Chennai: The Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT-M) launched India’s first mobile medical device calibration facility, housed in a vehicle. It can calibrate up to 45 life-saving medical devices, including defibrillator analysers, electrical safety analysers, gas flow analysers and dialysis reference meters, to improve healthcare access, especially in rural areas.
Medical devices need regular calibration for accurate diagnosis and treatment. Yet, primary health centres and rural hospitals struggle to conduct these calibrations regularly due to logistical challenges. To address this, IIT Madras has created a solution to deliver calibration services directly to healthcare facilities.
Director of IIT Madras, V Kamakoti, said, “This vehicle will go to the doorsteps of labs and calibrate life-saving medical equipment. The equipment will be tested in just a few hours. This will play a major role in providing quality healthcare in rural areas.”
The institute also plans to pursue National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) certification for the calibration process, ensuring adherence to rigorous quality standards.
The institute also aims to obtain the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) certification for the calibration process to ensure adherence to quality standards. This is to address issues like faulty readings and equipment malfunctions, which can negatively affect patient care. Kamakoti stated that about 25% of treatments fail because the devices aren’t calibrated.
The prototype of the mobile calibration unit was first tested at the IIT-M hospital and will undergo additional validation at other healthcare facilities. It cost one crore rupees to develop, with plans for expansion. Kamakoti aims for every district to have such a vehicle for yearly medical equipment calibration in all hospitals. The institute also plans to improve testing facilities to accommodate more equipment in the future.
