INDIA – Technology innovation hubs of IIT Delhi (iHub foundation) and IIIT Delhi (iHub Anubhuti) have a signed a memorandum of understanding that will see them collaborate to develop India’s first Medical Cobotics Centre (MCC) at the Indian Institute of Technology – Delhi.
The two government-supported university technology hubs have been working on advanced robotics and collaborative robots (cobotics), digital health, sensing, and computing technologies for robotic-assisted surgeries, training, and medical procedures.
The Department of Science and Technology (DST)-funded hubs will create training programs in collaboration with leading doctors and healthcare experts.
The Medical Cobotics Centre (MCC) will be a tech-enabled medical simulation and training facility for young resident doctors, as well as other healthcare professionals, paramedical staff, technicians, engineers, and researchers.
MMC’s training programs will be multi-level and cohort-specific, including urology, neurology, and laparoscopy, but will initially focus on minimally invasive surgeries.
Experts from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi and other medical colleges will be consulted for these programs, which will be led by guest faculty from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences.
It will also serve as a validation center for research findings in healthcare robotics and digital health. This new facility will form alliances with businesses, conduct research, and work toward the commercialization of technologies.
The first batch of trainees is expected to be inducted in April or May of next year. They will be trained initially with basic training simulators, with advanced surgical robots following in the next phase.
The center will also be a place for various technology innovation hubs under the Indian government’s National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems to showcase their medical-related projects and products with applications.
In other news, Medanta, an Indian multi-specialty medical group, has collaborated with Qure.ai to use the latter’s artificial intelligence software to improve chest x-ray analysis.
The hospital system will use the qXR software, which automatically analyzes chest x-rays and detects abnormalities for better diagnosis and treatment.
X-rays are the most common non-invasive tests to detect chest ailments. In this regard, qXR offers an automated interpretation of X-rays that allow for better diagnosis and treatment.
The program works by classifying radiology reports as normal or abnormal. Besides, the artificial intelligence tool can detect 30 abnormalities in the lungs, pleura, heart, bones, and diaphragm.
The qXR solution is expected to enhance Medanta’s chest X-ray capabilities, and will allow for increased productivity and more accurate medical diagnosis.
Fujifilm Corporation has also adopted the Qure.ai software for its portable X-ray FDR Xair system.
Through a recent collaboration with AstraZeneca Malaysia, the startup has brought its x-ray software to some Malaysian primary care clinics to aid in the early detection of lung cancer.
Liked this article? Sign up to receive our regular email newsletters, focused on Africa and World’s healthcare industry, directly into your inbox. SUBSCRIBE HERE
