While we are well into the second-half of 2024, contemplating milestones accomplished (or New Year’s resolutions broken) so far, it is interesting to note that by the end of June 2024 in Singapore, almost 4,000 patent applications had reached the critical milestone of an issuance of a certificate of grant by the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore. The granted patents run the gamut of various technical fields from pharmaceuticals, information technology, clean energy, chemicals, and semiconductor equipment, just to name a few. The myriad range of individuals and businesses seeking to protect their inventions in Singapore are a testament to the trust placed on Singapore’s legal system, including its intellectual property legislation.
Predicting risk of cardiovascular events within a five-year period
A protein biomarker discovery and clinical diagnostic company based in the United States has provided a solution in the form of a test to evaluate a risk score of an individual for experiencing a cardiovascular event (‘CV’) for up to five years based on identification of protein biomarkers in a single sample of an individual.
Previously, multiple sample collections were required, thus making such tests complex to administer and forming a barrier to adoption in some medical settings. Furthermore, the company’s test for predicting such CVs could be in the form of a device or kit, and is able to detect protein biomarkers in samples related to CVs in much lower concentrations compared to traditional laboratory applications such as two-dimensional gels or mass spectrometry.
In addition, the relatively shorter-term prediction (five years) of the test is considered an improvement over the established risk predictor for CVs used in the medical community – the Framingham Risk Score, which is based on the findings of the long-running Framingham Heart Study that predicts CVs over a ten-year period. Such long-term horizon risk predictions tend to be discounted by individuals who are reluctant to pre-emptively undertake behaviour and lifestyle modifications based on a ten-year risk prediction as compared to risk predictions of a shorter term.
See Singapore Patent Application 10202202774P: ‘Cardiovascular risk event prediction and uses thereof.
Improving the hydrogen fuel cell towards a zero-carbon future
A nanotechnology solutions company headquartered in Singapore came up with a solution to improve the electrode plates used in hydrogen fuels for energy generation. For the uninitiated, hydrogen fuel cells hold great promise towards the world’s collective vision of a zero-carbon future, being more energy efficient compared to fossil fuels and with almost zero greenhouse gas emissions. However, before the advent of the company’s invention, a typical hydrogen fuel cell would be plagued with issue of corrosion of its electrode plates due to reactivity to acids. As such, the electrode plates are commonly coated with gold, which, while addressing the issue of corrosion, increases costs significantly and compromise conductivity of the plate towards carrying out the intended function of providing electrical energy.
By coating the electrodes with carbon, specifically a specific form of carbon known as amorphous carbon, this enables the electrodes to maintain good conductivity for energy generation while still being protected from corrosion, and is a more economical solution as compared to gold coatings. The Singapore company has thus addressed the need to balance the requirement of the electrode plates having both corrosion resistance and efficient conductivity.
See Singapore Patent Application 11202305750R: ‘Carbon-coated electrodes’.
A better pole-dancing experience
On a more light-hearted note, moving on from advances in healthcare and clean energy as discussed above, a Chinese company specialising in fitness equipment is the brains behind a Singapore-patented dance exercise pole used in pole dancing. With various fitness studios in Singapore providing dance, including pole dancing, as a form of exercise, the enhanced design of the dance exercise pole revolves around a specific pain point of pole dancers.
Previously, certain models of dance exercise poles are switchable between a ‘static mode’ (wherein the dance exercise pole is non-rotatable relative to a base) and a ‘spinning mode’ (wherein the dance exercise pole is rotatable to the base), by using a tool such as an Allen/hex key to engage a screw inwards or outwards with a flat surface on the pole, whenever a switch of mode is desired. This is time-consuming and the separate tool could easily be misplaced.
As such, via a novel configuration of a dance exercise pole involving a connector and various movable and engagement elements, a pole dancer does not require any additional tools to switch from the static mode to the spinning mode, or vice versa. Rather, using the dancer’s minimal manual force, and even while still suspended on the pole, the dancer is able to seamlessly switch between modes and enjoy the experience.
These patents demonstrate the diversity of technical fields involved and when worked eventually, will no doubt benefit the general public, enhance economy and promote further technological advancement.
See Singapore Patent Application 11201909077W: ‘End assembly for a dance exercise pole’.
Figure 1: the mechanism used for the exercise pole
A version of this article was first published in the membership journal of the Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys – see more at http://www.cipa.org.uk/.