Smart Medical and Caring Technologies Designed for the Elderly in SCE2022

Chongqing - The 2022 Smart China Expo kicks off on August 22 in Chongqing with a focus on "Smart City" this year. Most of the exhibitors in the central hall display advanced technologies and applications related to the field of smart city, including smart construction, smart city management, smart monitoring and warning platforms, smart rescuing tech, and more.

Several human-oriented smart technologies are being promoted for the first time at this year's expo. For example, the Smart Medical and Caring System was developed and applied by Qinggang Senior Care Center, the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University. Among Chongqing's most prestigious tertiary hospitals, the hospital offers advanced medical treatment and experienced doctors. The smart system integrates the hospital's professional medical resources, enables medical care benefits, and optimizes the whole life cycle management for elderly patients.

Smart Medical and Caring Technology Designed for the Elderly

Chongqing's traditional elderly care centers face challenges due to a shortage of medical resources and the lack of professional health statistics monitoring. According to Wang Qi, the Engineer of Information Center, the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, in this system, more than forty assessment scales have been implemented on the mobile terminal to guide healthcare professionals in rapid assessment and diagnosis. People can always wear these smart wearable devices in the care center to record their health data. And the self-assessment scale on the elderly side further enhances the active participation of the elderly and their families in health management to achieve refined and personalized care services.

"Using a full health file and real-time monitoring data, we can detect physical abnormalities and intervene early in the elderly," Wang Qi said.

The big data analysis engine also manages and analyzes the elderly operation data in the hospital through comprehensive analysis, integration, and management. Additionally, it was displayed at the expo. The care center also offers an AR Rehab and Fitness Exercise Course for elderly clients. Inspired by e-sports, this facility strives to provide fun for elderlies through Ba Duan Jin, Taiji, and other traditional Chinese practices. It can measure physical data after each gaming session and calculate the final score.

Wang Qi told iChongqing that by participating in this year's event, they hope to promote this smart medical and caring system in more hospitals in Chongqing and China, including tertiary hospitals and community hospitals, to better balance the medical resource and improve the management of health and medical information of the elderly.

An aging population has become a global phenomenon and a current global challenge. Chinese populations are aging rapidly, on a large scale, and to a high degree. The 1962-1976 baby boomer population will become seniors in the next 5-10 years. China is expected to enter a super-aging society of more than 20% around 2033 and continue to rise rapidly to 35% in 2060.

As well as posing great challenges, aging also offers opportunities for employment generation, service development, and intelligent innovation, all priorities on the government reform agenda. As a municipality in southwestern China that achieves the high-quality development goal, Chongqing is heading toward a smart future for elderly care.

Holographic 3D Medical Imaging Technology Assist Surgeries 

Also, in the smart medical exhibition area, another smart medical technology developed domestically in Chongqing is the Holographic 3D Medical Imaging Technology to assist surgeries. It generates a 1:1 holographic 3D model of the patient's individual tissue information based on MRI/CT and other DICOM data plus the underlying algorithm of artificial intelligence. The model presents the spatial structure between the patient's bones, blood vessels, nerves, muscles, lesions, and other tissues, allowing for full-dimensional observation, deep excavation of lesion information, accurate planning of surgical paths and risk preplanning, reducing surgical risks, improving surgical success rates, and not causing any other side effects on the human body.  

Liu Yang, the Academic Department Manager of Chongqing Qin Ying Technology Co., Ltd, has shared with iChongqing the innovative key point of the technology. "Traditionally, physicians could only estimate the size and shape of a lesion from a series of two-dimensional images and conceptualize the possible location of the lesion based on experience. This method was highly subjective and unreliable, and the success of diagnosis and treatment of a patient's condition depended largely on the physician's clinical experience and background. Holographic 3D imaging technology greatly reduces errors and difficulties associated with insufficient understanding of spatial relationships during surgery."

(Zhao Haonan, as a photographer intern, also contributed to this article.)