The humid Singapore late afternoon air followed Julian Burke as he walked into the Asian headquarters for Burke NeuroTech. He paused, taking a moment to look around. This was his favorite of the Burke NeuroTech locations.
Beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows of the building, Biopolis, Singapore’s biomedical hub, glowed in the night. It was a landscape of glass and steel towers with honeycomb patterns of illuminated windows. To Julian, Biopolis at night felt like a beacon of progress, alive yet serene, a center of science and ambition.
With Anthony, his bodyguard, at his side, Julian approached the elevators and used his security credentials to take him to the floor where the R&D labs were located. He leaned back against the elevator wall, watching the numbers pass. He was tired but also energized.
The flight from New York City to Singapore had been over nineteen long hours, but at least he’d traveled first class, which meant his seat had fully reclined into a bed. Still, he never slept well on those long-haul flights. So, while he might have gotten some sleep, it hadn’t been overly restful.
He and Anthony arrived around four p.m. local time, and after a brief stop at his hotel to freshen up and grab a bite to eat, they’d headed to the lab. He had been eager for an in-person update from the head of R&D, and thankfully, that eagerness was slowly edging out the tiredness he’d landed with.
As they stepped out of the elevator, Julian was immediately plunged into a space that thrummed with innovation.Illuminated computer screens, murmured conversations, and the faint hum of equipment filled the large open area.
With Anthony at his side, Julian navigated the sleek lab, his shoes silent on the polished floor. His anticipation grew as he approached Sean, who was bent over a large workbench. The man, wiry and focused, looked up, his glasses reflecting the room’s lights.
“Julian,” he said, pushing his glasses up his nose before holding out his hand with a smile. “Good to see you again.”
Julian gave his hand a firm shake. “Good to see you again, Sean. I’m eager to hear how things are going with the trials.”
Sean nodded with enthusiasm. “This is bigger than we hoped. We’re not just competing with TENS units, we’re rewriting pain relief for women.”
When Sean had initially approached the Burke Foundation to see about getting a grant for his research on a pain-relieving device specifically for women, the premise had intrigued both Duncan and Julian. After several meetings, Duncan had hired Sean and set him up in the lab in Singapore.
Julian wasn’t a scientist, but he’d gotten caught up in Sean’s passion for the project. Sean had come up with the idea, spurred on by his mother’s battle with chronic pain caused by endometriosis. With such a personal motive, Sean had devoted many hours to developing the product.
Sean picked up a small metal plate that had a flesh-colored square on it. “The Health Sciences Authority’s fast-track program gave us early feedback, and our latest trials are showing incredible results for this stage in the development.”
Julian leaned closer to look at the small device. “Give me the numbers. What’s new since last week?”
Sean put the plate down and picked up a tablet from the workbench. He pulled up an image that Julian didn’t understand. “This is a holographic model of pelvic nerve pathways. This is data from our phase one trials. We had forty women with endometriosis, right here in collaboration with KK Women’s Hospital. They showed a significant reduction in chronic pelvic pain after three weeks.”
“Sean, that’s phenomenal.”
Sean nodded, excitement sparkling behind his glasses. “They needed no drugs, and they registered no side effects. The AI crunches the biofeedback, including heart rate variability, skin conductance, menstrual cycle data from the app. Using that, it tailors the pulse patterns to each woman’s neural signature.”
“So you’re having success with a personalized response and not just a generic pulse like a TENS machine would give someone?”
Sean nodded. “It’s being tailored for each woman individually using the biofeedback gathered by the patch.”
Julian stared at the data on the tablet, already envisioning the impact across worldwide healthcare markets. “What’s driving the jump?”
Sean’s eyes lit up. “Two big wins. First, we optimized the electrode array, focusing on micro-scaling, flexibility, and targeting specific nerves with precision. Second, the AI’s predictive model, which was trained on last year’s datasets from global pelvic pain studies. The more it learns about a woman’s physiology, the more accurately it anticipates her pain and works to block it.”
Julian let out a low whistle, running a hand through his hair. “Predictive pain relief? That’s a game-changer.”
He had never thought he’d become so interested in something that was focused on women’s health, but Sean’s passion for the project had been infectious, especially after the man had shared how lacking research into women’s health issues was.
“Exactly,” Sean said, holding up the metal plate again. “Non-invasive, reusable, rechargeable with a 48-hour battery. If the woman wants, the app can sync with telehealth platforms, meaning women’s doctors can see real-time readings. We’re also seeing stress levels drop, better sleep. The biofeedback is teaching women to manage triggers, not just pain.”
Julian’s grin widened, his mind racing with possibilities. This could be the start of a rise in future research into women’s health issues. He tapped the workbench. “Timeline for phase two? Can we scale trials across the region?”
Sean adjusted his glasses, his tone cautious. “We’re ready for a larger test group—two hundred women—and expanding beyond endometriosis to include patients with PCOS and interstitial cystitis. We’ve had interest expressed from hospitals in Bangkok and Seoul.”
“That sounds great,” Julian said. “What’s holding you back?”
“We need funding to scale production. The flexible electronics aren’t cheap, and we’re optimizing the battery. Six months to a year, we could be ready for the first steps in trying to get FDA approval.”
“I’ll handle the funding,” Julian said, already mentally pitching this to Duncan. He doubted that funding would be a problem once he presented the latest developments of the FemPulse. “This little patch… it’s going to disrupt Big Pharma’s grip on pain meds.”
Sean nodded but lowered his voice. “One thing, though. The data—pain patterns, cycle info, stress markers—it’s gold, but it’s sensitive. In Singapore, data privacy laws are tight. We need top-tier encryption, especially if we’re sharing with regional partners and beyond.”
