A microscope that may help the study of neurological diseases has been developed at The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK). A team led by Prof. Shih-Chi Chen, Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Automation Engineering at CUHK, has recently developed the first digital holography-based (DH) two-photon excitation (TPE) microscope to generate simultaneous video-rate fluorescent imaging and multi-point optical stimulation. This allows the tracking of nerve cells activities and thus may help the study of neurological diseases, such as glaucoma, a very common eye disease. 

By scanning the retinal ganglion cells using the DH-TPE microscope, scientist can understand the molecular mechanisms of optic nerve degeneration in glaucoma and find ways to tackle it. Prof. Chen’s team is now working on this project with Prof. Christopher Kai Shun Leung, Professor, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at the Faculty of Medicine at CUHK, and the Hong Kong Eye Hospital. 

3-D imaging tracks inter-cells activities which helps the study of glaucoma

The DH-TPE microscope is powered by a digital micromirror device (DMD), a chip used in our everyday projector that contains millions of micromirrors switching at tens of kilohertz speed. By controlling the amplitude and phase of the input laser via binary holograms and the fast-switching micromirrors, the laser beam can be split into up to 20 focal points for simultaneous optical stimulation and real-time fluorescent imaging. Each focus can be independently controlled to scan along arbitrarily defined paths or surfaces at 22.7 kHz. More importantly, the DMD-scanner is also an ultrafast beam shaper, and by superposing the scanning and wavefront-correction holograms, the point spread function can be engineered or even shaped into other novel beam modes to achieve efficient 3-D imaging. Compared to state-of-the-art commercial TPE microscopes, the DH-TPE microscope presents a suite of distinctive imaging functionalities that have never been realised in the past, including (1) random-access imaging, (2) multi-plane imaging, (3) 3-D programmable imaging plane, (4) point-specific wavefront correction, and (5) simultaneous video-rate fluorescent imaging and multi-point optical stimulation. 

Through funding support from the Innovation and Technology Commission (ITC), Prof. Chen’s team is setting up the DH-TPE microscope at the Hong Kong Eye Hospital, collaborating with a team led by Prof. Christopher Kai Shun Leung. The two teams are working together to exploit the unique capability of the DH-TPE microscope to study and understand the basic mechanisms of a few important diseases. 

For example, one objective is to study metabolic dysfunction in the retinal ganglion cells via in vivo two-photon imaging to study the molecular mechanisms of optic nerve degeneration in glaucoma. Glaucoma, characterised by progressive loss of retinal ganglion cells, is the leading cause of irreversible blindness worldwide with a significant social and economic burden. The reduced form of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) is an intrinsic fluorophore and a co-factor in major metabolic pathways for energy production. The levels of NADH decrease in the retinal ganglion cell following optic nerve injury and the imaging of NADH fluorescence intensity can serve as a non-invasive indicator of retinal ganglion cell death in glaucoma. The unique design of the DH-TPE microscope allows point-specific wave-front correction of ocular aberration that will facilitate non-invasive, label-free imaging of the retina. The investigation of metabolic dysfunction of retinal ganglion cells will provide mechanistic insights into the development of neuroprotective and neuroregenerative therapies for patients with glaucoma and non-glaucomatous optic neuropathies.

Prof. Wong Kam Fai, Associate Dean (External Affairs), Faculty of Engineering and Director of Centre of Innovation and Technology, CUHK has been appointed as one of the first batch of national experts by The Chinese Association for Artificial Intelligence (CAAI) under the category of natural language processing and understanding. A total of 61 experts were selected across the mainland and Hong Kong. Of those, Prof. Wong is the only scholar from Hong Kong. He will be joining local and overseas fellows, outstanding scholars, and senior researchers from industries and top universities in a gathering of collective minds to promote the nation’s artificial intelligence (AI) and technological improvements. 

As of June 2017, there were 2,542 AI companies worldwide, of which 42%, or 1,078, were located in the U.S while China ranks second with 592, or 23%, of global AI companies. Prof. Wong said that the AI race between the U.S. and China remains too close to call, though the U.S. is leading the way in the number of technology giants and corporates. In recent years, China has been investing massively in AI to transform and upgrade its traditional industries with technologies and driving the AI market to grow in the region. With the surge in AI research outputs and patents, AI in China is booming. 

Prof. Wong believes Hong Kong plays a key role in strengthening the AI development of China, not only because it is a base for a diversity of international talent and innovative resources, but also because it has a highly internationalised business environment which will bring about many new bridging opportunities. All these can help mainland AI business expand and boost AI development in the Greater Bay Area.  Moreover, a number of local universities have been producing excellent research and professional graduates. CUHK is one of the world’s recognised AI research institutions, and the Faculty of Engineering is particularly active and mature in studying different aspects of the applications of natural languages processing (NLP). He hopes that through more academic exchange in CAAI, CUHK will continue to shine and stand out as Asia’s AI research and innovation hub. 

About Prof. Wong Kam Fai

Prof. Wong Kam Fai plays an active role as technology pioneer and leader of CUHK in promoting knowledge transfer and collaboration with industry. Back in the 1990s, his research on NLP and understanding laid the groundwork for Hong Kong’s first electronic Chinese newspaper company “Wisers” whose AI news clippings services are now widely used by the media. More recently, Prof. Wong’s research team has received a second-class award in Scientific and Technological Progress (Science and Technology) 2017 from the Ministry of Education (MoE). The winning project, “Development and industrialisation of ‘Bilingual Trilingualism’-based retrieval and understanding platform on large scale social media”, is in many ways beneficial to the development of internet information security and cross-border e-commerce related industries. It is a bilingual trilingualism-based retrieval and understanding platform on large scale social media that effectively retrieves targeted information from a complex web environment, which includes simplified and traditional Chinese, English, and Cantonese for Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan residents. Prof. Wong was awarded the Medal of Honour (MH) for his valuable contribution to the development of information and communications technology in 2011, and invited to be a member of the 13^th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference early this year.

About The Chinese Association for Artificial Intelligence (CAAI)

CAAI is the only state-level science and technology organisation in the field of artificial intelligence under the Ministry of Civil Affairs. CAAI is devoted to academic activities and exchanges in science and technology in China. The six new development areas of its think tanks include researches of brain and cognitive sciences, machine learning pattern recognition, natural language learning and understanding, knowledge engineering, robotics, and AI systems. They are composed of both local and overseas fellows, outstanding scholars and senior researchers from industries and top universities engaged in the task of promoting the nation’s AI and technological improvements, which will lead to secure platforms for international trades.

The CUHK cross-institutional Theme-based Research Scheme (TRS) Project Workshop for Smart Energy Distribution and Utilization led by Prof. Ching-ping Wong, Dean of Engineering is held on 28-29 May 2018.  The workshop drew more than 90 technology leaders, experts, researchers and government officials to explore the future development opportunities and trends of renewable energy. 

The workshop was officiated by Prof. Rocky S. Tuan, Vice-Chancellor and President of CUHK, and chaired by Prof. Jianbin XU, Leading Co-PI of the project, Professor of Department of Electronic Engineering and Director of Materials Science and Technology Research Center, CUHK.  Prof. Tuan said, “As an innovative pioneer in technology advancement for the good of society, CUHK is committed to  research activities in “Environment and Sustainability” - which is one of our four major research areas in the University’s Strategic Plan 2016 – 2020.”

Prof. Jianbin Xu, Leading Co-PI of the project, Professor of Department of Electronic Engineering and Director of Materials Science and Technology Research Center, highlighted the remarkable achievements of the project as, “We collectively obtained 5 world-record performance innovative technologies, putting Hong Kong on the map. In addition, we have published more than 210 international journal papers and 11 technology patents, all attributed to the collective efforts by more than 150 students and research staffs in the past four years.”

There are four keynote speakers including Prof. Yonghua Song, Rector of University of Macau, Prof. Steven Low, Frank J. Gilloon Professor of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Prof. Sang Il Seok, Distinguished Professor, School of Energy and Chemical Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) and Prof. Zaiyue Yang, Professor, Department of Mechanical and Energy Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology.

Other invited speakers included Prof. Shengwei Wang, Chair Professor of Building Services Engineering, Department of Building Services Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University; Prof. Junhua Zhao, Associate Professor, School of Science and Engineering, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen; Prof. Kai Pan, Assistant Professor, Department of Logistics and Maritime Studies, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University; Prof. Zijun Zhang, Assistant Professor, Department of Systems Engineering and Engineering Management, City University of Hong Kong and Prof. Wei Chen, Research Assistant Professor, Dept of Electronic & Computer Engineering, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. For industry speakers, we have Mr. CK Lau, General Manager (Projects), HK Electric; Mr. Eddie Wu, Director – Smart Energy China, CLP Holdings Limited;  Ms. Isabel Fan, Regional Director, Tesla, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan and Mr. Travis Kan, Director of Business Development, Schneider Electric. 

In the poster session, the team reported their innovative breakthroughs in various areas of solar energy technology, putting Hong Kong on the map. They include:

• The online energy generation scheduling algorithm CHASE (Competitive Heuristic Algorithms for Scheduling Energy-generation) was able to bring about a remarkable 20% cost saving via intelligent tracking of the behaviors of perfect dispatch of electricity generation.
• A highly-efficient algorithm that is able to improve the fuel efficiency of heavy-duty truck by up to 17% as compared to the common shortest/fastest path algorithm.
• A first-of-its-kind microgrid platform in Hong Kong dedicated for scientific experiment and practical implementation of advanced microgrids control algorithms, with capacity 4 kw.
• A novel optimization-based probabilistic interval prognosis method for solar and other renewable energies in microgrids (in collaboration with Hong Kong Observatory).
• A first-of-its-kind smart demand controller in Hong Kong enabling frequency/voltage response from various home appliances.
• The first-ever smart energy management online system “Woo Sing Power” in CUHK student hostel.  

Commenced in 2014, the project was awarded HK$ 60.33 million from the RGC, which is the most highly funded under the grand challenge topic “Developing a Sustainable Environment”. The project will be completed in December 2018.  In the future the team is going to further explore the potential applications of the developed technologies.

For more details, please visit the workshop website at https://sse.erg.cuhk.edu.hk/sse/node/175

Nanorobotics and microrobotics are rapidly developing technology in the biomedical community. Medical micro/nanobots can enter tiny spaces like vessels in the human body, which broadens potential in minimally invasive medical diagnosis and treatment. In contrast with microbots that are made of synthetic materials, Prof. Zhang used spirulina algae, widely sold today as a food substitute in health food shops, as the primary material and plated it with an iron magnetic coating (Iron (II, III) oxide). The research showed that spirulina algae can be safely decomposed in the human body and its biocompounds can selectively attack cancer cells without harming normal cells. This result is expected to provide a new treatment option for cancer.

To make it function, the research team soaked the algae in ferromagnetic nanoparticles fluid. A magnetic iron-oxide coating then formed on the surface due to electrostatic interactions. By applying an external rotating magnetic field, the microbot can make directional movement in blood, gastric juice and urine. In addition, the team can control the degradation rate of the algae by adjusting the soaking time to change the thickness of the coating to ensure that microbots have enough time to move to the designated spot for diagnosis and treatment. Also, the naturally fluorescent biological interior and magnetic iron-oxide exterior allow the use of both fluorescence imaging and more powerful magnetic resonance imaging, which are being tested in the abdominal cavity and stomach of rat models, to allow precise positioning and control.

This study was conducted by Prof. Zhang and his PhD graduate Dr. Yan Xiaohui, in association with Professor Kostas Kostarelos, Professor of Nanomedicine from the University of Manchester, UK. Prof. Zhang said, “Instead of fabricating a functional microbot from scratch using intricate laboratory techniques and processes, we set out to directly engineer smart materials in nature, which are endowed with favourable functionalities for medical applications owing to their intrinsic chemical composition, structure, and their spontaneous fluorescent characteristics. The results undoubtedly make an important step towards the use of wireless controlled micro-medical robots in clinical applications. We will continue to improve and verify its degradation, safety and efficacy.”

Prof. Zhang’s main research interests include micro-/nanorobotics and the making of smart materials for medical robotics. Prof. Zhang and his team are now working to improve the functionality and system of microbots from structural design and material selection, funded by the Research Grants Council (RGC). Various researches done by Prof. Zhang have been the headlines of journals, such as Lab on a Chip, Advanced Materials and Materials Today.

Video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ccx8bqgkY7M

Research teams from four projects have been awarded in the 46^th International Exhibition of Inventions of Geneva. Here is a summary of CUHK award-winning projects:

Gold Medal

• Prof. LIAO Wei Hsin, Mr. GAO Fei and Mr. LIU Yannan, Department of Mechanical and Automation Engineering, Faculty of Engineering - Powered Ankle-Foot Prosthesis

Based on the biomechanics of human ankles, a powered ankle-foot prosthesis was developed for reproducing the function of human ankles. Compared with the commercially available passive prostheses, the powered prosthesis can provide net power to the wearer in the manner of a human ankle, as well as real-time monitoring of the prosthesis. As a result, when amputees wear the powered prosthesis, they can regain a gait that is smoother and more natural than with the passive prostheses. Furthermore, the impact on their sound side during the initial stance phase will be decreased, and the human effort in walking can be decreased by 15% or more. 

• Prof. CHENG Chun Hung, Dr. Dorbin NG and Mr. Tim CHAN from the Department of Systems Engineering and Engineering Management, Faculty of Engineering - Real-time Trolley Monitoring System for Hong Kong International Airport

The Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) served over 72 million of passengers in 2017. Around 13,000 baggage trolleys are distributed throughout HKIA to cope with the enormous passenger flow. Maintaining a steady supply of trolleys has been one of the major concerns of HKIA.  The CUHK team has collaborated with HKIA to provide real-time monitoring of trolley availability at various trolley pick-up points through the use of the AI-based video analytics to detect trolleys from visual content of video cameras.  Trolley detectors are created through a machine learning training process. The system has reached an accuracy of 92%, enabling frontline staff to make proper and timely allocation of trolleys for passengers.

• Prof. QIN Ling, Mr. ZOU Li, Prof. Patrick Shu Hang YUNG, from the Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Faculty of Medicine and Prof. LIAO Wei Hsin and alumnus Mr. CHU Ki Sum from the Department of Mechanical and Automation Engineering, Faculty of Engineering - Wearable Knee Therapy Device

This project is to develop an easy-to-use medical device for the prevention and treatment of knee joint degeneration diseases. The technologies include low-level laser therapy (LLLT), heat therapy, acupuncture and massage. Stimulations generated by the device could activate inner tissue of the knee joint and help relieve pain, promote blood and lymph circulation, as well as help to boost metabolism and tissue regeneration.

The device will be used for clinical rehabilitation in hospital. It can also be applied to people who need to sit for a long time, such as at home, in the office or during long-distance flight.

Silver Medal
 

• Prof. WONG Tien Tsin and Dr. SHEN Wuyao, Department of Computer Science and Engineering - Seamless Visual Sharing with Colourblind People

Approximately 250 million people suffer from colour vision deficiency (CVD). The existing methods that help colourblind people distinguish colour in image/videos are, however, not practical in scenarios where there are both CVD and normal vision audiences sharing the content. Prof. Wong’s team proposes the very first system that allows CVD and normal-vision audiences to share the same visual content simultaneously by making use of the stereoscopic display which offers users two visual experiences (with and without wearing stereoscopic glasses). The invention minimises the trouble colourblind people have faced in the past due to their inability to distinguish colours.