A 26-year-old founded a medical startup — the same year he lost almost half his vision

As a rifleman successful the Republic of Korea Marine Corps who endured harsh grooming arsenic portion of his nationalist service, Kevin Choi had "no doubt" astir the authorities of his health. 

"I've got rather terrible myopia, but I inactive believed I was precise healthy," Choi told CNBC Make It.

But each that changed successful 2016, erstwhile helium discovered helium had glaucoma — a chronic, progressive oculus illness caused by optic nervus damage.

While glaucoma is much communal successful older adults, Choi was lone 26 erstwhile helium was diagnosed. 

By then, Choi said helium had already mislaid fractional of his close oculus vision, and lone had astir "60% to 70%" of his near oculus imaginativeness near — thing which could person been avoided with aboriginal detection. 

But successful the aforesaid year, helium roseate supra these adversities by launching his ain health-care startup, Mediwhale. 

Its devices measure cardiovascular hazard done the usage of retinal imagery and artificial quality — a archetypal of its kind, Mediwhale told CNBC Make It.

With starting superior of $5,000, helium launched the startup with his ophthalmologist, Dr. Tyler Hyungtaek Rim six years ago.

Today, the institution said it has raised millions from investors, with its devices approved successful the EU and respective countries successful Asia. 

How did an precocious glaucoma diagnosis propel Choi to commencement his ain company? CNBC Make It finds out. 

Choi, who is Mediwhale's CEO, said helium is simply a steadfast believer that his diagnosis is "not a coincidence."

As an concern technologist by training, helium started reasoning of imaginable AI solutions that tin heighten aboriginal detection of diseases. 

"There indispensable beryllium immoderate crushed this happened to me. And I deliberation that I could lick this myself, due to the fact that I'm an engineer," said the 31-year-old.

As a aesculapian doctor, Rim besides understood the "unmet needs" successful objective settings erstwhile it comes to the detection of cardiovascular diseases — typically done done computerized tomography scans.

"CT scans necessitate a batch of resources and are clip consuming, truthful it is simply a load for some health-care providers and patients," helium added. 

Choi's ain acquisition with "long diligent journeys," referring to the clip betwixt a diligent getting successful queue astatine a infirmary to getting trial results from doctors — besides prompted him to plan a faster alternative.

"Long diligent travel is simply a large hurdle to get past. Even now, I consciousness precise anxious each clip I sojourn the infirmary for glaucoma checkups … it's a agelong trial with a 2 to 3 hours hold [for results]." 

Mediwhale claims that with conscionable 1 retinal photograph per eye, it achieves the "same accuracy" successful detecting cardiovascular hazard arsenic a CT scan, portion delivering diligent reports "within a minute." 

"It takes conscionable a fewer seconds arsenic it doesn't necessitate immoderate dilation. The representation is simultaneously uploaded to the unreality strategy upon taking and automatically analyzed by our AI," Rim explained. 

The biggest situation that the founders faced was convincing different doctors that the eyes could truly beryllium "the model to the full body," said Choi. 

"The eyes are the lone organs successful the assemblage successful which you tin spot humor vessels without immoderate invasive measures," Rim added. 

"Changes successful your retina's microvascular operation … person been identified arsenic beardown predictors of humor vessel-related diseases, specified arsenic cardiovascular and kidney issues, due to the fact that the changes often hap good earlier you whitethorn adjacent announcement definite important symptoms," Rim explained.

For Choi, uncovering your "reason" and intent is important to overcoming challenges — some successful beingness and successful business.

Knowing his glaucoma could person been detected earlier keeps him going successful his mission, helium said, which is to forestall much radical from detecting diseases erstwhile it's "too late." 

"Maybe for idiosyncratic other who is besides assured astir their wellness … a elemental oculus scan could alteration his life."