The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) is proud to announce that its research teams and startups have achieved exceptional success at the 2024 Silicon Valley International Inventions Festival (SVIIF), held from July 26-28 in Santa Clara, California.
This global event, the largest of its kind in the United States, drew participation from approximately 30 countries and regions, representing a diverse array of academic institutions, research centers, and enterprises. Supported and attended by leading multinational corporations, investors, and entrepreneurs, the SVIIF serves as a crucial platform for inventors and the business community to explore commercialization opportunities and forge new partnerships.
Led by Prof. Christopher CHAO, PolyU Vice President (Research and Innovation), the PolyU research teams and startups showcased their innovations on the international stage, connecting with investors and business partners worldwide to raise the University’s global profile.
This year, PolyU research teams garnered nine prestigious awards at the SVIIF, including a semi-grand prize, two special prizes, five gold medals and one silver medal. The award-winning PolyU research projects spanned a diverse range of fields, including healthcare devices, advanced materials, artificial intelligence of things (AIoT), and sensing technology. These innovations exemplify PolyU's commitment to driving progress and addressing global challenges through cutting-edge research and entrepreneurship.
Notably, the project "ICU-grade Wireless Breathable Cardiac Electronic Skin" led by Prof. ZHENG Zijian, Chair Professor of Soft Materials and Devices, was awarded a Semi-grand Prize and a Gold Medal. This groundbreaking invention provides a seamless, continuous, comfortable, non-invasive, and inflammation-free electrocardiogram monitoring solution with ICU-grade accuracy, without the need for traditional wired and bulky clinical devices.
Additionally, Prof. ZHAO Xin, Professor at the Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology and Founder of ReNew Biotechnology Limited, won the Silver Medal of the Croatian Union of Innovators for her project "3D Printed Triply Periodic Minimal Surface Bone Scaffolds."
Moreover, a collaborative project titled "MicroFish: A Lab-on-a-chip for On-site Detection of Microbial Contamination and Pollutants," led by Dr. CHUA Song Lin, Assistant Professor at the Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology and Co-founder of Microfish Limited, Dr. LIU Yang Sylvia, GBA Startup Postdoctoral Fellow at the Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology and Co-founder of Microfish Limited, and Dr. KHOO Bee Luan, Assistant Professor at the Department of Biomedical Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, was awarded a coveted Gold Medal.
We invite you to learn more about these groundbreaking PolyU projects by visiting the Appendix or the website of the PolyU Knowledge Transfer and Entrepreneurship Office.
PolyU's outstanding performance at the 2024 Silicon Valley International Inventions Festival is a testament to the university's commitment to innovation, entrepreneurship, and global impact. We congratulate our talented researchers and innovators on their remarkable achievements, which have once again positioned PolyU as a leading hub of cutting-edge research and technological breakthroughs.
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Project Description |
Principal Investigator(s) |
Award(s) |
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ICU-grade Wireless Breathable Cardiac Electronic Skin  
This innovation offers a seamless and non-invasive electrocardiogram experience. It ensures continuous, comfortable and inflammation-free heart monitoring with accuracy as high as achieved in intensive care units (ICU), but without traditional wired and bulky clinical devices. It has been adopted for early detection of heart disease in daily life and in outpatient clinics, while also being suitable for monitoring ICU patients both during and after surgery. The wearable cardiac electronic system is ultrathin and ultralightweight with a thickness of only 181 μm and weight of 0.489g. It is highly stretchable and permeable, and of a high-integration-density. It also allows realtime acquisition, analysis and wireless transmission of cardiac data via a smartphone. |
Prof. ZHENG Zijian Chair Professor of Soft Materials and Devices, Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology of PolyU; Associate Director, Research Institute for Intelligent Wearable Systems, and University Research Facility in Materials Characterisation and Device Fabrication
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Semi-Grand Prize
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3D Printed Triply Periodic Minimal Surface Bone Scaffolds  
The 3D-printed triply periodic minimal surface (TPMS) bone scaffolds use β-tricalcium phosphate with a hyperboloidal shape that mimics trabecular bone. The scaffolds are highly porous and interconnected, which helps reduce stress and increases their strength. They can support the adhesion and proliferation of human mesenchymal stem cells and promote the transformation of these cells into bone cells to support the formation of blood vessels, a process known as “osteogenesis-angiogenesis coupling”. This is achieved by the shape of scaffold which reorganises the cell’s internal structure, with focal adhesion kinase and mitogen activated protein kinase pathway activation. In-vivo evaluation demonstrates that TPMS scaffolds boost new bone formation and blood vessel growth. The scaffolds guide the development of bone and blood vessel cells using only their physical properties and demonstrate substantial improvements in bone regeneration without any additional substances. They pave the way towards a simple, safe, efficient and personalised bone graft solution with very significant potential for clinical use. |
Prof. ZHAO Xin Professor, Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology of PolyU; Founder, ReNew Biotechnology Limited (a PolyU academic-led startup) |
Prize of the Croatian Union of Innovators
Silver Medal |
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MicroFish: A Lab-on-a-chip for On-site Detection of Microbial Contamination and Pollutants   MicroFish is a palm-sized lab-on-a-chip device that can detect microbial pathogens and environmental pollutants. It is easy to operate by injecting samples into the lab-on-a-chip, which contains colorimetric chemical sensors, and then analyzing the positive or negative result. It allows for rapid, low-cost on-site monitoring of potential microbial outbreaks in aquacultures and livestock farms with limited access to diagnostic laboratories. The result is early detection of microbial pathogens or pollutants, enabling prompt responses to potential outbreaks of disease or environmental pollution. This innovation will reduce livestock mortality, thereby helping to prevent serious economic losses and will contribute to food security. This project supports UN Sustainable Development Goals, including Life Below Water, and Clean Water and Sanitation. |
Dr CHUA Song Lin Assistant Professor, Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology of PolyU; Co-founder, Microfish Limited (a PolyU academic-led startup)
Dr LIU Yang Sylvia GBA Startup Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology of PolyU; Co-founder, Microfish Limited (a PolyU academic-led startup)
Dr KHOO Bee Luan Assistant Professor, Department of Biomedical Engineering, City University of Hong Kong |
Gold Medal |
