New Delhi: In a move to address problems faced by people in India’s remote areas in terms of access to health services and equipment, an alumnus of IIT-Bombay has discovered a portable mobile phone-based microscope which could be used in areas where diagnostic facilities are poor.
According to doctors, the device will help in rural areas where people have less reach to the diagnosis facilities.
The new technology will enable the doctors of rural areas to screen infections like malaria and tuberculosis, take pictures and directly send them to laboratories in urban areas for a quicker diagnosis through their mobile phones.
Samrat Singh finished this innovative project last year at IIT Bombay and the project has been commercialised by his medical device start-up along with his friends.
Speaking about his innovation Singh said, “It is very small in size as compared to the conventional microscopes that are used in labs.”
According to the market value, there are various microscopes which are priced above Rs 1 lakh but this device is estimated to cost Rs 35,000 which will also include the mobile phone along with the microscope.
How it works:
The newly developed microscope when connected to mobile phones converts the magnified images taken by the camera into digital image. The co-founder of the start-up Greeshma Unnikrishnan said, “To have a good picture quality of the images, we give a mobile phone that has a high resolution.”
Doctors’ take
Chief pathologist at Bandra’s Holy Family Hospital, Dr Jude Vaz said that the device developed by Singh is very convenient and can be carried around easily.
“Unlike doctors who carry stethoscopes around their necks, we pathologists cannot carry our microscopes with us everywhere,” Dr Vaz added.
“The image quality of the new microscope is as good as those taken by the any imported machine,” said Dr Deepa Bhartia, who is a senior faculty at the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR)-associated National Institute of Reproductive Research in Health in Parel,
“Not only is the image quality excellent but is way inexpensive compared to other microscopes, ” she added.
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