EMedic Global 2018 was held at the Chinese University of Hong Kong by the end of August. The AAAS team formed by Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology and National Cheng Kung University, with their work "Development of an AI-based Pulse Audiogram (PAG) Device for Heart Disease Screening and Pathophysiological Condition Recognition,” stood out from 60 teams worldwide (including world-class universities, such as Zurich University of Technology, Beijing Tsinghua University, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, and the National University of Singapore), winning the gold medal of the Gold Challenge in Global Health and the bronze medal of Overall Achievement.

【The award-winning teams in EMedic Global 2018】

The team was formed by students from the Department of Innovative Product Design, Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology, and the interdisciplinary team of NCKU medical engineering, including Shi-Chen Zheng, Li-Yun Peng from STUST and Yong Zhang, Yi-Wen Wang, Yu-Liang Shei, Zi-Hua Huang, Ching-Hang Hsu, Jun-Lung Yang, Shin-Rong Lin, and Yu-Rong Chang. The advisors include: Prof. Kun Ouyang from the Department of Innovative Product Design, Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology; Prof. Chan Liang, Director of the Municipal Tainan Hospital; Yu-Chin Lin, Director of the Department of Neurology, Affiliated Hospital of NCKU; Prof. Ju-Yi Chen, Department of Cardiology, Affiliated Hospital of NCKU; Prof. Zhe-Wei Lin, Department of Medical Engineering, NCKU.

【The interdisciplinary AAAS team of Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology and NCKU Medical Engineering】

The AAAS team is characterized by its integration of clinical, soft and hard hardware, artificial intelligence, product design, and other knowledge through the integration of cross-domain technology in order to develop screening devices based on wrist pulse wave and artificial intelligence for arrhythmia and structural heart diseases. In terms of arrhythmia, studies have shown that common arrhythmia such as atrial fibrillation (AFib) is highly correlated with stroke. Therefore, the team's objective is to assist physicians in screening patients with atrial fibrillation at early stages. In terms of structural heart diseases, traditional diagnostic methods have been reliant mostly on medical imaging (with higher costs), while the team's work can achieve the purpose of screening for structural heart diseases with much lower costs.

As one of the team members shared his/her thought on participating in the competition: "Thanks to the integration of cross-disciplinary teams, the concerted efforts of team members, and the support of many organizations, we had the chance to compete with such top universities as Zurich University of Technology, Beijing Tsinghua University, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, and the National University of Singapore, demonstrate that we are as excellent as these world-class universities, and won a number of awards eventually.” The organizations include the Department of Biomedical Engineering at NCKU, the Department of Innovation and Product Design at Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Prospective Medical Device Technology Center, and Interdisciplinary Talent Cultivation Plan in Medical Industry and New Agriculture sponsored by the Ministry of Education. All of them have given the team a lot of help, with which it became possible for the team to bring together the intelligence and wisdom of all the people in a short period of time and create such a great work for the competition: "Development of an AI-based Pulse Audiogram (PAG) Device for Heart Disease Screening and Pathophysiological Condition Recognition."