Innovation & Impact

INNOVATIONS

Innovative Gas Detection Solutions Integrate Upstream Knowledge in Downstream Applications

IP & Licensing Entrepreneurship

Innovations & Impacts

Gas detection is essential to ensure the safety of our working and living environments against harmful gas. However, most solutions on the market are limited to detecting few types of gas in particular circumstances. Through years of extensive research and development, Prof. REN Wei of the Department of Mechanical and Automation Engineering and his award-winning research team revolutionized gas detection solutions through artificial intelligence (AI). Based on the original intellectual properties generated from Laser Diagnostics Laboratory at CUHK, the team innovated new laser spectroscopic techniques, allowing their solutions to maximize gas detection sensitivity and incorporate cloud-based monitoring capabilities.



Prof. REN and his research team founded LaSense Technology Limited in 2019. With six US and Chinese patented technologies under their belt, the team developed new portable gas detection systems to provide accurate and extensive data in real-time. These include the concentration, temperature and pressure of various harmful gas components. The data is further analyzed through a cloud server to monitor toxic gas emission and provide real-time measurement. What’s more, the robust and informative systems are housed in easy-to-use compact devices that are also low in electricity consumption.



The startup and its works have generated significant societal impact. To prevent the spread of COVID-19 and other airborne diseases, the team developed a unique laser-based gas sensor to analyze building ventilation and track the flow of aerosol molecules. Their impact on environmental and medical treatment enhanced monitoring industrial and vehicle emission as well as components of medical patients’ exhaled breath. With an aim to combat the climate crisis, the team also developed a new gas detection system that measures and monitors greenhouse gas emissions in real-time. The system is capable of pinpointing building and district emission for monitoring air quality to help develop green and sustainable cities.


From Research to Market

  • RESEARCH

  • IP & LICENSING

  • ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Professor REN’s research interest lies in laser diagnostics, sensors and actuators, chemical sensing, combustion and propulsion. In 2022, Professor REN and his research team published a paper on “Dual-comb Photothermal Spectroscopy” in Nature Communications.

Throughout the years, LaSense has a total number of 23 patents in China and U.S., of which 17 has been granted. For their patented invention “Highly Sensitive Gas Sensing and Control System,” the startup won the Gold Medal in the International Exhibition of Inventions of Geneva 2021.

In 2019, Professor REN and his partner Dr XU Ke co-founded LaSense Technology Limited which was later admitted to the Technology Start-up Support Scheme for Universities (TSSSU) in 2020. The startup was also admitted to the Incu-Bio Programme supported by the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP). LaSense is a pioneer to advance the lab-based high-precision spectroscopic system to the revolutionary industrial level, which fills the gap in online gas sensing and automatic process control for a wide variety of applications.

The company has won several entrepreneurship competitions in China and the global arena including --

Champion - The Shenzhen "ChaseDream" Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition (2021)

Second prize - 8th “Creation of Youth” Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Youth Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition (2021)

Second prize - The 4th China Huzhou Global High-level Talent Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition Shenzhen City (2021)

Second prize - Star of Yantian Talent Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition (Spring Cohort) (2021)

Grand prize - 6th Hong Kong University Student Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition (2020)

First prize - 6th Hong Kong University Student Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition (2020)

First prize - China International College Students' "Internet+" Innovation Entrepreneurship Competition (Beijing Division) (2020)

Third prize - Innovation Nanshan Entrepreneurs Star Contest (2020)

Gold medal - 12th "Challenge Cup" National College Student Business Plan Competition (2020)

Second prize - 3rd Beijing-Hong Kong Youth Innovation and Entrepreneur Cup (2020)

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