Bulletin No. 2, 2019

39 News in Brief AI-powered Blood Tests A research team led by Prof. Zhou Renjie of the Department of Biomedical Engineering developed a first-of-its-kind AI- enabled portable quantitative phase microscope that yields high- quality images, facilitating the differentiation between the many types of white blood cells in a healthy volunteer’s blood sample and making blood tests cheaper and faster. Results can be offered in a matter of minutes with over 90% accuracy. Augmented Test Protects Mother and Child Improved on by CUHK, the UK Fetal Medicine Foundation (FMF) triple test for preterm preeclampsia is more effective than ever before. A disease where the placenta fails to supply enough blood, preterm preeclampsia can damage the mother’s liver, kidneys and nervous system. It may also impair the fetus’ growth or even lead to premature birth. Adjusted by Prof. Liona Poon of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology and her team, the triple test now benefits Asian women at 11 to 13 weeks of pregnancy. Energy Harvesting with Enhanced Nanogenarator Utilization Prof. Zi Yunlong of the Department of Mechanical and Automation Engineering and his team developed a universal standardized method for evaluating the output capacity of nanogenerators, a neoteric technology that converts thermal and mechanical energy into electricity. By improving the accuracy of output capacity measurement, the team’s research facilitates the application of nanogenerators on energy harvesting. Game-changing Nanoscale 3D Imaging and Printing Technologies Prof. Chen Shih-chi of the Department of Mechanical and Automation Engineering and his team have developed a high-speed microscopy method. This method yields sharp 3D images in one second, working three to five times faster than conventional approaches without sacrificing quality, which is useful for observing neurons’ incredibly brief activities. The solution would foster breakthroughs in areas such as optogenetics. Further, Professor Chen has collaborated with the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in the US and developed the Femtosecond Projection Two-photon Lithography (FP-TPL) printing technology which brings nanoscale 3D printing into a brand new era. FP-TPL makes use of temporal focusing to project a million points simultaneously at the same focal plane for parallel nano-writing, scaling up the fabrication speed by 1,000–10,000 times. This in turn lengthens the laser lifetime extensively and indirectly reduces the average printing cost by 98%. FP-TPL benefit fields running the gamut from nanotechnology, advanced functional materials to micro-robotics and drug delivery devices, as it allows the fabrication of large-scale complex and overhanging structures.