War on Pandemic: Start-ups step up with innovations in COVID Tech
While the second battering of coronavirus has upended our lives, the crisis also inspired creativity and innovation, driving out-of-the-box solutions to mitigate human suffering and bolster healthcare systems. Several of Social Alpha’s startups have shown amazing dexterity in identifying and quickly addressing the gaps that the Covid-19 catastrophe has deepened.
Here’s a list of companies that have breathed new life into the struggle against the pandemic.
Tan90
Core innovation: Tan90 worked on post-harvest management through portable cold storages at the grassroots. The focus was on extending the shelf life of fruits and vegetables by controlling temperatures and atmosphere inside the cold storages. During the first lockdown, their products were put to use primarily in the fisheries and floriculture segments, which faced massive losses due to poor post-harvest management.
Covid challenge: Tan90 specializes in the development and manufacturing of specialised cooling chemicals termed as Phase Change Materials. The founders Soumalya Mukherjee, Rajanikant Rai and Shiv Sharma have developed cooling solutions over a wide range of temperatures starting from +15 degrees centigrade to -24 degrees centigrade. In addition to reducing wastage at the farmgate, it was important to look out for vaccine transportation. Given the huge logistical challenge of maintaining the state of vaccines during transit, Tan90 has developed solutions for almost all vaccines. Various Covid 19 vaccines need to be stored at different temperatures, and with their wide range of temperature options, Tan90 has been providing solutions for the transportation of Covishield, Covaxin (2 to 8 degrees), and Moderna vaccine (-20 degrees). Going forward, Tan90 would be providing solutions for the transportation of Sputnik V vaccine in India which needs to be kept at sub-zero temperature. Vaccine shipper boxes from Tan90 offer the best-in-class volumetric weight ratio, thereby allowing for more vaccines to be carried at a time. Tan90 provides the following retention time for various temperature ranges:
2 to 8 degrees centigrade: 120 hours/ -25 to -15 degrees centigrade: 80 hours/ -8 to -4 degrees centigrade: 120 hours.
They are currently developing solutions for -70 degrees centigrade, required for the transportation of Pfizer BioNtech vaccine, thereby negating the dependence on dry ice, which is a hazard when transported by air.
Impact: Their solutions are being used by two companies for transporting vaccines. Tan90 has developed solutions with a major UK based vaccine shipper company to transport Covid vaccine that needs to be stored between -25 to -15 degrees centigrade.
Currently, the start-up is focussing on transporting vaccines by rail, using their passive cold chain solutions, to reach out to rural areas, with a partner based out of Bengaluru.
Blackfrog Technologies
Core innovation: The startup has developed a portable, battery-powered medical-grade refrigeration device called Emvólio that’s ideal for the delivery of vaccines and other biologicals like blood, tissue, COVID-19 specimens and culture. The carrier maintains the temperature range of 2 to 8 degrees Celsius for about 8–12 hours at a stretch, thus ensuring that the vaccines retain their efficacy until they are administered. Emvólio can replace standard-issue iceboxes and other less sophisticated systems like use of thermos flasks to protect the vaccines from thermal degradation.
Covid challenge: Founders Mayur Shetty and Donson Dsouza used the startup’s original technology to effectively address vaccine transportation issues. Emvólio is compliant with FDA & CDC (US) guidelines for storage of vaccines. Since it has a two-litre capacity, it can transport around 30–50 vials, required for day-long immunisation drives.
Impact: The startup has virtually revolutionised the last-mile delivery of vaccines in different parts of the country at a time when central and state governments are faced with the mammoth challenge of mass vaccination. Recently, Blackfrog partnered with SELCO Foundation and SVYM Hospital to ensure delivery of more than 1580 vaccines that were administered over a fortnight in Mysore. The device is currently being deployed in remote areas in Manipur, Bihar, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu.
Incredible Devices
Core innovation: The startup has invented a fully automatic Catheter Reprocessing System (CRS, Patented) that safely reprocesses angiography/angioplasty catheters without human intervention to reduce their cost by 99%. This helps in decreasing the overall treatment cost thereby making it affordable and accessible.
According to the WHO, cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the no.1 cause of death globally and 8/10 patients die because of unaffordable treatment due to the high cost of consumables like catheters.
Covid challenge: When entrepreneurs Vikram Goel and Rajwinder Kaur saw the vulnerability of frontline health workers, shortage of essential medical devices and prolonged treatment of Covid patients, they repurposed their patented technology to design an Advanced Reprocessing System (ARS) for ventilators. This novel product enabled automatic reprocessing of ventilator expiratory parts used on Covid patients, thus eliminating the need for human intervention. This not only ensures patient-staff safety but is also a cost-effective way to meet the demand for ventilators.
Since the geometry of catheters and ventilator parts is different, Incredible Devices had to rework various geometrical and biochemical parameters. In the process, they developed an innovative hydrodynamic technology with magnetic isolation system to effectively decontaminate ventilator parts.
Impact: Clinical validation of ARS has been successfully completed at 2 renowned hospitals. 1 unit of ARS at each hospital is supporting 2 ICUs, thus benefiting 40 patients and 50 medical workers each day. This year, the founders plan to install 100 units of ARS, which will benefit more than 30 lakh patients and 1 lakh medical staff in 1 year. The social return on investment for ARS is 10 Lives/$. ARS will also lessen environmental toxicity by avoiding the disposal of over 55 thousand EtO cartridges in 1 year.
Ubiqare Health
Core innovation: Ubiqare Health, founded by Sundararajan Srinivasan, Sridhar Pillalamarri, Prasanna Limaye, Dr Bala R Rallapalli, and Dr Sasikala K, was set up with a mission to make specialty healthcare easily accessible to millions of patients away from hospital, typically at home. They are doing this by combining technology, trust, teamwork and touch into one hybrid platform. The platform is a blend of mobility healthcare and clinical telepresence technology, collaborative model, last-mile clinical network and clinical workflows. It enables remote monitoring of patients’ conditions, quick clinical response to episodes and achieves high compliance to care protocol. The solution supports care for cancer, neuro-, ortho-, geriatric, pulmonary and other life-limiting chronic illnesses. It covers terminal, chronic, rehab, and post-acute care stages.
Covid challenges: Initially, patient acquisition took a hit due to the pandemic. With the focus shifting from non-Covid cases, most were deferred to later date by the hospitals. Patients’ kin too, were afraid to take up care programs that involved people visiting them at home. However, an increased regulatory clarity on telemedicine due to government guidelines resulted in lowering the hesitation in practicing doctors and specialists in adopting the platform.
With encouragement and support from BIRAC, CCAMP and Social Alpha, the founders repurposed the platform for covid-care at home — by providing service directly to patients as well as by enabling healthcare facilities to deliver remote speciality care. Ubiqare began to reach-out directly to patients by revamping their website, increasing social media presence and reaching out to residential communities in Bengaluru to prepare them for handling covid cases. A range of tailormade products and services lowered the barrier to adoption.
Impact: Ubiqare was recognised by BIRAC as one of the 20 in-market start-ups aiding the fight against Covid. It has been delivering Covid home isolation care to asymptomatic and mildly symptomatic patients. A few corporates have engaged with Ubiqare to give early-stage Covid care to their employees and families all over India.
It has delivered more than 11000 days of complex medical care to close to 300 non-Covid patients in Bengaluru. Patients who subscribed to its specialised medical care packages saw a 5-times reduction in care expenses. Ubiqare has managed 2 to 3 episodes of symptoms per patient per month at home and prevented hospital revisits/ readmissions for more than 90% of the time.
Ubiqare has enabled a renowned Bengaluru hospital to onboard around 2400 patients and 130 specialists on its platform. Between 300 to 400 patients are receiving extended care from this healthcare institution. Due to high incidence of Covid, the hospital is using the platform to optimise hospital stays and transition Covid patients to home care during the 14-day spell.
Ai Health Highway
Core innovation: AiSteth is a smart stethoscope to screen, detect and predict cardio-respiratory disorders. The product was primarily intended for physicians as the end-user, especially for stand-alone GP clinics who do not have access to ECHO, imaging facility etc. It is useful across a wide spectrum of diseases in adult cardiology, respiratory, paediatric conditions & monitoring of mother and child.
Covid challenge: In response to the pandemic, Ai Health Highway founders Satish Somayya Jeevannavar and Radhakrishna S. Jamadagni developed Covid Pre-Screening & Triage Tool — a risk-assessment platform to identify mild, moderate & high-risk groups who could be prone to the virus attack based on the demography, travel/contact history and clinical presentation. The innovation had multiple use-cases:
i)Nurse-led Covid Screening + NCDs Management: A tool with a nurse-led model for Covid + NCDs management for the rural population, which is not tech savvy and cannot speak English. It has now 100% adoption and the rural population seamlessly connects with our nurse over IVR Helpline and still retains the human connect which is very critical for delivering last mile access to healthcare.
ii) In addition to proactively triaging, screening Covid, the entrepreneurs realized that there was a huge neglect to NCDs and other chronic conditions. Hence, they also made it a point to drive better NCDs management, adherence to medication, lifestyle disorders.
iii) Syndromic surveillance: The analytics were able to identify lead indicators before the second wave struck. This helped in decision-making vis-a-vis when factories should open/close, stratification of high-risk groups for vaccination, contact tracing, disease surveillance etc.
AiSteth too proved to be a valuable tool in the fight against the virus:
i) Home isolation: Used in remote monitoring of heart/lung/vitals for mild, moderate cases for which self/home isolation was advised.
ii) Chronic heart/lung disorders: Follow up and remote monitoring of elderly patients suffering from chronic heart/lung disorders as they are at high risk of Covid if they visit regular OPD/clinics/hospitals. AiSteth acts as a great adjunct tool for tele-medicine, home healthcare partners for their elderly patients.
iii) Home healthcare: AiSteth was given to nurse, lab attendants when they visited home, apartment complex to provide home health services or to collect lab samples — the nurses, lab attendants can facilitate teleconsultations after the lab sample collection or during home health services so that the treating specialist/physician gets more in-depth clinical information of vitals, heart/lung parameters via remote auscultation.
Impact: The entrepreneurs have deployed the first batch of AiSteth for field trials in 3 hospitals/medical colleges & research centre with early encouraging results.
Since its launch last year, the Covid Pre-screening & Triage Tool has been used to carry out more than 7500 Covid screenings and 5000-plus tele consults, over all impacting more than 5000 families across Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Gujarat.
Meladath Auto
Core innovation: An Electric Mobility Powertrain company with proprietary technology-based solutions. The pilot solution can convert petrol scooters to electric hybrid smart scooter with 40 kms of electric range.
Covid challenge: Entrepreneur Rakesh MK has developed a frugal breathing support apparatus for non-invasive ventilation, which can serve as a temporary alternative to life support in an emergency situation. The portable artificial manual breathing unit (AMBU) bag is DC powered/battery operable.
Impact: The product is awaiting post-pilot clinical trials, followed by testing and accreditation from Indian Medical Association. Costing only Rs 20,000, this affordable solution can be transported to resource-constrained rural clinics to address health emergencies.
Devidayal Solar Solutions
Core innovation: Developing and selling renewable energy solutions. Its flagship product is a DC off-grid solar refrigerator that addresses supply chain gaps in agriculture and allied sector.
Covid challenge: Founder Tushar Devidayal has developed a solar maternity solution to detect co-morbidities like high blood pressure and diabetes. The kit also includes IR thermometers, pulse oximeters, backup batteries and headlamps.
Impact: Impact assessment is yet to be done but the product has already elicited enthusiastic response from an NGO in Rajasthan, which has asked for 30 kits.
