India-US to begin collaborative programme in low-cost medical devices

The Department of Biotechnology (DBT) and the US government  will soon embark on a collaborative programme in the area of low-cost medical devices. The Indo-US collaborative programme  is aimed at encouraging joint activities between Indian and US  scientists, engineers and scientific organizations for the  development of low-cost medical devices to address the  medical needs in low-resource settings and also to take advantage of opportunities and technological advances  through the development of appropriate, low-cost medical devices. Medical technologies developed through Indo-US collaboration will benefit low-resource settings globally. Emphasis will be  placed on technologies that increase healthcare access, address global health disparities and/or address the diagnosis  and treatment of diseases of the poor. According to sources, the DBT had signed a joint statement  way back in October, 2007 with National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB) of DHHS,  USA in this regard and the DBT and the NIBIB reviewed and finalised the programme recently. A 2008 workshop in  Hyderabad had earlier examined the opportunities for  collaboration and the needs for low-cost diagnostic and  therapeutic medical technologies for use in under-served  settings.The focus of the programme would be on devices  that address chronic disease and conditions such as cardiovascular diseases, cancer screening, endocrine disorders,  maternal/neonatal/infant health, trauma and injury needs,  diagnostic technologies and translational research. In the area of cardiovascular diseases, the focus will be on detection and monitoring of cardiovascular diseases in low- resource settings and new devices for the treatment of  cardiovascular diseases. In cancer screening, the focus will be  on screening technologies simple enough to be operated by  people with minimal education (10th grade) and quantitative  tools for monitoring therapy. The focus of the collaboration on endocrine disorders would be on diagnostic and therapeutic technologies for endocrine disorders,  and specifically diabetes. Besides, focus will be on new or re-engineered low-cost technologies for the diagnosis and treatment of gastrointestinal (GI) tract diseases. In the maternal/neonatal/infant health area, focus will be on technologies to screen newborns for treatable conditions with  high morbidity and mortality such as haemoglobinopathies, hypothyroidism, and other metabolic or inherited disorders  to help prevent hypothyroidism. In trauma and injury segment,  the focus will be on developing low-cost prostheses and  prosthetic materials; low-cost imaging for tertiary care hospitals; mobile or portable imaging devices; low-cost EMS technologies such as a "trauma backpack"; improved,  low-cost telemedicine technologies; low-cost haemostats,  surgifoam, gelfoam, implants, sutures, pre-loaded syringes,  fixative; low-cost C-arm, ultrasound, and CT; rehabilitation  technologies, particularly for children who have been injured;  low-cost wheelchairs; technologies for airway clearing; and  technologies for CNS assessment. The focus of diagnostic technologies will be on glucose monitoring for diabetics; low-cost platform technologies  for multiple (multivalent) diagnostic tests; a multiplex,  lab-on-a-chip technologies; point-of-care diagnostics for screening infant diseases; technology and assay \development related specifically to screening newborns for heritable disorders; and appropriate, low-cost diagnostic imaging devices for low-resource settings. In the area of translational research, the focus will be on  developing technologies developed in the West to be re-engineered to suit local needs in India. For example, technologies such as the flow cytometers, insulin pumps could be made using readily available standard components. Source:Pharmabiz