Health and Well-Being

Norovirus is a highly contagious non-enveloped virus responsible for causing >90% of viral gastroenteritis, and >50% of all gastroenteritis outbreaks worldwide. According to the WHO, norovirus causes an estimated 685 million cases of infection and 200,000 deaths per year. Its resilience poses challenges for eradication through altering pH, heat exposure, or common disinfectants. Notably, alcohol-based hand sanitisers are not as effective against this virus, according to the US CDC. To address this, a biotech company has successfully developed a novel virus-binding protein technology derived from jack beans or sword beans. This patented lectin protein exhibits antiviral properties and has demonstrated the ability to neutralise not only norovirus, but also coronavirus and Hepatitis A virus. It has also demonstrated activity against Escherichia coli bacteria.  By utilising this innovative technology, viral outbreaks can be prevented. This versatile lectin protein can be incorporated as an active ingredient into various product formulations. The technology owner is especially interested to work with companies from health service sectors, and personal care product manufacturers.

This invention is a portable electromyography (EMG) sensor for muscle activity detection.  Unlike conventional EMG devices, which are bulky and confined to clinic settings, the sensor is built to be compact and wearable. It enables real-time, reliable biofeedback regardless of user’s location, bridging the accessibility gap in EMG analysis outside the traditional medical environments. This portability is achieved by integrating reusable micro-structured electrodes and highly integrated sensing system onto a soft and flexible substrate. The design ensures accurate EMG detection while offering a comfortable experience for extended use. The technology consists of three main components: Use of nanofabrication to build the electrodes followed by electric signal detection, replacing conventional gel electrodes. A processing unit for amplification to digital signals. Software to visualize EMG signals. The EMG sensor performance and analysis capabilities allows for collection of signals at high frequency to monitor muscle fatigue conditions. The technology owner is seeking for collaborations in the sports and fitness industry in providing accurate muscle activity signals, enhancing tracking of individual’s physical health actively and for athletes to make optimal adjustments to their training and tailor their approach towards fitness goals. However, its applications extend beyond fitness, with potential uses in elderly health care, virtual reality, gaming, and human-robot interaction. This technology taps into the growing demand for advanced, portable health monitoring systems, offering a solution that bridges the gap between medical-grade equipment and consumer fitness products. The sensor is also currently being trial to aid in rehabilitation in the hospitals.

Neural probes are used for capturing electrical activities and for exploring functional connectivity in the brain. For neural probes to be effective and be able to capture the activities happening at the scale of neural cells in vivo, they need to be small, made of bio-compatible material, and ideally, be flexible. This ensures that they do not trigger an inflammatory response or have a risk of breakage.  The technology presented here covers the requirements stated above for an ideal neural probe. The probes are flexible and allow superior precise targeting even with movement. The technology employed also avoids breaking and micromotion during the in-vivo trials. The probe’s design is also customizable for different requirements and can support combination of single/dual side, linear/tetrode, recording/stimulating/mixed and single/multi shank configurations for differing use cases. The probes can support up to 32 channels and provide multiple connectivity options for integration. 

This technology is a patented synbiotics (combination of probiotics and prebiotics) cleaning solution that offers a safe and sustainable alternative to traditional cleaning products and disinfectants. When released onto the surface, the probiotics will digest and break down dirt, grime, and other unwanted substances while the prebiotics in the solution act as an additional source of nutrition for the probiotics. The resultant surface microbiome provides a continuous cleaning effect that is longer lasting than traditional cleaning chemicals and disinfectants. Often, the overuse of traditional chemicals and disinfectants results in antimicrobial resistance (AMR), allergenic reactions to the user, negative impact on the environment and short effective lifespan. With this synbiotics technology, users can overcome these limitations and achieve a long-term effective cleaning system and a natural microflora to the environment. When utilised in healthcare settings, the synbiotics cleaning solution demonstrated a higher reduction of pathogens (80% more), decreased AMR (up to 99.9%) and health-associated infections (52% lesser). The technology owner is interested in co-development projects and test-bedding opportunities with companies looking for a sustainable and long-lasting cleaning technology i.e., cleaning equipment and automation manufacturers/suppliers and cleaning service providers.

As the world continues to make strides in artificial intelligence (AI), the need for transparency in the field intensifies. Clear and understandable explanations for the predictions of AI models not only enhances user confidence but also enables effective decision-making. Such explanations are especially crucial in sectors like healthcare where predictions can have significant and sometimes life-changing consequences. A prime example is the diagnosis of cardiovascular diseases based on heart murmurs, where an incorrect or misunderstood diagnosis can have severe implications. The technology, DiagramNet, is designed to offer human-like intuitive explanations for diagnosing cardiovascular diseases from heart sounds. It leverages the human  reasoning processes of abduction and deduction to generate hypotheses of what diseases could have caused the specific heart sound, and to evaluate the hypotheses based on rules.

Timely and adequate rehabilitation is critical in facilitating post-stroke recovery. However, the organisation and delivery of rehabilitation are resource-demanding, and are only available in ~25% of stroke survivors in low-middle-income countries. Therefore, innovative solutions are urgently required to improve access to stroke rehabilitation services. Our team developed a platform to assist remote dissemination of physio- and occupational therapy services. Our platform enables post-stroke rehabilitation services to be delivered using consumer-grade devices (e.g., smartphones and tablet devices) and artificial intelligence technology, thereby breaking many physical and resource barriers to rehabilitation service access. Our platform is designed for hospitals, rehabilitation centres and post-stroke service providers. The system consists of two interfaces – the therapist portal and patient application. Portal system enables remote prescription of exercises and monitor exercise performance and progress, whereas the patient application acts as a “smart therapist” in providing real-time instructions and feedback. The system addresses limitations faced by the conventional phone interview- and video conference style of telemedicine, which mainly relies on self-reporting and subjective recall. Using devices’ built-in camera and relevant Internet of Things (IoTs), we automated the evaluation process using algorithms with key features identified by professional therapists for providing “supervision” through real-time feedback.

Capsule endoscopy is a non-invasive diagnostic method that utilizes a tiny, wireless camera capsule to capture images of the digestive system, which aids in identifying various conditions. Studies indicate that colon cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths among men aged 20-49, and capsule endoscopy is the least invasive examination capable of detecting the early stages of this cancer, alongside other pathologies such as inflammatory bowel disease, ulcers, tumors, and gastro-intestinal bleeding. Without this procedure, these conditions often go undetected and become untreatable by the time noticeable symptoms appear. This technology offer is a remote capsule endoscopy examination, aiming to make colon diagnosis more widespread among people and extend its use to animals, primarily pets like dogs. Regular capsule endoscopy colon screenings are the only way to prevent the growth of undetectable pathologies. Remote technology enables patients to move around or work without needing to stay in a medical facility, allowing diagnoses to be conducted in areas previously unreachable by capsule endoscopy, such as on battlefields, in underdeveloped regions, or even by astronauts in space. The system includes an artificial intelligence module that automatically identifies and suggests potential pathologies in the images to the examining physician. This information assists doctors in quickly navigating through the collection of images, and it can help detect pathologies that may necessitate a more invasive diagnosis or immediate treatment. The technology owner is eager to engage in R&D collaboration with product development partners for gastro-intestinal endoscopic applications for both humans and animals.

The latest Singapore National Population Health Survey has reported a concerning diabetes trend. From 2019-2020, 9.5% of the adults had diabetes, slightly dropping to 8.5% from 2021-2022. About 1 in 12 (8.5%) of residents aged 18 to 74 were diagnosed, with an age-standardised prevalence of 6.8% after accounting for population ageing. Among the diabetes patients, close to 1 in every 5 (18.8%) had undiagnosed diabetes, and 61.3% did not meet glucose control targets. Prediabetes is also prevalent, with 35% progressing to type 2 diabetes within eight years without lifestyle changes. Untreated Type 2 diabetes can lead to severe health issues. Tackling this challenge requires a holistic approach, focusing on awareness, early diagnosis, and lifestyle adjustments for diabetes and prediabetes. Recognising the need for innovation to address this, the technology owner develops a cost-effective and non-invasive AI-powered solution, Blood Glucose Evaluation And Monitoring (BGEM), that detects glucose dysregulation in individuals to monitor and evaluate diabetic risks. BGEM allows users to track their blood glucose levels regularly, identify any adverse trends and patterns, and adopt early intervention and lifestyle changes to prevent or delay the onset of diabetes. Clinically validated in 2022, with a research paper published in October 2023, the technology is open for licensing to senior care/home care providers, telehealth platforms, health wearables companies, and more.

Conventional diagnostic imaging of the skin involves the use of dermatoscopes. Dermatoscopes use skin surface microscopy to examine dermal and sub-dermal tissues to diagnose skin problems. However, these devices can be costly and provide a limited view of the immediate skin surface. This limitation meant that dermatoscopes have to be used in direct contact with the patient's skin. Because of this, they can only be used to image patients in the same physical location as the clinician conducting the examination. The overall result is that only a tiny portion of the global dermatology patient-base can be reached cost-effectively and efficiently. Telemedicine and telehealth network operations are rapidly developing ways to address patients broadly and at lower costs for them and their care providers. Yet, such tools neither deliver desmatoscope-like functionality nor improved it in way that it allows patients' skins to be examined and analysed during an online medical consultation with a general practitioner. In order to facilitate remote skin disease diagnosis, the use of software is required to acquire and share images in real-time and ideally, by the patients themselves. This software enables patients to take their medical sub-skin images with their mobile, tablet or laptop cameras, and securely share it with doctors. Crucially, dermatoscopy images can also be used with the technology to improve diagnostic accuracy. This technology is intended to position itself as a technology which when scaled-up, could allow for products that can enable optical biopsy and phototherapy.