SGH invents automated beverage thickening machine to care for patients with swallowing problems

Clinical Innovation Engineer, Jaylyn Poh, creates practical healthcare solutions and devices, bridging clinical needs with engineering expertise to improve patient care.

Jaylyn (far left) with Jovin Png, Clinical Research Coordinator; Dr Wong Seng Mun, Senior Principal Speech Therapist; and Lee Yan Shan, Principal Speech Therapist - team mates who made VisBuddy possible. They consulted Associate Professor Ben Hanson (center), an opinion leader in thickened beverages, from University College London.    

In Singapore's hospitals, small innovations are making big differences. While doctors and nurses focus on treating patients, a special group of engineers works behind the scenes to solve the daily frustrations that slow down care. These clinical innovation engineers are quietly improving healthcare, one problem at a time.

At Singapore General Hospital, Clinical Innovation Engineer Jaylyn Poh Tze Theng exemplifies this vital but often invisible work. Her latest product looks like an ordinary coffee machine, but VisBuddy solves a daily challenge that caregivers and SGH nurses face in every ward transforming how they prepare thickened beverages for patients with swallowing difficulties.
 

A simple solution to a complex problem

The VisBuddy team, led by speech therapist Dr Wong Seng Mun, created an automated countertop device that meets three key requirements when it comes to preparing such thickened drinks: it's SAFE (drinks are thickened to the correct consistency and without lumps), SWIFT (works faster than mixing by hand), and SURE (ensures thickness level meets international standards for patients with swallowing difficulties).

Every day, SGH nurses and caregivers spend considerable time manually preparing thickened liquids for patients who have difficulty swallowing. These patients require beverages at specific consistency levels—ranging from Level 0 (like water) to Level 4 (very thick liquids). Get it wrong and patients either cannot swallow or risk choking.

The testing process is equally time-consuming. Nurses and caregivers have to pour liquid through a syringe, timing it for 10 seconds, and determining consistency based on where it stopped.
 

How VisBuddy changes everything

VisBuddy automatically mixes beverages to the thickness level prescribed by speech therapists without requiring any manual testing. Instead of spending minutes on each drink, nurses and caregivers simply add the liquid and thickening powder to VisBuddy and select the required thickness. The machine then handles everything else.

"We're helping to ease the pain points of our healthcare professionals," Jaylyn says. "The device saves significant time and eliminates guesswork, allowing our staff to focus on other aspects of patient care."

VisBuddy has been piloted at SGH and SKH. The team is currently working on commercializing the machine.

Meet the engineer behind the innovation

Jaylyn has worked as a Clinical Innovation Engineer at SGH for nearly three years. "I am part of the Clinical Innovation and Technology Unit (CITU), which exists to support clinician innovators across the hospital—doctors, nurses, and allied health professionals who want to turn their ideas into reality."

With a biomedical engineering degree, Jaylyn bridges the gap between clinical problems and engineering solutions. "Clinicians approach me with problems they want to solve. Some have potential solutions in mind, others just know there's a problem. I provide technical guidance—assessing whether ideas are feasible and helping develop concepts into actual products."
 

How her work helps patients and staff

"Ultimately, every problem we're trying to solve is a clinical need," Jaylyn explains. "Our end goal is to develop devices or solutions that can improve patient care, either by helping our clinicians address their pain points or by directly benefiting patients."

"These solutions don't have to be very complex. If it's something simple that can be incorporated into our healthcare professionals' workflow, that's always our end goal."

The success of her projects is measured by outcomes, including whether the innovations can be sold commercially, how many patents are created, and whether the innovations are used.
 

From problem to product: The innovation process

Before developing any solution, Jaylyn validates that she is addressing a real, widespread problem.

"There is no point in building something that won't be used," she explains. "Often, clinicians are not aware that similar solutions already exist. My role is to identify these existing solutions first and have clinicians evaluate them. If they meet the clinical need, we then explore how to implement them."

The market analysis component is equally crucial. "Market analysis matters because ultimately we want to commercialise these innovations, for example, by licensing the technology to an existing manufacturer. Having a clear market makes it easier to find industry partners willing to license our innovations."

An important part of her process involves clinical immersion—actually observing procedures to understand problems firsthand. "Sometimes clinicians describe a problem to me, but I can't fully understand it until I see it myself. I'll shadow them in operating theatres or observe ward procedures."
 

Securing funding and managing projects

Jaylyn helps clinicians apply for grants at different levels—from institutional grants within SGH to national funding. "A big part of my work involves securing funding," she says. "The process starts with brainstorming solutions, then applying for grants to develop and test the most promising approaches."

Her work spans an impressive range, from simple medical devices to high-risk surgical instruments. She currently manages seven to eight active projects at various stages. It typically takes three to five years to bring low-risk devices from idea to market.
 

Navigating challenges

One major challenge is the saturated medical technology landscape. "You might think you have a genius idea, but when you research globally, you often find someone has already explored it, especially in countries like China and the US that move much faster than us."

Thorough research is crucial. "If we develop a device only to discover later that someone has already patented the same idea, that's a major roadblock. You can't protect your intellectual property or manufacture the product."

To address this, Jaylyn works with SingHealth's Office of Intellectual Property to find unique patent angles or evaluate existing solutions.
 

The unpredictable path to market

Even after successful development, bringing innovations to market remains unpredictable. "Once we've developed a solution, the timeline depends entirely on our industry partners—how quickly they move, how they set up manufacturing, and their business priorities. We often don't know when they'll be ready to sell."

The complexities continue after licensing. "Industry partners have full control. They might choose to sell overseas rather than in Singapore, or modify features for different markets."
 

What keeps her going

Despite not seeing immediate results, Jaylyn finds her work energising. "I'm right here on the ground, seeing the clinical environment and understanding problems our clinicians face, whilst bringing an engineering perspective they don't have."

Her role as a bridge between clinical and engineering worlds makes the work exciting. "One day I might be in an operating theatre observing procedures, the next day I'm in the 3D lab printing prototypes. It's always different, and I'm constantly challenged to think outside the box."

The immediate feedback from hospital staff is particularly rewarding. "Being able to get immediate feedback from clinicians—whether an idea works or doesn't—makes innovating on the ground quite exciting."
 

Looking forward

Jaylyn handles projects across diverse medical fields—from surgery to physiotherapy to speech therapy. Each requires learning about different medical procedures and treatments, which she finds exciting rather than daunting.

"Even now, I'm still learning about medical procedures I've never heard of before," she says. "The variety keeps the work interesting, and being able to work directly with our healthcare professionals to solve their daily challenges makes this role incredibly fulfilling."

As Singapore's healthcare system continues evolving, clinical innovation engineers like Jaylyn play an increasingly vital role in translating clinical needs into practical solutions. With devices like VisBuddy making their way from prototype to reality, the future of healthcare innovation at SGH looks promising.

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