Guwahati: Primary Healthtech Private Limited, an IIT Guwahati alumni-led startup, recently developed a point-of-care-testing (POCT) device that will be able to diagnose early chronic diseases of the heart, kidney, liver and pancreas, by testing 25 parameters in blood.
The device, named MobilabTM, can be operated via an Android app with Internet of Things (IoT) capabilities. It can execute approximately 150 tests on just one battery charge, paving the way for a digitally-connected healthcare system, even in the most remote corners of the nation, Primary Healthtech’s CEO, Sahil Jagnani, said in his announcement on Tuesday.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), non-communicable diseases (NCDs) cause approximately 41 million (74%) of deaths worldwide. The MobilabTM is expected to perform early screening of NCDs, thereby reducing the numbers.
Jagnani said, “The vision of MobilabTM is to make diagnosis available to fellow citizens at an affordable cost, along with generating instant results to speed up the early screening, disease management, and treatment.”
The device also aligns with the Indian government’s ‘Make-in-India’ initiative, promoting import substitution. MobilabTM allows cost-effective testing at the patient’s location, enabling both early screening and long-term disease management.
Currently, 11 parameters have been validated in NABL accredited and government labs. These include essential tests like cholesterol, LDL, HDL, and triglycerides for heart health, total bilirubin, albumin, and total protein for liver function, and creatinine, glucose, and uric acid for kidney health, among others.
The device will be able to provide results within 10 minutes, along with a digital report and an electronic health record of the patient that can be easily shared with medical professionals.
To ensure the device’s effectiveness, MobilabTM has undergone extensive testing in numerous hospitals, including Guwahati Medical College & Hospital, Guwahati Neurological Research Centre, Nemcare, Army Hospital, and AIIMS New Delhi. It has also been deployed in various regions of Assam, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Delhi, and Arunachal Pradesh.
In the near future, Primary Healthtech Private Limited plans to initiate mass production of MobilabTM by establishing a vendor network that offers affordability and sustainability, Jagnani said. The startup is incubated at the Research Park and the Centre for Nanotechnology on IIT Guwahati’s campus, and boasts a dedicated team of 30 engineers and researchers committed to making diagnostics frugal, portable, affordable, and accessible.
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