On September 15th, the 22nd China International Industry Fair was held at the Shanghai National Convention and Exhibition Center. Nankai University, with more than 10 scientific research achievements, appeared in the Science and Technology Innovation Exhibition Area of the University of the China International Industry Fair. Through displaying exhibition boards, objects, explanations and videos, Nankai University won the “Excellent Organization Award for University Exhibition Area at the 2020 China International Industry Fair”.

There are 5 special prizes for outstanding exhibits in the science and technology innovation exhibition area of universities. The team led by Professor Mingming Cheng from the School of Computer Science of Nankai University and the Beijing InterVision Technology Company jointly completed the “Lung CT Image Screening System Targeted for COVID-19 Based on Interpretable Artificial Intelligence Technology”. With its outstanding contribution to the prevention and control of the COVID-19 epidemic, the project awarded the “Special Prize for Outstanding Exhibits in the University Exhibition Area at the 22nd China International Industry Fair”. The person in charge of the project at Nankai University is Professor Mingming Cheng, with main members including Jun Xu, the lecturer in the School of Computer Science of Nankai University, and doctoral students Yuhuan Wu, Shanghua Gao and Jie Mei.

As early as the initial stage of the COVID-19 epidemic, this technology was applied to the first-line screening by Wuhan Tongji Hospital in Hubei province, and it was updated in rapid response to the epidemic. On March 26 this year, the system has been deployed in 52 hospitals in China including Hubei, with a total of more than 150,000 cases detected. It is reported that this technology has been put into use in hospitals in many countries and regions such as Japan, Italy, United States and Germany, aiming at providing help to doctors struggling to fight the COVID-19 epidemic around the world, with advanced technology to help the world build the defense line against epidemic. For example, the Jena University Hospital in Germany introduced this technology to improve the efficiency of doctors’ diagnosis while reducing the huge work pressure of the same. At present, the technology has obtained a series of such access permits as US FDA certification, EU CE certification and Japan PMDA access qualification. In addition, the World Engineering Organization, China Daily and other well-known media or organizations at home and abroad have also conducted extensive reports on the system.

In addition, selecting the projects “Lung CT Image Screening System Targeted for COVID-19 Based on Interpretable Artificial Intelligence Technology” and “Intelligent Epidemic Prevention Teleoperation Robot” as exhibitions, Nankai University, together with Nanjing University, Southeast University, Dalian University of technology, Northwest University of technology, Fudan University, Tongji University, East China Normal University and other 29 universities in China, with  49 projects unveiled to highlight the scientific research contributions made by universities in the prevention and control of the COVID-19 epidemic and demonstrated the strength of universities in the fight against the epidemic. In response to the national call of “Popular Entrepreneurship and Innovation”, Nankai University selected the “Portable Smart Phone Spectrometer” and “Focus on Carambola” project to participate in the University Innovation and Entrepreneurship Exhibition.

During the exhibition, scientific research achievements including the “Lung CT Image Screening System Targeted for COVID-19 Based on Interpretable Artificial Intelligence Technology”, “Castor Oil Bio-Aviation Kerosene”, “Safe and Efficient Automatic Bridge Crane System” have attracted the attention and consultation of many professional investment institutions, technology transfer platforms and related enterprises.

It is reported that the China International Industry Fair is co-sponsored by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Commerce, the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Chinese Academy of Engineering, the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, the United Nations Industrial Development Organization and the Shanghai Municipal People’s Government, renowned as an international industrial brand exhibition with equipment manufacturing as the main body of display transactions. There are 9 professional exhibitions in the fair, with 69 universities and colleges at home and abroad and more than 2.400 exhibitors participating in the exhibition.

(Reported by Renming Qiao, Translated by Zhifang Lyu, Edited by Davide Francolino and JianjingYun)