HONG KONG-Telefield Medical Imaging (TMI) Limited is the world’s leading provider of AI 3D ultrasound imaging technology, equipment and solutions.
It offers a pioneering radiation-free 3D ultrasonic scoliosis assessment system called Scolioscan, which provides novel solutions for safe and efficient scoliosis assessment.
The company has gained recognition and support from many well-known investment institutions and completed the Pre-A round of financing, totalling nearly HK$40 million in April 2023.
So far, the total financing has exceeded HK$100 million.
Investors in this financing round include Fosun Pharma, AEF Greater Bay Area Fund managed by Gobi Partners GBA, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) and some industrial investors.
The funds will be used to further accelerate product development and market expansion and attract more outstanding talents to join the team.
Deeply rooted in the academic frontiers with access to the world’s leading technical resources,
TMI is dedicated to medical technology innovation for the benefit of society. The Company’s R&D team is led by Professor Zheng Yongping of PolyU. Prof. Zheng was ranked among the world’s top 2% scientists, in the area of Artificial Intelligence and Image Processing, by Stanford University for two consecutive years in 2021 and 2022. He served as the Founding Head of the Department of Biomedical Engineering at PolyU.
He is currently the Director of the Research Institute for Smart Ageing and the Director of the Jockey Club Smart Ageing Hub at PolyU.
He holds more than 150 international patents and has published more than 300 journal papers.
A number of his inventions, including Scolioscan, have been successfully commercialized. Prof. Zheng also became the laureate in life and health of the first BOCHK Science and Technology Innovation Prize in 2022.
Scolioscan, a brand of products under TMI, is the world’s first and only ultrasound scoliosis assessment system. It encompasses 19 globally pioneering and leading technologies with more than 100 patents.
It has obtained medical equipment certification in the EU, Australia and Mainland China, providing radiation-free scoliosis assessment solutions with an accuracy comparable to X-ray imaging for experts in orthopedics, rehabilitation and sports therapy. Scolioscan can be used for scoliosis screening, diagnosis, follow-up monitoring, progression prediction, visual feedback during non-surgical treatment, as well as outcome measurement of treatment. The 3D ultrasound imaging techniques used in Scolioscan can also be applied in the prevention, treatment and assessment of other musculoskeletal disorders.
TMI’s research team has carried out scientific cooperation with internationally renowned hospitals and universities. It has also published more than 20 scientific papers in top international journals in the fields of orthopedics and biomechanics, ultrasound, machine vision and pattern recognition, etc., verifying the accuracy and reliability of 3D ultrasound technology.
Clinical test results have shown that Scolioscan’s Ultrasound Curve Angle (UCA) is highly consistent with the Cobb angle measured by an X-ray, with a linear correlation of 94.64%. The system has won multiple national and international innovation awards.
“Assessment with Scolioscan is radiation-free, thus avoiding the cancer risk brought by X-ray exposure. In general, a person is suggested to space out X-ray examinations by at least six to twelve months, as accumulated X-ray exposure can significantly increase cancer occurrence in scoliosis patients. For youngsters with progressing scoliosis, however, six months is a long wait for effective monitoring. In addition, during non-surgical scoliosis treatments, frequent monitoring through medical imaging is essential to ensure positive outcomes. Thus, it is inevitable for patients to have frequent X-ray examinations. According to a study in Denmark, subjects with scoliosis taking 16 times of X-ray imaging on average in their adolescence have shown an increased cancer rate by 4.8 times 25 years later. Therefore, we have developed this ultrasound imaging technique for scoliosis assessment, which is safe and can be used as frequently as needed,” said Prof. Zheng Yongping.