Strategic Partnership Reached; Digital Transformation of Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Chronic Disease Management

On April 30th, at the emergency entrance of Xi'an International Center, an infrared thermal imager is being used for contactless temperature measurement of those entering and exiting.

At the emergency entrance of Xi'an International Center, an infrared thermal imager stands quietly in the corner. Those passing by it unknowingly undergo body temperature checks. Should a fever patient be detected, it immediately sounds an alarm. Since early February, with the arrival of three infrared intelligent remote body temperature detection systems at Xi'an International Center, the hospital has gained three pairs of special "eyes."

This is a microcosm of intelligent equipment aiding in prevention and control efforts. The ongoing efforts are advancing the domestic public health system and acting as a catalyst and accelerator for the long-term development of the medical equipment industry. Equipment companies are increasingly leveraging technology and digital innovation, each showcasing their unique strengths, to make services smarter and more precise, thereby safeguarding public health.

As some industry experts have noted, under the normalization of prevention and control measures, we need such equipment, wrapped in elements like "contactless," "intelligent," and "digital automation," more than ever. Similarly, they will play a significant role in aiding the intelligent management of the public health system, creating a strong market demand.

Supply of Intelligent Equipment Urgently Needed Amid Pandemic Control Measures

On the morning of March 9th, the Press Office of Shaanxi Province held a press conference on the province's efforts in preventing and controlling the COVID-19 pandemic. It was mentioned that since the outbreak of COVID-19, the province has actively leveraged its technological advantages in fields such as artificial intelligence, thermal imaging, facial recognition, and robotics. It has been actively developing products such as infrared thermal imagers for body temperature screening, non-contact stethoscopes, patrol robots, unmanned disinfection patrol robots, and disinfection service drones. These products have been successively deployed in train stations, bus stations, and airports across multiple provinces. Since the onset of the pandemic, the series of temperature screening and patrol robots, as well as unmanned disinfection patrol robots, developed by the Meixuesong team at Xi'an Jiaotong University, have been applied in environments such as the Third People's Hospital of Hubei Province.

In early February, the Jueer Public Welfare Foundation donated 6 infrared intelligent remote body temperature detection systems. Three were placed at the Xi'an International Center, two at the International High-Tech Zone, and one at the International Shangluo. Pedestrians passing through the infrared lens within 8 meters are quickly scanned, and the infrared intelligent remote body temperature detection system can display the human thermal image and high body surface temperature in just one second. Operators can obtain accurate data with a resolution of 0.05 degrees Celsius, solving the issue of close contact required for traditional temperature measurement. This system can effectively, quickly, and non-intrusively measure pedestrian body temperatures, avoiding crowds and cross-infection, and significantly reducing the workload of workers, effectively establishing an "intelligent defense line" for prevention and control.

The equipment industry encompasses numerous fields, and after effective control measures, some niche markets are experiencing explosive growth, including robots with disinfection and protective functions. Wearable health monitoring devices and artificial intelligence-assisted diagnostic systems are accelerating the普及 and application of intelligent equipment, changing traditional disease prevention and detection methods, and providing new means to improve health service quality.

A new research report from a professional institution indicates that nearly one million robots will be used in the commercial sector in 2020, with more than half being professional service robots, generating over $16 billion in revenue, a 30% increase from 2019.

The domestic substitution of intelligent equipment is accelerating.

As industry standards are revised and refined, the domestic medical equipment sector will be more conducive to developing towards standardization, regularization, and high quality. After undergoing the "major exam," the domestic substitution in the medical equipment industry has accelerated.

The development of intelligent equipment is supported by "hard technology." In early February, Xi'an Zhizhen Intelligent Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as Zhizhen Technology), an incubating enterprise at the Cross Information Core Institute in Xi'an High-Tech Zone, participated in the research and development of the "Intelligent Auxiliary Diagnosis System for Novel Coronavirus Pneumonia." The project has passed the acceptance. Wang Bo, the responsible person of Zhizhen Technology, stated that the intelligent auxiliary diagnosis system for novel coronavirus pneumonia can complete a large number of chest CT screenings for suspected cases in a short period of time, significantly enhancing the diagnostic efficiency of novel coronavirus pneumonia, greatly alleviating the clinical pressure on the front line of treatment and diagnosis, enabling patients to receive early and accurate diagnoses, with the aim of improving patient outcomes and reducing mortality rates.

In mid-February, a research team from Xi'an University of Electronic Science and Technology collaborated with the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University's Imaging Department through a remote network conference. Building on previous research in image processing, they conducted scientific research and攻关, discussing plans and designing models. Relying on CT images of suspected and confirmed COVID-19 patients from Shanghai Ruijin Hospital and Xi'an Jiaotong University's affiliated hospitals, they developed an early detection and screening model system for novel coronavirus based on deep learning, by analyzing the characteristics of COVID-19 patients' lung CT images. After testing with outpatient data, the model can reduce the workload by nearly 80%, and the detection recall rate for COVID-19 patients exceeds 95%.

Reporters from several sources in Xi'an have learned that some intelligent equipment, including infrared intelligent remote body temperature detection systems and delivery robots, have made their debut on the front lines. Moreover, the domestic proportion of these devices is gradually increasing.

Industry experts suggest that only by competing with high-quality domestic branded products against imported ones can the market prices of smart medical devices decrease, truly benefiting the general public. If the shortcomings of domestic smart medical devices can be addressed, many diseases can be prevented, early diagnosis and intervention can be achieved, and overall costs will decrease, further benefiting the health of the people.

In April 2019, the National Medical Products Administration launched the China Pharmaceutical Regulatory Science Action Plan. To accelerate the research on key technologies for the safety regulation of artificial intelligence medical devices, the Administration has included the research on the safety and efficacy evaluation of such devices in the key research projects of pharmaceutical regulatory science. With the increasing pursuit of health and awareness of protection, the country's emphasis on the medical device industry has grown, and with the promotion of supportive policies, domestic substitution is expected to become the main theme of the future medical device industry.

The market potential for smart devices is significant.

The myriad of smart robots now making a splash merely scratch the surface of the machinery industry. The COVID-19 pandemic has served as a "major exam," propelling industry development, with many machinery sectors now speeding into a fast lane of growth.

During this pandemic control, many image AI companies chose to forgo their Spring Festival break, communicating on the front lines, conducting on-site testing, and developing and improving products, actively contributing to the effort.