Health and Well-Being

The demand for improved healthcare, coupled with increasing life expectancy and a growing elderly population, alongside resource constraints, necessitates the implementation of a 24/7 remote monitoring system equipped with an accurate risk prediction process. This process should forecast potential risks for individuals, enabling early detection and remote alerts to promptly alert healthcare providers and individual caregivers, thereby enhancing the well-being of those under care. A Japanese technology owner has developed a Time-of-Flight (ToF) sensor technology, characterised by executing a risk prediction process to predict risks for the monitored individuals based on presence range and posture.  Unlike conventional camera-based systems, the proposed technology emphasises the privacy of the monitored individual by abstaining from capturing actual photos or images. Through the implementation of a proprietary artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm, it can discern whether the individual under observation is absent from the bed, lying flat on it, sitting at its edge, or lying on the floor next to the bed. A web-based user interface had been developed to provide healthcare professionals various degrees of warning, e.g., patient at safe zone, gray zone, caution zone or bed edge zone. The technology owner is looking to work with healthcare providers, agencies or developers providing housing for the elderly, or technology companies for test bedding trials, as well as research and development collaborations to customise the technology for specific use cases.

Issues associated with odor generation present significant challenges in various aspects of daily life, encompassing unpleasant smells from various sources such as toilets, kitchens, pets, tobacco, hospitals, and transportation. These unwanted odors have a detrimental impact on individual well-being, social interactions, and overall environmental quality. Deodorants play a crucial role in addressing these challenges, fostering a more comfortable and hygiene environment. However, conventional deodorants primarily rely on masking the unwanted odors with a strong fragrance, resulting in a slow and ineffective deodorization process, particularly against strong smells. The technology owner has developed a proprietary formulation that offers an effective deodorization approach. Unlike common deodorants, the unique deodorant using the proprietary formulation can remove the sources of unpleasant smells through chemical reactions. It demonstrates remarkable efficiency against a broad spectrum of odors, including those from rotting fish and meat, rotting eggs and milk, rotting vegetable waste, ammonia in toilets, sweat, and body odor. This innovative solution has the potential to revolutionise odor control across diverse scenarios. The technology owner is seeking R&D collaboration with industrial partners who are interested in incorporating this deodorant into their products and applications.

Collagen is a structural protein prevalent in the connective tissues of all organisms, and is the building block of biomaterial that is essential in wound healing and tissue regeneration. Through a patented extraction method, a novel Type I Amphibian collagen has been valorised from discarded skins, an agrifood waste stream and processed into a medical grade collagen biomaterial. The extracted pristine native amphibian collagen possesses unique properties, combining attributes associated with aquatic and land-based collagen sources, giving the extracted collagen more versatility than conventional sources of collagen. The Type I Amphibian collagen possesses a higher biocompatibility and water solubility as compared to mammalian sources of collagen, with a better thermostability profile, than marine sources of collagen. The technology provider has demonstrated the medical application of this extracted collagen by developing a range of specialised wound dressings, specifically designed for the management of chronic wounds. These dressing will significantly improve clinical outcomes and increase the rate of chronic wound closure.  The technology provider is looking for partnerships or collaborations to transform this pristine collagen into medical products. Additionally, with a pristine collagen extract, hydrolysing them into smaller fragments (collagen peptides) that can be customised to the needs of the partnership or collaboration, for the medical/cosmeceutical/nutraceutical industry. 

Disinfectants are chemicals that kill or inactivate harmful microorganisms, such as bacteria, viruses, and fungi. Commonly used to disinfect surfaces and objects that are frequently touched, disinfectants are an important tool for preventing the spread of infectious diseases and reducing the risk of transmission. The technology on offer is a long-lasting active compound that serves as a disinfectant. Comprising of nanocomposites and polycondensates, the disinfecting active compound exhibits high efficacy against a broad spectrum of microorganisms including bacteria and viruses. Due to the controlled release effect of active species, the disinfectant’s efficacy can last at least 3 months by accumulation of the active species on the surface of microorganisms and denaturing of the microorganisms’ proteins. This technology is safe and non-toxic to humans and pets, making it applicable for a wide variety of products. The technology owner is interested in joint R&D/co-development projects with partners keen to integrate this technology for new products/applications.

Arm and hand impairment is the major problem usually found in stroke patients, which extremely affects their quality of life. Moreover, motor rehabilitation using conventional physical therapy is ineffective in stroke patients who have severe to moderate arm and hand impairment due to inability to perform voluntary movement. In order to help these patients regain arm and hand function, we have researched and developed brain-computer interface system for motor rehabilitation in stroke patients. This system can help stroke patients learn how to do voluntary arm and hand movement by using only their thoughts or brain signals; additionally, it can also enhance neural plasticity that is the key concept in stroke recovery. Finally, we aim to distribute this technology to the department of rehabilitation in hospitals, rehabilitation clinics, and home use.

To address the challenges in chewing and swallowing faced by the elderly and other special care groups such as stroke patients, researchers from a Thai university have developed ready-to-eat wholemeal purees that serve as an all-in-one meal support. Suitable for those on an IDDSI Level 4 diet, it is designed as a healthy, special care food to provide high nutritional values and energy and to aid health rehabilitation and recovery. In addition to patients with dysphagia, this puree is also suitable for health-conscious consumers.  The team is seeking partners to bring the product to commercialisation and obtain certification according to global standards. They are also open to further develop and customise new products.

This technology offer features a natural remedy for scar reduction. The formulation integrates 15% shallot (Allium ascalonicum) extract and 0.01% quercetin, both well-known for their antioxidant potency and anti-wrinkle effects. These active ingredients are also known for their scar treatment properties. This formulation is positioned as an innovative alternative for individuals afflicted with elevated scars arising from surgical interventions, acne, or various traumatic injuries.  The shallot extract is obtained by employing environmentally conscious solvents alongside an ultrasonic extraction technique that is simpler and more efficient than conventional processes. Further elevating its efficacy, the encapsulation of pivotal quercetin within nanotechnology constructs facilitates heightened skin absorption. 

Eggs are a widely popular protein source, however, egg production requires a significant amount of natural resources. Hence, this technology aims to substitute chicken eggs with plant-based alternatives, which would lead to a reduced environmental impact. Rice bran is the hard outer layer of rice, a byproduct of the rice milling process which is pressed for oil and then discarded. Using rice bran as a source of protein reduces waste and increases resource efficiency, making it a strong potential candidate as an alternative protein source to be produced in Thailand, which is the 6th largest rice producer according to the FAO. This product is high in protein (comparable to chicken eggs), which is hydrolyzed to increase bioavailability, and does not contain cholesterol and saturated fat. It is fit for health and fitness enthusiasts, vegetarians, flexitarians and people with an egg allergy.

Probiotic bacteria play a pivotal role in stimulating T cell-dependent immune responses, offering protection against bacterial infections, and addressing various gut-related conditions resulting in the healthy gut health. This technology features specially designed formulations using meticulously selected microbial probiotic strains with exceptional attributes and natural bioactive compounds with prebiotic and functional properties to enhance gut health and bolster immune support. In particular, the formulations feature a functional, prebiotic ingredient that promotes beneficial gut bacteria and prepared from mulberry through a patent-pending process.  With a team of specialists capable of customising probiotic functions to specific needs, they are able to select, isolate and culture advanced probiotic strains, as well as conduct pharmacological activities for functional claims. Depending on customers’ needs, e.g. facilitating growth of gut beneficial microorganisms, prevent infections, or reduce inflammation in the digestive system, the team can customise the blend of ingredients.