An interdisciplinary team of NTU researchers has developed a multi-functional portable medical instrument that diagnoses viruses and cancers in twelve minutes. This first-of-its-kind invention, called VsensorNTU, is having a major impact on the global medical community. It will not only lessen the suffering of countless people, but will revolutionize the medical industry as well.

VsensorNTU was developed from a concept all the way into an innovative and world-leading electronic medical product by six interdisciplinary research and development teams comprised of more than ten NTU professors, doctors and researchers. These included Prof. Shi-ming Lin (Center for Optoelectronic Biomedicine), Prof. Pan-chyr Yang (Dean of the College of Medicine, physician of internal medicine at NTU Hospital), Prof. Ming-liang Kuo (Institute of Toxicology), Prof. Bor-ching Sheu (Department of Obstetrics, NTU Hospital) and Prof. Luan-ying Chang (physician of pediatrics at NTU Hospital).

Over the last year, clinical testing has demonstrated that the VsensorNTU achieves nearly 100% specificity and sensitivity in the detection of six major diseases that threaten public health. The test results were shown to be highly reproducible. The diseases include oncogenic human papillomavirus, enterovirus 71, hepatocellular carcinomas, lung cancers, influenza viruses and sepsis. In addition to its high accuracy, the VsensorNTU offers the added benefits of providing real-time results and of being convenient, economical and non-invasive. Once it hits the market, the public can look forward to being tested for viruses and cancers in the convenience of their homes or ordinary clinics.

The research team’s leader, Prof. Shi-ming Lin, points out that the functions and features of the VsensorNTU easily can be expanded in the future by adding new modules. When combined with a notebook computer or video phone, this new device will permit personal preventive health care and medical diagnosis.

Dean of the College of Medicine Dr. Pan-chyr Yang further emphasizes that the VsensorNTU is a significant breakthrough in medical research because it avoids past medical testing’s reliance on optical technology. Not only is the old approach time-consuming, expensive and limited in accuracy, but diseases such as liver cancer are difficult to diagnose in their initial phases. VsensorNTU, on the other hand, uses a unique electronic antibody engineering detection technology. It is innovative, economical and fast, and its detection sensitivity has reached 2pg/mL. And, that it is portable means doctors and the general public will be able to conduct self-diagnosis at convenient locations.

A patent portfolio for this NTU-developed technology has already been established. The VsensorNTU has also passed its review by the NTU Hospital Institutional Review Board and completed clinical testing. The research results have been published in international academic journals. They show that VsensorNTU can provide greater efficiency in clinic diagnosis, cancer tracking and the immediate determination of dosage schedules. NTU has transferred the technologies developed for the VsensorNTU to Wisefame International Co., which has been aided by Capital Securities Corp. in going public. A new company called Vsense Biotech Ltd. has also been founded in the high-tech Neihu District of Taipei to initiate and undertake further mass production and commercialization work.