17-Jan-2021: Technology Transfer Agreements to bring country’s first indigenous device for correcting ballooning of brain arteries & device for healing of heart hole
Indians will soon have access to the country’s first indigenous flow diverter stent for diverting blood flow away from localized ballooning of arteries in the brain and a device that promotes better healing of the hole in the heart.
Nitinol-based occluder devices, which are presently used to heal Atrial Septal Defect(ASD) or hole in the heart that affects 8 out of every 1000 living babies born, are currently imported to meet demands.
Besides, currently, India does not manufacture flow diverters stents, which are needed for diverting blood flow away from an intracranial aneurysm or localized ballooning of arteries in the brain, helping reduce chances of its rupture and related stroke.
In order to address the challenges, Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST), an autonomous institute of the Department of Science & Technology (DST), Govt. of India, under the Technical Research Centre (TRC), has entered into Technology Transfer Agreements with Pune based Biorad Medisys for two biomedical implant devices--- an Atrial Septal Defect Occluder and an Intracranial Flow Diverter Stents developed by the institute in collaboration with National Aerospace Laboratories, Bangalore (CSIR-NAL)using super elastic NiTiNOL alloys.
The Technology Transfer Agreements were signed by Dr. K. Jayakumar, Director, SCTIMST, and Mr. Jitendra Hedge, Managing Director, Biorad Medisys, in the presence of Dr. Jitendra J Jadhav, Director, CSIR- NAL, through an online meeting on early this week.
The novel ASD occlude developed by SCTIMST promotes better healing of the hole in the heart and also has softer edge for minimizing the damage to adjacent tissue. The delivery system has a novel release mechanism to enable smooth release of the device. The device is protected through two Indian patent applications, one international patent application, and design registration.
The flexible flow diverter stent that allows accurate positioning of the device across the aneurysm developed by SCTIMST is the first one to be manufactured in India. It possesses kink resistance and improved radial strength through a novel braiding pattern making the device flexible and adaptable to the distortion of the vessel boundaries. The device is also provided with radio-opaque markers for radiographic visibility. The associated delivery system allows accurate positioning of the device across the aneurysm. These features have been protected through two Indian patent applications, one international patent application, and design registration. The cost of the Chitra Flow Diverter stent is expected to be priced significantly lower than the currently imported ones.
5-Jan-2021: Swasth Vayu Non-invasive Ventilator developed by CSIR-NAL receives regulator nod
CSIR-NAL scientists along with medical professionals from CSIR-IGIB came forward to address the shortages of ventilators in the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic and indigenously designed and developed the non-invasive bilevel positive airway pressure ventilator –Swasth Vayu, with additional features to treat Covid-19 patients and make the country self-reliant. The performance of the device has been evaluated by the expert committee constituted by Director General of Health Services, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India. The expert committee, after careful evaluation, has concluded that Swasth Vayu may be used on Covid-19 patients who require oxygen supplementation up to 35%.
Swasth Vayu developed by CSIR-NAL is a microcontroller based precise closed-loop adaptive control system with a built-in biocompatible “3D printed manifold and coupler” with HEPA filter (Highly Efficient Particulate Air Filter). These unique features help to alleviate the fear of the virus spread. It has features like CPAP, Bi-Timed, Spontaneous / AUTO modes with provision to connect Oxygen concentrator or Enrichment unit externally.
The ventilator has gone through stringent tests for Electrical safety, performance and bio-compatibility at NABL accredited agency. The Swasth Vayu has successfully conducted clinical trials at Command Hospital, Bangalore and Mysore Medical College & Research Institute, Mysore on 50 Covid-19 patients. The clinical trial reports clearly bring out that the performance of “Swasth Vayu” ventilator device is satisfactory and effective in improving saturation during use for Covid-19 patients. It is the culmination of dedicated efforts of medical professionals at CSIR-IGIB and aerospace scientists at CSIR-NAL including support from CSIR-NAL Health Center, Command Hospital, Bangalore and Mysore Medical College & Research Institute, Mysore.
CSIR-NAL has commercialized this technology with six private companies and one of these companies (which is in the MSME category) has set up the production facilities for almost 300 units per week. CSIR-NAL recently bagged an order for supply of 1200 Swasth Vayu machines to Delhi Government, and the execution & installation at various hospitals in Delhi is being implemented. With this, the country is now self-reliant in this technology, which is a major achievement under the Atmanirbhar vision of Government of India.
23-Dec-2020: IT minister Ravi Shankar Prasad announces launch of Grand Challenge for strengthening the COVID Vaccine Intelligence Network (CoWIN) system
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) along with Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has announced the launching of “CoWIN”, a Grand Challenge for strengthening the COVID Vaccine Intelligence Network (CoWIN) system, a digitalised platform to be used to effectively roll out and scale up the mechanism for COVID Vaccine Distribution System, nationally.
Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said “India‘s innovators have played a crucial role in our fight against COVID19. I invite innovators and startups for grand challenge to strengthen CoWIN platform for roll out of COVID19 vaccination program across India.”
To be launched on the MSH (MeitY Startup Hub) portal, a collaborative platform developed under the aegis of MeitY towards building meaningful synergies in the Indian tech startup space, the challenge invites participation from talented and innovative startups and emerging technology specialists to augment and scale the CoWIN platform. MoHFW has identified seven (07) focus areas of technology development to holistically address the likely limitations associated with complete and effective vaccine distribution system (VDS) and its seamless administration across India. These challenges try to broadly address the priority areas relating to infrastructure, monitoring and management, dynamic learning and information systems, constraints of human resources-including technical capacities, vaccine logistics management and tracking enlisted beneficiaries for any adverse event following immunization on real time basis.
The Challenge kickstarts with registration process at https://meitystartuphub.in on 23rd December 2020 and is open for participants to apply till 15th January 2021. The top 5 applicants will be provided the CoWIN APIs (Application Programming Interface) to prove the efficacy of their solutions for possible integration with the platform. Each shortlisted applicant at this stage stands a chance to win Rs. 2 Lakhs covering their logistical requirements. The solutions once integrated with the platform through open APIs will be assessed for robustness and scalability. Top 2 contestants from the challenge will be rewarded with Rs. 40 Lakh and 20 Lakh respectively post successful migrations of the developed solutions on the cloud on which the CoWIN is hosted, apart from their integration with CoWIN.