Medical Plastic Data Service Magazine

 

A TECHNO-ECONOMIC NEWS MAGAZINE FOR MEDICAL PLASTICS, MEDICAL DEVICES, DIAGNOSTICS AND PHARMA INDUSTRY

Our 29th Year of Publication
Page  7 of 9
 

Cover Story

Point of Care Testing in India - A Game Changer

 

Dr. Usha Jain
Consultant: Lab Medicine, Medical Genetics &
Genomic sciences, Research Design & Analysis

 

The Point of Care (POC) testing was firstly introduced with the development of a method for rapid analysis of blood glucose in year 1962 and shortly after in 1977, rapid pregnancy test was developed that pioneered a trend for personalized diagnostics. The current trend in POCD (Point-of-care diagnostics) is more inclined towards smart devices equipped with mobile healthcare (mH), the most promising being cellphone-based POC technologies for the readout of electrochemical, optical, colorimetric, chemiluminescent, fluorescent, lateral flow, & label-free assays; detection of cells, biomolecules, nanoparticles, and microorganisms etc. This very combination is truly revolutionizing the personalized healthcare monitoring and management, thereby leading towards next generation POCT. Further, the use of wearable devices for point of care diagnostics has come up as a valid support for diagnostic excellence by providing more effective solutions through testing, tracking, and tracing (TTT) strategies. Though many wearables are in prototype, still their non-invasive, relatively low cost, easy to use, wide market availability and their long-term continuous data collection enabled by the advancement in Internet of Things (IoT) integration involving sensors and user-friendly interfaces to provide a feedback loop of various data, are the keys to its success.

As known, in spite of three tier well networked health care system in India, access to healthcare in rural areas is far from satisfactory. Integration of POCT (Point-of-care testing) into the healthcare system to provide laboratory testing outside of the main laboratory has tendency to transform the delivery of care with innovative diagnostic solutions, especially in underserved populations, rural areas, and locations with limited infrastructure or personnel (e. g. disaster, accident, or military sites). Besides having extended testing capabilities, this system of testing is also advantageous in the terms of its efficiency, speed, sample stability, ease of handling, portability, lean process & thus overall improved patient’s management. Especially after the onset of Covid-19 pandemic, telemedicine & e-health have been playing pivotal role in healthcare systems, providing safe & effective means of patient care. This has created vast opportunities for entrepreneurs & start-ups for various types of technologies, products & solutions to make it suitable for local users.

Stimulus Package to Support Health Technology Start-Ups

Realizing the same, for fast growth of medical device manufacturing, Indian government is also easing the regulatory process for mass testing and production to push the start-ups and SMEs to develop medical devices to tackle the pandemic and other lifestyle and chronic diseases. The new Medical Devices Bill (Safety, Effectiveness & Innovation) will improve the ease of doing business. Jointly the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare with Niti Aayog has framed a separate regulatory body for medical devices sold in the Indian markets. Another important support includes accessibility of the country’s top technical institutes such as the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and others laboratories, to help set benchmarks and safety guidelines for providing certifications to medical devices, also helping the startups & innovators to shape ideas, prototype, capital & networking to scale up products. Opening of multiple Medical Park & Innovation Labs are also in the agenda. Under ‘Vocal for Local’ initiative as a measure to promote the manufacturing of medical devices locally, PM has announced the INR 20 Cr stimulus package to support health technology start-ups in developing scientific and commercial solutions.

POCT Device Format

The POCT device format can be categorized – disposables, handheld, benchtop, portable, transportable, monitoring etc. In the present article an attempt has been made to have the insights of tremendous opportunities & trends in Point of Care testing in future, by highlighting the products of a few of companies & their associated technology.

Disposables

Pune based Mylab Discovery Solutions has launched the Eye- Catching Product of the pandemic, CoviSelf - antigen based self-test for Covid 19, after receiving approval from

.

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