From labs to global impact: How can Singapore shape the future of medicine?

Translating innovations and breakthroughs into global healthcare solutions requires more than just cutting-edge technology.

- Pauline Tay

Childbirth is one of the most painful experiences a woman can have. Many turn to epidurals, anesthesia delivered to the spine, for pain relief. But they are challenging to perform because the position and angle of the needle have to be just right.

In the past, at KK Women's and Children's Hospital (KKH), three out of 10 women required a second epidural attempt. Since May 2023, the hospital has raised the first-attempt success rate to 92 per cent, thanks to an ultrasound solution powered by artificial intelligence (AI).

It helps doctors locate the precise point to which to deliver the epidural. The brainchild of clinicians at KKH who collaborated with researchers, it has been approved for use in other Singapore healthcare institutions and will be undergoing trials overseas.

Another Singapore-developed innovation is AeviceMD, a smart stethoscope that detects abnormal lung sounds like wheezing, and helps doctors make quick clinical decisions and reduce hospital stays.

The developer, digital health company Aevice Health, has secured US$7 million (S$9.4 million) in private capital to expand its operations in the United States and Japan.

The National Health Innovation Centre Singapore (NHIC), which has been operating for 10 years, contributed to the development of both solutions and to their success story in the Singapore start-up scene. This strengthened the Republic's position as the world's fourth-most innovative economy, as ranked by the Global Innovation Index 2024.

However, what is often taken for granted with most innovations is the journey to the point of market entry and expansion.

With AeviceMD, the concept started back in 2012. It was only in 2023 that Aevice Health raised US$7 million, led by Singapore-based healthcare investor Coronet Ventures, to scale its technology beyond Singapore.