CUHK
News Centre

A research team led by Professor Zhang Yuanting of the Department of Electronic Engineering at The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), in collaboration with the Hong Kong Institutes of Medical Engineering (KIME), the China Hypertension League (CHL) and Guangdong Medical University (GMU), has developed “Personalised AI doctor Dr. PAI”, a professional-grade artificial intelligence (AI) blood pressure management system. It is the first AI system integrating wearable technology with the generative AI DeepSeek large language model. This system, combined with wearable devices, enables round-the-clock health monitoring, providing data such as precise blood pressure and heart rate. It offers innovative solution for chronic disease management and addresses the growing global challenge of hypertension. The beta version of Dr. PAI is currently undergoing clinical trials and is expected to be officially launched by the end of 2025.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), as of July 2024, the number of hypertension patients worldwide has reached 1.3 billion and continues to rise. Chronic hypertension is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease, stroke and even premature death. Due to the absence of noticeable symptoms, many patients fail to receive timely diagnoses and treatment, particularly in low- and middle-income countries and rural areas. Through wearable monitoring devices and AI technology, Dr. PAI enables 24-hour monitoring and tracking of dynamic blood pressure changes and heart rate variability. By using multimodal data including photoplethysmography signals, it conducts comprehensive AI analysis, providing more accurate and continuous blood pressure readings compared to traditional electronic monitoring devices. This allows for health assessments, dietary advice and exercise recommendations, helping users manage their health more effectively.

Professor Zhang said: “Dr. PAI is the first blood pressure management system that combines wearable technology with DeepSeek to conduct comprehensive analysis and personalised management of chronic diseases such as hypertension. With its powerful natural language processing capabilities, it can ‘communicate’ with patients like a real doctor, analyse long-term communication records and incorporate daily monitoring data to provide more reliable diagnostic references and treatment recommendations for patients and healthcare professionals.”

Dr. PAI marks a significant milestone in integrating generative AI and wearable technology in the field of healthcare. Professor Zhang added: “This open-source model can adopt a lightweight AI architecture that runs on low-computation devices, eliminating the need for expensive equipment. This ensures that people in rural and remote areas can access intelligent blood pressure management system for free, promoting equitable access to health services and, in the long run, reducing the burden on healthcare systems.”