The College of Medicine's Prof. Shiming Lin, who serves as director of the Institute of Medical Device and Imaging, was awarded the Ministry of Science and Technology's 2015 Outstanding Technology Transfer Contribution Award for his development of a contactless near-field sensor technology capable of reading and transmitting a patient's pulse wave, heart rate, and respiration rate. Prof Lin's innovative technology is the product of research he conducted in collaboration with YongLin Biotech Corp., Taiwan's largest developer and manufacturer of medical devices.

Requiring no immediate contact with the body, Prof Lin's contactless technology relies on near-field direct sensing to monitor a patient's vital signs in real time. The technology is small enough to be installed in a watch-like device, making it ideal for portable and wearable applications. As it is intended for long-term, continuous supervision of a patient's physiological condition, it will enable doctors to keep track remotely of overnight and long-term care patients who are confined to bed, whether at home or in the hospital. When worn by patients who have difficulty moving, the technology can help reduce the possibility of accidents.

YongLin Biotech is already preparing to begin mass production of devices using Prof. Lin's technology and plans to add them to their remote medical monitoring product line. Once on the market, the technology will make substantial contributions to the medical industry in Taiwan and around the globe.