When Aalok Rai was in university in 2022, his 60-year-old father fell and suffered a hip fracture. What followed was a lengthy recovery and rehabilitation journey – something Aalok believes could have been prevented if there had been a more proactive and personalised approach to caring for muscles and joints.
This spurred the Imperial College London biomedical engineering graduate to work on a solution, developing the Myobone – a wearable fabric sleeve powered by artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance muscle stimulation through sensors and simulators that deliver targeted vibrations when needed.
Myobone, along with other healthcare innovations like a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) patient tracking system will be showcasing at the Medical Fair Asia, a global health trade show which will be held from Sept 11 to 13 at Marina Bay Sands, Singapore. A highlight at the fair, the Start-Up Park will feature market-ready healthcare solutions from start-up companies across the globe.
Organiser Messe Düsseldorf Asia will also include a focus on AI, telemedicine, sports medicine and rehabilitation, plus solutions for elderly care and chronic disease management, notes managing director Gernot Ringling.
“Medical Fair Asia 2024 serves as a platform for innovation, collaboration, and growth within the healthcare and MedTech sector. By nurturing this ecosystem, we are doing our part in contributing to the advancement of healthcare technologies for better patient outcomes and more efficient healthcare systems,” adds Mr Ringling.
This year’s Medical Fair Asia, together with sister event Medical Manufacturing Asia, will gather over 1,000 exhibitors from 62 countries, with an anticipated 14,000 trade visitors over the three days of the event. Here are some trailblazing solutions to look out for.
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Using AI to strengthen muscles and detect falls
When it comes to Myobone, incorporating AI into the product has set a new standard in preventative healthcare, says Aalok who is the chief executive officer of UpLyft, the company that manufactures Myobone.
“For example, as a user goes about their day, the device might detect periods of prolonged inactivity or patterns that could contribute to muscle weakening or bone density loss,” explains Aalok. “In response, the sleeve automatically activates the vibrations to effectively strengthen muscles and bones, enhancing their function and resilience”.
Myobone also performs predictive analysis to detect potential falls, shuffling and gait irregularities.
“On a conservative view, studies have shown a 10.1 per cent reduction in reported fall or fracture incidences with significant improvements in reaction time, movement speed and muscle strength,” he adds.
Myobone will begin its large-scale pilot in Britain in the fourth quarter of this year with 500 users from private elderly care facilities.
Supporting healthcare start-ups
This year, the Start-Up Park will once again make an appearance at Medical Fair Asia, after a successful first run in 2018.
The dedicated springboard for some of the best market-ready start-ups in the regional healthcare scene will feature a new pitch challenge where participants vie for a sponsored booth at Medica 2024 in Germany, one of the largest and most prestigious medical trade fairs in the world.
“It’s important to support healthcare start-ups as they are often at the forefront of innovation and focus on niche areas that larger companies may overlook. They also often work on solutions for specific health challenges or underserved populations, providing targeted care that can address gaps in the healthcare system,” says Dr Muthu Singaram, founder of Virtual International Business Accelerator – VibaZone, creator of the Start-up Park and an online resource and networking site for innovators, entrepreneurs and funders.
“This new format offers start-ups a unique opportunity to showcase their innovations, gain visibility, and attract investors and partners,” he adds.
Besides the challenge, participants will also sit in on talks at the Start-Up Podium, which will cover a spectrum of topics including updates on the healthcare scene and distribution networks in the region, co-working spaces for start-ups, to women in MedTech.
Better tracking for efficiency, safety and security
RFID technology allows healthcare facilities streamline their processes as it can be attached to almost anything, including people. This can help reduce errors, improve inventory management and in Coselec’s case, enable tracking.
Exhibiting at the trade show for the first time, the RFID technology-based company will showcase its tracking system for patients, including newborns. According to manager director Mahendran C, this helps healthcare facilities ensure patients remain in the correct areas and can be quickly located and attended to by staff, especially in emergency situations, improving overall efficiency.
The RFID tags can also be associated with patient records, which reduces the risk of medical errors such as treatment mix-ups or even the unauthorised removal of patients and babies.
“Our RFID solutions would provide better management and control of resources, ensure the safety of patients and staff, and contribute to a more streamlined and effective healthcare work process environment,” adds Mahendran C.
Partnering innovators to get advanced medical devices to market
For even the brightest minds, one challenge is to get their solutions out to those who need them, and fast. That is where contract development and manufacturing organisations, or CDMOs, play a key role as they provide specialised expertise, state-of-the-art technology, and a streamlined manufacturing process.
Singapore-headquartered Racer Technology, which will be part of Medical Manufacturing Asia, offers a full suite of healthcare production capabilities from product design to manufacturing and sterilisation. Clients include top medical organisations and Fortune 500 companies.
According to deputy chief executive officer Kenny Lee, Racer’s projects include a disposable device that enables patients to undergo kidney dialysis in the comfort of their own homes. It has also been a contract manufacturer for wearable fitness tracker Fitbit, since its launch in 2009 and has worked on a fully automated diagnostic solution that can increase the size of cancer cells in blood samples, making detection quicker.
Racer recently expanded with an 80,000 sq ft factory in Johor, Malaysia, featuring state-of-the-art facilities. They’ve also invested in advanced MicroFluidics manufacturing technology.
“We can now produce medical diagnostic devices, like those used for blood tests or other small-scale lab tests, with even greater precision and reliability and quicker results,” adds Lee.
Medical Fair Asia 2024 will be happening from Sept 11 to 13 at Marina Bay Sands, Singapore. Register to secure your spot today. For more information visit www.medicalfair-asia.com.
