TECH OFFERS

Image annotation is a critical step in developing computer vision and image recognition systems. Image annotation can be used in applications in a spectrum of deep-tech pillars such as Healthcare/Medical (detecting and diagnosing diseases from radiology or pathology images), Manufacturing (defect detection from image scans), Agritech (plant/crop health check via images and photos), and more. As a result, image annotation is critical in developing Artificial Intelligence/ Machine Learning (AI/ML) models in a variety of fields. The role of image annotation in deep learning has changed over time. Today, image annotation has become more important for object recognition with new characteristics and capabilities in real-world settings. However, manual labeling of complex objects continues to be time-consuming, tedious, and error-prone - additionally, outsourcing these labeling tasks might not always be the best way due to domain-expertise required in labeling complex image data e.g. radiography images or surface defects on semiconductors. This technology offer is an AI-assisted image labelling tool that enables technical teams to collaboratively, quickly, and easily label large image datasets with pixel-level accuracy masks. As the tool is industry agnostic, it can be used by any industry with a minimal learning curve. The technology owner is keen to work with companies who are looking to build out datasets / ground-truths / and labels for building deep-learning experiments and capabilities, through R&D collaboration and licensing opportunities.

Drugs delivered orally are often degraded in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and the liver, lowering their efficacy. Cutaneous drug delivery offers an alternative as it circumvents the GI tract and liver. It can also be advantageous for skin-related diseases such as skin cancers and acne. The key challenge however, is to penetrate the epidermal layers. Several approaches are being developed for cutaneous drug delivery. First, micro-needles deliver drugs by physically disrupting the skin. However, the efficiency is greatly influenced by the physical characteristics of the needles and tissue. Second, liposome-based methods use particles called lipsomes to encapsulate drugs. This requires separate mechanisms, such as sonophoresis, to disrupt the skin and allow drug penetration. The current technology, ForodermTM comprises a painless, low cost and safe bioactive delivery system. The technology owner is interested in licensing and co-development activities in various application fields. 

Inulin-lipid hybrids (ILH) are a class of novel micro-encapsulation technology that affords the ability to encapsulate poorly water soluble drugs within their lipophilic core. The drug-loaded lipid nanoparticles are encapsulated within a three-dimensional solid-state matrix comprised of inulin polysaccharide chains. Owing to the unique bio-activities afforded by inulin (a natural dietary fibre), ILH technology serves as a dry powder drug formulation with wide-ranging applications for improving drug performance. ILH technology can be dosed orally to improve drug bioavailability or systemically to stimulate pH triggered drug release and improve cellular uptake. The technology comprises a dry powder formulation that presents high drug and lipid stability through micro-encapsulation approach. The technology owner is seeking co-development partners and potential licensees interested in this formulation.   

Chronic infections (lungs, wounds, eyes) are typically due to bacterial biofilm infections and are untreatable with commercially available antibiotics. In up to 80% of patients with Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection, there will be no response to antibiotics. Currently for P. aeruginosa, aminoglycoside and colistin are mainstay therapy. Therapy can be lifelong with the goal of keeping the infection at bay, not focused on eradication. New formulation techniques are focusing on liposomal formulations; however, these formulations have stability, manufacturing and effectivity issues that are restricting their entry into the market. The technology comprises a novel formulation approach that direct antibiotics into biofilm (chronic) infections, enhancing the efficacy of cationic antimicrobials by at least 100-fold against biofilm bacterial infections. The technology owner is seeking licencing, co-development opportunities as well as contract research partnership with parties interested in this novel antimicrobial formulation. 

Despite the increasing prevalence of obesity, all FDA-approved medications, which act indirectly on the central nervous system to suppress appetite or on the gastrointestinal tract to inhibit fat absorption, suffer from poor effectiveness and side effects. Most of these medications have been withdrawn from the market. Although liposuction performed in clinics can effectively remove targeted subcutaneous fat, it suffers from invasiveness, high costs, associated risks, induction of compensatory increase of visceral fat. Although thermal lipolysis induced by high-power laser energy is a non-invasive way to reduce subcutaneous fat, its effectiveness is limited and it often causes skin burning. Both liposuction and laser lipolysis cannot improve whole-body metabolism. The technology owner has developed a transdermal mild photothermal therapy directly acting on the root of evil, i.e. subcutaneous fat, to induce its ameliorating remodelling (browning, lipolysis, angiogenesis, and apoptosis), based on the injectable hydrogel encapsulated with photothermal agent. Browning refers to the conversion of energy-storage white fats into energy-burning brown fats. Further, combining with pharmaceutical therapy by codelivery of pharmacological agent leads to a strong therapeutic synergy. This method not only ensures high effectiveness and low side effects due to localized and targeted application but also remotely creates significant improvements in whole-body metabolism (e.g., reduction of visceral fat, relief of diabetic symptoms). In addition, this technology is applicable for cosmetic purposes, e.g., body contouring and reduction of double chin. The technology owner is seeking potential biotechnology companies, clinicians, and other partners to clinically translate and commercialize this technology. Possible modes of collaboration include R&D, process, and product development.

In a post-pandemic age, there is a heightened concern about the spread of infectious diseases and other pathogens from traditional biometric enrolment and authentication technologies. As such, much of the authentication industry is moving towards contactless operations for an increasing number of functions - from facial recognition to palmprints. Authentication through palmprints are invariant to skin colour, height, changes in facial features , maskk or hairstyles, and have the added advantage of being universally unique; even between a twins' left and right hand. This technology is an Artificial Intelligence (AI) palmprint identification technology that utilises palm features to recognise an individual. Palm features are well-suited for identification purposes as they remain unchanged for life and are therefore ideal replacements for access and identification cards. The technology is backed by palm print and palm vein recognition algorithms, and contactless image acquisition technology that enables easy, hygienic, rapid identity verification and access control in a post-pandemic environment.

Singapore is currently only producing 13% of its vegetable consumption. With little farming land available, Singapore relies heavily on imports from other countries. Due to increasing focus on food security, the alternative to solve land scarcity problem is to build greenhouses on concrete rooftop. Although concrete rooftop greenhouse are able to keep pests out, there is a signifcant heating problem which severely inhibits the growth of the vegetables. Therefore, there is a need for a rooftop greenhouse that is able to actively cool itself to avoid such problem. This technology offer is a modular rooftop greenhouse farming system (hydroponics) capable of producing vegetables on concrete roofs to meet the local demand while reducing over-reliance on imports. The design of the greenhouse farming system enables cooling and does not heat up, thus allowing the growth of pest-free vegetables. The system is approximately the size of a typical carpark lot (2.5 x 5 m). The production rate is 30 kg per month (2.5 x 5 m size) and requires minimal human intervention. The technology offer comprises both the farming system and its operation know-how. The modular rooftop greenhouse farming system can be set-up within 3 days or scaled-up when required with guaranteed vegetable growth. The break-even cost of one greenhouse is about 3 years. The technology owner is seeking to out-license their technology.

Graphitic anodes used in present generation lithium-ion batteries are cheap and provide a stable platform for Li-ion storage over low-high current densities over long charge-discharge cycles. However, they are limited to a low Li-storage capacity due to the simple insertion/de-insertion process. This technology relates to a new lithium-ion battery anode with enhanced performance. The technology owner is looking for potential licensees to commercialise this technology.

This technology relates to a lithium-ion battery with an improved electrode with automatic shutdown function. The technology owner has developed a method to generate a 3D printing ink to deposit a layer of thermal sensitive polymer, which can be implemented into the traditional battery production process to solve the thermal failure of the lithium ion battery. The technology owner is looking for potential licensees to commercialise this technology.