Engineer Who Made Hong Kong Home is Innovating Healthcare Technology
Pursuing undergraduate studies in Hong Kong 15 years ago marked the start of a highly rewarding journey for Malaysian native Dr. Nick CHIN Jing-Wei. He not only realized his dream of establishing a technology start-up, but also set up his own family here.
A quest for scientific breakthroughs in the area of healthcare technology brought together Dr. Nick Chin, Teric Chan and Dr. Kyle Wong – the trio who founded PanopticAI in early 2020s. Even before they established their company, they had come up with a timely invention under the guidance of Prof. Richard So Hau-Yue, former Associate Dean of Engineering (Research and Graduate Studies), an expert in bio-inspired vision and audio signal processing: a remote body temperature screening system used by the Hong Kong government at the height of the pandemic at places such as the airport. “We successfully solved 70% of a problem in our research in just one week,” recalled Nick.
After completing his PhD, Nick and his partners established a dedicated technical team within the company, focusing on the technology to help people monitor their own health through the built-in cameras in their mobile phones.
For Nick, a native of Malaysia, the business venture means for 15 years he has made this vibrant city, as he described, his home, since he arrived for undergraduate studies in electronic engineering at HKUST.
“Initially I planned to pursue my undergraduate studies in Taiwan, but a close friend encouraged me to apply to HKUST as well. After considering it, I realized it was a great opportunity and was fortunate to be accepted,” he recalled.
Little did he know he would complete his master’s and PhD degrees at the same university, and even more so, fulfill his childhood dream of becoming an entrepreneur. “My father is a businessman. Even though I studied engineering, he always encouraged me to learn a bit more about business, because like every time you make a product, eventually you need to sell it,” said soft-spoken Nick.
Before finishing his doctoral studies in industrial engineering and logistics management, he took the plunge of setting up a business together with two other HKUST engineering graduates, Teric Chan and Dr. Kyle Wong.
The three co-founders of PanopticAI, from left: Dr. Nick Chin (Chief Technology Officer), Teric Chan (Chief Scientific Officer), and Dr. Kyle Wong (Chief Executive Officer), embarked on a new life journey.
Inventions for health monitoring
The trio went on to develop Vitals™, the contactless biosensing technology that integrates engineering, artificial intelligence (AI), and healthcare to make health monitoring accessible to everyone. It is widely adopted locally by private hospitals, insurance companies, elderly centers etc., allowing users to measure heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen saturation and stress levels in about 30 seconds.
A big boost came recently with the clearance by the US Food and Drug Administration for the app’s function of measuring patients’ pulse rate through the use of mobile phone. As the Chief Technology Officer, Nick immerses himself in advanced research to secure FDA clearance for the same app to measure blood pressure.
“Getting our blood pressure accuracy up to FDA standard can boost clients’ confidence; it also means our product can be used as a medical grade device, rather than for just monitoring one’s physical well-being,” he explained.
He is optimistic about getting FDA clearance for blood pressure measurement within two years. His company is also busy promoting Vitals to markets beyond Hong Kong, such as Southeast Asia and China.
The years spent at HKUST, he acknowledges, have prepared him well for his present endeavors.
Besides the beautiful campus and the abundant sports facilities, he is grateful for the multiple skills he had acquired, such as mathematics and signal processing. “The problem-solving methodologies I developed during my time at HKUST continue to benefit not only my professional life but also my personal growth and everyday decision-making,” said Nick, a keen badminton player.
Playing badminton and photography were Nick’s favourite pastimes, boosting his physical and mental health
Capturing sunrise and sunset at HKUST, the place that shaped Nick
Fruitful time on campus
The strong research atmosphere and academic strengths of the university greatly inspired him throughout his studies, he added. “The setting fosters an ideal environment for researchers to concentrate deeply on their work and produce high-quality publications.”
Fun time with fellow students and staff of the HKUST Department of Industrial Engineering and Decision Analytics.
The research experience during his graduate studies, under the supervision of Professor So, who is now an advisor to his company, bred within him the desire to make technological breakthroughs.
His peers from diverse backgrounds was certainly another source of inspiration. “Dr. Kyle Wong stands out as my most significant inspiration,” he noted. “As my open-minded peer and co-founder and CEO of our company, we share similar visions and our skills complement each other perfectly. The seamless and comfortable way we collaborate results in outcomes that exceed our individual contributions, embodying the idea that one plus one can indeed equal more than two.”
PhD studies cultivated for him lasting friendships.
Fellow researchers supported and saw through Nick’s completion of his PhD journey.
As someone who has always been fascinated with cellphones, GPRS in telecommunications, and above all, the Internet, setting up a technology company appears to be the right path for him.
The strong entrepreneurship atmosphere on campus further added to his impetus. He appreciates the ample networking opportunities at the BASE, the co-working space operated by HKUST Entrepreneurship Centre that connects start-up teams, entrepreneurial-minded students, alumni and faculty with various resources and funding support.
Running a business can be full of challenges, still, Nick acknowledges. On top of the research work supported by four full-time researchers, he must oversee engineering operations while fulfilling his responsibilities as a founder. What’s more, he remains committed to supporting his colleagues’ physical and mental wellbeing, along with their professional growth, as the company continues to expand.
Benefitting global health
But he is grateful for the opportunities that have come his way. Not least of all, he and his other co-founders are driven to improve the health prospects of people around the world.
Enthusiastic staff of PanopticAI
The World Health Organization estimates that one-third of the world’s population has hypertension, and yet half of them are unaware of the problem. With the high penetration rate of mobile phones in even underdeveloped countries, Nick believes their technology can help a wider population detect any irregularity with their blood pressure at an early stage.
“Health equity gives everyone the opportunity to enjoy a long and healthy life, regardless of where you live or who you are. But different populations have different needs and hospital waiting times can stretch into years as people age.”
“This is where digital health solutions can make a difference. Embedding the technology within communities—especially underserved populations—can play a critical role in providing equal access to inexpensive and qualified healthcare, and fixing the existing health disparities.”
He is set to continue his vital research in Hong Kong, especially as he has also formed a family here. His baby daughter was born last year. Coming to this city 15 years ago is a decision he never regrets. “Hong Kong is truly a land of opportunity, especially for those in their 20s to 40s, and I believe that its fast-paced environment would challenge me to step out of my comfort zone and strive for excellence.”