The University of Hong Kong (HKU) celebrated a successful showing at the 49th International Exhibition of Inventions of Geneva, securing a total of 42 awards, including two special grand prizes. The results were announced on April 19th.

Research teams from the Faculty of Architecture, Faculty of Dentistry, Faculty of Engineering, Faculty of Science, LKS Faculty of Medicine, and seven HKU Inno Laboratories: Advanced Biomedical Instrumentation Centre, Centre for Virology, Vaccinology, and Therapeutics, Centre for Transformative Garment Production, Centre for Immunology & Infection, Centre for Oncology and Immunology, Centre for Translational Stem Cell Biology and Laboratory of Data Discovery for Health, established under the Hong Kong Government's InnoHK programme, earned two special grand prizes, two Gold Medals with Congratulations of the Jury, 15 Gold Medals, 19 Silver Medals, and four Bronze Medals with their innovative contributions.

Bionic Liver-in-Cube: Comprehensive Precise Theranostics for Liver Cancer and Diseases, developed by the research team led by Professor Man Kwan from the Department of Surgery, was the winner of Special Grand Prize - Prize of the China Invention Association and was awarded a Gold Medal. The invention introduces a novel 3D bioprinted platform designed to assess the efficacy and potential side effects of various traditional and emerging drugs, thereby aiding clinicians in making precise treatment decisions.

'Reduce and Remove' Trimodality Strategy for Advanced Liver Cancer - the START-FIT approach, co-developed by Professor Chan Chi-yan Albert from the Department of Surgery and Dr Chiang Chi Leung from the Department of Clinical Oncology, was the winner of Special Grand Prize - Prize of the Delegation of Malaysia and was awarded a Silver Medal. This innovative invention introduces a novel 'cocktail' strategy that synergistically combines three distinct modalities: locoregional transarterial chemoembolization, stereotactic radiotherapy, and systemic immunotherapy, for the treatment of liver cancer.

Vitogram®: AI-enabled Heart Health Monitoring on a Mobile Device, developed by Professor Joshua Ho from the School of Biomedical Science, won a Gold Medal with the Congratulations of the Jury. The device uses artificial intelligence (AI) to transform ordinary consumer-grade smartphones into digital stethoscopes, bridging a critical gap in healthcare accessibility. Through an intuitive mobile app interface, users can effortlessly digitise and analyse their heart sounds by placing their own mobile device on their chest.

SmartRehab – An Automated Telerehabilitation Solution, developed by ReMobility Limited, a startup company founded by members from HKU Stroke, Department of Medicine, HKUMed and Sport AI Laboratory of the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, in collaboration with The Hong Kong Society for Rehabilitation, also won a Gold Medal with the Congratulations of the Jury. It is a digital platform that revolutionises physiotherapy and occupational therapy by employing the power of artificial intelligence and computer vision technology. It brings these services directly to one’s home, offering detailed instructions and AI-facilitated feedback to enhance exercise performance.

The International Exhibition of Inventions of Geneva (IEIG) is a prestigious annual event dedicated exclusively to inventions and innovations. This year, HKU showcased 40 research inventions addressing pressing human problems, ranging from biomedicine, transportation safety, AI in architecture, animal wellness, advanced materials, construction automation, environmental solutions, fluid dynamics, and smart healthcare devices.

Professor Max Shen, Vice-President and Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research), expressed his pride in the researchers' achievements, stating, “This year marks the largest number of awards the University has received, so we are certainly gratified with the outcome and very proud indeed of our researchers. The University has also shown that we remain deeply committed to facilitating the transfer of our research findings into tangible applications in the market. Through our collaborations with global research and industry partners, we will continue to transform our pioneering research innovations into products that will bring a positive and sustainable impact to humanity.”

Please click here for the full list of HKU’s award-winning inventions. 

For media enquiries, please contact:
Ir Dr Alfred Tan
Technology Transfer Office
kttan@hku.hk