Contributing to Social Well-being
The urban development and environmental concerns of a modern city bring many challenges to people’s health and well-being, which are closely related to the sustainable development of society. PolyU has been taking advantage of research excellence to tackle associated challenges. For instance, a Memorandum of Understanding with Axis Therapeutics was signed in July 2018 to establish a joint center to develop and commercialize cancer immunotherapy technologies. PolyU-led projects were granted with a total of HK$65 million under the 2018/19 Research Impact Fund of the Research Grants Council, half of which was related to healthcare and well-being.
Robotic Arm for Stroke Patients’ Mobile Rehabilitation
Stroke is the third leading cause of disability worldwide, with approximately 25,000 new incidences of stroke recorded annually in Hong Kong. After being discharged from hospital, stroke patients still need to undergo long-term rehabilitation training to enhance physical mobility of their limbs to alleviate post-stroke symptoms. The robotic arm, developed by the Department of Biomedical Engineering, can ease the pressure on outpatient rehabilitation services and provide a flexible, self-help, easy-to-use, mobile tool for patients to supplement their rehabilitation sessions at the clinic.
The low-power, lightweight, and sportswear-featured robotic arm combines exo-skeleton and soft robot structural designs to provide external mechanical forces driven by voluntary muscle signals to assist the patient’s desired joint movement. The robotic arm can be connected to a mobile application, so that stroke patients may conduct rehabilitation training anytime and anywhere. Besides monitoring training and recording data, the mobile application can also serve as a social network platform for mutual support among stroke patients.
This innovative robotic arm was awarded the Grand Award (Prize of the Polish of Patents Office), Gold Medal, and Special Merit Award at the 47th International Exhibition of Inventions of Geneva.
Palm-sized 3D Ultrasound Imaging System for Scoliosis Assessment
Scoliosis is an increasingly prevalent spinal disease among adolescents. To address the risk of radiation in traditional X-ray imaging for scoliosis assessment, the 3D ultrasound radiation-free imaging technology “Scolioscan” was first developed by PolyU and successfully commercialized in 2016. During the reporting year, PolyU’s research team took another big leap of advancement in the “Scolioscan” technology by further developing a palm-sized “Scolioscan Air” device which significant downsizes a 150 kg clinic-based facility to a 5 kg portable device.
Compared with the original Scolioscan technology, the novel Scolioscan Air device can fit into a suitcase, thereby allowing mass screening services, such as school-based scoliosis screening, for adolescents anywhere, anytime. Real-time assessment during non-surgical treatment for scoliosis patients can also be facilitated by the Scolioscan Air device.
With its high accuracy, cost-effective and portable features, Scolioscan Air received three major awards at the 47th International Exhibition of Inventions of Geneva, including Grand Award, Gold Medal with the Congratulations of Jury, and Special Merit Award.
Gerontechnology to Promote Elderly Well-being
Facing challenges of an ageing population, PolyU has been dedicated to promoting well-being of the elderly community. Over the years, PolyU has been pioneering a wide spectrum of innovative technologies for elderly healthcare, such as the eNightLog system for monitoring elderly with dementia symptoms at night. Other technologies, such as iHome, iWheelchair, iBalanx, and Rehab Sleeve, are developed to enhance elderly’s safety, mobility, and rehabilitation at home. During the reporting year, PolyU’s researchers have developed a smart elderly home system with an aim to improve communication between the elderly and their family members and caregivers, ultimately facilitating their independent living ability.
Sharing these research achievements and expertise on elderly care, PolyU joined hands with community partners to launch the Jockey Club Smart Ageing Hub project in 2018 to support the elderly to enjoy “Smart Age・Smart Life” through the application of gerontechnology. The project serves as a platform to facilitate the development of innovative and quality gerontechnology products, while nurturing the next generation to innovate technological solutions on smart ageing. To communicate our success to the public and to arouse awareness, an open-to-public Day Experience Centre has been set up on campus to not only showcase cutting-edge gerontechnology products but also provide an experiment field for students to test their technological solutions on smart ageing.