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Lifesaving machine made by Bengaluru-based doctor can reduce costs from Rs 5 Lakh to Rs 22K

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Rinchen Norbu Wangchuk    11 January 2020

Bengaluru-based ENT surgeon and healthcare entrepreneur Dr Kumaresh Krishnamoorthy could have become an engineer seeing his inclination originally. But luckily for the healthcare sector in India, he had chosen to study medicine.

With almost two decades of professional experience and a successful practice, the entrepreneurial interest caught him three years ago. Further extending his practice, he wanted to give something back to society. His passion for engineering was always present, so he decided to develop critical low cost medical devices for patients in India.

He told The Better India (TBI) that in healthcare entrepreneurship, doctors are the best because they understand the demand and the needs. His venture into medical equipment innovation is driven by an ability to think out of the box and find solutions predominantly for patients who can’t afford quality treatment. His goal is to ensure these devices reach every doctor, so that all patients, irrespective of income levels can be benefitted.

The two particular devices that Dr Kumaresh Krishnamoorthy has developed that stand out are —IoT-enabled video laryngoscope and the UV Bot.

IoT-enabled video laryngoscope

Laryngoscopes are critical medical devices that are used in operation theatres, ICUs, ambulances and for post-surgical documentation. The device is used to look into the throat and larynx, and insert a tube that enables breathing when a patient can’t breathe on their own.

Dr Kumaresh said that they have developed different variants of the video laryngoscopes. One is for regular use, another includes laryngoscopes for new-born babies and children up to 2-3 years and another for patients who are unable to open their mouths because of certain conditions.

However, it’s the Wi-Fi/IoT-enabled video laryngoscope employing an android mobile phone/tablet for light and as a camera that can save lives and nullify the information asymmetry that exists between doctors and patients over certain medical procedures.

For example there is an ambulance and a paramedical staff and they need to intubate the patient, but don’t know how to because there aren’t any doctors around. They use the internet facility available and the doctor sitting in a hospital can assess the situation in real time through an app. In other words, the said doctor can guide the paramedical staff through the emergency procedure and this form of remote guidance can save lives.

He said that for teaching purposes, this device allows medical students or paramedical staff to watch the live procedure on an Android TV, tablet or any such device. They are waiting for a response to patent application.

He said that many hospitals have only one video laryngoscope used in the operation theatre. Smaller hospitals don’t even have any, and anesthetists bring their own flexible one that costs around Rs 5 lakh. With their device, they can record the procedure and take pictures. If the patient’s family accuses the doctors of committing mistakes in the operation or performing unnecessary procedures, doctors can show them all the documentary evidence and hence can reduce this information asymmetry. Most importantly, they want to show the world that they can develop superior devices at 1/10 the costs. A quality video laryngoscope would cost anywhere between Rs 4-5 lakhs. Their device is just Rs 22,000 including GST.

Dr Kumaresh has collaborated with an old friend Mr. Rajasekhar, for production who is based out of Chennai, and has now made the foray into manufacturing medical devices with his company Real Time Controls. Apart from the device itself, which took a year and a half to develop, the package will include four blades, one-year warranty, technical assistance, magnets to place the phone and a free live demonstration.

 IoT-enabled video laryngoscope

UV Bot is the most powerful in the world market

Next in line is the UV Bot, a disinfecting equipment that utilizes powerful ultraviolet C radiation to sterilize and deodorize operation theatres, post-surgical units, ICUs, laboratories and wards. In the West the UV Bot is used in hotels and public places too. In countries like the United States, the FDA has directed that all hospitals must use it and insurance companies penalize hospitals that don’t use it.

Dr Kumaresh said that the cost is extremely exorbitant in India including import duties and taxes. The cheapest one would cost around Rs 60 lakh while the top-end is around Rs 1 crore. They are planning to price it around Rs 10-12 lakhs including GST, warranty, installation and transportation charges. It’s already ready and has been validated at a NABL-accredited testing lab. They are in talks with a few educational institutes to gauge the minimum and maximum concentration, and the various germs it can kill so that it can be published and presented at national/international Conferences.

UVC light is extremely effective against microorganisms, viruses, bacteria and spores which are extremely difficult to eliminate. The current version of their UV Bot has 20 bulbs, and is the most powerful in the market at present. It emits close to 1500W of high end UVC light, and kills the germs present even in shadow areas like under the bed, TV remote, door knob and handrails. Their idea is to use it every time a patient leaves the OT or the ward so that the room gets stabilized and deodorized completely.

 UV Bot

He even added that extra sensors to the device to ensure the machine shuts down whenever a person accidentally enters the room as UVC light is quite dangerous when it comes in direct contact with human skin. The machine is operated remotely from outside the room, and takes 15 minutes to clear all germs. As a substitute of UV Bots, Indian hospitals go for fumigation. Even though it works, one has to shut down the room for a couple of hours and the fumes irritated the eyes and nose. This results in longer turn over times, hence affecting revenues.

As the patent application is pending, Dr Kumaresh is keener on ensuring that government hospitals in India often struggle with sanitation and hygiene and can avail of this Make in India device. He states that this has enormous potential in railways, airlines etc. as its application will be very beneficial to IRCTC to sterilize and deodorize the blankets in a custom made equipment.

In the meantime, he is currently working on more devices such as a portable disinfectant unit, which will be useful for doctors in immediately sterilizing their instruments during medical camps or if it falls down in the OT. This is presently undergoing testing. He is also developing a Smart Toilet System, which will automatically sterilize and deodorize the bathroom after use, a Bluetooth-enabled electronic stethoscope and an IoT-enabled IV fluid monitor. He claims that all of these devices will be available at an affordable cost and are being made in India.

Source: https://www.thebetterindia.com/208948/bengaluru-innovation-medical-ent-specialist-kumaresh-krishnamoorthy-video-laryngoscope-india-nor41/

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