ABIC announces winners of Pitching Corner 2024, showcasing breakthroughs in sci-tech projects

The Advanced Biomedical Instrumentation Centre (ABIC) at the University of Hong Kong (HKU) recently hosted the Pitching Corner event. Eight exceptional ABIC projects from a multidisciplinary biomedical field were shortlisted and showcased, highlighting their scientific and technological breakthroughs and the potential for commercialisation and translatability.

ABIC is a research laboratory established under the Hong Kong Government's InnoHK programme. The judges of Pitching Corner 2024 included Professor Andreas Bausch (TUM), Mr Emmanuel Hui (CEO of Tiger Jade Pebble Accelerator), Professor David Mooney (Harvard SEAS), Mr Tianyi Qin (Investment Principal at Zhenfund), Ir Dr Alfred Tan (Deputy Director of TTO, HKU) and Ir Andrew Young (Associate Director of Sino Group - Innovation).

The winners are as follows:
Professional Judges' Choice Award: Saliva Mental: Dog Wellness Assessment Ball
Saliva Mental is an innovative dog mental wellness solution consisting of a play ball and test strips. The ball effortlessly collects saliva while dogs play, allowing stress hormone detection on accompanying testing strips. This user-friendly product seamlessly integrates into daily routines, enabling dog owners to easily assess and understand their dogs' mental health. By empowering owners to monitor their dogs' well-being, Saliva Mental strengthens the human-canine bond and enhances overall happiness. Prioritising accessibility and scientific accuracy, the invention promotes the well-being and emotional care of our cherished furry friends.

This project is supervised by Professor Anderson H.C. SHUM, Dr Sammer Ul HASSANand Dr Haisong LIN, with research team members including Dr Qiaoyi WANG, Dr Ziyu HAN and Mr Chi SONG.

Most Favorite Pitching Award: Image-based Single-cell Screening Assay Platform
Image-based Single-cell Screening Assay Platform will revolutionise cell screening with high-speed imaging. It excels in capturing high-resolution dynamical and morphological information of ~100,000s cells. Overcoming traditional microscope limitations, this platform combines an ultrafast imaging system, quantitative phase imaging, and a spinning sample platform for large-scale cell studies applications. This invention will transform drug screening and cell analysis!

This project is led by Professor Kevin K.M. TSIA, with research team members including Dr Dickson M.D. SIU, Dr Bob M.F. CHUNG and Dr Kelvin C.M. LEE.

About ABIC
The Advanced Biomedical Instrumentation Centre (ABIC), one of the nine research laboratories at the University of Hong Kong (HKU) established under the Hong Kong Government's InnoHK programme, was launched in 2020. The Centre leads in the biomedical domain, leverages research in academia, and combines trans-disciplinary, trans-institutional, trans-regional, and trans-generational approaches to drive ground-breaking instrumentation advancements. The enhancements are pivotal in transforming the quality of patient care, enabling accurate diagnoses, and facilitating innovative medical research. ABIC contributed to societal impacts through the commercialisation of innovations for multiple beneficiaries, including patients, clinicians, hospitals, industrial stakeholders, government, scientific communities, as well as the local healthcare ecosystem.

Media enquiries:
Communication and Public Affairs Office, HKU
Ms Melanie Wan (Tel: 2859 2600 / Email: [email protected])
Ms Jaymee Ng (Tel: 3910 3612 / Email: [email protected])
Mr Kenneth Choi (Tel: 2859 2607 / Email: [email protected])