A team from the Indian Institute of Science is developing a handheld medical device, which can measure eight biometric parameters related to blood and urine ( see info box ). It is expected to make testing costs “very affordable” and make monitoring of health statistics more convenient for patients, said the scientists.
This and other developments in the field such as continuous glucose monitoring systems and insulin pumps are changing how doctors and patients are managing diabetes.
“A handheld device to test multiple parameters will definitely help patients as it will reduce the time to obtain results,” said Rakesh Kumar, emergency physician at Apollo Hospitals, Bannerghatta Road.
PathShodh Healthcare Pvt. Ltd., a R&D company incubated at IISc., has developed the device, which is in the prototype stage. The innovation lies in downscaling complicated testing equipment into a handheld device.
Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer Vinay Kumar, who developed the concept as part of his Ph.D. research, told The Hindu , “The motivation behind the product is to transform science for a social mission.”
“Compared to traditional techniques, which are based on optical spectroscopy, we have adopted an electro-chemical technology similar to what is used in glucometers (a device to measure blood sugar levels),” said Navakanta Bhat, professor at IISc., Centre for Nano Science and Engineering, and another founding member of the company.
Apart from glucose, parameters such as HbA1c, haemoglobin and serum albumin cannot be tested by patients at home. The team hopes to change this.
The technology has not been exploited for other medical parameters owing to difficulties in implementation, Prof. Bhat added. “We are trying to make testing very affordable, compared to what is currently available in hospitals,” said Gautam Sharma, vice-president (Business) at PathShodh.
The team expects that the product will become as common as glucometers are today. “We are conducting trials to make sure the accuracy of tests is on par with laboratory tests,” said Mr. Sharma.
Rise in number of diabetics according to the
International Diabetes Federation, by 2040, one adult in 10 (642 million) will have diabetes
The federation estimates that India is home to more than 65.1 million people with the disease, compared to 50.8 million in 2010
