Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, ranked the fourth best university in India in the NIRF ranking, has entered into a pact with the Kochi-based startup Tranquility IOT and Bid Data Solution Pvt Ltd for the manufacture and sale of a non-invasive device developed by Amrita researchers for home-monitoring of glucose and blood pressure. Amrita Spandanam, as the device is called, will be sold online and through pharmacists across the country.
Developed and patented by the varsity’s Centre for Wireless Networks and Applications, it is a wearable, six-in-one device that is an excellent replacement for a bedside monitor. It can be used to measure six body parameters including blood glucose, blood pressure, heart rate, blood oxygen, respiratory rate, and 6-lead ECG.
Said Dr Maneesha V Ramesh, the Provost of Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham who led the team of researchers: “Amrita Spandanam is a revolutionary device that has bagged several US patents, with results published in top scientific journals. It offers a quick, easy, affordable and non-invasive way to monitor and detect diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, sleep apnea and allergy attacks from the comfort of one’s home. Our pact with Tranquility IOT takes the device from lab to market in record time. The product was extensively tested on 1000 patients at Amrita Hospital in Kochi and various remote clinics in Kerala. Last year, these devices were successfully deployed at Amrita Hospital to remotely monitor the progression of severity in COVID-19 patients.”
Said Dr. Shiju Sathyadevan, Director of Tranquility IOT and Big Data Solutions, a startup incubated by the varsity’s Technology Business Incubator: “Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham is among the best research universities in India, highly rated for its patents and innovations. We are proud to enter into an agreement with such a prestigious institution to bring Amrita Spandanam to the market. The product has immense applications in homecare of diabetes and heart patients. It can also serve as a micro bedside monitor in rural clinics. It is truly a revolution in the world of wearable healthcare. We are already producing and marketing various IOT solutions and products by Amrita scientists, with great success. This agreement for Amrita Spandanam deepens our relationship further.”
Talking about Amrita Spandanam, Dr Maneesha V Ramesh extolled the scientific breakthrough and its societal value. She said: “Our goal of developing scientific innovations that can impact the bottom of the pyramid has resulted in the development of this affordable, non-invasive device that can greatly help diabetic and cardiovascular disease patients. Since glucose monitoring is a vital part of diabetes control, Amrita Spandanam will help patients in rural and inaccessible settings to self-monitor their blood glucose and blood pressure levels without the need to prick their fingers or get the help from a nurse to correctly place the cuff. The data can be sent to any doctor remotely over the internet and tele-consultation initiated within the app itself, enabling the patient to obtain remote prescriptions and guidance. Since the device is non-invasive, there is no need to spend money on buying expensive glucose strips that cost about Rs 25 each.”
According to WHO data, 77 million Indians suffer from diabetes. They need to monitor their blood glucose levels several times a week or even on the same day. To make this process hassle-free and easier, Amrita Spandanam offers a non-invasive, prick-free method to assess their blood glucose levels. Blood pressure monitoring can also be done without employing a pressure cuff.
Amrita Spandanam uses a single finger clip to compute these vitals and the results can be obtained in less than a minute. This has been made possible with patented AI algorithms developed by Amrita scientists that process differential light signals from multiple LEDs to arrive at vital body measurements. The device also enables patients to monitor their cardiovascular functions through a 6-lead wearable ECG configuration, along with automatic activity tagging, which is highly beneficial for fitness monitoring and post-operative patients.
Amrita Spandanam is connected to the patient’s smartphone. The data is sent to a secure hospital cloud which enables any doctor authorized by the patient to access the vital parameters remotely from any location. The doctor can assess the condition of the patient in a timely manner and initiate teleconsultation. The product also integrates multiple -learning models that can predict the potential deterioration of patients’ health and provide early warning decision support to doctors for acute hypotensive episodes, sepsis, sleep apnea, and atrial fibrillation.
