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More Singapore hospitals and medical start-ups are introducing cutting-edge medical technology that is saving lives and enhancing the quality of life for individuals who require long-term medical care, such as asthma patients and wheelchair users.
Medtech design is a highly specialised subject that considers not only aesthetics but also factors of user experience such as patient safety, cost-effectiveness, and equipment and product efficiency.
The initial stage of the Alexandra Virtual Hospital (AVH) development plan involves virtual nursing. This is Singapore’s first full-scale remote hospital, combining digital health services, IoMT, digital therapies, and care navigation technology to deliver continuous and coordinated treatment both within and outside the physical hospital.
The virtual nurse does not replace the bedside nurse but rather provides additional assistance in care coordination and data-driven decision-making that does not require physical interaction, allowing care to be proactive rather than reactive.
When combined with data visualisation, clinical intelligence will increase overall efficiency, minimise redundancy, and improve coordination within the institution. The connected smart bed is a feature of the new Smart Ward’s IoMT ecosystem.
Alexandra Hospital is Singapore’s only hospital that employs smart beds as a gateway to connect other IoMT devices. Each bed has alerts that notify nurses electronically whenever a patient attempts to get out of bed.
A separate environment thrives on the grounds of Alexandra Hospital, which houses the NUHS Centre for Innovation in Healthcare (CIH). The centre serves as a one-stop shop for innovations that improve the quality of treatment provided to NUHS patients.
The Whizz, which aids asthma patients, and the Spectra IMDx, an optical biopsy equipment that detects gastric cancer, are two of its market-ready technologies. The Whizz simplifies medication administration and routine to assist patients in achieving effective asthma control. It gives consumers visual feedback that promotes optimal medicine inhalation with each breath. This guarantees that medication reaches the lungs rather than the back of the throat.
During the endoscopy, Spectra IMDx, an artificial intelligence-enabled optical equipment that will give clinicians real-time diagnosis of stomach cancer, will be able to distinguish between pre-cancer and non-cancer lesions. In a typical endoscopy, the device supplements regular white light and helps eliminate unwanted biopsies.
When an 800kg Da Vinci surgical robot with shiny white arms and eight joints was deployed to Mount Elizabeth Novena Hospital nearly two decades ago, it practically cut operation time in half for most patients. The robot-aided in precision, and there was no need for a blood transfusion due to decreased bleeding, resulting in a shorter hospital stay for patients.
The range of motion of the robot is critical in keyhole surgery, which is minimally invasive as opposed to open surgery, which can be somewhat “bloody.” The Robotic Knee System, a robot-assisted knee replacement procedure recognised as a significant improvement in the field of orthopaedics, is another recent MedTech innovation at Mount Elizabeth Hospital.
It improves the precision and personalisation of knee replacement treatments by integrating enhanced imaging, accurate surgical planning, and robotic arm help.
Singapore General Hospital (SGH), the country’s oldest hospital, has set its sights on the future using 3D-printed guides that improve surgical precision and accuracy. These guidelines are employed in advanced head and neck operations, as well as cardiac and reconstructive procedures. Before an operation, surgeons can practice surgical procedures and size implants using 3D-printed surgical models.
Singapore believes that advances in medical technology result in more precise diagnostics, superior treatment options, and better patient monitoring. Better patient outcomes, lower mortality rates, and improved quality of life for people with various medical diseases are the effects of this.
