According to the '2024 Global Hepatitis Report' by the World Health Organization, the number of lives lost due to viral hepatitis is increasing year by year, leading to 1.3 million deaths in 2022, claiming 3,500 lives each day in average, and resulting in it constituting the second leading cause of infectious disease deaths worldwide.

In response to this global public health issue, Eieling Technology, an academic-led startup nurtured and supported by The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU), has announced its leadership in implementation of the five-year 'LiverCare – Hong Kong 10 Million Liver Scans Program', to improve public awareness of liver disease prevention, and promote early detection and treatment to reduce the impact of liver disease.

The University will support the programme and become the first institution to conduct it. Starting from July this year, PolyU will conduct liver fibrosis and fatty liver screening for full-time university staff using Liverscan, a palm-size wireless ultrasound imaging device. Participants are also encouraged to join a two-year follow-up study.

From the data collected, the research team will study the importance of a balanced diet and daily exercise, as well as regular liver disease screening for monitoring the progression of liver disease. PolyU believes that the programme can not only improve public awareness of liver disease prevention and promote early detection and treatment, but also help reduce the threat of liver disease to human health.

Liverscan has obtained registration approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA510K) and is being used in many well-known hospitals and clinics in Hong Kong, Macau and other places. Eieling Technology is also carrying out clinical research and cooperation with several hospitals in Mainland China. Liverscan is expected to enter the market in Mainland China after receiving registration approval from the National Medical Products Administration in Q3 this year, and to be launched globally in 2025.