TECH OFFERS

Lists are an indispensable part of the online experience, often used to show many results, such as products, web pages, and food dishes. These items can be neatly sorted by a desired attribute like price, relevance, or healthiness. Listed items often have multiple attributes. However, instead of being able to sort multiple attributes simultaneously, consumers are currently limited to sorting only one attribute at a time. This makes searching for the desired item tedious and confusing. Imma Sort supports interpretable and multi-attribute sorting. Sorting for two or more attributes is possible. In contrast to existing search technology, Imma Sort trades off the smoothness of the sorted trend for the main attribute to increase ease of prediction for other attributes, by sorting them more approximately. Results for specific attributes can be made smoother by setting higher importance weights. Provides intuitively sorted results sorted by two or more attributes to improve decision-making and user experience Results can be customised by allocating higher weightage for selected attributes Enables users to perform multi-attribute sorting in any existing list interface without requiring sophisticated spreadsheets or data visualisations Can be integrated into search and recommendation systems across a wide range of applications Can also be incorporated into various search and recommendation systems for more effective search results. Examples of possible applications: Food dishes can be sorted by healthiness and tastiness Hotels can be sorted by price and distance Sorting by price and rating would generate results that generally trend in one direction for both attributes. This makes it easy for users to anticipate the values of multiple attributes as they move down the list, without having to construct a mental list for the secondary attribute. By decreasing users’ mental effort, this will improve decision-making and increase satisfaction. Multi-Attribute Sorting, e-commerce, algorithm Infocomm, eCommerce & ePayment, Enterprise & Productivity

Cadaveric bones are used to carry out medical training for surgeons and trainees. However, such bones are limited in supply, difficult to store, inconsistent in terms of quality and costly to use for repeated training. As such, it is necessary to create an alternative to cadaveric bones that is equally realistic while being more cost effective and easier to obtain. This technology can resolve the limitations of cadaveric bones by offering the formulation and processing method to produce a Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM) system-agnostic bone-like 3D printing filaments for surgical models printing. Printed anatomical bone models developed from this technology will have the look and feel of the real bone. The technology presents an affordable and readily available alternative that minimises the demand for cadaveric bones while still providing realistic training to medical professionals. The technology owner is seeking for collaborations with companies interested to scale-up the manufacture of the filaments and/or licensing of the technology.   The technology offers the formulation and processing method to produce bone-like filaments that allows users to 3D print realistic and relatively lower cost cadaver bone models for use in medical training of surgeons and trainees. These bone-like filaments have the following features: Compatible with all FDM 3D printers Achieves good mechanical properties  (~80% improvement in tensile strength) compared to the commercial bone-like filament. Printed bone models using this technology feel realistic to drill and cut and screws can be tightened nicely, just like real cadaveric bones. This technology is primarily targeted for use in the healthcare industry (hospitals, medical schools, and biomedical companies) to obtain realistic anatomical bone models for surgical training and workshops at a more affordable price compared to cadaveric bones. Surgeons can also create 3D printed bone structures to help them plan surgical procedures before operating on the patient to better understand the procedure. Significantly lowers the cost for realistic medical trainings and workshops as compared to using cadaveric bones Fabricated bone models are equal in quality with actual cadaveric bones cadeveric bones, cadever, cadevers, 3d printing, fdm, medical training, surgery, surgeon, medicine, bone models, additive manufacturing, fused deposition modelling, printed anatomical bone models, surgical models, printing, bone-like Materials, Composites, Manufacturing, Additive Manufacturing, Moulding, Sintering, Casting & Nanoimprinting, Life Sciences, Industrial Biotech Methods & Processes

EBV is a ubiquitous human herpes virus, which spreads through saliva. EBV infects over 90% of the human population and can establish life-long persistence in the host. Most people get EBV when they are young, but they will not experience any symptoms until they get older. There are about 200,000 EBV-associated cancer new cases per year. Nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC) is one of EBV associated cancers which is endemic in a few areas including Southern China, Southeast Asia, North Africa and the Arctic. The highest NPC incidence rate is found in Southern China including Hong Kong. The association of NPC and EBV is nearly 100% in endemic areas. Unfortunately, more than 80% of the new NPC cases are diagnosed in stage III or IV, while the survival rate of stage IV NPC is only 38%. Early detection and treatment would help to increase survival rate. This invention is a new EBV-specific targeted agent which selectively kills cancer cells without affecting any normal cells. The uptake of this drug can also be traced by the fluorescent signal that can be used for cancer cells imaging. Currently, there is no single agent that can both image and kill NPC cancer cells at the same time. Epstein–Barr nuclear antigen 1 (EBNA1) is the only viral protein expressed in all EBV-infected cells. This invention is an EBNA1 targeting bio-probe that can effectively target EBNA1 to disrupt its cancerous activities and inhibit cancer cell growth. In addition, it can also emit fluorescent signals to show the presence of EBV-infected cells, and this can be used for imaging the EBV-associated cancers. The invention is the first known agent with a dual function that can accurately trace and image for the EBV-associated cancers while being a pinpointed therapeutic intervention at the same time.  Other than providing a fast, simple and accurate detection for EBV-associated cancers, this invention shows a high efficacy at a low dose (less than 4mol/kg, ~92% cancer inhibition) toward cancer treatment. This invention shed light to develop a new generation medical reagent that has both imaging function and anti-cancer activity. The specificity of this technology provides a crucial means in the accurate detection of EBV-associated cancers. More importantly, its anti-tumour ability provides inhibition in the cancer cells and thus reduces potential metastasis. People in NPC-endemic areas could benefit from this world’s first agent with dual functions that can detect EBV-infected cells and inhibit cancer cells. It can be used to trace the presence of residual cancer cells after treatments. This invention could also replace or minimize the use of the radio- and chemo-therapies for NPC which could greatly improve the survival of patients with advanced diseases, as well as their quality of life. Nasopharyngeal cancer, Nasopharynx cancer, Epstein-Barr Virus, EBV, EBNA1, EBV-positive Healthcare, Diagnostics, Telehealth, Medical Software & Imaging, Pharmaceuticals & Therapeutics, Life Sciences, Biotech Research Reagents & Tools

According to the World Health Organization, cancer is the second leading cause of death worldwide and about 1 in 6 deaths is due to cancer. Chance of survival is greater if tumour is diagnosed when it’s still confined to the organ of origin (stage I). Survival rates decline when tumours are getting larger and spreading regionally (stages II, III) or even distantly (stage IV). For example, 93% of colon cancer patients are alive five years after the disease is diagnosed, but this number drops to only 11% if the cancer is diagnosed late and has spread to other organs. Circulating Tumour Cells (CTCs) are cancer cells shed from primary tumours into the bloodstream. They can be considered as an indicator of the presence of tumours during early cancer stage. However, the blood-based or liquid biopsy detection of cancer has always been challenging due to the heterogeneity and small size of CTCs. There is an urgent clinical demand for a more efficient cancer-detecting method.  Our technology offers early cancer detection for patients, tracking cancer metastasis, cancer relapse, and giving prognostic information by making use of our patented nanoparticles for CTC catching. This technology enables surgeons to identify the cancer cells location precisely and navigate the whole isolation process in real-time under magnetic manipulation. Besides, combining our technology with the current commercially available CTC detection kit, the sensitivity of cancer detection could be significantly improved by 20 folds when compared with the existing technology.  A regular CTCs screening can be performed using only a few blood samples (7.5 mL). Some commercially available CTCs detection methods like CellSearch and AdnaTest have limitations and their sensitivity is only up to 70%. Besides, the captured CTCs cannot be further analysed due to the damage to CTCs during assay process.  In contrast, our unique technology captures most of CTCs, isolating different CTCs without relying on cancer markers expression. Identification and quantification of CTCs can also be achieved. Furthermore, without damaging the CTCs during the isolation process, the CTCs isolated could be used in single cell analysis and cell culture for further investigation. Accounting for the benefits of CTC screening, it offers a rapid evaluation of post-surgical and therapeutic drug efficacy. Other than early cancer detection, it plays a monitoring role in drug resistance, cancer relapse and metastasis. Most importantly, it can be performed regularly in a non-invasive way. The screening outcome will be formatted into a customized report, providing full analytic results and representative cell images. Our technology provides an easy and accurate means of early detection. It is beneficial to cancer patients, cancer survivors and people who are at high risk of suffering cancers for monitoring their health conditions. It can be used with other cancer detecting tools (e.g. iFISH) to improve the sensitivity and specificity of detection. It could make a valuable contribution to early cancer diagnosis, monitoring cancer status and relapse, and treatment efficiency evaluation. Early cancer screening using this technology can be introduced into routine body check-ups. In particular for the individuals with a family history of cancer. We are actively seeking potential collaborations with hospitals, clinics and diagnostic centres, where people of interest could acquire CTC screening. It is a non-invasive and fast way for early cancer detection. People can benefit from early cancer screening when this technology is used in routine clinical practice. Detecting cancer early can effectively reduce the mortality associated with cancer. Cancer diagnosed at a late-stage may result in lower survival, potentially greater morbidity and higher costs of treatment.  cancer, cancer detection, Circulating Tumour Cells, CTC, iFISH Materials, Nano Materials, Healthcare, Diagnostics, Pharmaceuticals & Therapeutics, Life Sciences, Biotech Research Reagents & Tools

As an increase in people’s awareness of health, traditional Chinese medicine becomes more and more popular. Among many of the Chinese medicines, Tiepi Shihu (i.e. one of the types of Dendrobium) and Cordyceps sinensis are two of the most expensive products. Dendrobium is one of the largest genera in the plant family Orchidaceae, and more than 1,100 species of Dendrobium have been identified. Among them, Tiepi Shihu is traditionally recognised as the best Shihu for tonic purposes, such as nourishing the stomach, protecting the throat and eyes. The uncharacteristic appearance and high price of Tiepi Shihu could lead to the occurrence of adulterants, confusion of species and counterfeits. Therefore, authentication and quality analysis of Tiepi Shihu is crucial for ensuring safety and efficacy. One of the conventional authentication methods greatly depends on the experience of botanical experts and subjective judgement; and the other is based on DNA bio-coding, which is very expensive and time-consuming. These existing methodologies are extremely intricate, difficult and time-consuming, and therefore they are not suitable for routine quality control. This patented technology aims to target some unique polysaccharide markers which can be successfully applied to the authentication of Tiepi Shihu and Cordyceps products. We have identified that only Tiepi Shihu or Cordyceps sample shows its unique peak in the high molecular size range by using high-performance gel permeation chromatography (HPGPC). Apart from authentication, this method can assess the herb’s quality by distinguishing the quantity of the polysaccharide.   The key of this technology is to provide a low cost, efficient, stable and convenient tool with reduced uncertainties in the qualitative and quantitative evaluation of Dendrobium officinale. The technology is now being adopted by the industry for both qualitative and quantitative authentication of herbal products. The technology has been successfully applied to the authentication of Cordyceps and extended to other products such as edible bird’s nest and Ejiao. This technology provides a new detection method with the following advantages: High specificity: It can accurately distinguish the genuine product from other varieties. Quick detection: It only takes about one hour for detection. The larger the sample size, the shorter the average measurement time for each sample. High-throughput detection can be achieved, and it is suitable for large-scale detection by enterprises. Low cost: The detection process is simple, and no other reagents are needed. Owing to the high sensitivity, tens of milligrams of samples are adequate for the detection. This greatly reduces the detection cost of precious Chinese medicines. The invention is based on the polysaccharide marker authentication and can be successfully applied to the authentication of expensive Chinese medicine such as Tiepi Shihu and Cordyceps samples. Currently, this is being adopted by the industry for both qualitative and quantitative authentication of these expensive Chinese medicines. A customer base platform is currently being developed to provide more services for authentication of more different types of expensive Chinese medicines such as edible bird’s nest and Ejiao. The annual output of Tiepi Shihu and Cordyceps in China have reached 27,000 tons and 100 tons respectively. The market sales of Cordyceps has reached 41.6 billion RMB in 2017. So, the demand is huge. It facilitates the upgrading of the traditional Chinese medicine industry with the support of innovative technologies and helps to boost consumer confidence in the long run. authentication, biomarker, Chinese Medicine, herbs, plants, quality control, Dendrobium, Cordyceps, Tiepi Shihu, edible bird’s nest, Ejiao, polysaccharide Foods, Quality & Safety

The cause of caries (tooth decay) is a formation of biofilm lying on the teeth and subsequently becoming mature. The acid created by specific bacteria (S. mutans) dissolves the hard tissues of the teeth (enamel), which can result in pain and difficulty with eating or even tooth loss and infection.  Severe dental caries can impair quality of life but is preventable by maintaining good oral hygiene such as using fluoride toothpaste with brush and dental floss or toothpick to clean between the teeth. However, small children, older adults or people with severe disabilities may find it hard to apply.  Besides, Fluorosis may be resulted if there is overexposure to fluoride. People with Fluorosis will develop white opaques on their tooth surface, which affect the appearance. In addition, some mouthwash products contain chemicals like alcohol and chlorhexidine to help kill bacteria. The use of these chemicals has some potential drawbacks like altered taste sensation and staining of teeth. Our new compounds, dihydro-resveratrol or its derivatives can be used for preventing the formation of biofilm and inhibit the growth of bacteria which are cost-effective and very safe to use as they are herbal extracts, which have fewer harmful effects in comparison with those chemical‐based products. Dihydro-resveratrol or its derivatives have a significant inhibitory effect on the growth of bacteria, particularly S. mutans. Moreover, the solubility of the said compounds was at least 5 times higher than that of the traditional product, trans-resveratrol. Furthermore, by assessing the mitochondrial metabolic rates of acini, the cytotoxicity of our compounds was approximately 500 µM while the traditional product was roughly 250 µM. That means our compounds were much safer. These facts demonstrated that our compounds can be good for anti-microbial agents.   The said compounds can be used at least twice a day, in the form of toothpaste, oral gel, toothbrush sanitiser, mouthwash or chewing gum for the management of oral hygiene to prevent dental caries. Since our compounds are non-toxic and natural, it would not cause health issue unless a large amount is swallowed. Tooth decay or caries is one of the most prevalent conditions and a major public health problem globally. According to the 2017 World Health Organization (WHO)’s Global Burden of Disease Study, caries has become a common problem for different age groups. It is estimated that 2.3 billion people (~30% of the world population) suffer from caries. Among these, 620 million people with primary teeth were affected. Besides, it has been reported that there is a correlation between caries in primary teeth and caries in permanent teeth. Since there are abundant quantities of raw materials in nature, dihydro-resveratrol or its derivatives can be largely produced at a minimal cost. Besides, they are easily synthesized with simple steps and will not lead to environmental issue due to disposal. Furthermore, there is no concern of safety, unless a large amount of the compounds are consumed by an individual. Last but not least, our compounds have no smell and they are tasteless so that clients can customize the favour according to their preference. Dental caries, cariogenesis, tooth decay, anti-microbial, antibacterial, oral health, oral hygiene Healthcare, Pharmaceuticals & Therapeutics, Chemicals, Bio-based, Sustainability, Sustainable Living

In every 3 seconds, there is one person diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) as reported by the World Health Organisation. As the ageing population is expanding, dementia has become a tremendous socioeconomic issue. Nowadays, there are over 33 million of people having AD that is accounted for 0.4% of the world population. Unfortunately, there is no cure for AD, only early diagnosis and treatment can ameliorate the symptoms and delay its progression. Several biomarkers in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) have been recognized and established for AD diagnosis with high diagnostic accuracy over 85%. However, the collection of CSF is invasive and causes discomfort and side effect on patients. On the other hand, the collection of urine and saliva is relatively simple and non-invasive. Our technology provides a solution for early Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis by using magnetic nanoprobe for sensitive detection of the target biomarker in different body fluids including blood serum, saliva and urine. In addition, our detection assay has a wide dynamic range that allows the quantification of biomarkers in a minute amount (a few microliters) of samples. It is proven practically useful for different body fluids. It is a non-invasive, rapid and cost-effective alternative for accurate diagnosis of AD. Our detection assay is an immunocomplex based approach with magnetic nanoprobe for sensitive detection of the target biomarker in different body fluids including blood serum, saliva and urine. Once the target biomarker is captured, a sandwich immunocomposite will be formed. The immunocomposite will then be labelled by our tailor-made fluorophore which gives amplified fluorescence signal for quantification.  When comparing to commercially available ELISA kits, our new diagnostic kit provides additional options on the sample types and allows testing on saliva and urine. Furthermore, our assay is 100x more sensitive than the commercially available ELISA kit. The limit of detection (LOD) is down to Femto (10E-15) molar regime (0.104 pg/mL), that means the concentration requirement of AD biomarkers being detected for the new kit is much lower than the cut-off for those ELISA kits. Besides, our new kit takes only 1.5 hrs to obtain result while the ELISA kit may generally take 18 hrs for that. For a typical analysis, speed is one of the merits. It saves running cost. Short time allows future point of care products more feasible. Last but not least, the cost of the new kit is about 100 USD, which is 50 times cheaper than the ELISA kit. Key features: - Non-invasive - Ultra-sensitive (100x more sensitive than commercially available ELISA kit) - Cost-effective, simple and direct AD early detection and diagnostics - Low sample consumption (a few µL) With our novel nanoparticle-based technology, a diagnosis kit is developed for: - High-throughput detection of Alzheimer’s Disease biomarkers - Non-invasive point-of-care diagnosis of Alzheimer’s Disease Besides, two different diagnostic approaches will be further developed: 1)    A non-invasive and user-friendly magnetic nanoparticle platform for direct quantification of circulating biomarkers in body fluids. 2)    A novel biomarker specific MRI contrast agent for in-vivo imaging of the disease-associated protein plaque in the brain. These diagnostic tools could provide a practical platform for population-wide screening for neurodegenerative diseases. - Early detection and diagnostic for neurodegenerative diseases, which is cost-effective, simple and quick - Measure the subtle changes in the expression profile of disease-associated biomarkers Alzheimer’s Disease, Diagnostic, Non-invasive, Biomarker, Nanoprobe, Fluorophore Healthcare, Diagnostics, Life Sciences, Biotech Research Reagents & Tools, Chemicals, Bio-based

Stem cell therapy is one of the most promising potential treatments for neurodegenerative diseases. It involves cultivating stem cells for differentiation into new and healthy cells, which can then be transplanted to the human body to replace damaged or dead cells. The conventional methods for cultivating stem cells typically require the use of animals and biochemical growth factors that may also encourage the growth of cancer cells. These methods are costly and the cells produced are often cancerous. The technology is a method for growing stem cells without the need for animals or biochemical factors. The device, called inorganic sculptured extracellular nanomatrices (iSECnMs), uses nanoscopic structures on its surfaces to stimulate growth and differentiation of stem cells by physical stimulation as well as inhibit other directors of differentiation. Thus, it substantially reduces the risk of inflammation or cancer cell formation. The material is biocompatible and low-cost, so the device is well-suited for mass production. The technology could generate healthy and functional cells for use in regenerative therapy, as well as treatment for neurodegenerative, chronic and joint diseases. Technology features include: -    High biosafety level -    Controllable stem cell differentiation -    Suitable for mass production -    Stronger functions of cultured neurons -    The cell growth rate of using this technology is more or less than the same as the current methods with growth factors By varying the stiffness, density and arrangement of the nanostructures, or the shape of the matrix layer, the stem cells can be differentiated into different desirable functional cells. This technology is feasible to be applied to human because: 1. The materials which the iSECnMs are composed of have been well demonstrated to be biocompatible with no toxicity;  2. The neural stem cell differentiation on the iSECnMs will be operated outside the human body. Areas where the technology can be applied include the following:  -    Research institutions and laboratories to develop stem cell therapy, -    Clinics and hospitals, and -    Therapeutic agents to cure some diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. The team has plans to extract the patient’s neural stem cells and develop them into a therapeutic agent for incurable diseases for clinical tests. New opportunities for incurable diseases: This invention has shown great potential for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease and other incurable diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease and certain types of cancer. It could provide a safe platform for research into stem cell therapies using the latest, novel nanotechnology, and also help boost the development of regenerative medicine. Nano-matrix, nano-structure, stem cell therapy, cell replacement, regenerative medicine, cell culture, cell differentiation Healthcare, Medical Devices, Pharmaceuticals & Therapeutics, Life Sciences, Biotech Research Reagents & Tools

The impact of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) on society is one of our biggest global challenges as it adversely affects the quality of life of patients. This irreversible disease also poses tremendous physical, emotional, and financial burdens to their family, the community medical system, and the entire social economy.  The US Food and Drug Administration has approved a few prescription drugs (i.e. Aricept® (donepezil), Exelon® (rivastigmine), Razadyne® (galantamine) and Namenda® (memantine)) for the treatment of AD. These prescription drugs can help reduce or delay some symptoms, but not cure AD.  The possible side effects of these drugs range from mild symptoms that include nausea, vomiting, headache, diarrhoea, loss of appetite, to severe symptoms that include slow heartbeat, heart block, gastrointestinal bleeding and ulcers. As stated in the 2012 Consumer Reports, the monthly medication cost of these prescription drugs is around US$200 to US$400 per AD patient.  In light of this, we have invented a patented formulation by modifying the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) formulation, Huang-Lian-Jie-Du-Tang (HLJDT, 黃連解毒湯).  Our research findings prove that the modified HLJDT (HLJDT-M) can reduce the accumulation of protein plaques and fibrous nodules (i.e. amyloid β-peptide (Aβ) and tau aggregates) in the brain that leads to rapid death of neurons and deterioration of brain function. HLJDT-M has given more significant therapeutic and pharmacological effects in treating AD with low cost and extremely low side effects. As a pioneer in the modified HLJDT formula (HLJDT-M) study, our research findings offer convincing pieces of evidence that this patented formulation is an effective, safe, and low-cost option for AD treatment and improvement of memory disorders in AD patients.  HLJDT is a famous traditional Chinese Medicine formula, which consists of four herbs, i.e. Rhizoma Coptidis (RC, 黃連), Radix Scutellariae (RS, 黃芩), Cortex Phellodendri (CP, 黃柏) and Fructus Gardeniae (FG, 梔子). It is widely used in treating stroke, senile dementia, inflammation, digestive system upsets, and cerebrovascular disease. HLJDT-M comprises RC, CP, and FG but excludes RS. It is safe for human intake as the original HLJDT has long been used by medical professionals in China and Japan. In our studies, HLJDT-M treatment at a concentration of 12.5 μg/mL could have significant therapeutic effects without biotoxicity. When compared with the original HLJDT, the HLJDT-M has a far more significant Aβ-reducing effect. In addition, HLJDT-M promotes the degradation of Aβ and tau aggregates in both laboratory and animal experiments.  Currently, there is no cure for AD and none of the medications have been shown to be more effective than the others. We suggested a pharmacological treatment that addresses the key causer (i.e. Aβ) in the pathogenesis of AD. HLJDT-M has fewer side effects than conventional drugs and can be regarded as a promising herbal formulation to prevent and/or cure AD. HLJDT-M is a TCM recipe that could be a dietary therapy for AD. It is suitable for most people as it has low side effects.  The cost of HLJDT is about US$50 per 200g. For an effective treatment, it is suggested to have HLJDT-M be orally administered at 15-35 mg/kg/day for at least three months, it indicates that the daily cost is less than US$1. Thus, it is cheaper than the current prescription drugs approved by the FDA. With an affordable price of less than US$1 per day, HLJDT-M can be taken as a health supplement or a non-prescription medicine for the prevention of neurodegenerative diseases like AD. Through the investigation of molecular interactions, we hope to extract several major monomers in the formulation and create a new drug with molecular size for the treatment of AD.  HLJDT-M is an effective, safe, and low-cost option that could give hope to patients with AD. It also helps prevent and delay the onset of AD. This herbal formula is cheaper than the current prescription drugs as approved by the FDA. With extremely low side effects, it provides a safer and cheaper alternative option for the treatment of AD. Alzheimer's disease, Chinese Medicine, amyloid β, Huang-Lian-Jie-Du-Tang Healthcare, Pharmaceuticals & Therapeutics, Foods, Ingredients