PolyU start-up offers free liver disease screening for grassroots

The development and launch of Liverscan^® by Eieling Technology Limited, a PolyU start-up led by Ir Prof. ZHENG Yongping, Director of the Research Institute for Smart Ageing (RISA), Henry G. Leong Professor in Biomedical Engineering and Chair Professor of Biomedical Engineering, has revolutionised screening technologies for liver diseases and given more hope for early diagnosis and treatment to patients, particularly in disadvantaged areas.

Liverscan^® introduces PolyU-patented real-time image guiding technique into transient elastography (TE) measurement of the propagation speed of ultrasound in liver tissues for the accurate and rapid assessment of liver fibrosis and fatty liver non-invasively. Liverscan^® shortens the assessment time to just one minute, and its wireless palm-sized probe design further enhances the operation efficiency and convenience, making it easily acceptable by patients and operators, particularly for the early diagnosis and frequent assessment during treatment of liver diseases. In addition, the price of Liverscan^® is only around one-third of traditional equipment for similar functions, making it affordable for primary care providers.

In response to the healthcare resource shortages in poverty-stricken areas, Eieling Technology collaborates proactively with local governments and district health centres in conducting charity activities and providing free screening for fatty liver disease and liver fibrosis in neighbourhoods. Liverscan^® has already obtained registration approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA510K) and NMPA medical device registration in Mainland China in 2024.[1] Currently, around 30 sets of Liverscan^® have been installed for clinical use in Hong Kong, Macao, and different cities in Mainland China. The company plans to install 100,000 devices worldwide in the next five years, especially in developing countries and poor areas, and this will significantly promote the adoption of liver disease screening to reduce severe liver problems, such as cirrhosis or liver cancer. In addition, Eieling Technology also launched its five-year “LiverCare – Hong Kong 10 Million Liver Scans Program” at the Asia Summit on Global Health in May 2024, together with PolyU and a number of local partners. PolyU has formally launched its screening program for liver health for all full-time staff in December 2024.

Read more: https://www.polyu.edu.hk/en/media/media-releases/2024/0517_polyu-nurtured-startup-takes-lead-in-implementing-liver-disease-screening-programme/

Online coverage:

ifeng.com - https://polyu.me/3ZeNMHq (Chinese only)

智齡研究院院長、梁顯利生物醫學工程教授兼生物醫學工程講座教授鄭永平教授、工程師創立的理大初創「意領科技有限公司」，研發推出的Liverscan^®，爲肝病篩檢帶來了技術上的革命，同時爲患者，特別是貧困地區患者，提供了更多早診早治的希望。

Liverscan^®將理大的實時圖像引導專利技術結合瞬時彈性成像（TE），通過測量超聲波在肝臟組織中的傳播速度，精準評估肝臟硬度，從而實現非侵入性、快速的肝纖維化和脂肪肝的診斷。Liverscan^®將篩檢時間縮短至僅一分鐘，同時把測量的探頭設計成無綫掌上型，令技術更易操作、更便利，使其更易被患者和操作人員接受，適合用於進行早期診斷及治療肝病期間的持續檢測。另外，Liverscan^®的價格僅為傳統同類設備的三分之一左右，使基層醫療機構也能負擔得起。

針對貧困地區醫療資源不足的問題，意領科技積極與地方政府和社區醫療機構合作，進行公益篩檢活動，爲居民提供免費脂肪肝和肝纖維化的檢查。2024年，Liverscan^®獲美國食品藥品監督管理局的上市許可（FDA510K）和中國NMPA醫療設備的認證。[2] 目前，約有30套Liverscan^®在香港、澳門及中國大陸的多個城市作臨床使用。公司計劃在未來五年內實現全球10萬台設備的裝機量，特別是在發展中國家和貧困地區，這將顯著推動肝病篩檢的普及，從而有助減低肝硬化和肝癌等嚴重肝病的發生。此外，意領科技在2024年5月的「亞洲醫療健康高峰論壇」上，聯同理大及多家本地合作機構推出為期五年的「關愛肝 – 香港千萬人次肝病早篩計劃」。理大在2024年12月份正式推出活動，為所有理大全職員工提供肝健康篩查。

閱讀更多：https://www.polyu.edu.hk/tc/media/media-releases/2024/0517_polyu-nurtured-startup-takes-lead-in-implementing-liver-disease-screening-programme/

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