Ear infections remain one of the most common health problems in young children. Studies show that up to 80% of cases occur in kids under nine, often forcing worried parents into long waits at crowded pediatric clinics. With a global shortage of doctors, these delays are becoming more frequent, while at the same time, the number of clinic visits continues to rise. The challenge is clear: families need a faster, easier way to detect and manage otitis media at home.
Otiton, a healthcare technology company founded in 2022, has been tackling this issue with its Doctor In Home telemedicine platform. The company’s first device, the Dr. In-Home smart thermometer, integrates an endoscopic camera and AI-powered analysis to detect ear infections earlier than traditional methods. This innovation earned the company a CES 2025 Innovation Award in the Mobile Devices category, with testing showing an early diagnosis accuracy rate of more than 90%. By allowing parents to monitor ear health at home and share results with doctors when necessary, the solution saves both time and costs.
The platform is also designed to be affordable. Instead of paying repeatedly for clinic visits, families purchase the device and receive a one-year subscription to the service, with ongoing access for a small monthly fee after that. Insurance companies have already shown interest, since widespread use could help reduce the burden of unnecessary doctor consultations.
For CES 2026, Otiton is preparing to broaden its reach. The company will introduce a smart thermometer for pets and a full pet healthcare platform called Dr. Petcare. These new products extend the same principle—telemedicine at home—into the booming animal health market. The pet devices are equipped with high-sensitivity temperature sensors and clinical algorithms built specifically for animals, helping owners track subtle changes in health. Data and images can be stored in a dedicated database, making it easier to decide whether an at-home solution is enough or if a vet visit is required.
Traditionally, diagnosing ear infections has required a doctor’s office visit, often with specialized tools like an otoscope. For pets, this usually meant a stressful and expensive trip to the veterinarian. By miniaturizing hospital-grade equipment into consumer-friendly devices, Otiton is changing that routine. Now, both parents and pet owners can quickly identify problems, self-manage when appropriate, and escalate to professional care only when necessary.
But diagnosis is only part of the story. The system also supports infrared therapy at 650nm wavelength, which has been shown to help reduce ear inflammation. Parents can capture photos of the ear canal using the built-in camera, store the images in an in-house medical database, and track the healing process over time. This combination of diagnosis, treatment, and record-keeping brings a hospital-level workflow into the home.
This approach started to make some noise a couple of years ago. A 2023 study titled “Dual red and near-infrared light-emitting diode irradiation ameliorates LPS-induced otitis media in a rat model” (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36911197/) found that applying red and near-infrared light directly reduced inflammation in the middle ear. The results suggest that light at wavelengths such as 650nm—the same range used by Otiton—could provide a safe, non-invasive way to relieve inflammation in cases of otitis media.
The platform is designed to be affordable and accessible. Families purchase the device with a one-year subscription to the diagnosis service, followed by a low monthly fee. Insurance providers have already shown interest, since such at-home tools could lower the number of unnecessary clinic visits.
Founded by Jaeyoung Kim, an electronic engineer with more than 17 years of hardware design experience, Otiton Medical is based in Seoul and has already gained international recognition. The company has exhibited at global events such as MWC Las Vegas, BIO Japan, and HLTH Las Vegas, while also engaging with distributors in Australia, Singapore, Turkey, and beyond. Regulatory approvals are currently being prepared for both the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Europe’s CE mark, signaling plans for broader market availability.
The rise of smartphones, connected sensors, and AI is transforming healthcare from a clinic-centered system into one that increasingly starts at home. Devices like Otiton’s smart thermometer link directly to a phone, where images and data can be processed by AI in real time.
This means families can capture diagnostic-quality information without specialized training and receive guidance instantly. In a broader sense, it reflects a global shift: patients expect the same immediacy in healthcare that they already experience in online shopping or mobile banking. As AI models become more accurate and in-home medical hardware more affordable, the combination is helping to ease pressure on overburdened healthcare systems, reduce unnecessary doctor visits, and give people more control over everyday health decisions—for themselves and, increasingly, for their pets.
With Doctor In Home and the upcoming Dr. Petcare platform, Otiton is positioning itself as a bridge between traditional healthcare and the growing demand for digital, at-home solutions. By combining AI, IoT, and smart diagnostics, the company aims not only to reduce pressure on overburdened clinics but also to give families—and now pet owners—greater control over everyday health challenges.
Filed in . Read more about CES, CES 2026, Korea and Startups.
