Book Review

TOP 100 INDIAN INNOVATIONS with focus on Healthcare Innovations

 

Dialysis-Grade Membranes – Prof. Jayesh Bellare, IITB Mumbai Dr. Jayesh R. Bellare is a full time professor at the Department of Chemical Engineering, IIT-Mumbai. He did B.Tech in Chemical engineering IIT-Mumbai, earned his Ph.D. in chemical Engineering and Materials Science from the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA. He was a visiting researcher at the Department of Chemical Engineering, Technion Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel. He was a post-doctoral fellow in Mathematics and in Polymer Science & Engineering at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, USA and in Materials Science and Engineering at MIT, Cambridge, USA. He has several international publications, conference presentations and patents.

Technology

Hemodialysis is an extra-corporeal process in which the blood is cleansed via removal of uremic retention products by a semipermeable membrane. Traditionally, dialysis membranes have been broadly classified on the basis of their composition (cellulosic or non-cellulosic) and water permeability (low-flux or high-flux). However, advances in materials technology and polymer chemistry have led to the development of membranes with specific characteristics and refined properties that mandate a reconsideration of traditional membrane classification systems.

Innovation

https://youtu.be/dzxjsPEiaFeI

Hollow fiber membrane for biomedical application:

End stage renal disease (ESRD) indicates the complete failure of kidney function, where kidney can no longer remove wastes, concentrate urine and regulate many other important body functions. Hemodialysis is one the most effective and widely used mode to regulate the kidney functions artificially. The hemodialyzer cartridge (disposable blood filter) is the key component of this treatment technology and is currently imported. At the Department of Chemical Engineering, the team has successfully developed an indigenous and low-cost technology for continuous pilot-scale production of hollow fiber membranes to be used in hemodialysis and built prototype microdialyzer. The formulated special anti-oxidative composite Polysulfone/vitamin E TPGS membrane materials improves the performance in both separation and bio-compatibility front. This will permit faster treatment, lesser side reactions and could spur novel devices like portable/wearable dialyzers. Along with these the HFM technology was also used in making a step towards bioartificial organs like bioartificial liver and bioartificial pancreas.

Patents

Bio-Artificial PANCREAS, Bellare Jayesh | Teotia Rohit Satvir | Singh Atul Kumar | Verma Surendra Kumar | Kadam Sachin, IIT – BOMBAY | Krishna Institute of Medical Sciences | Department of Biotechnology, Government of India, Patent No.IN201623022433A

Coated Hollow Fiber Membrane Material as a Substrate for Enhanced Liver Cell Attachment and a Process for manufacturing the same, Bellare Jayesh | Verma Surendra Kumar | Singh Atul Kumar | Modi Akshay | Teotia Rohit S. IIT-B | Department of Biotechnology, Government of India, Patent No. IN201721012545A https://iitb.irins.org/profile/43034

Commercialization

Animal trails are underway for Indigenous membrane cartridges for hemodialysis : composition of dialysis-grade membranes developed at low-cost; excellent compatibility with human blood; high uremic toxins removal efficiency and high permeation flux with minimal side reactions.

First indigenous Hemodialysis Machine in India was developed by Renalyx, a Bangalore based company with whom Dr. Prakash Keshaviah collaborated as a consultant in developing the machine. https://www.renalyx.com/