FRONTEO and Keio University School of Medicine Have Been Granted Two Patents for a Conversational AI Program to Support Depression Diagnosis

The system assesses depressive symptoms based on approximately 10 minutes of free conversation; designed for use in a variety of medical and healthcare settings, including telemedicine and health screenings, it aims to address the treatment gap.

Tokyo, Japan, March 31, 2026 - FRONTEO, Inc. (Headquarters: Tokyo, Japan; President & CEO: Masahiro Morimoto; hereinafter “FRONTEO”) and a research group led by Professor Taishiro Kishimoto (Center for the Promotion of Interdisciplinary Research in Medicine and Life Science) at Keio University School of Medicine (Location: Tokyo) are pleased to announce that they have been granted two patents for a conversational AI program jointly developed by the two parties to assist in the diagnosis of depression. This conversational AI program analyzes approximately 10 minutes of free-flowing conversation between a patient and a healthcare professional using AI. It aims to support physicians in making diagnoses, establish methods for the early detection of diseases and symptoms, and provide objective evidence to support diagnosis.

Patent Summary

Title of Invention: Depression Symptom Assessment Device, Assessment Model Generation Device, and Method for Generating Training Data

Patent Numbers: Patent No. 7807764, Patent No. 7807765

Registration Date: January 20, 2026

Depression requires psychological assessment for diagnosis. Because depressive symptoms are highly subjective and carry social stigma, patients may delay seeking medical care, and the large number of undiagnosed individuals who may require treatment remains a major challenge. For this reason, it is considered important to assess depression from two perspectives: (1) the patient’s “State” (i.e., whether they are currently suffering from depression) and (2) their “Trait” (i.e., a predisposition to developing depression). FRONTEO and Keio University School of Medicine have recently been granted patents for two conversational AI programs: one designed to assess the “State” requiring early diagnosis and treatment, and the other designed to assess the “Trait” that can help resolve delays in seeking medical care.

The implementation of this conversational AI program is expected to enable more objective diagnostic support even at medical institutions that do not specialize in psychiatric and neurological disorders. Furthermore, FRONTEO and Keio University School of Medicine believe it can be utilized across a wide range of medical and healthcare fields—including telemedicine settings where patients cannot meet with doctors in person, occupational health services, health screening facilities, and brain check-ups—thereby helping to lower the barriers to care for potential patients who have not yet sought treatment and addressing the diverse social needs surrounding depression.

The Current Situation Surrounding Depression

According to the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, approximately 1 in 15 Japanese people^*1 is estimated to experience depression at some point in their lives. As of 2023, the number of outpatients seeking medical care for “mood disorders”—which include depression—stood at approximately 1.566 million^*2, making it the most common mental health condition.

On the other hand, according to the World Mental Health Survey^*3 Japan Study, only 42.9% of people with depression seek medical care (of whom 28.6% visit psychiatrists and 21.4% visit general practitioners). This suggests that more than half^*4 of patients with medical needs are not adequately connected to healthcare services, indicating that depression is a condition with a significant “treatment gap.”

Source: Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare: 4th Meeting of the Study Group on Future Measures for Mental Health, Medical Care, and Welfare, Reference Material 4: Current Status of Mental Health, Medical Care, and Welfare, https://www.mhlw.go.jp/content/11121000/001374464.pdf^*2

The early detection and treatment of depression is an urgent priority for society as a whole.

Through the social implementation of this conversational AI program, FRONTEO aims to improve access to medical care for people with depression, support physicians in making optimal diagnoses and decisions, and reduce the burden on both patients and healthcare professionals. In this way, it will promote the early detection and treatment of depression and contribute to solving the critical social issue of mental and neurological disorders.

Notes:

*1 Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare: Depression—Understanding Mental Illness, Take Care of Your Mental Health, https://www.mhlw.go.jp/kokoro/youth/stress/know/know_01.html

*2 Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare: 4th Meeting of the Study Group on Future Measures for Mental Health, Medical Care, and Welfare, Reference Material 4: Current Status of Mental Health, Medical Care, and Welfare, https://www.mhlw.go.jp/content/11121000/001374464.pdf

*3 An epidemiological survey conducted in approximately 30 countries worldwide, led by the WHO (World Health Organization) and Harvard Medical School, examining the prevalence of mental disorders, associated factors, help-seeking behavior, and the impact on social life

*4 Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare: Large-Scale Epidemiological Survey on the Prevalence of Mental Disorders: World Mental Health Japan Study II, FY2013 Summary and Sub-project Research Reports, https://mhlw-grants.niph.go.jp/system/files/download_pdf/2013/201317070A.pdf

Special Notes:

This research and development was conducted with support from the Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED) under the Advanced Medical Devices and Systems Technology Development Program, specifically the project titled “Development of a Device for Real-Time Objective Assessment of Psychiatric Symptoms Based on the Quantification of Facial Expressions, Voice, and Activities of Daily Living” (Principal Investigator: Taishiro Kishimoto).

About FRONTEO, Inc. https://www.fronteo.com/en/