China's 'Blank Check' Flatly Rejected... Professor Lee Gijin, CLappa, Finally Succeeds

Measuring Blood Glucose Concentration Through CCD Camera Images
Broadcast Introduces Past Incident of Rejecting Proposal from Chinese Company

Lee Ki-jin, a physicist and professor in the Department of Physics at Sogang University, as well as the father of singer CL (real name Lee Chae-rin) from the group '2NE1,' has finally succeeded in 'non-invasive blood glucose measurement,' a research he has been conducting for a long time.

Recently, Sogang University announced that Professor Lee Ki-jin and researcher Jirayr from the Republic of Armenia have succeeded for the first time in clinical experiments measuring blood glucose non-invasively using a CCD camera (a type of digital camera that converts images into electrical signals using a charge-coupled device) on mice.

Singer CL (left), former member of the group '2NE1', and Professor Lee Gijin from the Department of Physics at Sogang University (right), who appeared on tvN's 'You Quiz on the Block'. [Source=CL Instagram, tvN You Quiz capture]

Until now, blood glucose measurement has been done through blood sampling, forcing patients to endure pain and discomfort. Another problem with blood sampling measurement is that hygienic management is difficult. As an alternative, various non-invasive measurement methods such as laser, ultrasound, osmotic pressure, microwave, and millimeter wave have emerged, but there were issues with accuracy and reproducibility.

Amid these challenges, Professor Lee’s research team succeeded in measuring blood glucose concentration as an image using a CCD camera. In clinical experiments using mice, the team achieved a measurement reliability with an accuracy (MARD) of 7.05%. The greatest achievement of this research is that it has opened the way for easy blood glucose measurement without blood sampling by connecting to smartphones in the future.

Professor Lee stated, "We were planning to conduct follow-up clinical trials using an artificial intelligence (AI) program, but the research has been halted after failing to pass the 2024 Ministry of Science and ICT mid-career follow-up project selection," adding, "We have already secured the core technology and patents." This research paper was published on the 28th of last month in the world-renowned academic journal 'IEEE Access.'

Previously, Professor Lee developed the world’s first CCD camera sensor using microwaves and published this work in 2016 in the prestigious journal 'Nature Communications.' In 2021, he appeared on tvN’s 'You Quiz on the Block' and shared an anecdote about a Chinese major corporation offering a blank check and proposing technology transfer.

At that time, Professor Lee said, "The Chinese corporation said they would provide unlimited funds and asked me to conduct the research. When I received the offer, my research funds were almost completely depleted," adding, "But there are things that should be done and things that should not, so I thought this was not right and declined." He further explained the reason for rejecting the offer, saying, "If this technology went to China, the results of research funded by the South Korean government would easily be transferred through me, so I thought it was a matter of conscience as a scientist that I should not do it."