Driving on the Technology Highway of Hong Kong
Free Seminar -
September Section
To
focus and stimulate technology transfer and development of
respective critical components industries in Optics, Mechanical,
Electronics, Magnetic, Chemical and Environmental Engineering
and IT, TechMart of Hong Kong Productivity Council
has liaised with Hong Kong
Critical Components Manufacturers Association (HKCCMA), America
Hong Kong Electronics Association (AHKEA) and Hong Kong
Optoelectronics Association (HKOEA) to support and
serve the role to foster technology exchange, transfer and
commercialization of respective critical components industries
between Hong Kong, China and overseas.
TechMart joins with HKCCMA, AHKEA and HKOEA to organize and
provide a series of monthly free seminars scheduled on Monday,
the second week of each month.
The
September
section was held on Sept 8, 2003 at TechMart Theme Hall of HKPC.
The seminar started at 3:45 pm with an opening speech by Mr.
Daniel Lau, Founding President of HKOEA. , after Dr. Stephen Li,
VP of HKPC presented
souvenirs to
three speakers, the following three talks were delivered:
Title :
"Photonics – A Case for Hong Kong, Challenges and Opportunities"
Guest Speaker:
Mr.
Daniel K. Lau, Founding President, Hong Kong Optoelectronics
Association
Photonics technology is one of the most “Pervasive Technologies”
of the 21st Century.
China is poised to become one of the biggest potential markets
in the world for photonics products especially in the areas of
consumer and communication. The followings are a brief
introduction of some basics and diversity of Photonics
applications.
A beam of light is both a waveform and a stream of particles
called photons. Photonics is an emerging technology that
controls, manipulates, transfers and stores energy and
information using photons.
Light's waveform and its ability to be transmitted at a range of
frequencies provide the means of carrying multiple packages of
information simultaneously. Photons can carry more information
much faster than electrons. As a key enabling technology,
photonics underpins the communications revolution with a wide
range of applications in many areas such as telecommunications,
diagnostic equipment and sensing devices.
The photonics revolution is characterized by fundamental
innovations in the science of optics. For an innovative
information technology these new developments in photonics now
allow us to conceive cages, guided pathways, and new sources of
coherent radiation on smaller and smaller scales operating at
steadily increasing speeds.
In the life science, the advances in photonics are enabling a
number of revolutionary and ultra- sensitive spectroscopic and
diagnostic tools for the study of complicated nanostructures
such as bio-molecules
Hong Kong, with her integrated competitive advantage, is in an
excellent position to help shaping this emerging photonics
industry in China as well as to grow her local photonics
industry into a major contribution to the local economy. But
time is critical.
We
shall discuss some background of success in various Asia
countries as a proof of context. The present Photonics industry
status in Hong Kong and Mainland China will be reviewed. The
discussion will then extend onto “A case for Hong Kong in
Photonics”
Title:
"Cost-effective Low-field MRI system and related technology"
Guest Speaker: Prof. Q.Y. Ma,
Deputy Director, The Jockey Club MRI Engineering Center,
The University of Hong Kong
The
Jockey Club MRI Engineering Centre at HKU has taken the lead in
developing world class MRI technologies since its inception in
1998. The Centre has successfully built and developed several
high-tech prototype products, ready for commercialization.
One
of the products derived from our R & D efforts is a cost
effective, low-field MRI system. Owing to its mobility, this
machine can be easily relocated. Designed with a vertical
opening C-shape magnet, the system is built for
human
extremity imaging. It is worth noting that the images acquired from this machine are comparable to those obtained from
General Electric’s commercial low-field system. Besides, the low
cost design with a friendly interface and an advance,
tailor-made software integration makes the system more
attractive to Mainland China market, the number two largest MRI
market in the world.
Another R & D product is the
high sensitivity RF coil, which has been built with high
temperature superconductor (HTS) material. Our devices
demonstrate a 300% SNR improvement. The implication of such SNR
gain is that higher resolution imaging is achievable at the
low-cost MRI system.
The development of this device was supported by the Innovation
and Technology Fund. This device has recently obtained the
approval of Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the U.S. the
only medical device made in Hong Kong with US FDA approval.
Title: "Light Enhancement
Jacket by Nano-particles and Water-based Electrophoretic Nano-
Coating Technique"
Guest Speaker:
Ir.
P.S. Kwan, Vice Chairman, Wui Chun Building Materials Ltd
Electrophoretic Nano-Coating Technique
Topic: 1. Basic Principle of Light Enhancement Jacket
2. Design and Application
3. Data Comparison and Experience Sharing
4. Electrophoretic Process: conventional vs nano
5. Current Research Results
6. Applications on thin metal
Nano-technology is the latest technology in the beginning of the
21st century. In the lighting industry, five layers
of nano-particles are pressed onto each side allowing no light
beams to penetrate. Thus the light reflects back downwards
increasing the luminous intensity of the entire system. Under
normal situation, 60% increase of lux can be achieved. Given
some new florescence tubing from Philips, the overall lux
intensity can be achieved as high as 100%. In the conventional
electrophoretic industry, environmental factor is of vital
concern. Water-based electrophoretic process for thin metal
components has been successfully developed using nano-emulsion.
This process takes about 15 seconds and 15A to coat onto a thin
metal plate giving an excellent tough surface coat and the
membrane is flexible. The process is highly suitable for making
metal casing, ornaments etc.
The seminar was
ended after a Networking section, next seminar will be held on
Oct 13, 2003.
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