New Delhi, Nov 11 (KNN) Department of Science and Technology (DST) has supported several start-ups who are designing their medical equipment in a manner that it can keep doctors safe and cater to unique emergency requirements of the COVID 19 crisis.

Startups are showing the way with stethoscopes that doctors can use without touching the patient, oxygen concentrator that can help the hospitals generate their in-house oxygen and portable and app-controlled IoT (Internet of Things) based ventilator system. 

Several Indian medical devices manufacturers and indigenous automation companies took up the pandemic as a challenge and came up with innovative designs of ventilators, portable respiratory aids or devices for contactless diagnosis and monitoring of the patients.

Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India through its Centre for Augmenting WAR with COVID-19 Health Crisis (CAWACH) initiative scouted, evaluated and supported promising ventilator, respiratory aids and other vital medical equipment from 5 companies who have now taken their products to deployment stage.

Ayu Devices incubated at Society for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (SINE), IIT Bombay in 2017 has developed a digital stethoscope that can help doctors listen to heart and lungs sounds while keeping at a safe distance from the patients. The device identifies abnormal sounds and helps diagnose patients.

It is designed as a wireless module to enhance the bluetooth range and help it to be controlled from a distance. While existing digital stethoscope uses smartphone bluetooth, their device works with an additional bluetooth module to increase the range and consistency in the data.

It is also, fitted with filters to remove external noise for clear sound making it usable in Indian clinical settings where there is lot of background noise in OPDs. This has enabled doctors to listen to chest sounds while covered in PPEs which is not possible with conventional stethoscope.

A portable Oxygen Concentrator by Ambala-based WALNUT MEDICAL helps hospitals generate oxygen in-house. It is an intelligent closed loop system which monitors oxygen level and gives enough oxygen to the patient as per the patient need. This is the first oxygen concentrator made in India and is fitted with automated oxygen flow technology which will prevent patient suffering from hyperoxia.

DST’s timely support helped them push their endeavour forward with 5Ltr and 10Ltr oxygen concentrator models and oximeter as well. Manufacturing of oxygen concentrators requires huge moulds and the support helped them invest on quality moulds to compete against products from Japan, USA and China. IIT Delhi incubation team worked with them to help the technology see the light of the day.

SINE, IIT Bombay is the implementation partner for the CAWACH program. Other eight incubation centers from different zones of India and the Indian STEPs and Incubators Association participated in call for applications, review and the selection process. The supporting Satellite centers are FIIT, IIT Delhi, SIIC, IIT Kanpur, HTIC, IIT Madras, Venture Centre, Pune, IKP Knowledge Park, Hyderabad, KIIT-TBI, Bhubaneswar.

CAWACH Program has been steered by National Science and Technology Entrepreneurship Development Board (NSTEDB) of DST.

Dr. Anita Gupta, Head of NSTEDB said, “Bringing in special flexibility and speed in providing support was critical to the timely success of startups.”

DST Secretary Prof. Ashutosh Sharma added, “The present and clear challenges of COVID-19 brought an unprecedented synergy of efforts among academia, labs, startups, industry and government which allowed rapid extraordinary developments with a shared purpose. The lessons learned are being incorporated in the upcoming Science. Technology and Innovation Policy 2020.