8TH JANUARY 2025, ISKANDAR PUTERI: Aligned with Gleneagles Hospital Johor’s commitment to supporting Malaysia’s healthcare technology advancement, we have collaborated with Universiti Teknologi Malaysia on the creation of a mental health device, the Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS), which focuses on detecting symptoms of addiction, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia in patients with mental health conditions.
The Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) device was first launched in 2018 through a collaboration between medical researchers and engineering experts. Based on medical expertise and advice regarding the device's requirements, the team developed a prototype that demonstrated its potential in alleviating symptoms in patients with mental health conditions such as addiction, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia.
In 2025, after receiving feedback from medical practitioners, the research team finally developed an improved version of the device. This tDCS device works by safely inducing temporary changes in brain activity, which can influence behavior and learning. The device allows precise control of frequenct based on factors like electrode size, placement, current intensity, and duration. Side effects are typically mild and reversible, such as minor skin irritation. This has led to numerous studies exploring its potential to treat various neurological and psychiatric disorders.
Dr. Kamal Amzan, CEO of Gleneagles Hospital Johor and Regional CEO of Southern and Eastern IHH Malaysia, mentioned "Being in the healthcare industry in Johor, we have always strived to stay ahead in advanced technology that can improve our patients’ treatment experience. Through our collaboration with researchers from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, we are proud to be the only private hospital in Johor using a device that is locally made by Malaysians with the involvement of Gleneagles Hospital Johor’s Psychiatrist Consultant, Dr Abdul Kadir Abu Bakar. This reflects our commitment to supporting local healthcare industry products evolvement."
During the handover ceremony of the tDCS device at Gleneagles Hospital Johor, the team from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), conducted a demonstration session to showcase how to use the device. They also highlighted the portability of the improved version, which can easily be charged using a USB cable. The frequencies are determined by several factors, including the size and placement of the electrodes on the body, the duration (in minutes), and the intensity (in milliamperes - mA) of the current delivered. The tDCS system enables precise replication of tDCS frequency commonly reported in medical literature.
Associate Professor Dr. Azizi Mat Yajit, Deputy Dean of the Department of Mechanical Engineering (Research, Innovation, and Development), stated that Universiti Teknologi Malaysia has been collaborating with Hospital Sultanah Aminah, Hospital Permai, and Hospital Kluang on this innovative device. He added "Recognizing the dependency on international devices in healthcare technology, we saw an opportunity to reduce treatment costs and develop the tDCS device locally. We are truly honoured to have a prestigious private hospital like Gleneagles Hospital Johor as a collaborator in advancing this innovative healthcare technology."
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