”
We are currently recruiting across several areas. While we need technical development talent, we are particularly seeking professionals with strong global sales capabilities to help expand our presence in international markets.
We welcome people who are eager to introduce innovative technologies and products to the global stage and help pioneer new markets.
Q. What do you hope to achieve through participation in KIMES 2026?
We have participated in KIMES for more than 8–9 years, and we believe it is important to continuously showcase our technologies and products to the market through exhibitions.
In particular, since our product is now being used in major tertiary hospitals, this exhibition will be an opportunity to demonstrate both our achievements and our future potential.
KIMES also attracts many Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs) in the medical field, making it a valuable platform for exploring new collaboration opportunities.
Additionally, we recently received a Commendation from the Minister of Health and Welfare, which has provided us with an opportunity to participate in presentations and promote our technology during the event.
Source: AVING News [KIMES 2026 특집 인터뷰] 초이스테크놀로지, 무선 심부 체온 모니터링 ‘써모세이퍼’로 수술실 공략 < 인터뷰 < 피플 < 기사본문 - 에이빙(AVING)
2026-03-16
