Image credit: Cai Jia Zeng（蔡家增）
New software analyses stroke patients' gait to help develop personalised rehabilitation plans
The medical staff points the tablet at a stroke patient to monitor his gait. The patient only has to walk about 4 to 5 meters forward, and the 3D gait analysis system powered by AI will be able to generate a medical report for rehabilitation doctors within two minutes. This helps patients to develop their personalised rehabilitation treatment plans.
Synapxe officially launched the HealthX Innovation Sandbox 2.0 (HX-IS 2.0) at the inaugural HealthTechX Asia event on Wednesday (May 21), aiming to help HealthTech startups develop emerging healthcare technologies through stronger data and cloud support, and provide more trial opportunities, similar to real-life scenarios.
HX-IS 2.0 is the only HealthTech Sandbox that leverages Singapore’s Healthcare Commercial Cloud (HCC), allowing tech startups a safe environment to test and validate various solutions for public healthcare. One example would be the 3D gait analysis system used by Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH) staff in clinical research.
When interviewed, Dr Ong Poo Lee, Consultant at TTSH, said that traditionally, rehabilitation doctors use observation, consultation and experience to determine the joint angle deviation caused by the patient's condition. “The 3D gait analysis system can obtain data on multiple joints simultaneously, including the comparison between gait balance data of both legs, as well as the conditions of multiple joints such as hip, knee and ankle."
Dr Ong highlighted that in addition to obtaining a more comprehensive analysis within a short span of time, the 3D gait analysis software can also track the progression of patient’s condition and verify whether the treatment is effective by continuously monitoring changes in gait, so as to make timely adjustments.
He also said that previously, monitoring joint movement and measuring angles had to be done in a special testing room. “The patient also had to wear a lot of markets which was time-consuming, cumbersome and expensive.”
At present, this system is still in the testing phase, mostly used for data collection in clinical research and has not yet been officially released to patients. Dr Ong said: “I think it has great potential. With the aging population, more and more patients with chronic diseases need long-term rehabilitation treatment and care. Such application of HealthTech can better meet these needs."
Dr Elson Yong, co-founder and CEO of local HealthTech company Carecam, is the main person in-charge of developing the 3D gait analysis system. When interviewed, he shared that Synapxe’s new programme gives tech startups the opportunity to experiment, similar to real-life scenarios.
It uses AI voice recognition to display the next set of smaller/larger numbers based on the patient's real-time answers, thus allowing them to complete basic vision tests on their own.
This system is currently in the verification test phase. NHGEI Manager Wu Yang said: “The team hopes to operate 3 sets of automatic vision acuity tests simultaneously, just like the automatic checkout systems in a supermarket. But we would need to further resolve the issue of interferences caused by ambient noise.”
Dr Li highlighted: “With the hope of this technology, medical staff will be able to serve more patients with eye diseases. The time savings can allow them to focus their attention on more valuable clinical services, thereby enhancing the patient's experience.”
