What if the most meaningful innovations in healthcare did not begin in laboratories, but with a simple question: what is not working for patients today?
At Duke-NUS Medical School’s Health Innovator Programme (D-HIP), that question is where everything begins.
From a monitor that detects complications in children receiving intravenous (IV) therapy, to a device that improves the removal of kidney stones, student-led teams are developing solutions grounded in real clinical needs – and designed for real-world use.
Now in its fourth edition, D-HIP is a nine-month flagship programme that brings together multidisciplinary teams of medical, engineering and business students to translate unmet clinical needs into viable prototypes and scalable solutions.
Unlike conventional hackathons, D-HIP pairs teams with clinical mentors from Singapore General Hospital and industry partners, enabling ideas to move beyond concepts into implementation.
The programme culminated in “Dazzle Day” on 18 March 2026, where five teams comprising 16 fellows from Duke-NUS, NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, College of Design and Engineering at NUS, NUS Business School; as well as an industry fellow from Terumo Asia Holdings presented their product prototypes and business plans to a panel of expert judges.
What stood out was not just the ideas themselves, but how directly they addressed persistent gaps in care.
We bring you the highlights from the five teams.
Team UroCLEAR bagged the award of S$50,000 with their device to remove kidney stones more efficiently, advancing their prototype towards clinical validation.
They identified a persistent challenge: removing kidney stone fragments quickly and completely, reducing the need for multiple or invasive procedures.
To achieve this, the team developed BiPass, a device that uses irrigation fluid to create a continuous suction flow, enabling continuous clearance of stone fragments during the procedure.
Team UroCLEAR’s Mr Danny Lo, a third-year MD student at Duke-NUS, said:
“Incomplete removal of kidney stone fragments can lead to additional procedures, prolonged discomfort, and a higher risk of complications for patients. By removing fragments more quickly and thoroughly, we can reduce the need for repeat or invasive interventions, helping patients recover faster and with less disruption to their lives.”
Team ColoCorrect developed DeLoop, a targeted splinting system designed to eliminate colon looping, which is the primary cause of procedural pain, complications and inefficiencies during colonoscopies.
While colonoscopies are essential for early colorectal cancer detection, the procedure carries increased risk of perforation and significant discomfort despite sedation when the scope coils, or “loops,” within the large intestine.
DeLoop is an adjustable external abdominal system designed to stabilise the colon during colonoscopy, reducing looping, a key cause of patient discomfort, procedural inefficiency and physical strain on nursing staff
Team ColoCorrect’s Ms Thara Pham, a third-year MD student at Duke-NUS, whose family also turned up to lend support, said:
“We aim to replace the trial-and-error nature of manual abdominal pressure with a standardised, mechanical solution. DeLoop improves procedural efficiency and patient comfort while integrating seamlessly into high-volume clinical workflows.”
Team Joint Venture aims to improve stability and restore mobility for patients undergoing knee replacement surgery.
The team’s enhanced surgical instrument provides real-time measurement and balancing of ligament tension during the operation, helping surgeons create a more stable, natural-feeling knee and improving recovery outcomes for patients.
Team Joint Venture’s Ms Veda Ghorpade, a third-year MD student at Duke-NUS said:
“Even with advances in implants, navigation and robotics, we observed that surgeons still rely heavily on their sense of touch in assessing ligament tension. Our device introduces a way, tailored to individual patients, to measure ligament forces by using mechanical systems and sensors. We hope this complementary method will result in improved alignment and stability, as well as higher patient satisfaction.”
Team Vascura secured the popular vote from the audience—taking home the “Team with Most Potential” award.
They identified a common challenge in dialysis patients: narrowing of access blood vessels used for dialysis due to scar tissue and old clots, which can disrupt blood flow and affect treatment. This makes it difficult for blood to flow and leads to dialysis failure.
The team thus invented a device that can safely shave off excess tissue from the narrowed blood vessels, helping restore blood flow and improve dialysis effectiveness.
Team Vascura’s Ms Lin Ming, a third-year MD student at Duke-NUS said:
“By prioritising safety and targeting the root cause of vessel narrowing, our approach aims to enhance access reliability and deliver better outcomes for patients.”
Team VeinGuard developed a smart device that detects and prevents complications, enhancing safety of children receiving intravenous (IV) therapy—treatments delivered directly into the bloodstream through a needle and drip system.
The device, which can be attached to intravenous sets, detects potential complications early and automatically halts infusion, reducing tissue damage and pain for children.
Team VeinGuard’s Mr Louis Lim, an MD student at Duke-NUS said:
“By detecting and stopping potential complications the moment it begins, it replaces reactive visual inspections with proactive protection. For both patients, their family members and healthcare professionals, it means fewer manual checks and greater peace of mind.”
Beyond Dazzle Day, the work continues. The teams will refine their prototypes, secure further funding, and advance their innovations under the guidance of clinical and industry mentors.
More importantly, they leave with something less tangible but far more enduring: the ability to see healthcare not just as it is, but as it could be.
In doing so, D-HIP reflects Duke-NUS’ broader commitment to translating ideas into impact across the healthcare ecosystem.