CUHK pioneered the use of a new non-invasive imaging technology—Controlled Attenuation Parameter (CAP), to measure liver fat content in 2010. Liver biopsy, the conventional test for assessing liver fat and the severity of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, is invasive and simple tests such as ultrasound and computed tomography (CT) scan only pick up liver fat when more than 33% of the liver cells are fatty. More sensitive than ultrasound scan, the novel tool can measure as low as 10% liver fat content and monitor the change of liver fat. The measurement is performed with a probe transducer placed on the skin surface over the right lobe of the liver. The process usually takes five minutes.

From 2010 to 2012, CUHK conducted a research on 238 patients who underwent liver biopsy and CAP assessment. 131 of them had fatty liver disease on histology. In the CAP assessment, 120 patients (92%) were diagnosed as having significant degree (>10%) of liver fat. Fifty patients had liver fat between 10% and 33%. Compared to ultrasound scan, CAP was able to detect fatty liver in 38% more (50 of 131) of patients. CAP also facilitated the early diagnosis of diabetes mellitus and liver cirrhosis. Among those fatty liver cases missed by ultrasound scan, 16 patients had diabetes mellitus and eight patients had liver cirrhosis. 

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