Prof. Yi-Hsin Chien -- Copper Nanocluster-Based Fluorescence Sensing Device for Breath-Assisted Staging Diagnosis of Chronic Kidney Disease

Category: *Precision Health & Smart Medical

Booth No: N315A

Characteristic

**Characteristic**
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) affects a growing global population and involves irreversible loss of kidney function. Recent clinical research has identified ammonia in exhaled breath as a promising non-invasive biomarker for assessing renal impairment. In this exhibition, our team presents a novel optical sensing platform designed for the early and continuous diagnosis of CKD. The sensor utilizes copper nanocluster–functionalized eggshell membrane (Cu NCs@ESM) as a sustainable, biocompatible material synthesized from waste eggshells. This green-synthesized platform demonstrates high selectivity toward amine gases, with ammonia exposure inducing a fluorescence quenching response, enabling clear discrimination among CKD stages. The Cu NCs@ESM sensing film is integrated into a portable, handheld optical device for point-of-care testing. Future developments include the establishment of a cloud-based smart healthcare database for real-time monitoring and analysis, particularly aimed at improving diagnostics and treatment in rural and primary care settings. This work showcases a convergence of nanotechnology, green chemistry, and digital health, offering a scalable, low-cost solution for global kidney health monitoring.

**R & D team/Company Profile**
This interdisciplinary research team is jointly led by Dr. Yi-Hsin Chien, Associate Professor at the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Feng Chia University, and Dr. Ya-Yu Chiang, Associate Professor at the Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Taiwan University. Prof. Chien's team focuses on the design and synthesis of multifunctional nanocomposites, developing innovative optical sensing and pollutant degradation platforms. Their work spans across precision medicine, smart agriculture, sustainable environmental technologies, and carbon-negative innovations. Prof. Chiang's team specializes in multiphase liquid interfaces, biomimetic fluid mechanics, advanced microfluidic mixing systems, drug screening platforms, and mechatronic integration for biomedical applications. Together, the team aims to integrate novel nanomaterials with advanced fluidic engineering to develop next-generation, minimally invasive gas-sensing and disease-staging technologies for smart healthcare and environmental sustainability.

**Contact window**
Yi-Hsin Chien
+886 921337215
yhchien@fcu.edu.tw