From August 31 to September 5, 2022, the 2022 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) was held in Shougang Park, Beijing. PUMCH made its second appearance in the healthcare services section, visitors to which learned at close range from exhibition, display and on-site simulation about the achievements of domestic advanced technologies and independent R&D innovations and the improvements in people’s health enabled by them.

Highlight 1: Keynote Speech at Summit Forum

In the afternoon of September 1, Vice President Wu Wenming attended the Beijing International Conference for Public Health Cooperation of CIFTIS and delivered a speech titled “Digitization Contributes to High-quality Development of Hospitals”, which focused on the IT and digitization pathway as well as concrete practices of PUMCH, his thoughts on IT and digitization development of large public hospitals, among others. In addition, under the leadership of Beijing Municipal Health Commission and the International Health Exchange and Cooperation Center, the National Health Commission, PUMCH and nine medical institutions jointly launched the “Join Hands to Meet Global Health Challenges, Cooperate to Promote Green Hospital Development” Beijing Initiative, aiming to make their due contributions to the promotion of harmonious man-nature coexistence.

Highlight 2: New Technologies + New Projects

In recent years, PUMCH has actively explored the application of new technologies and projects and vigorously promoted the medicine-AI integration and innovative translations. For example, the non-invasive endometrial cancer screening technology is the first original non-invasive screening product in China, and it has now become one of the technologies recommended by the early screening guidelines for cervical cancer; the intelligent screening and risk assessment tool for generalized pustular psoriasis assesses the risk of disease through AI-assisted identification technology, and it can be used by both doctors and patients; the hydroxyl triptolide tablet was shown by a multicenter prospective double-simulation double-blind phase II RCT to have good safety and positive efficacy, and is expected to be a new class of therapeutic drugs for the treatment of chronic inflammation and immune reconstitution in HIV-infected patients. And the list goes on.

In the PUMCH booth, many visitors were attracted by the laparoscopic automatic smoke evacuation system, multi-DoF multi-joint handheld laparoscopic instruments and cooling caps to prevent chemotherapy-induced hair loss. Besides, two new devices were particularly eye-catching. One is the single-port minimally invasive surgical robot jointly developed by Prof. Sun Dawei’s team from the General Gynecology Center of PUMCH and Beijing Shurui Technology Co., Ltd., which were granted independent intellectual property rights. The system adopts the patented technology of dual continuum to enable push and pull overall, effectively avoiding the failure of instruments caused by broken joint wires; besides, the 6-degree-of-freedom serpentine arm that can effectively avoid instrument clashes and disturbance gives the operator a clearer field of view needed for precise operation, which makes the system particularly suitable for carrying out single-port surgeries and further enhances surgical safety and accuracy.

The other device is a portable intelligent neuro-navigation robot jointly developed by the team of Professor Wang Renzhi and Associate Professor Feng Ming from the Department of Neurosurgery of PUMCH, Tencent AI Lab and the Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences. The navigation platform incorporates the surgical techniques and experience of the PUMCH neurosurgery team. Further aided by preoperative imaging, it can assist doctors in locating intraoperative lesions; with the robotic arm, it can perform puncture. Thus, the system further lessens surgical difficulty and improves surgical accuracy, which will help neurosurgeons in primary hospitals improve their surgical capabilities and give them confidence to perform major operations.

Highlight 3: Deals of Four Translational Projects Signed

PUMCH has long been committed to promoting the medicine-AI integration and outcome translations through mutually beneficial partnerships. In the morning of September 2, the hospital held a deal-signing ceremony for four translation projects at CIFTIS: between the Department of Radiotherapy and Shanghai United Imaging Healthcare Co., Ltd.; the Department of Plastic Surgery and Beijing AegleStem Therapeutic; the General Gynecology Center and Beijing Shurui Technology Co., Ltd.; Peking Union Medical Foundation and Beijing Mingcheng Jiaye Technology Development Co., Ltd. Building on the cooperative agreement signed, they will further engage in joint product R&D and translations in their own field.

Highlight 4: Display of the New Image of the Centennial PUMCH

In the PUMCH exhibition area, there are three display boards, all in white and blue; showing the slogans of “New Outlook for the New Centenary”, “Promoting Medical Progresses and Safeguarding People’s Health”, and “The Last Hope for Patients” respectively, they put on display the hospital’s image, innovative practices and pioneering explorations all at once.

Highlight 5: Health Lectures Delivered by PUMCH Experts

The wonderful science popularization lectures delivered by PUMCH also attracted large crowds to stop by and listen. Professor Song Hongmei, Director of the Department of Pediatrics, Professor Tan Xianjie of Gynecological Oncology Center, Professor Chen Wei, Deputy Director of the Department of Clinical Nutrition, and Professor Xiao Xinhua of the Department of Endocrinology, as members of the National Health Science Expert Database, gave lectures titled “Healthy Parenting”, “Caring for the Root of Life”, “Scientific Nutrition for Chronic Disease Prevention”, and “Shine a Light on Healthy Life from the Perspective of Diabetes”. Through these lectures, PUMCH doctors addressed the daily concerns of people by giving them caring advice.

CIFTIS is an important platform for China to further open up, deepen cooperation and spearhead innovation. It also opens a window for the world to learn about and keep up with PUMCH developments. Harboring a more open mind and a more collaborative attitude, PUMCHers will vigorously seek more possibilities for medicine-AI integration and innovative translations and contribute their share to build PUMCH into a “world-class hospital with Chinese characteristics” that boosts people’s health and socio-economic development.

The PUMCH exhibition area at CIFTIS

Many visitors stopped to look at the single-port surgical robot at close range

Reporter: Hong Chengwei and Chen Mingyan

Picture courtesy: CIFTIS

Translator: Liu Haiyan

Editor: Wang Yao