2019 Chongqing Smart Expo Showcases Future of Healthcare Through 5G, AI, and Medical Innovation
Guests from 30 countries and regions, enterprises from 14 countries and regions, 23 international friend cities, and delegations from 18 sister provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities convened in Chongqing... A grand expo showcasing the world’s cutting-edge technology gradually unfolded at the Chongqing International Expo Center.
As Chongqing’s largest annual exhibition, this year’s China International Smart Industry Expo (hereinafter referred to as “Smart Expo”) adopted the theme “Intelligentization: Empowering the Economy, Enriching Life.” With more top-tier enterprises participating, it naturally featured numerous eye-catching medical projects.
VCBeat (WeChat Official Account: vcbeat) reporters observed at the exhibition that 5G, the Internet of Things (IoT), and cloud technologies have permeated every corner of various industries. This same level of enthusiasm was evident in the healthcare sector, where 5G, AI, and smart medical devices undoubtedly emerged as the focal points of the event. Additionally, elderly care and medical aesthetics projects within the context of smart living were also highlighted as key showcases at the exhibition.
It is encouraging to note that, as the economic hub of Southwest China, Chongqing has seen a large number of its tech enterprises showcase their technological prowess at this exhibition. It is foreseeable that in the coming years, Chongqing’s artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and related industries will undergo transformative changes.
Although the Smart China Expo featured as many as seven pavilions themed around “intelligence,” the three major telecom operators—China Mobile, China Unicom, and China Telecom—chose to compete in the “Smart City” pavilion, all promoting the same “5G + Smart Healthcare” initiative.
Among these, China Mobile has adopted the widely recognized “5G Ambulance System” within its 5G innovations. This system leverages the 5G network to equip ambulances with various data acquisition facilities and emergency care setups, enabling physicians at affiliated hospitals to obtain patient information in real time and make remote emergency decisions.
Constrained by limited data transmission speeds, previous ambulances could be equipped with imaging and heart rate monitoring devices but were unable to provide physicians with real-time patient information. China Mobile’s 5G communication technology effectively addresses this issue.
In contrast, China Unicom’s strategy incorporates AI elements. In addition to its “Smart Emergency Rescue Solution,” Unicom has placed greater emphasis on the “in-hospital informatics” system, developing a “Mobile Nursing Platform,” an “Out-of-Hospital Continuity of Care Platform,” and an “Imaging Quality Control Platform,” supported by a “Speech Recognition AI Platform” and “Cloud Nursing Deployment.” However, the application value of 5G for these AI-enabled technologies remains to be explored.
China Telecom showcased the world’s first multi-center 5G remote orthopedic surgery performed by Tian Wei, Director of Beijing Jishuitan Hospital and chief scientist of the “Tianji” orthopedic surgical robot, on June 27 this year.
With the support of China Telecom’s 5G network and Huawei’s communication technology, Beijing Jishuitan Hospital established connections with Jiaxing No. 2 Hospital and Yantai Yantaishan Hospital, enabling Tian Wei to perform this orthopedic surgery via a remote control platform. At the Smart China Expo, China Telecom fully recreated the surgical procedure.
However, even as the three major telecom operators simultaneously target “5G + Smart Healthcare,” the healthcare segment still occupies a relatively small area within the entire exhibition venue. According to insiders present at the event, 5G’s peak speeds are comparable to those of hospital private networks, and the deployment requires the installation of base stations within hospitals, giving rise to numerous practical challenges. Therefore, minimizing deployment costs and identifying viable commercialization pathways remain key challenges for 5G adoption.
At the Smart Applications Pavilion (Hall S7) of this Smart China Expo, two eye-catching projects are on display: one is the Smart Healthcare Security initiative driven by the National Healthcare Security Administration, and the other is the Chongqing Pharmaceutical Exchange, a platform unique to Chongqing Municipality.
Just yesterday, the revised Drug Administration Law of the People’s Republic of China was passed by vote at the 12th Session of the Standing Committee of the 13th National People’s Congress and will come into effect on December 1, 2019. The new version of the Drug Administration Law explicitly stipulates that “a sound drug traceability system shall be established and improved.”
Under Chongqing’s unique distribution mechanism for pharmaceuticals and medical devices, all sales must undergo open tendering through the Chongqing Pharmaceutical Exchange. Consequently, prior to the implementation of relevant policies, the Chongqing Pharmaceutical Exchange had already established a comprehensive drug traceability system capable of tracking the entire circulation process of pharmaceuticals from the point of ex-factory delivery.
Through this government-led approach, the distribution channels for pharmaceuticals and medical devices in Chongqing have become more transparent, enabling the city to respond more swiftly to policies such as the “Two-Invoice System” and the “4+7” centralized procurement program. Staff members stated, “Even products selected through the ‘4+7’ bidding process must be registered on the Chongqing Drug Exchange website, which facilitates our data collection. In response to policy changes, we simply need to update the website accordingly.”
Therefore, with access to big data on pharmaceuticals and medical devices, the Chongqing Pharmaceutical Exchange can analyze this data to establish a drug sales model for Chongqing Municipality. At this exhibition, the Chongqing Exchange showcased its data processing capabilities.
At the exhibition, the Chongqing Medical Insurance Bureau primarily showcased its planned “Medical Insurance APP.” Staff members told VCBeat, “Previously, Chongqing only offered medical insurance services through mini-programs and websites. Due to security limitations, these platforms could only support basic functions such as data entry and appointment scheduling. The Medical Insurance APP, developed with the assistance of Yilianzhong, can incorporate additional digital certificates, enabling residents to handle a wider range of medical insurance services via their mobile phones.”
3D printing of human organs was once merely a scenario imagined in science fiction films. Today, with the maturation of 3D printing technology and breakthroughs in materials science, 3D-printed human organs have become a tangible reality at the Smart China Expo, demonstrating immense medical potential.
The First Affiliated Hospital of Army Medical University demonstrated on-site the 3D-printed porous tantalum technology for repairing bone defects. 3D-printed porous tantalum is a porous metallic material fabricated via additive manufacturing using tantalum powder as the raw material. Tantalum exhibits highly stable chemical properties and strong corrosion resistance, along with excellent biocompatibility and superior mechanical properties, making it an ideal material for bone substitution and repair. However, its high melting point of 2,996°C makes tantalum difficult to process, let alone to fabricate using 3D printing.
3D-Printed Porous Tantalum
Supported by the National Key R&D Program of the 13th Five-Year Plan of the Ministry of Science and Technology, titled “Key Technologies and Clinical Applications of Electron Beam Additive Manufacturing for Personalized Porous Tantalum Implant Prostheses,” the team from the First Affiliated Hospital of Army Medical University has overcome multiple key technologies with independent intellectual property rights. In 2017, they performed the world’s first personalized 3D-printed tantalum metal augment reconstruction on an 84-year-old patient. Despite the patient’s advanced age, he was able to get out of bed and move around on the first day after surgery, and his postoperative recovery has been favorable to date.
Since then, the First Affiliated Hospital of Army Medical University has performed more than 20 similar surgeries, all with excellent outcomes. Although this technology is currently very expensive (the cost of tantalum material is 4–5 times that of existing materials) and remains in the stage of personalized customization, significant progress is expected within the next 3–5 years. By that time, we may truly no longer need to worry about joint failure.
Rong’an Medical’s exhibited 3D printing technology is comparatively more accessible. The company employs 3D scanners and gait sensors to perform reverse modeling of the foot. Based on each patient’s plantar pressure distribution, a 3D printer produces customized insoles designed to correct lower-limb alignment and adjust gait patterns. Furthermore, these 3D-printed insoles can be embedded with portable pressure-sensing gait sensors to analyze gait and facilitate early detection of potential foot disorders. Compared with certain “health walking shoes” promoted through deceptive television advertisements, these precisely modeled and fully customized 3D-printed insoles offer far greater credibility.
3D-Printed Insoles
With the gradual improvement in living standards and medical technology, rehabilitation medicine is increasingly drawing industry attention. To address the severe shortage of professional rehabilitation healthcare personnel, rehabilitation robots have emerged as an ideal solution. According to research reports from third-party market agencies, the market size of rehabilitation robots in a broad sense is projected to grow from USD 220 million in 2014 to USD 3.2 billion in 2021, with an expected compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of up to 46.6%. Given such enormous market potential, it is no surprise that rehabilitation robots gained significant prominence at this year’s World Expo.
Qianjing Rehabilitation’s FlexBot Multi-Position Intelligent Rehabilitation Robot System was undoubtedly a standout attraction at the Smart China Expo. This bionically designed exoskeleton robot stands over two meters tall, making users appear as imposing and powerful as combat robots from science fiction films. It simulates the entire gait cycle of normal human walking, with the exoskeleton driving the lower-limb movements of patients. By enabling early intervention in rehabilitation training, it accelerates the recovery of walking function.
A reporter tried out the rehabilitation robot on-site. Without exerting any effort, the exoskeleton drives the lower limbs to swing, simulating normal walking. It can even mimic different walking speeds and various terrains, which is quite interesting. Moreover, the entire walking process is recorded by the system for subsequent rehabilitation analysis.
Meanwhile, rehabilitation robots specifically designed for children were also showcased on site, employing similar technology. According to reporters, this technology has already been adopted by multiple rehabilitation hospitals and is quite mature. The hourly cost is approximately RMB 300, which is entirely affordable for the general public.
Although exoskeleton robots appear formidable, they are clearly unsuitable for home use. The walking-assistance robot showcased by Siasun Robot & Automation, affiliated with the Chinese Academy of Sciences, is specifically designed for elderly individuals with mobility impairments. To enhance its approachability for older adults, the robot’s appearance is modeled after conventional walking aids. Nevertheless, it features assistive and resistive functions that not only facilitate walking but also help prevent falls, making it highly practical.
In addition to rehabilitation robots used for physical recovery, novel devices specifically designed for psychiatric rehabilitation were also unveiled at the Smart China Expo. The brain-computer interface (BCI) rehabilitation training system showcased by Shandong Haitian Intelligent Engineering Co., Ltd. also drew our attention. This technology enables patients with stroke or nerve damage to perform rehabilitation exercises preset in the system software using their electroencephalogram (EEG) signals, which in turn drive a neuromuscular electrical stimulator to stimulate the hemiplegic limbs to produce corresponding movements, thereby facilitating active rehabilitation training.
Brain-Computer Interface Rehabilitation Training System
Another sleek, e-sports cockpit-style pure mind-control focus enhancement training system also adopts the same principle, using brainwave signals to collect coins and dodge monsters from behind in a 3D game. The difference is that this product’s primary function is focused on attention training for children. A reporter also tried it out on-site and, after several attempts to concentrate, finally achieved the passing score.
Pure Mindfulness Concentration Enhancement Training System
Encouragingly, at the Smart China Expo, numerous universities showcased their R&D achievements in the medical field. Unlike in the past, university-led research and development now place greater emphasis on product commercialization, with many projects approaching the final prototype stage. One such example is the wearable ultrasound analgesia device developed by Chongqing University of Posts and Telecommunications.
This conceptual product features an innovatively designed wearable planar ultrasound rehabilitation patch, miniaturizing the large-scale ultrasound therapy equipment typically used in hospitals to the size of a portable hard drive. By leveraging the mechanical, thermal, and physicochemical effects of ultrasound, this device can alleviate joint mobility impairments and inhibit the progression of osteoarthritis. The concept is now nearing practical application, with on-site testing by reporters confirming fully functional performance. The development team stated that their next step is to further refine the product design, aiming to reduce its size to that of a mobile phone.
Wearable Ultrasound Analgesic Device
In addition, Chongqing University showcased its lateral flow immunochromatographic test strips for Staphylococcus aureus detection and a high-sensitivity SH-SAW biosensor detection system; Chongqing Medical University presented a driving fatigue monitor based on pupillary diameter variability and a real-time fetal movement monitoring system based on electrode arrays, both of which hold significant clinical application value.
Overall, medical technology still occupies a “niche position” at the Smart China Expo, but the number of exhibits has shown a significant increase compared to last year. Although the technologies on display may not qualify as “cutting-edge black tech,” they still demonstrate the rapid progress of smart healthcare. After all, medical development follows a path of gradual, step-by-step advancement.
Undoubtedly, 5G was the biggest highlight of this Smart China Expo. Applications based on 5G have revitalized concepts such as telemedicine, medical consortia, and remote surgery. This represents a chemical reaction between technology and business models; the emergence of new technologies will break the original "impossible triangle" and disrupt established paradigms. Meanwhile, we have also observed the penetration of artificial intelligence (AI) into nursing, pharmaceutical distribution, and emergency care. After several years of exploration, AI is spawning a wider array of medical applications. Technology changes the world. In an era marked by the frequent emergence of smart concepts, healthcare and AI are dancing in tandem.