Govt, industry to support 13 innovations that may help battle Covid-19

Amid Covid-19 spreading in areas across the country and the likelihood of community transmission, remote vital parameter monitoring systems and cold chain transport

Published on: Apr 12, 2020, 22:11:03 IST

By Snehal Fernandes, Mumbai

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Amid Covid-19 spreading in areas across the country and the likelihood of community transmission, remote vital parameter monitoring systems and cold chain transport of viral swab samples in far-flung locations are among the 13 near deployment-ready products are set to get speedy support from the government and industry for speedy integration of the products into existing healthcare system.

These innovations including ventilators, air-and-surface sanitisers and gadget sanitisation methods have been chosen by an initiative led by Bengaluru-based Centre for Cellular and Molecular Platforms (C-CAMP) called Covid-19 Innovations Deployment Accelerator (C-CIDA).

“These indigenous innovations that have been gestating over the past eight or nine years are now emerging as solutions that are timely, affordable and effective. C-CIDA will facilitate immediate uptake of these innovations by the government and private sectors after customary certifications, and scale up support wherever necessary,” said Dr Taslimarif Saiyed, director and chief executive officer of C-CAMP, an initiative of Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology.

HT gives a glimpse of the start-ups and products:

Portable Ventilators

RespirAid by Biodesign Innovation Labs, Bengaluru is a low-cost portable, emergency and transport ventilation system. It is an automated respiratory assist device for critical patients.

Jeevan Lite by Aerobiosys Innovations, Hyderabad, another portable ventilator, is Internet of Things (IoT)-enabled which allows real-time transfer of data and remote operation. It can also work on battery and can be deployed in areas with erratic power supply.

Remote monitoring

MedIoTek Health Systems Pvt Ltd, Chennai; Cardiac Design Labs, Bengaluru; Nemocare, Hyderabad; and Dozee, Bengaluru are four start-ups that offer remote monitoring with a unified central platform especially in isolation wards and quarantine facilities.

Air purifier and sanitisation gadgets

LeafBox Technologies, Bengaluru has developed UVC (ultraviolet C) based air purifier and steriliser box. While the purifier covers 900sqft area, the steriliser box sanitizes gadgets and medical instruments.

Bengaluru-based Biomoneta has developed Zebox, which is a standalone plug-and-play decontamination technology for hospitals designed to trap and kill microbes in up to 150 sqft area within 10 minutes.

Clensta Technologies, Delhi offers a waterless, antiseptic and antimicrobial rub that can kill viruses within minutes.

Preventative interventions by Omicsgen Life Sciences Pvt Ltd, Kerala; and OMG Innovations LLP, Delhi have created gadget smart wipe and herbal, antimicrobial and antiviral sanitising air spray respectively.

Cold chain

Blackfrog Technologies Pvt Ltd, Manipal; and Tessol-Thermal Energy Service Solutions, Navi Mumbai offer temperature-controlled medical grade cold chain system that can ensure viral swab samples remain viable for longer, thus ensuring swab tests can be done from remote areas too.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Snehal Fernandes
Snehal Fernandes is senior associate editor, who joined HT in 2006. She heads the Mumbai edition’s city reporting team that writes on civic and urban governance, transport and infrastructure, health, and education. She is also the National Science Editor. With a career spanning more than two decades, her expertise lies in writing on science and technology, space, environment, sustainable development, climate change, and nuclear energy. Her work consistently breaks down, and without oversimplyfying, science and research developments into an easy read for a broad audience. In 2009, she was among the very first journalist to report on the opposition to the Jaitapur nuclear power plant in Ratnagiri (Konkan) following the Indo- US civil nuclear agreement and consistently followed it with multiple stories from ground zero; wrote about the introduction and subsequent halt to the cultivation of genetically modified (BT) brinjal, and has interviewed Nobel laureates and award winning scientists. In 2012, she was awarded ‘The Press Club Award for Excellence in Journalism’ (Political category) for reports on the mining scam in Goa. Prior to HT, she wrote on education and transport at the Indian Express. She graduated in sociology from St Xavier's College, and firmly believes in the phrase by Karl Marx that ‘Religion is the opium of the people’. When she is not keeping a tab on the going-ons in Mumbai and the scientific world, you'll find her reading world news, or watching crime/espionage series or political dramas. She can repeatedly watch Kill Bill with the same interest as Planet of the Apes and Spiderman. For someone who was not remotely interested in dogs or cats, she loves every bit of her time with her two-year-old Indie cat Bunny.Read More