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Kanpur, The Indian Institute of Technology (<keyword id="6354859" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="iit" source="Orion">IIT</keyword>) in Kanpur has licensed a pioneering technology to Reliance Life Sciences Pvt. Ltd. that has the potential to revolutionise the field of <keyword id="68640" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="gene-therapy" source="Orion">gene therapy</keyword>, especially for many genetic eye diseases. There are many inherited disorders caused by a faulty gene. 'Gene Therapy' is a way to replace the faulty gene with a functional version of the gene to treat such disorders. This marks the first time that a gene therapy related technology has been developed and transferred from an academic institution to a company in India. The gene therapy technology from IIT Kanpur will be further developed as an Indigenous Product by Reliance Life Sciences, said an official release from IIT-K. Developed by Prof Jayandharan <keyword id="16753139" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="giridhara-rao" source="Orion">Giridhara Rao</keyword> and <keyword id="4120902" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="shubham-maurya" source="Orion">Shubham Maurya</keyword> from the Department of Biological Sciences and Bioengineering (BSBE), IIT Kanpur, the patented technology modifies the gene of an organism to treat a hereditary disorder. In this case, the site refers to a specific location on an Adeno-associated virus (AAV) (viral vector) used for gene therapy. The technology modifies this location to optimize its ability to deliver genes to the affected cells and improve its effectiveness. The technology has the ability to improve gene therapy for many hereditary diseases, especially inherited eye diseases. It has shown significant promise in correcting the vision impairment in animal models of blindness. <keyword id="9701732" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="prof-abhay-karandikar" source="Orion">Prof Abhay Karandikar</keyword>, Director of IIT Kanpur, said, "Gene therapy using viral vectors has recently emerged as a potent tool in the field of molecular medicine. We believe that this technology holds great promise for treating a wide range of hereditary eye diseases including Leber congenital amaurosis, an eye disorder that is present from birth; and Retinitis pigmentosa, a disease causing progressive sustained vision loss." Gene therapy is one of the most potent applications of recombinant DNA technology wherein pieces of DNA from multiple sources are combined to efficiently deliver the healthy copy of the faulty gene in a manner that production of protein from the introduced gene is sustained for life. To enable this, the therapeutic DNA molecule is delivered using a virus that can infect human cells. For successful clinical application, several optimizations of the basic process is needed aimed at ensuring adequate expression of the desired gene. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/centre-announces-10-reservation-for-ex-agniveers-in-bsf-recruitment/articleshow/98539415.cms">Centre announces 10% reservation for ex-Agniveers in BSF recruitment</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/karnataka-records-its-first-h3n2-variant-death/articleshow/98539607.cms">Karnataka records its first H3N2 variant death</a>

IIT Kanpur licenses gene therapy to Reliance Life Sciences

Researchers at the <keyword id="55119" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="indian-institute-of-technology" source="Orion">Indian Institute of Technology</keyword> (<keyword id="6354859" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="iit" source="Orion">IIT</keyword>) <keyword id="6357478" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="kanpur" source="Orion">Kanpur</keyword> on Tuesday announced the development of a bio-inspired artificial muscle for next-generation space robots and medical prostheses. Encouraged by the industry demand and growth in the field of miniature, light weight, non-magnetic gear-free actuators, shape memory alloy (<keyword id="12038666" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="sma" source="Orion">SMA</keyword>) based actuators have emerged with an excellent power-to-weight ratio as a suitable alternative to the conventional actuators. However, existing SMA actuators have limited scope in terms of higher force or torque output due to the relatively simple architecture of the actuation mechanism. To address this limitation, the team from <keyword id="5019091" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="smart-materials" source="Orion">Smart Materials</keyword>, Structures and Systems (SMSS) Lab at <keyword id="108320" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="iit-kanpur" source="Orion">IIT Kanpur</keyword> expanded the design space of the SMA actuator by leveraging the characteristics of bi-pennate muscle architecture with about 70 per cent enhanced muscle force output per unit weight. This will result in the creation of a new class of space robots which will , the team wrote in the paper published in <keyword id="3686694" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="nature-scientific-reports" source="Orion">Nature Scientific Reports</keyword>. "This invention will not only result in the development of next-gen space robots and medical prostheses, but will also help aviation and some other industries. In a way, it will help make multiple sectors self-reliant and more advanced in the long run," said Prof. <keyword id="5413559" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="abhay-karandikar" source="Orion">Abhay Karandikar</keyword>, Director at IIT Kanpur in a statement. The primary goal of an actuator is to generate mechanical output, such as force and displacement, by transforming electrical energy. SMAs are a class of smart materials that can restore their shape after being exposed to high temperatures. The interesting property of the customisable multi-stage hierarchy of the SMA-based bio-inspired muscle design will also encourage researchers in the domain of bio-mechatronics to develop adaptive robotic prostheses for bio-medical application in the country. This will significantly reduce (one third of the current cost) the cost of bio-medical devices and increase the affordability of high performance systems like MRI scanner, CT scanner and surgical robots. The technology will also enable development of patient rooms with low maintenance and quieter operation. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/indias-most-expensive-homes-dmarts-radhakishan-damanis-dream-home-cost-him-1001-crore/articleshow/92976542.cms">India’s most expensive homes: DMart’s Radhakishan Damani’s dream home cost him ₹1,001 crore</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/if-musk-goes-to-mars-well-deliver-diesel-there-too-says-this-ratan-tata-backed-startup-founder/articleshow/92973971.cms">If Musk goes to Mars, we’ll deliver diesel there too says this Ratan Tata-backed startup founder</a>

IIT Kanpur develops bio-inspired artificial muscle for space robots to boost Indian space technology

Rakesh Gangwal, co-founder of budget carrier IndiGo and an <keyword id="108320" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="iit-kanpur" source="Orion">IIT Kanpur</keyword> alumnus, has made a personal donation of Rs 100 crore to support the School of Medical Sciences and Technology at his alma mater. <keyword id="6354859" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="iit" source="Orion">IIT</keyword> <keyword id="6357478" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="kanpur" source="Orion">Kanpur</keyword> Director Abhay Karandikar confirmed this in a series of tweets. "Here is big news from IIT Kanpur. In an extraordinary gesture, our alumnus Rakesh Gangwal, co-founder of IndiGo airlines has made one of the largest personal donations with a Rs 100 crore contribution focused on supporting the School of Medical Sciences and Technology at IIT Kanpur," Karandikar tweeted. Gangwal has also signed a pact with IIT Kanpur to set up a school of Medical Sciences and Technology on the IIT Kanpur campus. He also donated Rs 100 crore for the purpose. The IndiGo co-founder will also soon join the Advisory Board of the institution. Gangwal told reporters, "It is a privilege to be associated with such a noble endeavour with my alma mater. I am proud to see that the institution that has produced thousands of leaders across various sectors is now paving the way in the healthcare sector. More than ever, healthcare is intertwined with technological advances and this school will accelerate innovation in healthcare." This school will be completed in two phases. The first phase will include setting up a 500-bed super-specialty hospital, academic block, residential/hostel and service block with a total built-up area of around 8, 10,000 square feet. It will also involve setting up Centres of Excellence (CoE) for pursuing R&amp;D activities in futuristic medicine and is tentatively planned to be completed over 3-5 years. The second phase is planned to be completed in 7-10 years and will see the hospital capacity to grow to 1,000 beds. It will also involve expanding clinical departments/centres, research areas, the inclusion of paramedical disciplines, alternative medicine, hospital management, sports medicine and public health programmes. Karandikar thanked Gangwal for his contribution and said: "The proposed medical school will play an important role in driving IIT Kanpur's innovations in medical research and technology and catapult India into the global league of institutions that are converging medical sciences and technology to benefit humankind." SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/news/nasa-telescope-uses-moonlight-to-improve-satellite-accuracy/articleshow/90657804.cms">NASA telescope uses moonlight to improve satellite accuracy</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/elon-musk-is-now-asking-if-people-want-an-edit-button-in-twitter/articleshow/90656209.cms">Elon Musk is now asking if people want an edit button after acquiring a 9.2% stake in Twitter</a>

Former student and Indigo cofounder Rakesh Gangwal gifts  ₹100 crore to IIT-Kanpur

Kanpur (UP) May 14 () An IIT Kanpur-incubated company is set to launch a series of automatic disinfectant chambers that would help reduce the risk of people catching COVID-19 when they visit public places, the institute director said on Thursday. "One of the first products that is going through the rigorous testing is the intelligent disinfectant chamber" IIT-Kanpur Director Abhay Karandikar said. Dr Nikhil Agarwal, CEO of IIT Kanpur incubator said, "CuproHealthtech is launching the disinfectant chambers. We are working with the team closely to ensure the best possible support". Disinfectant chambers are closed cabins where disinfectant is sprayed on the individual to sanitize or disinfect him or her completely. The chamber will determine the temperature of the person before allowing him or her to enter and the AI-powered camera will record the face of the individual and moderate the entry of the individuals, Karandikar said in a release. He said the chamber will sanitise individuals from top to bottom within seconds, and asserted that the whole process is completely automatic and free of any human intervention. As people go out in pubic spaces after the coronavirus-triggered lockdown is lifted, the IIT-Kanpur director said, they will be prone to getting infected from belongings of others including clothes and shoes. He said hand sanitizers and face masks may not guarantee complete protection. CuproHealthTech is a health technology firm based out of Hyderabad. Cupro is incubated at Foundation for Innovation and Research in Science &amp; Technology (FIRST) –- a technology incubator of IIT-Kanpur. SAB CK

IIT Kanpur-incubated company to launch automatic disinfectant chambers

Kanpur, May 5 () The IIT-Kanpur has tied up with two firms for the production of affordable ventilators for use during the coronavirus pandemic, an official said on Tuesday. The premiere institute signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in this regard with public sector undertaking Bharat Dynamics Ltd (BDL) and Nocca Robotics Private Ltd (NRPL). Institute Director Abhay Karandikar said in response to the call given by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Nocca Robotics developed a high-end affordable ventilator for critical coronavirus patients under the supervision of an IIT-K team led by Prof Amitabha Bandyopadhyay. "Now, with the BDL supporting us, we will be able to scale up the production and make this critical device widely available as a Make in India product," he said. Apart from providing support to critical patients, the ventilator's design has unique features to safeguard the frontline healthcare workers from exposure to the virus, he added. CORR ABN RDKRDK

IIT-Kanpur signs pact with two firms for production of cheap ventilators

<ul><li>The global oil price crashing to a new low has cost Indian fresh graduates their jobs. </li><li>Energy major <keyword id="161205" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Schlumberger">Schlumberger</keyword> revoked the job offers extended to the Indian Institute of Technology (<keyword id="6354859" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="IIt">IIT</keyword>) graduates. </li><li>Two of the selected graduates from IIT Kanpur and Madras have now been offered a similar role — but at a lower salary. </li><li>The oilfield services multinational said that it is adjusting to the ‘sudden reduction in consumer spending’. </li><li>This comes after the company announced its first quarter results for FY21 and said that it expects at least a 15% drop in customer expenditure globally. </li></ul>The global <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/crude-oil-prices-didnt-fall-below-zero-futures-did-and-heres-what-it-means/articleshow/75264639.cms">oil price crashing</a> to a new low has cost Indian graduates their jobs. Impacted by the decline in oil demand due to <keyword id="1754604" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="coronavirus">Coronavirus</keyword> lockdown, energy major Schlumberger revoked job offers extended to the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) graduates. The oilfield services multinational said that it is adjusting to the ‘sudden reduction in consumer spending’. The company had given job offers to candidates at least five IITs. On April 6, Schlumberger told IITs that it will reduce the intake of new campus hires, withdrawing a few internships and job offers. “We will personally communicate our decision to each student who is affected by this decision,” Indian Express <a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/education/energy-major-schlumberger-withdraws-job-offers-to-fresh-iit-graduates-6373375/">reported</a> citing the letter by Gautam Reddy, MD, India and Bangladesh at Schlumberger. IIT graduates bagged ‘above-average salary packages’ this placement season According to the report, two students at IIT Delhi and Bombay have lost their jobs at Schlumberger. While two other selected graduates from IIT Kanpur and Madras have now been offered similar roles — but at lower salaries. Given the current situation, it does not help that most of the IIT graduates bagged ‘above-average salary packages’ this placement season. IIT Kharagpur students also bagged a few offers from Schlumberger. “As on date, none of the offers were revoked. That was a generic email. We haven’t heard back from them,” Parag Deshpande, vice-chairperson, CDC at IIT-Kharagpur said. “As of now we have withdrawn the offers. If the business climate changes, we will be the first to reach out to those who have been filtered through the whole recruitment process,” Reddy added. ‘We have to take care of our employees first’ Reddy also <a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/education/energy-major-schlumberger-withdraws-job-offers-to-fresh-iit-graduates-6373375/">said</a> that employees across the top management have already taken a pay cut due to the Covid-19 crisis. “We have a longstanding relationship with the IITs. I am from IIT-Bombay. Recruiting from IITs is a continuous process for us. At this point in time, when we are doing business restructuring, it’s just not fair to our current employees. We have to take care of them first. It’s as simple as this.” During the <a href="https://seekingalpha.com/article/4338898-schlumberger-earnings-expected-trouble-may-still-be-afoot">first quarter results for FY21</a> the company said that it expects at least a 15% drop in customer expenditure globally and 40% in North America. It clearly indicates how disruption in supply chain, plant shutdowns and dropping revenues forced companies to rethink placements. Gartner rescinds 11 offers at three IITs With this, Schlumberger joins Gartner, the global research advisory firm to withdraw offers given to new hires. Gartner rescinded nearly 11 offers at IIT Delhi, Madras and Kanpur campuses last month. After that, V Ramgopal Rao, director at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/careers/news/iit-and-iim-job-offers-are-fast-vanishing-and-a-second-placement-drive-in-july-might-be-underway/articleshow/75003350.cms">appealed to recruiters</a> saying “a few months of delay may be fine. If at all, these students are capable of getting you out of recession faster than you can imagine.” The changed environment left these young minds stranded with no job at hand. The institutes are now figuring out ways to place the students whose offers have been revoked. They are even reaching out to their alumni network to place students in the less-affected sectors. On the other hand, IIT-Kanpur director Abhay Karandikar also <a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/jobs/iit-iim-job-offers-placement-season-coronavirus-outbreak-lockdown-6346524/">said</a> that the institute will arrange a dedicated placement drive in July-August for those students who have been affected by the withdrawal of offers. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/crude-oil-prices-didnt-fall-below-zero-futures-did-and-heres-what-it-means/articleshow/75264639.cms">Crude oil prices didn’t fall below zero, futures did – and here’s what it means</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/careers/news/iit-and-iim-job-offers-are-fast-vanishing-and-a-second-placement-drive-in-july-might-be-underway/articleshow/75003350.cms">IIT and IIM job offers are fast vanishing and a second placement drive in July might be underway</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/careers/news/tcs-cognizant-capgemini-and-other-top-giants-who-are-not-letting-go-of-their-new-hires/articleshow/75136446.cms">TCS, Cognizant, Capgemini and other top giants who are not letting go of their new hires</a>

Schlumberger revokes IIT job offers, lowers salaries after the massive crude oil price crash

By Gunjan Sharma (Eds: Updating with additional details) New Delhi, Jun 14 () Low-cost portable ventilators, affordable COVID-19 test kits, drones for sanitisation, specialised digital stethoscopes and "infection-proof fabric" for hospitals -- these are among key innovations by IITs across the country which are ready to hit the market. The innovations were developed by the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) during the last three months when the country was hit by the pandemic. The key innovations have taken commercial route either through IIT-incubated startups or the premier institutes have given license to companies keeping the patent rights with themselves. IIT Delhi, which became the first academic institute to get a nod from the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) for its COVID-19 test kit, has given non-exclusive open licence to Bengaluru-based biotechnology firm Genie Laboratories for commercialising the test, but with a price rider of Rs 500 per kit. The kits, being manufactured at the Andhra Pradesh MedTech Zone (AMTZ) in Vishakhapatnam, are expected to be available in the market in the next 10 days. "Over 40 companies, including a few big names, have reached out to us to commercialise the test. We will be giving open licences to companies which meet the quality criterion set by us and set a price rider so that companies do not hike the price once commercialised. We have chosen Genie laboratories as the first one, but there will be more companies too," IIT Delhi Director V Ramgopal told . According to the IIT Delhi team, the current testing methods available are "probe-based" while the one developed by the IIT team is a "probe-free" method, which reduces the testing cost without compromising on accuracy. Another innovation by the institute, an "infection-proof fabric" to prevent hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) is being sent to various hospitals in Delhi and NCR in the form of bed sheets, curtains and uniforms by an incubated startup called "Fabiosys Innovations". The innovation was earlier tested at AIIMS. "We take rolls of cotton fabric and treat it with a set of proprietary-developed chemicals under a set of particular reaction conditions, using the machinery already commonly available in textile industries. The fabric, after undergoing these processes, gains the powerful antimicrobial functionality," said Samrat Mukhopadhyay, a professor at IIT-Delhi. "Even after washing multiple times, it does not lose its functionality. This fabric can be stitched into various articles such as bedsheets, the uniforms for patients, doctors and nurses and even curtains. The fabric satisfies the Indian standards in terms of the number of washing. It is completely non-toxic and affordable," he added. A "digital stethoscope", developed by a team at IIT Bombay, that can listen to heartbeats from a distance and record them, minimising the risk of healthcare professionals contracting the novel coronavirus from patients, is already available in the market. The data or the auscultated sound from a patient's chest is wirelessly sent to the doctor using Bluetooth, doing away with the need to go near to take readings. Operating a startup called "AyuDevice" from the IIT's technology business incubator, the team has sent 1,000 stethoscopes to different hospitals and healthcare centres across the country. The product is also available for sale at various stores. An IIT Guwahati startup "Marut Dronetech" has developed two types of drones, which are being used by the Telangana government and various departments across the state. The drones are being deployed for spraying disinfectant in public spaces to prevent the coronavirus. They can disinfect 50 times more area than what can be done using traditional methods, the institute claimed. "We have also developed public monitoring and warning drones which are fitted with a camera and speaker. These can be used to monitor places, especially with high disease prevalence for crowd gathering and give appropriate instructions to people, using fitted loudspeakers," said Prem Kumar Vislawath, an IIT Guwahati alumnus. The institute's design department has come up with a bamboo hospital furniture range, mass production of which is quick and low cost, to meet demands arising out of hospitalisation of more people with the spike in coronavirus cases. "The furniture can be used at primary health centres and makeshift isolation wards set up in places like indoor stadiums. It can be easily disposed of when the virus has been contained. Over 200 beds can be manufactured per day using the design. We have tied up with two local entrepreneurs for manufacturing," a professor said. IIT Kanpur has collaborated with ICICI Securities for the development of a low-cost ventilator innovated by two of its students. "This easily portable ventilator will be much cheaper than other life-saving machines available in the market. It will also work as a sanitizer to keep the hospital germ-free. Due to the components used in the ventilator which are specifically manufactured in India, it will cost only Rs 70,000 while available ventilators cost around Rs 4 lakh," said IIT-Kanpur Director Abhay Karandikar. "We plan to develop around 30,000 units in 2020, and the first lot is expected to hit the market soon," he added. According to the Union Health ministry, India saw the highest single-day spike of 11,929 COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, taking the number of infections to over 3.20 lakh on Sunday, while the toll crossed the 9,000-mark with 311 more deaths. GJS CK

Low-cost test kits to sanitising drones: IIT innovations take commercial route to aid COVID-19 fight

By Gunjan Sharma New Delhi, Jun 14 () Low-cost portable ventilators, affordable COVID-19 test kits, drones for sanitisation, specialised digital stethoscopes, disposable bamboo furniture for makeshift isolation wards and "infection-proof fabric" for hospitals -- these are among several innovations, by IITs across the country during the lockdown period, which are ready to the hit the market to aid the fight against COVID-19. The innovations have taken commercial route either through IIT-incubated startups or the premiere institutes have given license to companies keeping the patent rights with themselves. The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi, which became the first academic institute to get a nod from the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) for its COVID-19 test kit, has given non-exclusive open licence to Bengaluru-based biotechnology firm Genie Laboratories for commercialising the test, but with a price rider of Rs 500 per kit. The kits are being manufactured at a facility at the Andhra Pradesh MedTech Zone (AMTZ) in Vishakhapatnam, and are expected to be available in the market in the next 10 days. "Over 40 companies, including a few big names, have reached out to us to commercialise the test. We will be giving open licences to companies which meet the quality criterion set by us. We are also giving the licence with a price rider so that companies do not hike the price once commercialised. We have shortlisted Genie laboratories as the first one, but there will be more companies too," IIT Delhi Director V Ramgopal told . According to the IIT Delhi team, the current testing methods available are "probe-based" while the one developed by the IIT team is a "probe-free" method, which reduces the testing cost without compromising on accuracy. Another innovation by the institute, an "infection-proof fabric" to be used at hospitals to prevent hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) is being sent to various hospitals in Delhi and NCR in the form of bed sheets, curtains and uniforms by an incubated startup called "Fabiosys Innovations". The innovation was earlier tested at AIIMS. "We take rolls of cotton fabric and treat it with a set of proprietary-developed chemicals under a set of particular reaction conditions, using the machinery already commonly available in textile industries. The fabric, after undergoing these processes, gains the powerful antimicrobial functionality," Samrat Mukhopadhyay, a professor at the Department of Textile and Fibre Engineering in IIT-Delhi, said. "Even after washing multiple times, it does not lose its functionality. This fabric can be stitched into various articles such as bedsheets, the uniforms for patients, doctors and nurses and even curtains. The fabric satisfies the Indian standards in terms of the number of washing. It is completely non-toxic and affordable," he added. A "digital stethoscope" developed by a team at IIT Bombay, that can listen to heartbeats from a distance and record them, minimising the risk of healthcare professionals contracting the novel coronavirus from patients, is already available in the market. Operating a start-up called "AyuDevice" from the IIT's technology business incubator, the team has sent 1,000 stethoscopes to different hospitals and healthcare centres across the country. The product is also available for sale at various stores. An IIT Guwahati startup "Marut Dronetech" has developed two types of drones, which are being used by the Telangana government and various departments across the state. The drones are being deployed for spraying disinfectant in public spaces to prevent the coronavirus. They can disinfect 50 times more area than what can be done using traditional methods, the institute claimed. "We have also developed public monitoring and warning drones which are fitted with a camera and speaker. These can be used to monitor places, especially with high disease prevalence for crowd gathering and give appropriate instructions to people, using fitted loudspeakers," said Prem Kumar Vislawath, an IIT Guwahati alumnus. The institute's design department has come up with a bamboo hospital furniture range, mass production of which is quick and low cost, to meet demands arising out of hospitalisation of more people with the spike in coronavirus cases. "The furniture can be used at primary health centres and makeshift isolation wards set up in places like indoor stadiums. It can be easily disposed of when the virus has been contained. Over 200 beds can be manufactured per day using the design. We have tied up with two local entrepreneurs for manufacturing," a professor said. IIT Kanpur has collaborated with ICICI Securities for the development of a low-cost ventilator innovated by two of its students. "This easily portable ventilator will be much cheaper than other life-saving machines available in the market. It will also work as a sanitizer to keep the hospital germ-free. Due to the components used in the ventilator which are specifically manufactured in India, it will cost only Rs 70,000 while available ventilators cost around Rs 4 lakh," said IIT-Kanpur Director Abhay Karandikar. "We plan to develop around 30,000 units in 2020, and the first lot is expected to hit the market soon," he added. According to the Union Health ministry, India saw the highest single-day spike of 11,929 COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, taking the number of infections to over 3.20 lakh on Sunday, while the toll crossed the 9,000-mark with 311 more deaths. GJS CK CK

Low-cost test kits to santising drones: IIT innovations take commercial route to aid COVID-19 fight

<ul><li>The innovations have taken commercial route either through IIT-incubated startups or the <keyword id="9400017" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="premiere-institutes">premiere institutes</keyword> have given license to companies keeping the patent rights with themselves. </li><li>The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi, which became the first academic institute to get a nod from the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) for its <keyword id="8950286" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Covid-19-test-kit">COVID-19 test kit</keyword>, has given non-exclusive open licence to Bengaluru-based biotechnology firm Genie Laboratories for commercialising the test, but with a price rider of Rs 500 per kit.</li><li>Another innovation by the institute, an "infection-proof fabric" to be used at hospitals to prevent hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) is being sent to various hospitals in Delhi and NCR in the form of bed sheets, curtains and uniforms by an incubated startup called "Fabiosys Innovations". The innovation was earlier tested at AIIMS.</li></ul>Low-cost portable ventilators, affordable COVID-19 test kits, drones for sanitisation, specialised digital stethoscopes, disposable bamboo furniture for makeshift isolation wards and "infection-proof fabric" for hospitals -- these are among several innovations, by IITs across the country during the lockdown period, which are ready to hit the market to aid the fight against COVID-19. The innovations have taken commercial route either through IIT-incubated startups or the premiere institutes have given license to companies keeping the patent rights with themselves. The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi, which became the first academic institute to get a nod from the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) for its COVID-19 test kit, has given non-exclusive open licence to Bengaluru-based biotechnology firm Genie Laboratories for commercialising the test, but with a price rider of Rs 500 per kit. The kits are being manufactured at a facility at the Andhra Pradesh MedTech Zone (AMTZ) in Vishakhapatnam, and are expected to be available in the market in the next 10 days. "Over 40 companies, including a few big names, have reached out to us to commercialise the test. We will be giving open licences to companies which meet the quality criterion set by us. We are also giving the licence with a price rider so that companies do not hike the price once commercialised. We have shortlisted Genie laboratories as the first one, but there will be more companies too," IIT Delhi Director V Ramgopal told PTI. According to the IIT Delhi team, the current testing methods available are "probe-based" while the one developed by the IIT team is a "probe-free" method, which reduces the testing cost without compromising on accuracy. Another innovation by the institute, an "infection-proof fabric" to be used at hospitals to prevent hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) is being sent to various hospitals in Delhi and NCR in the form of bed sheets, curtains and uniforms by an incubated startup called "Fabiosys Innovations". The innovation was earlier tested at AIIMS. "We take rolls of cotton fabric and treat it with a set of proprietary-developed chemicals under a set of particular reaction conditions, using the machinery already commonly available in textile industries. The fabric, after undergoing these processes, gains the powerful antimicrobial functionality," Samrat Mukhopadhyay, a professor at the Department of Textile and Fibre Engineering in <keyword id="6431668" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="IIT-Delhi">IIT-Delhi</keyword>, said. "Even after washing multiple times, it does not lose its functionality. This fabric can be stitched into various articles such as bedsheets, the uniforms for patients, doctors and nurses and even curtains. The fabric satisfies the Indian standards in terms of the number of washing. It is completely non-toxic and affordable," he added. A "digital stethoscope" developed by a team at IIT Bombay, that can listen to heartbeats from a distance and record them, minimising the risk of healthcare professionals contracting the novel coronavirus from patients, is already available in the market. Operating a start-up called "AyuDevice" from the IIT's technology business incubator, the team has sent 1,000 stethoscopes to different hospitals and healthcare centres across the country. The product is also available for sale at various stores. An IIT Guwahati startup "Marut Dronetech" has developed two types of drones, which are being used by the Telangana government and various departments across the state. The drones are being deployed for spraying disinfectant in public spaces to prevent the coronavirus. They can disinfect 50 times more area than what can be done using traditional methods, the institute claimed. "We have also developed public monitoring and warning drones which are fitted with a camera and speaker. These can be used to monitor places, especially with high disease prevalence for crowd gathering and give appropriate instructions to people, using fitted loudspeakers," said Prem Kumar Vislawath, an IIT Guwahati alumnus. The institute's design department has come up with a bamboo hospital furniture range, mass production of which is quick and low cost, to meet demands arising out of hospitalisation of more people with the spike in coronavirus cases. "The furniture can be used at primary health centres and makeshift isolation wards set up in places like indoor stadiums. It can be easily disposed of when the virus has been contained. Over 200 beds can be manufactured per day using the design. We have tied up with two local entrepreneurs for manufacturing," a professor said. <keyword id="108320" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="IIT-Kanpur">IIT Kanpur</keyword> has collaborated with ICICI Securities for the development of a low-cost ventilator innovated by two of its students. "This easily portable ventilator will be much cheaper than other life-saving machines available in the market. It will also work as a sanitizer to keep the hospital germ-free. Due to the components used in the ventilator which are specifically manufactured in India, it will cost only Rs 70,000 while available ventilators cost around Rs 4 lakh," said IIT-Kanpur Director Abhay Karandikar. "We plan to develop around 30,000 units in 2020, and the first lot is expected to hit the market soon," he added. According to the Union Health ministry, India saw the highest single-day spike of 11,929 COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, taking the number of infections to over 3.20 lakh on Sunday, while the toll crossed the 9,000-mark with 311 more deaths.

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IIT Kanpur licenses gene therapy to Reliance Life Sciences

IANS

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IANS

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PTI

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PTI

Schlumberger revokes IIT job offers, lowers salaries after the massive crude oil price crash

Prerna Sindwani

Low-cost test kits to sanitising drones: IIT innovations take commercial route to aid COVID-19 fight

PTI

Low-cost test kits to santising drones: IIT innovations take commercial route to aid COVID-19 fight

PTI

Low-cost test kits to santising drones — IIT innovations take commercial route to aid COVID-19 fight

PTI

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