Founded December 2018
Stage Technology development
Investor Trendlines Medical Singapore
Contact Manager, Business Development Trendlines Medical Singapore Eunice Chew
Continale has developed a user-friendly device that provides a safe, minimally invasive solution with high patient compliance that mitigates involuntary urinary leakage associated with stress urinary incontinence (SUI).
The device answers a clear unmet need to reduce urinary leakage while maintaing high patient compliance and safety. The handheld device introduces a small amount of gas (25-50 cc) into the urinary bladder via a single-use (disposable) sterile applicator. The gas acts as “shock absorber” to counteract any pressure (stress) applied on the bladder and therefore prevent involuntary urine leakage.
Continale Medical’s product idea was conceived by Trendlines Labs. Prototypes were developed in partnership with clinicians from the Singapore General Hospital (SGH) and with funding from the Singapore-Israel Industrial Research & Development (SIIRD) Foundation.
PCT examination completed, currently undergoing National phase examination in four jurisdictions (United States, Europe, Japan, and China).
Senior Consultant, Department of Urology, Singapore General Hospital
Specialty: urology
Sub-specialties: reconstructive urology, adolescent urology, neurourology, benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), renal transplantation, female urology, incontinence
Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS), Fellowship of the Royal Colleges of Surgeons (FRCS Edin), Master of Medicine (Surg), Fellow of the Academy of Medicine Singapore (FAMS)
Consultant, Sengkang Health & Singapore General Hospital
Specialties: general surgery, urology
Sub-specialty: female urology
Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS Singapore), Master of Medicine (Surg), Membership of the Royal Colleges of Surgeons of Great Britain and Ireland (MRCS Edin), Fellow of the Academy of Medicine Singapore (FAMS Urol)
Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) is a condition of involuntary leakage of urine upon exertion such as laughing, coughing, sneezing, or physical activity. The increased abdominal pressure exerted on the bladder during such instances causes urine to leak. SUI occurs more commonly in women than men, and accounts for 51% of urinary incontinence cases in women¹[1]. Globally, it is estimated that more than 200 million women suffer from this condition.
Although not a life-threatening condition, SUI greatly affects quality of life. People with the condition may suffer embarrassment to the point where they limit their work or social life, especially exercise and leisure activities. In addition, the healthcare burden of SUI exceeds $12 billion²[2] per year in the United States, and the cost per patient ranges from $5,600 (without surgical intervention) to $10,000³[3] (with surgical intervention).
Current non-surgical/conservative treatments are few, suboptimal, and have low success rates. These include lifestyle changes, pelvic floor exercise,s and the use of urethral/vaginal inserts and pessaries. Surgery or other more invasive options are usually recommended for severe cases of SUI. Along with a low treatment success rate, some of these solutions also cause discomfort, pain or urinary tract infections.
¹ Global Forum on Incontinence 2018 – Incontinence in numbers (PDF). Prof Ian Milsom, Gothenburg Continence Research Centre (GCRC)
² Current Urology Report, 2011
³ European Urology Supplements, Volume 4, Issue 1, 2005
