Precision medicine is on the rise, with genes being the key code to individual health. In February 2023, the Department of Medical Genetics of National Cheng Kung University Hospital (NCKUH) became the first inter-hospital laboratory in Taiwan to be certificated by the Taiwan Accreditation Foundation, offering the widest range of genetic tests. NCKUH will demonstrate how genetic testing can play a role in several areas, from medication to surgery.
Genetic Testing for Cancer Treatment
NCKUH’s "Whole Exome Sequencing" can identify prevention and treatment methods for embryonic abnormalities. It can detect pathogenic loci in about 2,000 genes, using samples such as whole blood, saliva, fresh tissues, and amniotic fluid. For instance, in congenital genetic hearing loss, over 200 relevant genes have been identified. They have also established Taiwan's first clinic for genetic rare diseases of the skin - "Bubble Dragon (Epidermolysis Bullosa) and Skin Rare Disease Special Clinic" - to initiate treatment plans for children early on.
Additionally, for cancer treatment, the hospital offers "Comprehensive Cancer Gene Testing", examining 523 genes in tissue samples of various cancer types to guide precise medication for cancer patients.
Restenosis-Stent or Bypass? Genetic Testing Has the Answers
For patients who have undergone stenting and are faced narrowing or blockage again, the dilemma of whether to re-implant a stent or opt for coronary artery bypass grafting is now being addressed by genetic testing. The probability of restenosis within stents in coronary artery reconstruction is 70-80% within two years. The risk is even higher in people with chronic kidney disease, diabetes, etc.
The NCKUH team identified 5 target genes from a study of 3,000 patients with restenosis after stent implantation. They discovered a significantly higher rate of restenosis in patients with coated stents. This finding will help families decide on treatment and understand the optimal length of treatment. In addition to deciphering the genetic code, NCKU Hospital is leveraging the advantages of clinical research and combining them with National Cheng Kung University's strengths in electronics, computer technology, design and manufacturing to point the direction of care and learning.
★★★More by National Cheng Kung University Hospital
◎Decoding ‘Health Genes’ from Two Million Records
While typical studies focus on the factors that cause disease and the conditions of patients, NCKUH integrates IBM Data Analysis. From a huge pool of 2.2 million records, they painstakingly extracted information on 1.8 million healthy individuals, excluding 17 chronic diseases such as cardiovascular and kidney problems. Using their data and test results as a control group, the hospital derived norms for healthy and near-optimal healthy populations.
Currently, the NCKUH has gathered data on the muscle strength and grip strength of the healthy population. This forms the basis for muscle mass standards, which will serve as indicators for assessing the health of the elderly. In the future, this data can be utilized to identify potential high-risk individuals for conditions like osteoporosis and muscle atrophy, allowing for early intervention to maintain health.
◎Inserting Nasogastric Tube with Micro Endoscope
Nasogastric tubes are widely used in elderly care; however, given the proximity of the esophagus and trachea, misplacement during insertion can lead to complications such as pneumonia.
Statistically, the misplacement rate is 2% and although this may seem relatively low, nasogastric tube placement is a common and basic medical procedure. As a result, there are still occasional complications that cause medical controversy.
The team at NCKUH has innovatively developed a miniature endoscope for nasogastric tube placement. This device allows real-time visualization of the placement process directly on a smartphone, providing instant confirmation of the tube's position. With 30 clinical trials completed (TFDA+IRB), the initial focus has been on high-risk patients in intensive care units (ICUs), ensuring healthcare professionals can accurately and safely position nasogastric tubes for elderly patient care.
National Cheng Kung University Hospital invented a micro endoscope that helps insert the NG-tube precisely (Photo by NCKUH)
◎NIHSS Stroke Assessment Virtual Reality Training System
Utilising virtual reality (VR) technology, this system offers medical students the opportunity to simulate and practice stroke assessments. The system incorporates real case scenarios, enabling students to perform hands-on procedures, covering the assessment process for acute strokes, key observations of patient behaviour, interaction techniques, severity rating criteria for strokes, and self-assessment of learning outcomes. This ensures that students can confidently and accurately evaluate a patient's stroke condition.
◎Pharmacist Virtual Reality Training System
Adding yet another VR-based training, this system is designed to train pharmacy interns and junior pharmacists in practical skills, encompassing compounding processes and pharmaceutical consultation techniques.
VR-base pharmacist training system provides gamified experiences in learning (Photo by NCKUH)
The following three programmes will be showcased during the Healthcare+ Expo. (1) Pharmacy workflow: From processing orders to dispensing prescriptions; (2) Controlled drugs in hospitals: Learning regulatory procedures for controlled drugs through hands-on practice; (3) Medication advice: A guided approach for users to practice how to give advice and evaluate the process through speech recognition.
B2B Opportunities with Chang Gung Memorial Hospital
Digital Health
| Products/Solutions | Partnership wanted |
|---|---|
| First made-in-Taiwan portable sEMG device for rehabilitation | Diagnostics; rehabilitation service |
Precision Medicine
| Products/Solutions | Partnership wanted |
|---|---|
| Genetic testing: Five gene types for coated stent restenosis | Rapid test chip; product development |
| Genetic testing: Whole exome sequencing for 2,000 genetic conditions, including hearing loss and rare diseases | Genetic test analysis |
| Genetic testing: Testing 523 genes related to different cancers; this can be used for cancer treatment | Genetic test analysis |
Regenerative Medicine
| Products/Solutions | Partnership wanted |
|---|---|
| Peripheral nerve electrical stimulation | Clinical validation; medical device development |
Innovative R&D
| Products/Solutions | Partnership wanted |
|---|---|
| CARD database: medica data for research | Value-added service development |
| NG-tube insertion with micro endoscope | Prototype development; clinical validation |
| VR+MR training systems for stroke assessment, pharmacist training and ablation procedure for thyroid | Adopting of training system(s) |
National Cheng Kung University Hospital at Healthcare+ Expo 2023
- Thursday, 30 November to Sunday, 3 December
- Booth No. K616 | 1F, TaiNEX 1