NextBillion - An Initiative of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan

Monday, January 16, 2017

A low-cost, brain-scanning device for detecting neurological emergencies swiftly, a biochip integrated with smart phone for DNA-based test malaria test, a point-of-care microscope that detects infection using artificial intelligence (AI) are some of the top 20 ventures selected in the Tata Social Enterprise Challenge (TSEC) 2016-2017.

Of the over 400 applications for the latest edition of TSEC, the maximum (20 per cent) are from the healthcare sector. This is followed by (at 18 per cent) participants from the agriculture, food, dairy segment and the education vertical.

For example, Kolkata-based Arogya Meditech Pvt. Ltd, has developed a product called CEREBROS, a low-cost, portable, radiation-free brain scanning device that detects brain injuries, strokes and other neurological emergencies. It comes in the form of a wearable head-gear and combines two technologies-Near Infrared Spectroscopy and Electroencephalography.

Bengaluru-incubated biotech company OmiX Labs has designed a platform that includes a disposable biochip loaded with all reagents and a smartphone based reader for DNA analysis. Aiming to bring tests to the patients themselves, its current projects include detection of low levels of malarial parasite in blood, urinary tract infections and anti-microbial resistance.