PolyU wins awards at US invention event
A delegation from Polytechnic University has won nine awards at the Silicon Valley International Inventions Festival. A cardiac monitoring device that's a tiny, light, wireless and wearable patch garnered two awards, including the semi-grand prize and a gold medal.  Professor Zheng Zijian, who led the research team behind the patch, said the device is as accurate as the machines used in hospitals. “Our permeable electronic skin, [electrocardiogram] electronic skin is the first of its kind that allows ICU-grade accuracy for long-term wearable… The permeability is superb, so that you can allow for long-term and accurate monitoring,” Zheng said. “So for the next phase, we're working with the industries, venture capitalists, and trying to commercialise our technologies.” A nighttime brace designed to help teenagers with scoliosis earned a special prize issued by the Korea Invention Promotion Association, as well as a gold medal.  Professor Joanne Yip, who led the research team involved, said the brace could be commercialised next year and could sell for about HK$3,000 to HK$4,000. “Our product, this nighttime brace, is the first one in the world using textile and soft robotics to provide early intervention for the patients with scoliosis. I can say this product is actually designed based on the patient's will, that we want to give them a more comfortable, but yet effective treatment,” she said.  “We are recruiting patients in Hong Kong for the clinical trial… We want to commercialise next year and because I think the cost is not too high, so it's affordable for patients and their families.”  University vice-president Professor Christopher Chao said this was the second time PolyU had joined the technology exhibition in the US.  He said the main purpose was to help the research teams and startups understand the market.  “They need to understand more about the market and also the investment ecosystem more, otherwise all these startup companies may not be able to be successful. In fact, this is sometimes even more important than the technology itself,” he said.