War on Covid-19 spurs a blitz of innovation – Mail Today News
On Friday, HRD minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ felicitated a team of scientists from IIT Delhi involved in the development of a low-cost Covid-19 testing kit.
A day before, engineers at the Design Innovation Centre of Islamic University of Science and Technology in Awantipora, Kashmir, announced the making of a low-cost ventilator prototype.
A Noida-based startup has developed a portable fever detection system which, once installed in buildings, can automatically detect body temperatures of multiple people even from a 10-metre distance.
The Covid-19 pandemic is sparking a flurry of lowcost but hi-tech innovations in the country. From testing kits to portable ventilators, sanitizer-drones to portable fever detection systems, institutes and startups are coming forward to join the fight against the pandemic.
Minds At Work
In the case of the low-cost testing kit developed by IIT-Delhi scientists, the National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune, is in the process of validating this test on clinical samples. The affordable kit called ‘Probe-Free Detection Assay’ has already been optimised and tested for sensitivity at the research laboratories of the institute. Once approved and put to use, this testing kit can be a big leap at a time when testing remains a problem area and private labs are finding few takers because of high pricing. The scientists associated with the innovation said that the test can performed at a much cheaper price and hence will be affordable for the general public.
“Using comparative sequence analysis, we have identified unique regions in Covid-19. These unique regions are not present in other human coronaviruses, thereby providing an opportunity to specifically detect the virus,” said Professor Vivekanandan Perumal, lead member of the team.
Likewise, IIT-Guwahati has taken the lead in development of drones to aid the battle against Covid-19. With nearly two dozen institutions working on developing a vaccine for coronavirus, IITs have already set up ‘Covid-19 specific research centres’ on campuses. An IIT-Bombay startup has developed a digital stethoscope that can listen to heart beats from a distance and record them, minimising the risk of healthcare professionals fighting the pandemic at the frontline.
On Saturday, India recorded 56 fresh deaths (the highest in a single day) and 1,490 new cases of coronavirus, as the total number of infections approached 25,000. In the National Capital, the virus has claimed 53 victims so far.
Collective Genius
In the case of the low-cost ventilator developed by IUST engineers in Kashmir, the prototype named ‘Ruhdaar’ is expected to be handed over to the medical experts at Sher-I-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) for evaluation purposes.
“The prototype ventilator is too inexpensive in comparison to what is available in the market,” said a statement issued by the university.
“I am thrilled because our team members have achieved it in a very short span of time. It is our own design and its components are mostly local,” said Islamic University of Science and Technology Vice-Chancellor Mushtaq A Siddiqi.
Experts said innovations in a crisis like the Coronavirus pandemic were not surprising as everyone brings in a different perspective with the aim of serving humanity as a whole. “Likewise, our scientists and R&D professionals also come forward to find out solutions to the challenges which are unprecedented.
While these are difficult times, if we all put our knowledge and skill-sets in the right direction, we can contribute in one or the other way. This leads to inventions and discoveries – some of them fail, while some become sustainable long term solutions,” said Faisal Kawoosa, Chief Analyst at Gurugrambased market research firm techARC.
Many of these initiatives are getting acknowledgement and recognition. A Punebased start-up, Mylab Discovery, for instance, has become the first Indian firm that has got approval to make low-cost testing kits for Covid-19. The company has already shipped the first batch of its testing kits to diagnostic labs in Pune, Mumbai, Delhi, Goa and Bengaluru. PerSapien Innovations, a New Delhi-based company, has been producing face masks that can protect the eyes, nose, mouth and ears for medical professionals treating Coronavirus patients, the company claimed.
Fostering Start-Ups
Aimed at encouraging startups, Startup India, a Ministry of Commerce and Industry body regularising Indian startups, launched what it called the ‘United Against Covid-19 Innovation Challenge’ in March, calling all medtech startups to submit ideas. The selected enterprises will have priority access to government procurement programmes. Vikram, one of the directors of Asatrobo Technology Private Limited, a startup that developed ‘Fever Detection System’ says his firm wanted to contribute to the efforts to combat Covid-19.
“We have integrated a thermal camera with another technology and developed it in-house into a fever detection system. This can be used for the masses. Say if 40-50 people are coming through a gate, it will automatically scan people for their temperature and raise an alarm on the basis of a temperature set,” he said.
Experts have applauded the number of people who have stepped in with their technological skills to manufacture masks, PPEs, ventilators and diagnostic kits at low costs. “Other startups have innovated with digital solutions for people to learn new skills over live video calls (Hello¬meets.com), online school learning (fingertips.in) and tele-medicine (doctor24x7. in) and come up with solutions which are the need of the day. Together we will get through this,” said Vishal Chandra, an IIT-Delhi alumni and co-founder of startup advisor firm Glue Labs.