Cancer Treatment Archives - InnoHEALTH magazine

Cancer in India: Prevention, Early Detection, and the Human Side of Oncology

Khushi Khandelwal — Wed, 01 Apr 2026 06:30:00 +0000

Brig. (Dr.) Arvind Kumar Tyagi is a senior surgical oncologist and Director of Surgical Oncology & Robotic Surgery at Yashoda superspeciality hospital & cancer institutes. He was interviewed by Dr. Soumya Singh, Creative Editor at InnoHEALTH m agazine on the importance of prevention, early diagnosis, and compassionate, patient-centric care in improving cancer outcomes across the country.

Cancer is increasingly recognized as a major public health challenge. How significant is its impact today?

Cancer has emerged as one of the leading causes of death worldwide and in India. In a country with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, the absolute number of cancer cases is substantial. What makes this burden particularly concerning is that many cancers are preventable or treatable if detected early. Late presentation, lack of awareness, and lifestyle-related risk factors continue to drive high mortality, making cancer not only a medical issue but a public health priority.

Your professional journey is unique, combining military service with medicine. How has that experience shaped your approach to cancer care?

Training and serving as a paratrooper instills discipline, resilience, and the ability to perform under extreme physical and mental pressure. Military medicine demands precision, teamwork, and rapid decision-making—qualities that translate directly into surgical oncology. Exposure to high-risk environments and leadership roles strengthens accountability and calmness, which are essential when dealing with complex cancer surgeries and emotionally challenging patient care. The soldier’s mindset reinforces the commitment to duty, perseverance, and service to humanity.

What exactly is cancer, and why can it develop in almost any part of the body?

Cancer originates from the body’s own cells when they lose normal regulatory control and begin to divide uncontrollably. These abnormal cells can invade nearby tissues or spread to distant organs. Since every organ in the body is composed of cells, cancer can arise virtually anywhere. This is why cancer is not a single disease but a diverse group of diseases, each with distinct behavior, prognosis, and treatment strategies.

What are the most common risk factors for cancer, especially in the Indian population?

Cancer is multifactorial. In India, tobacco use—both smoking and chewing—is one of the most significant contributors, particularly to oral, throat, and lung cancers. Alcohol consumption, air pollution, obesity, physical inactivity, and poor dietary habits also increase risk. Certain infections, such as Hepatitis B and C or Human Papillomavirus, are known causes of liver and cervical cancers respectively. Genetic predisposition plays a role in some cancers, but lifestyle and environmental factors remain dominant contributors.

Can lifestyle changes genuinely reduce the risk of developing cancer?

Yes, lifestyle modification can significantly reduce cancer risk. Avoiding tobacco and excessive alcohol, maintaining a healthy body weight, engaging in regular physical activity, eating a balanced diet, and ensuring adequate sleep all strengthen immunity and reduce cancer incidence. While genetic factors are beyond control, lifestyle choices are powerful tools for prevention and long-term health.

What early warning signs or symptoms should people be vigilant about?

Any unexplained bleeding—from the mouth, nose, urine, or stools—should never be ignored. Persistent lumps or swellings in the breast, neck, armpit, or groin require prompt evaluation. Sudden weight loss, loss of appetite, prolonged fatigue, or unexplained pain are also warning signs. Awareness of one’s own body and early medical consultation can lead to timely diagnosis and improved outcomes.

How important is early detection, and what screening tests are advisable?

Early detection dramatically improves survival rates. Cancers identified at early stages are often curable. Screening tests such as Pap smears for cervical cancer and mammography for breast cancer are particularly valuable. Ultrasound examinations can help detect certain abdominal cancers. Advanced imaging techniques like PET scans are primarily used for staging rather than routine screening due to cost and limited applicability.

There are many myths surrounding cancer. Which misconceptions need to be corrected?

A common myth is that sugar causes or “feeds” cancer. In reality, all cells—healthy and cancerous—require sugar for energy; sugar itself does not cause cancer. Another misconception is that only smokers develop cancer, whereas non-smokers can also develop cancer due to genetic, infectious, or environmental factors. Such myths can delay diagnosis and distract from genuine preventive measures.

How has cancer treatment evolved, particularly in surgical oncology and technology?

Advances in surgical techniques, including minimally invasive and robotic surgery, have improved precision and recovery in selected cases. However, these technologies are not suitable for all cancers, especially large or advanced tumors where open surgery remains essential. Artificial intelligence and advanced imaging assist in diagnosis and planning, but the surgeon’s expertise, judgment, and hands-on skill remain irreplaceable.

Can cancer be cured, and what is the most important message for the public?

Many cancers are curable when detected early. Early-stage cancers respond well to treatment, while advanced-stage cancers are often managed to prolong life and improve quality of life rather than cure. The most important message is prevention and awareness: avoid tobacco, limit alcohol, exercise regularly, maintain a healthy weight, eat a balanced diet, sleep adequately, and seek medical evaluation early. A disciplined lifestyle—much like military training—can be the strongest defense against cancer.

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Book Review- The First Cell by Azra Raza

Khushi Khandelwal — Tue, 14 Jan 2025 10:30:00 +0000

Reviewed by Dr. Debleena Bhattachaarya

The First Cell by Azra Raza is a deeply personal, provocative, and critical examination of the way we approach cancer research, treatment, and care. Raza, an oncologist with decades of experience treating cancer patients, offers an insightful, yet often unsettling perspective on the realities of cancer treatment, the limits of current medical technology, and the human costs of the disease. The book challenges the prevailing narrative of cancer as a “battle” to be won and calls for a fundamental rethinking of how we fight this global health crisis.

In The First Cell, Raza pulls back the curtain on the complexities of cancer from the vantage point of both a practicing oncologist and a researcher. The central thesis of the book is that modern oncology, despite many advances in treatment and understanding, is still largely inadequate in curing cancer, particularly in its metastatic stages. She argues that the focus of cancer research has been overly concentrated on developing drugs to treat later-stage cancer, rather than seeking ways to prevent or intercept cancer in its earliest phases—the “first cell”—when it is most vulnerable and potentially curable.

Raza’s perspective is informed by the personal tragedy of losing her own husband, the renowned oncologist Dr. Irfan Raza, to leukemia. She vividly describes the emotional and psychological toll that his illness and death took on her, as well as the broader human cost of cancer in her practice. Her experience highlights a critical frustration: that despite immense financial investment and significant medical advances, cancer remains an elusive, often fatal disease. Through her own grief, Raza poignantly argues that the medical establishment has failed to deliver on the promises of revolutionary cancer cures.

The personal is intertwined with the scientific in The First Cell. Raza speaks directly to the emotional weight of cancer, not only for patients but also for families and healthcare professionals who bear witness to the suffering and often futile fight against the disease. She calls for an end to the rhetoric of “fighting” and “winning” against cancer, framing it instead as a disease that requires a more nuanced, humane, and scientific approach to understanding its origins, behavior, and treatment.

A major theme in The First Cell is Raza’s critique of how cancer research is conducted and the direction it has taken in the last few decades. She argues that much of the focus has been on finding therapies for late-stage cancer rather than addressing the disease’s origins at the molecular and cellular levels. While advancements in targeted therapies, immunotherapy, and precision medicine have been made, these treatments are often only effective in a small subset of patients, and they do not represent a cure for most types of cancer.

Raza points to the “war on cancer” mentality, popularized in the 1970s, as a key driver of this misguided focus. This metaphor of cancer as an enemy to be defeated with ever more sophisticated weapons has, according to Raza, not only led to a misallocation of resources but also created unrealistic expectations. The promise of a cure for cancer has proven elusive, and yet the funding continues to flow into treatments that offer incremental rather than transformative benefits. She is particularly critical of the fact that billions of dollars are spent on therapies that prolong life by only a few months, while relatively little attention is paid to prevention and early detection.

One of the central calls of The First Cell is for a paradigm shift in cancer research, one that moves away from the focus on late-stage treatments and toward prevention, early detection, and the search for therapies that can target cancer at the very moment of its origin—the first cell. Raza advocates for a move toward a more holistic approach to cancer, one that considers the social, environmental, and genetic factors that contribute to the disease’s development.

She also pushes for a deeper understanding of the biology of cancer cells, particularly their ability to evolve and outsmart treatments over time. This adaptability, she argues, is a major reason why many cancer therapies fail. By focusing on the earliest stages of cancer, scientists may be able to develop more effective, less toxic treatments that halt the disease before it ever becomes a life-threatening problem.

At its core, The First Cell is not just a critique of cancer treatment but also a meditation on the human cost of medical progress—or the lack thereof. Raza highlights the suffering of patients who undergo aggressive treatments that are ultimately futile. She underscores the ethical questions surrounding cancer care, particularly in the context of the financial and emotional burdens placed on patients, families, and the healthcare system.

Raza’s reflections are sobering but necessary. She raises tough questions about the commercialization of cancer research, the rising costs of treatment, and the often misguided priorities of pharmaceutical companies, which are more interested in developing expensive new treatments for late-stage cancers than in finding ways to prevent cancer or cure it in its earliest stages.

Raza’s writing is clear, engaging, and passionate. She blends personal anecdotes with scientific insights, making complex medical concepts accessible to a general audience. While the book is grounded in scientific research, it never becomes too technical or inaccessible. Raza’s ability to humanize the experience of cancer—both from the perspective of patients and medical professionals—gives the book an emotional depth that is rare in books about medical science.

Her narrative is deeply reflective, with an undertone of urgency as she calls for change. She doesn’t shy away from the tough realities of cancer care, but she also brings hope, suggesting that a new, more humane, and effective approach to cancer treatment is possible.

The First Cell is a powerful, compelling book that challenges the status quo of cancer treatment and research. Azra Raza’s unique perspective—shaped by her personal loss and professional experience—offers readers an eye-opening look at the current state of cancer care and the need for a paradigm shift in how we think about and approach the disease. It is a book that not only critiques the failures of the system but also proposes a hopeful, albeit difficult, path forward.

For anyone interested in cancer research, healthcare ethics, or the personal dimensions of illness, The First Cell is a must-read. It is both a sobering reminder of how far we have to go in the fight against cancer and a call to action to rethink how we approach one of humanity’s most persistent and devastating diseases.

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SEQUENCING GENOME – Revolutionising era in healthcare

Khushi Khandelwal — Wed, 08 Jan 2025 10:30:00 +0000

Aakriti Sharma

Identification of the entire genetic makeup of an organism has proven significance in genetic engineering. The technique has been widely used in research spaces and medical settings for numerous purposes. The genetic sequence is unique for each individual making it a critical aspect in analysing the whole genetic makeup more precisely, thus driving healthcare specialists more towards personalised treatment approaches for genetic or other chronic diseases. Whole genome sequencing technique has been widely used in research laboratories for devising novel strategic approaches in treatment of various fatal diseases. The study and sequencing of genetic sequences has also aided in analysing disease specific genetic alterations that serves the purpose of identifying an individual’s susceptibility to a disease. Various genomic aberrations include inversion, amplification, translocation and deletion.

The technique delves into the molecular level of an organisms’ genetic makeup more specifically DNA. Several methods for sequencing have been studied till date, the Next gen sequencing being the most preferred one among the researchers. The NGS technique is used to determine the order in which the nucleotides are present in a specific genome or targeted regions of DNA or RNA. A typical workflow of NGS includes preparation of the library, followed by sequencing and finally data analysis. The massive parallel sequencing proves to be the remarkable part of the workflow allowing a massive number of DNA fragments to be sequenced simultaneously. This sequencing technology is widely known for its ultra-high throughput, speed and scalability. The technique gains an edge over other traditional sequencing techniques due to its increased efficiency in time and cost factors.

Other sequencing techniques include Sanger Sequencing and Shot gun sequencing. Sanger sequencing is also known as the dideoxy chain termination method utilising the differentially labelled fluorescent dideoxy nucleotides as the chain terminators in the process. The Shotgun sequencing method utilises fragmentation to isolate multiple copies of chromosomal DNA of interest and eventually screen them using computed algorithms. The process is so-called based on the analogy with the rapidly expanding quasi-random firing pattern of the shotgun. The key factor driving the process of Shotgun sequencing is that chromosomal fragments of the same chromosomal portions will have overlapping segments which can be easily sequenced and analysed. This emphasizes the process of redundant fragmentation and sequencing of the target DNA respectively. Computed algorithms then utilise the overlapping ends of the different reads to assemble them into a continuous sequence. This sequencing technology was one of the precursor technologies that were responsible for enabling full genome sequencing. Another uncommon sequencing approach known as Hierarchical or Top-down sequencing, wherein a low-resolution physical map of the genome is made prior to actual sequencing. Such a map paves way for sequencing a particular minimal number of fragments covering the entire chromosomes, thus minimizing the amount of high-throughput sequencing and assembly.

Dedicated sequencing-based historic studies, targeting healthcare, have earmarked the promising future that the whole genome sequencing technology holds. With a major breakthrough in cancer treatment by Ley et al. in 2008, the first whole genome sequence of an acute myeloid leukaemia sample was presented, thus demonstrating the possibility of identification of disease-associated mutations and druggable targets. This very year also marked the success of two studies based on non-invasive prenatal genetic tests for a variety of traits that resulted in successful detection of the most common autosomal aneuploidies through massive parallel sequencing of maternal plasma DNA. With the advancements in sequencing technologies also emerged the need for advancing the computational tools that took place by 2009. Accommodating the requisites of transcriptomics, metagenomics or discovering genetic variant, Bowtie, TopHat splice-aware aligner or BWA tools came into existence for aligning millions of short reads along with SAMtools and BreakDancer software for downstream analysis.

The sequencing techniques have significantly contributed in revolutionising clinical care which is one of the most vital implementations of Whole Genome Sequencing. The recent COVID-19 outbreak was one such implementation where the sequencing technology proved to be a compelling event. The critical underlying factors were determined on the basis of this technology further helping in proposing effective treatment strategies for the massive outbreak. More such life transforming molecular genetic diagnosis is the dire necessity of the current global healthcare affairs, for the ever-evolving scenarios of disease outbreaks never fail to astonish humankind. However, there does exist the implementation of WGS in exploring successful treatment alternatives for the persistent fatal disorders like Cancer, but a lot more is yet to be prospected. The concept of genome sequencing still remains the most abstracted area amongst the researchers. With it also comes the future of therapeutic intervention with a dedicated approach on personalizing the treatment alternatives based on an individual’s inimitable genomic design. Such strategies are going to foster highly reliable and competent approaches in healthcare sectors thus leading to a promising future not just in medical but also in agricultural practices wherein plants and livestock can also benefit.

Authors Biography

Aakriti Sharma, an aspiring Biotechnologist from Delhi, India. She is a Postgraduate in Biotechnology

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Guildelines Released for Evaluation of Nanopharmaceuticals

InnoHEALTH Magazine — Fri, 10 Jan 2020 10:48:21 +0000

On 24th October 2019 in New Delhi, the Minister for Science & Technology, Earth Sciences and Health & Family Welfare released the guidelines for evaluation of nanopharmaceuticals, which are emerging as more potent tools for treating various diseases.
Also Read: WHO’s First Guideline to Digital Health Interventions
The document, which covers all the aspects of evaluation from the definition and categorization of nanopharmaceuticals to pharmacovigilance of the new set of therapeutics, has been prepared as a joint project by the Department of Biotechnology in the Ministry of Science and Technology, and Indian Council of Medical Research and Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
Nano-pharmaceuticals, which are derived by the application of nanotechnology in medical therapeutics, are expected to bring about a revolution in the treatment strategies as they would enable target-specific delivery of drugs and therapeutic molecules and thus offer higher efficacy and lower toxicity in many disease conditions. They are expected to be of great use particularly in cancer treatment.
Also Read: NANOCHIP TO DELIVER BIOLOGICAL

Every year, several new nanopharmaceuticals are being developed and marketed across the world. India too has a sizable pool of nanoscientists generating a large number of scientific publications in this domain. However, regulatory approval is the most important factor for translating laboratory research into bedside medicine. The new set of guidelines is designed to facilitate this process.
Noting that the document has been prepared by domain experts in consultation with representatives of the industry, Dr. Harsh Vardhan, Hon’ble Minister of Health and Family Welfare expressed confidence that it will give a big boost to innovators and drug manufacturers to optimize their research and come out with medicines that would be safer and more affordable.
Also Read: Innovative Biomarkers for Early Diagnosis and Treatment of Life
Hon’ble Minister Dr. Vardhan also announced a three-day international conference that was organized by the Department of Biotechnology and Confederation of Indian Industry in New Delhi from November 21-23, 2019 in collaboration with the Association of Biotech-Led Enterprises (ABLE) and Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC), which is a public sector undertaking under DBT to showcase India’s prowess in the area of biotechnology and help build new partnerships and investment opportunities.
Titled Global Bio-India 2019, the meet deliberated on opportunities and challenges in the areas of bio-agriculture, bio-industry, bio-energy, bio-services, and biopharma sectors. It had several components including policy dialogues, investors’ round tables, a meeting of regulators across the world and an exhibition.

Credits: India Science Wire

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8 Top Healthcare Innovations

InnoHEALTH Magazine — Thu, 21 Nov 2019 11:25:56 +0000

1. Akiva Superfoods Raises $2 Million

Akiva superfoods, a company that offers health and wellness food products recently raised $ 2 million funding led by Alkemi Venture partners which mainly invests in healthcare and consumer products. The mission of Akiva, as implied by its Founder and CEO Shalabh Gupta, is to aid people to bring about significant changes to their lifestyle and food habits, to live a better and healthier life. Akiva Superfoods is data-rich, close to its clients and uses significant ideas to create products to scale with direct-to-consumer, e-commerce, and latest business channels. With the funding so raised, now the company intends to be a more innovative, exciting and independent FMCG company with a capacity to scale exponentially across tier-1 and tier-2 cities in India. CEO of Max Healthcare Rajit Mehta, Co-founder of Zomato Pankaj Chaddah, CEO of OYO Real Estate Rohit Kapoor, Co-founder of MindTickle Mohit Garg are some of the previous investors in Akiva. Source: www.inshorts.com

2. Pencil Beam Technology for Cancer

India has a huge number of cancer patients, keeping them in mind Apollo Group has launched Asia’s first proton therapy centre known as Apollo Proton Cancer Centre (APCC) located in Taramani, Tamil Nadu, India. Proton therapy is one of the most advanced forms of radiation treatment which attacks tumours with more precision thereby causing minimal damage to the surrounding healthy tissues. This therapy is particularly effective for pediatric cancers; tumours affecting eye, brain, breast, colon, gastrointestinal region, prostate and pelvis; areas close to the spinal cord, brain stem and other vital organs; and re-radiation in relapsed cases. Proton therapy is particularly useful in curing paediatric cancers. The centre built at a cost of Rs 1300 crore will cater not only to Indian patients but also a destination for foreign patients promoting Medical Tourism for cancer treatment. With this step taken by the Apollo hospitals, India becomes one of the few nations which offers proton therapy for cancer treatment in addition to UK. The facility is 150 bedded dedicated to cancer care with three proton therapy rooms, advanced radiation oncology centre, medical oncology and immuno therapy facility and high end day-care chemo wards. The facility will also have five modular digital MRI integrated operation theatres, besides a high-end diagnostic imaging centre for genomic profiling of cancers including DNA sequencing and digital pathology services. SOURCE: www.healthtechnology.in

3. Bio Glue for Fast Wound Repairing

Any trauma or surgery can lead to uncontrolled bleeding which is a major cause of death many a times as it is difficult to seal these bleeding wounds without sutures. To tackle this problem, a team of researchers in China from Zhejiang University and East China University of Science and Technology have developed a ‘biological glue’ that could one day stop arteries and hearts from uncontrollable bleeding. The study is published online in the Journal Nature Communications. So far, the use of the gel has been demonstrated in animal experiments involving pigs and rabbits wherein the light activated adhesive gel can rapidly seal wounds to arteries and the heart and could be potentially used in surgeries in the future. The USP of the biological gel is that when it is placed on an open wound, it mimics the composition of the extracellular matrix and sets fast when exposed to ultraviolet light. The non-toxic hydrogel can be injected and has the potential to be used for surgical haemostasis and fast wound sealing in cases of open surgery and minimally invasive endoscopic surgery. The gel is also capable of withstanding both slippery surfaces and the pulsing of heart tissue. The adhesive gel still has not been used on human organs, but a prototype was used inside rabbits and pigs where it performed better than sutures or other currently available surgical glues. In preliminary animal experiments, a set of surgical procedures were carried out on pigs and the use of gel could seal the wounds of livers of pigs without the need for sutures. With the use of this gel, for the first time ever high-pressure bleeding of a beating heart with 6 mm diameter cardiac penetration holes, was stopped and the wounds were stably sealed within 20 seconds without sutures. In pig surgery, the gel closed a punctured carotid artery in less than a minute and repaired a hole in the cardiac wall. In rabbit surgery, the light activated hydrogel was able to stop a bleeding liver cut and a femoral artery in mere seconds. The three pigs not only survived the heart surgery but also showed natural signs of healing within 2 weeks with little inflammation and almost no necrosis. Despite the progress, additional studies are needed to confirm the safety of the gel for its use in further trials, including those involving humans. The gel has improved properties over other similar materials present in the market – it can withstand upto 290 mmHg blood pressure, which is much higher than what most doctors and nurses usually deal with, it’s structure is based on that of human connective tissue, the extracellular matrix of this gel is compatible with internal organs and arteries that facilitates it’s binding with arterial and cardiac walls. The team is hoping that the gel could be ready for human surgical use in the next 3 to 5 years.

SOURCE: www.sciencealert.com

4. Bluestar Diabetes

The International Diabetes Foundation has predicted that diabetes could affect nearly 123 million of the Indian population by 2040 and world over the treatment for diabetes complications costs more than $670 billion dollars a year. The disease claims the lives of five million people worldwide each year. To contribute to the efficient management of diabetes, IFC (a member of the World Bank Group), WellDoc (a US-based digital health start-up) and Max Healthcare (a leading healthcare provider in India) have come together and recently launched an innovative mobile application named ‘Bluestar Diabetes’ to improve diabetic care in India. The pilot project will include a selected group of patients in New Delhi whose smart phones, personal computers and tablets will transform into a personal health advisor once the app is downloaded on their devices. The app will be tailored for the Indian market to account for local diets and specific medications which will allow patients to enter details of their meals and receive immediate advice on optimal medication and dosage. The app by WellDoc is a mobile health monitoring tool that helps type 2 diabetes patients and their doctors drive behavioural and clinical change by analyzing the diabetes data including medications and blood glucose levels entered by the patient which is then shared with the patient’s healthcare team to improve decisions and better manage the disease. IFC is providing the funding and support through its TechEmerge program which works in the emerging markets to match innovative firms with local partners creating a win-win situation for businesses. This TechEmerge program is being implemented in partnership with the Finnish Ministry of Employment and Economy along with the Israeli Ministry of Economy and Industry, and supported by Indian Health 2.0. The focus of Max Healthcare is on changing the healthcare delivery to serve patients with chronic ailments of which one is diabetes in a better and more efficient way. Thus, the role of each partner comes from their own vision and areas of expertise. Hope to witness better management of diabetes care in India with this initiative of the parties.

SOURCE: www.healthtechnology.in

5. ‘SCGEN’ – AN AI Tool to Predict Cell Behaviour

Researchers have created an Artificial Intelligence powered tool named ‘scGen’ that promises to reshape the way we study diseases and their treatment at cellular level. The research is published in the Journal Nature Methods where it demonstrates that scGen will help to map and study cellular disease response and treatment beyond the information accessible from experiments. scGen is the first tool to predict out-of-sample cellular reaction which means it is prepared to create credible projections for a distinct system if trained on information capturing the impact of perturbations for a specified system. As per scientists, scGen is a generative deep learning model that takes ideas from pictures, sequence and language processing and then uses them to model a cell’s behaviour conducted on a computer or through computer simulation. scGen is a part of computational biology which has the objective to accurately model cellular response to perturbations like illness, genetic procedures. The team further needs to work to make it a fully data driven formulation so that its predictive power is enhanced, and it permits better and more accurate analysis of perturbation combinations. SOURCE: www.healthtechnology.in

6. Artificial Intelligence may soon help spot Autism early on

It is difficult to identify signs and symptoms of autism in kids, but a recent study released in the Journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences indicates that easy quantifiable artificial intelligence measures could allow for much earlier diagnosis of Rett syndrome and potentially other autism-like illnesses. Rett syndrome is a genetic disorder that impairs sensory, motor, cognitive and autonomic function from 6 to 18 months of age. The research has revealed that a machine-learning algorithm can detect pupil dilation defects that can predict autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in mouse models. In the research, the algorithm has shown to detect correctly if a child has Rett syndrome and autism-like behavior. Researchers hope that this algorithm will be able to provide an early warning signal not only for Rett syndrome but also for ASD. The team thinks that this tool can further be used in the future to monitor the reactions of patients to medicines as currently, it is testing the drug ketamine for Rett syndrome and a gene therapy trial is also in works. SOURCE: www.healthtechnology.in

7. Care4u: An Artificial Intelligence App for Geriatric Care

Second year students of B.Tech, IIT Kharagpur recently created an interconnected android smartphone application ‘CARE4U’ to promote elderly care by helping caregivers reach the elderly on time. To connect both the parties, CARE4U is mounted both on the elderly’s devices and the caregiver’s smartphone. The neural network based drop detection algorithm in the app on the elderly’s phone can identify whether the elderly has fallen down. In case of a fall, it automatically calls the caregiver and emergency services along with the location of the elderly. A unique feature of the app is that it detects emotion of the person by taking his/her picture and calculating their index of mood. To make this feature more effective, the team has developed a cognitive intelligent chat bot for better engagement of the elderly. Other features of the app include operations like calling, booking a taxi, sending a message, medical history record, an SOS button, an allergy account, real-time location monitoring and medicine reminder which reminds both the elderly and the caregiver the time of taking the medicine. SOURCE: www.healthtechnology.in

8. Itc Lamp: Hemorrhage Control Device

Massive hemorrhage is the leading cause of death in traumatic injuries, immediate control of bleeding is of prime importance in such scenarios. With a vision to effectively contain such situations of traumatic injuries a firm, Innovative Trauma Care (ITC) came into action. ITC, a Canada based early-stage medical device firm, focuses on developing point of care solutions for trauma, first responders and military medicine applications. With this vision, they introduced iTClamp, a hemorrhage control device for use in the extremities, axilla, inguinal, scalp and neck. The device minimizes blood loss until the wound is surgically repaired by sealing the edges of the wound. Research studies have shown that the clamp is superior to wound packing in terms of patient survival, survival time and total blood loss. iTClamp hemorrhage control system is one of the most unique devices and ideal for emergency medical personnel as it is simple to use, does an immediate fluid-tight and airtight wound closure within seconds. The clamping device works by sealing the skin closed to create a temporary pool of blood under pressure, which forms a stable clot until surgical repair of the wound is done. The device has been in the market for a while now and is a hit amongst the emergency first responders. The company is trying to address the unmet needs in the emergency medicine field by developing, manufacturing and commercialising point of injury solutions to control the common causes of preventable death in traumatic injury situations. SOURCE: www.innovativecare.com

Healthcare Newscope

Compiled by Dr. Avantika Batish, working as the Director Strategy and Healthcare at International Health Emergency Learning and Preparedness. She is also a guest faculty for MBA (HR) and MBA Healthcare Management at various B-Schools and is a soft skills trainer.

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Top 9 latest healthcare innovations

InnoHEALTH Magazine — Sat, 10 Aug 2019 15:35:04 +0000

1. ReMix – MIT’s ‘GPS’ to locate implants in the body

So far, swallowing long tubes with built-in cameras or cutting open a patient are generally the options sought by a physician, to investigate any anomaly inside the human body. To provide a less expensive,invasive and time-consuming method, MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory(CSAIL), along with researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), have developed an in-body GPS system known as “ReMix” which can pin-point the location of ingestible implants inside the human body using low-power signals. The locator or implant does not need to make physical contact but just needs wireless signals and math. The technology used,bounces radio signals from the patient,using an algorithm to track the implant.The team demonstrated during the animal testing that they can track the implants with centimeter-level accuracy. During the testing, the team first implanted a small marker in the animal tissues and then to track its movement, they used a wireless device that reflected radio signals off the patient. A special algorithm then used those signals to pin-point the exact location of that marker. Noticeable point: the marker inside the body does not need to transmit any wireless signal, instead it simply reflects the signal transmitted by the wireless device outside the body. But since there are other signals reflected off a person’s skin, the team had to develop a semiconductor device called “diode”that mixes up signals together which can then filter out skin-related signals.One potential application for ReMix: proton therapy for cancer treatment which essentially requires high degree of precision to bombard tumours with beams of magnet-controlled protons.With a small marker like ReMix, doctors could better determine the location of a tumour in real-time and either pause the treatment or steer the beam into the right position due to shifting nature of the tumour sometimes. So, in times to come,Remix could be the key to delivering medicine to locations in the body which are either very hard to reach or very specific in nature. These implants could also be used as tiny trackers on shifting tumours to monitor their slightest movements. ReMix is not yet accurate enough to be used in clinical settings and does need refinement to reduce the margin offer or close to a couple of millimeters for actual implementation. In future,the researchers want to combine the wireless data with the medical data like MRIs to improve system’s accuracy. The team is still working on its improvement – overcome its deficiencies to enable accurate and reliable point of care. The working team comprises of Katabi and Vasisht who co-wrote the paper with MIT PhD student Guo Zhang; University of Water loo Professor Omid Abari; MGH Physicist Hsaio-Ming Lu; and MGH Technical Director Jacob Flanz.

Source: www.medicaldevice-network.com

Also Read: Trending Innovations in Healthcare

2. Method developed to send messages using vibrations on skin

Researchers at Purdue University have developed a method to send messages in English by using vibrations on a person’s skin. The device used works by playing a specific vibration assigned to a given English ‘phone me’ or the smallest unit of sound on a user’s forearm. For each speech trait, the device is encoded to generate distinct sensations. The device is based on Haptic technology or kinesthetic communication or 3D touch that creates an experience of touch by applying forces, vibrations or motions to the user. It is developed under the guidance of Professor Hong Z. Tan,Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at Purdue University.

Source: Dailyhunt

Also Read: Ten recommendations for Digital Health Interventions

3. Pocket Scanner with Infrared Rays to Determine Food Freshness

According to United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organization,about 1.3 billion tonnes of food is lost or wasted annually which is nearly one third of the food produced in the world. There are many reasons for this loss. A large factor – consumers discard food as they have trouble determining if a food item is still fresh and edible, especially for meat and other non-vegetarian items, which are sold with labels mentioning “sell-by-date” or “use-by date”. Considering this, the Bavarian Ministry of Food “We Rescue Food’ alliance has launched 17 initiatives, one of which is the Fraunhofer pocket scanner. Researchers at Fraunhofer Society, a German Research Foundation,are developing an infrared-based pocket scanner that will enable the consumers,supermarkets and other food handlers to determine if the food item has gone bad and its degree of ripeness.The scanner is based on high-precision near-infrared (NIR) sensor wherein the infrared beam is shined on the food and reflected light is measured across the IR spectrum. A comparison is done between the absorption spectrum from the food item and a known sample to determine whether the food item is still edible, its ripeness and even if it is a counterfeit, such as trout being passed off as salmon. This technique is already being used in labs, the challenge is to reduce the device’s size and cost. The scanner is still in the demonstrator stage and can currently be used to analyze the shelf life, ripeness of homogenous foods like potatoes, tomatoes but not a pizza with its many toppings. The team so far has worked with tomatoes and ground beef using statistical techniques to match the NIR spectra with the rate of microbial spoilage and other chemical parameters, to measure the germ count and the meat’s shelf life. In this process,the scan data is sent via Bluetooth to a cloud database for evaluation. The results of which are then sent to a mobile device app to show if the food item is still good, how much of its shelf life is left and tips on how to use the food if its sell-by-date limit has expired. Researchers intend to use hyper-spectral imaging and fusion-based approaches using color images, spectral sensors and other high spatial resolution technologies in later stages. A machine-learning algorithm, which will allow for better pattern recognition, is under development. Research team also claims that this scanning device will have wider application in other categories like wool, plastics, textiles and minerals.

Source: https://phys.org

Also Read: Health Screenings that all Women Often Avoid

4. Epiwear – A Syringe Watch

Students at Rice University have developed a very innovative device which is not much larger than the size of a wristwatch that hides a fold able epinephrine syringe inside it to take during a life-threatening medical emergency. The watch like device is known as “EPIWEAR”. It is simple to use. In case of an emergency, the user just needs to unfold it and flick the safety lever and then push a button when he/she is ready to inject the medicine into one’s thigh. The three piece folding design of the watch makes it effectively impossible to trigger the needle by accident. Also,there are plans for a case that would prevent the button from touching anything until the shot is necessary. EPIWEAR is made of 3D printed parts. The team is still working on its refinement in terms of reducing its size further and adding more watch like features to it rather than it just acting as a watch which, in reality,is an injection dispenser. So, in a nutshell EPIWEAR is a syringe watch that puts a life saving anti-allergy injection on your wrist and you never know it may become a permanent part of a person’s wardrobe sometime in the near future.

Source: www.engadget.com

Also Read: Hackers Target Patients’ Sensitive Health Data

5. Implantable Device Powered by Heartbeats Invented

A new research study from Darmouth College has shown that the heart’s motion is so powerful that it can recharge devices to save our lives. Engineers at the Thayer School of Engineering at Darmouth College, alongside clinicians at the University of Texas in San Antonio, have invented a coin-sized device that turns the kinetic energy of the heart into electricity – to power a wide range of implantable devices. Many patients rely on defibrillators, pacemakers and other life-saving implantable devices which are battery dependent and need replacement every 5 to 10 years. This procedure is costly requiring surgery and can be a source of infections and complications. With the aim to create an effective source, so that the device or implant will serve its purpose during the entire life span of the patient without the need of surgery, the research team developed this small device.The implantable device works by adding a thin piece of polymer piezoelectric film called PVDF to devices like pacemakers and other implants to convert even a small or mechanical heart motion into electricity. Thus, an energy source is created within the body nullifying the requirement of surgery for battery replacement. The team proposes to modify pacemakers to harness the kinetic energy of the lead wire that is attached to the heart, converting into electricity to continuously charge the batteries. The device is bio compatible,flexible, light weight and low profile which is scalable for future multi functionality. The results of the three year-long study were recently published in the cover story for Advanced Materials Technologies. The first round of animal studies has been completed and the team will come out with the device’s commercialization in another five years.

Source: www.inshorts.com

Also Read: Study: Awareness about Hypertension Very Low

6. ‘The Pod’ Made for Better Sleep at Night

It is a known fact that human body temperature changes during the night, and to comfort the sleeper throughout the night, an American company Eight Sleep, world’s first sleep fitness company has launched a smart bed called “THE POD”. The smart bed changes its temperature all through the night to provide better sleep to the user. The bed is based on artificial intelligence and has bio-feedback sensors which helps it to determine the best temperature for undisturbed sleep between 55 to115 degrees Fahrenheit through out the night.The bed is also equipped with an adaptive foam which consists of four distinct layers that allows it to adapt to any sleeping position to further comfort the user. The smart bed is divided into two sections, each side of the bed has its own temperature control and bio-metric tracker. The temperature is controlled through water cooling. The pod has an inbuilt reservoir known as the Hub that lets the bed – warm and cool -as per the user’s specifications with a temperature range mentioned above.An alarm can be set to wake-up the user by using the thermo alarm in the bed. The Pod seems to be a very useful equipment in healthcare space and is surely there to stay in times to come, providing ease of sleeping to disturbed sleepers.

Source: www.5thvoice.news

Also Read: Innovative Therapeutic Treatment for Tinnitus Patients

7. Air Pressure and Artificial Intelligence Used to Move Fingers on the Robotic Hands

Festo, German Electrical Automation firm has developed a soft and flexible robotic hand that manipulates fingers by using air pressure and artificial intelligence. The fingers have tactile sensors with a flexible circuit board and is made up of 3-dimensional knitted fabric using elastic and high strength fibres. The bellows inside the fingers move the joints as they fill and empty with air. At the base of the thumb and index fingers,pneumatic swivels allow the movement of the fingers from side to side and nearly two dozen proportional peizo valves in the hand that makes the wrist work as a part of the total hand movement. There is freedom of 12 degrees that allows the hand to manipulate objects with dexterity.The hand uses self-learning technology powered by artificial intelligence to learn to move its fingers and has successfully learnt to roll a dice without dropping it. Once the engineers give the robot an objective, 3D cameras and depth sensors create a virtual copy of an object. The Bionic soft hand’s AI then runs myriad simulations to help it figure out what action needs to be taken. Thus,the fingers of the robotic hand are manipulated by air pressure wherein AI is only a part of the project which fastens the learning ability of the hand. The Bionic soft hand can easily interact with humans due to its soft texture, but it will take time to make its commercial presence in the market as it still needs refinement and broaden its functional capabilities.

Source: www.engadget.com

Also Read: IoT can truly Transform Rural Healthcare in India

8. Kerala Students Have Finger-Sized Water Purifiers to Their Credit

Lamaara Technologies Private Limited, are cent start-up registered in the name of two engineering students from Kerala, Anto Biju and Thomas Cyriac, has made its name due to its innovation of organic purifier that filters dirty water.The unique features of the filter – it is finger-sized,low cost, uses activated carbon cartridge which costs INR 60, needs replacement only every five years. The purifier eliminates foul smell, harmful metals and color from the water and requires no electricity.These purifiers have been approved by the Bureau of Indian Standards and had recently raised INR 4.5 crores. The two young innovators had also made a pen that could detect the elements present in water to list out its impurities. Thus, it was only an identifying instrument and not a solution to impure, dirty water. In order to improve upon their efforts, the duo later made this purifier which proves to be problem solver in a country like India where clean drinking water is still a far-fetched dream in most remote areas. Its USP is the organic make, unlike other purifies made from synthetic fibers. These small purifiers were put to testing during the Kerala floods of 2018 where around 200 purifiers were donated to relief camps in the flood affected areas. This innovation is surely here to stay and save millions of lives by providing the basic amenity of clean drinking water to all.

Also Read: Indian Healthcare Roadmap

9. IKEA Becomes Innovative for Differently Able

Swedish furniture maker IKEA has an Israel arm which has collaborated with non-profit organizations, Milbat and Access Israel to make a series of 3D printed furniture items that make it easier-to-use for the differently-able. The furniture line known as “THISABLES” is a line of 3D printed add-ons for IKEA furniture and it includes 13 items like easier to grab door handles and bumpers to protect cabinets. The available 13 designs slip over IKEA’s existing furniture and accessories to overcome hiccups like turning small button into a giant one or lift a couch couple of inches from the ground to aid in getting up.The items or the 3D printing files can be downloaded for free from the project’s website and can be 3D printed anywhere globally. For assembling the furniture item,detailed instructions are available on the website. Installation methods for 3D modifications are available and demonstrated on IKEA Israel’s YouTube page. The web page also has a column for welcoming suggestions to add more products to these 13 items.

Source: www.theverge.com

Also Read: Effects of Mobile Phones on Children’s Health

Also Read: Top 8 healthcare innovations for the month of October to Decemer 2019

The post Top 9 latest healthcare innovations appeared first on InnoHEALTH magazine.

Advances in Diagnostics

InnoHEALTH Magazine — Thu, 15 Nov 2018 05:26:03 +0000

Another area of interest throughout the InnoHEALTH 2018 conference was the Advances in Diagnostics. As one hand it brings the top industry leaders sharing their vision, where the sector is moving, on the other hand, the most promising startups and technologies. It provided a soft landing space where the top leaders were able to provide a pathway for the best ideas to be supported and overall improving the state of the health sector in the country.

The panel represents various industry working in cutting-edge research in radiology and diagnostics areas from India and Sweden.

(Hony) Brigadier Dr Arvind Lal with his keynote address described that only 10% of overall healthcare constituents diagnosis.He discussed the emerging trends in Diagnostics by putting forward four questions

What is happening in healthcare?
How will that affect us as pathologists?
What are the emerging technologies?
What can you do to better prepare yourself?

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Many trends relate to technological advances & the necessity to increase quality & efficiency. The new factor for the IVD industry, not previously seen, is the influence of educated & informed healthcare consumers. Clinical lab testing is one of the greatest bargains in healthcare but often draws the attention from cost-cutters. Lab professionals also will increasingly capitalize on these emerging opportunities & options.

The whole paradigm of healthcare is shifting and will continue to shift—from technological advances like electronic health records. This will change the historic doctor/patient relationship marking the onset of an era of patient empowerment in which the patient shall become more responsible for maintaining good health.

The Healthcare sector, in India, is at an inflection point and is poised for rapid growth At a CAGR of 21% – we will have an industry of 300 billion US $ by 2020. A combination of demographic and economic factors is expected to drive the growth of the sector.

The main points addressed the need to use the emerging trends in diagnostics such as

Wellness Health Model – the power of diagnostics to change the focus of healthcare from treating sickness to promoting wellness
The rise of the corporation – Consolidation & Automation
Role of PPP in Rural Healthcare – a private-private partnership
Need for Accreditation – Quality of samples and testing
Consumer-centric healthcare – Handheld devices and POC (Point of Care) testing
Growing in Digitisation

Dr. Ravi Gaur wanted the healthcare facilities available in metro cities should reach the remote areas too, that’s where innovations in diagnosis should take us. Dr. Vidur Mahajan’s company validates clinical test with their expertise and team of researches.

“Simple solutions for complex problems” is the lateral thinking behind Pawan Asalapuram who is currently working on eradication of TB in the country by his innovations in diagnosis methods. Use of his product, PCR, TB can be recognized in just 90 mins which usually takes 3 to 6 months.

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Dr. Richa Dayal suggested continuous monitoring devices. She then spoke on the data analysis part, where the study shows that India is researching on the data outsourced instead of self-published data as we lack in data. She demanded the support of policymakers in the area of diagnostics.

Mr. Anoop Shaji, final year undergraduate student He has delivered dozens of award-winning scientific presentations at various international, national scientific meets on his original novel, indigenously developed, potentially promising conceptual models. Anoop Shaji was the only dental student selected among 160 students all over India from all UG streams to be invited as a delegate to first ever Nobel prize series in connection to vibrant Gujarat 2017, which was presided by 9 Nobel laureates and the prime minister of India for conceptually developing a potential breakthrough for brain cancer treatment.

He became the voice of the young innovators in the conference and emphasized on POC (point of care) diagnosis. His current work is on a simple device detection of cancer with just one single drop of blood. Lab on the chip would be a boon in advancements in diagnostics and insisted on continuous efforts on it along with the financial and legal support.

The post Advances in Diagnostics appeared first on InnoHEALTH magazine.

Infertility No More a Curse; Scientists Develop New Artificial Ovary Prototype

InnoHEALTH Magazine — Thu, 10 May 2018 08:06:36 +0000

A protein formulation based on fibrin resembles the architecture and rigidity of human ovarian tissue. And ovary transplant can be use. Belgian researchers have taken important steps towards creating transplantable artificial ovaries. Once successful, these could be of value to women struggling with infertility or cancer patients who cannot conceive after undergoing radiation or chemotherapy.

The research team has identified a protein formulation that closely resembles the structure and rigidity of the natural tissue lining a woman’s ovaries, says Marie-Madeleine Dolmans of the Université Catholique de Louvain in Belgium, in an article in Springer’s Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics.

Through cryopreservation, it is already possible to store a cancer patient’s ovarian tissue. To transplant it back into her body once her cancer treatment has completed and she has gone into remission.

Also Read: Breast lump? Why you shouldn’t panic

The technique has already helped 130 mothers who survived cancer to conceive and give birth. Such treatment is, however, not advisable for patients who have a risk of malignant cells in their frozen ovarian tissue. In that case, ovarian tissue cannot be reimplant because of the chances that their cancer could return.

Developing a transplantable artificial ovary with isolated follicles from their tissue could, therefore, offer these women more possibilities to conceive.

The first step in the process is to remove and freeze some ovarian tissue before a woman starts cancer treatment. When needed, follicles (producers of hormones such as estrogen and the precursors of mature female egg cells) are isolated from the ovarian tissue and encapsulated within a scaffold made of fibrin that is grafted to the patient. This hopefully restores the patient’s hormonal and reproductive functions. In previous studies, Dolmans’ research team used a type of filamentous protein around which blood clots form called fibrin to construct the necessary artificial ovary tissue scaffolding or matrixes.

“The idea is that these matrixes should mimic the structure and physical properties of the human ovary in such a way that it could ideally support the growth of follicles within which the egg cell resides,” explains co-author Maria Costanza Chiti.

Dolmans and her team have so far performed tests using mice tissue and follicles. But in this study, the research team turned their attention to the minute characteristics of human tissue. Three women of child-bearing age analyzed from biopsies using scanning electron microscopy.

The thickness of the layers and characteristics such as the stiffness of the tissue compared with that of four different concentrations of fibrin.

“This was done to identify the fibrin formulation that best resembles the natural milieu of the human ovary in terms of architecture, porosity, and rigidity,” says Chiti.

The research team tested different fibrin matrix concentrations. One – which is called F50/T50 – emerged as the combination of choice in terms of ultrastructure and rigidity. As well as the way in which it closely resembles the outer layer of the human ovary.

“These combinations may mimic the physiological environment of human follicles more closely. Making them good candidates for the artificial ovary prototype,” says Chiti. “Such findings are essential to help us standardize fibrin matrix architecture.”

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New method to remove harmful drugs from water

InnoHEALTH Magazine — Tue, 23 Jan 2018 09:09:53 +0000

New method developed to remove harmful drugs from wastewater

Hospital wastewater is very toxic due to the presence of drugs in it which in turn leads to major environmental issues. A group of researchers from Belgium and India have developed a novel method of treating wastewater to get rid of such harmful substances from hospital waste. The wastewater may contain cytostatic drugs which are known to cause severe and irreversible damages to human body especially from hospitals specializing in cancer treatment.

Researchers have developed a slurry photocatalytic membrane reactor which involves a filtration process similar to the one used to purify drinking water. This device needs a light source like an LED to work. Scientists used a catalyst, titanium dioxide, to breakdown drugs. It is easily available, efficient, stable and not toxic. Monika Kundu Srivastava

The membrane used as a barrier to stop the drugs could be made up of a polymer or ceramic. Though polymers have small and distinct pore sizes and are capable of stopping the large-sized cytostatic drugs, previous studies have proved that ceramic membranes are able to withstand the inevitable `wear and tear’ associated with the filtration process better when these membranes also come in contact with various chemicals. Ceramic membranes were used in this study.

As waste water with cytostatic drugs enters photoreactor, the light source activates or ‘fires up’ the catalyst (titanium dioxide) breaking it up into two parts—titanium and ‘free’ oxygen. The ‘free’ oxygen then combines with the cytostatic drugs in waste water and breaks them into smaller parts thus making them ‘safer’.

If any drug particles are left unchanged, the membrane prevents them from passing through. Thereafter, the mixture goes into another part of the reactor where the catalyst is removed and re-circulated to the photoreactor. The results of this study were published in the journal Science of the Total Environment recently.

Article shared from ‘India Science Wire’

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