In Taiwan's older urban neighborhoods, five- or six-story walk-ups are common. For elderly residents living with chronic conditions such as diabetes, even a routine hospital visit can become a grueling physical ordeal - often requiring the assistance of family members or caregivers. This simple yet often overlooked reality became the catalyst for a major innovation in AI-powered healthcare.
A group of international Ph.D. students at Taipei Medical University (TMU), known as the TSY-AI Team, set out to address this pain point. Their goal was clear: to bring diagnostics directly into people's homes. This result is a disposable, AI-integrated biosensor system capable of measuring blood glucose and pH levels with just a drop or two of blood - and delivering results in under 10 minutes, all without the need to leave the house. This groundbreaking platform recently earned the team the Bronze Medal at the 2025 Best AI Awards, hosted by Taiwan's Ministry of Economic Affairs.
"We're not just building a chip. We're building a full platform," says Asaduzzaman, the team's representative and a Ph.D. candidate from Bangladesh. "Something that supports long-term chronic care while reducing unnecessary hospital visists.”
At the core of the platform is the 3DISFETCHIP, a three-dimensional ion-sensitive field-effect transistor (3D ISFET) engineered to capture biochemical data from just minimal blood samples. The chip, housed in a disposable microfluidic chamber, connects to a mobile app that displays blood glucose and pH results within 10 minutes.
But the innovation doesn't stop there. The system also incorporates AI-powered image recognition, enabling patients to photograph wounds - such as diabetic foot ulcers - and receive real-time analysis of healing progress. Over time, this feature allows doctors to remotely track wound recovery without requiring in-person visits.
"I saw the announcement for the Best AI Award in the newspaper," recalls Asaduzzaman. "We had just finished the core development work for our biosensor and thought - why not apply?"
"But for us, it wasn't about the competition," he adds. "It was about sharing our idea with Taiwan's AI and healthcare communities. We wanted to show students, researchers, and industry leaders that AI medical devices can be both simple and impactful."
The response from the event was overwhelming. Visitors from the medical device industry expressed surprise at the product's affordability and ease of use. Some even opened conversations about future partnerships.
With product development progressing, the TSY-AI Team is now evaluating Taiwan as a long-term base for commercialization.
"Taiwan has world-class semiconductor capabilities, and the startup ecosystem here is extremely welcoming," Asaduzzaman explains. "We've spoken with major players like Wistron, as well as smaller chip manufacturers, all of whomare very open to supporting medical AI solutions like ours."
In addition to hardware partnerships, the team has also initiated collaboration with local hospitals. They have completed preliminary testing with animal models and controlled human samples, and are currently preparing to apply forInstitutional Review Board approval. Clinical trials are planned with Taipei Medical University Hospital and Shuang Ho Hospital.
While the current system focuses on glucose and pH monitoring, the team is actively expanding its biomarker detection capabilities. Plans are underway to incorporate inflammation markers, HbA1c, and early indicators of infection - all from the same minimal blood sample.
"We want to turn this into a multi-analyte health platform that gives both patients and doctors a comprehensive view of physical conditions from home," says Asaduzzaman. "I believe the future of medical diagnostics is home-based. Patients shouldn't need to visit hospitals every week just to monitor chronic conditions. They should be able to do it easily, safely, affordably, and accurately from home."
TSY-AI Team won the Broze Award in the International Group IC Design Category at the 2025 Best AI Awards. If you have innovation would like to present, 2026 Best AI Awards with global tracks open for both AI Applications and IC Design, students and companies worldwide can compete for the grand prize of up to USD 30,000 (NTD 1,000,000). The deadline is March 16, 5:00pm (GMT+8). For more details, please follow official Linkedin for the lastest updates.