Karnataka Launches 22 Products That Can Combat COVID-19 Pandemic

Bengaluru: The Deputy Chief Minister C N Ashwatha Narayana, who is also the minister for the Department of Electronics, IT, BT, and S&T, launched 22 products which would help to mitigate the Covid-19 pandemic and which also serve the objective of showcasing the innovation potential of Karnataka.

Among these, 6 products were supervised by the Bengaluru Bio-Innovation Center (BBC) under the aegis of Karnataka Innovation and Technology Society (KITS), and 16 products were supervised by Karnataka Startup Cell, KITS, Department of Electronics, IT, BT, and S&T.

While launching the products through an online platform, the Deputy Chief Minister said that the novel products developed again had exhibited the Innovation potential of Bangalore and the state of Karnataka. He also congratulated the innovators of these products during the occasion.

Dr. E.V. Ramana Reddy, IAS, Additional Chief Secretary to the Department of Electronics, IT, Bt and S&T, Government of Karnataka and Chairman, BBC said, that the department had provided all possible help to get these products developed at the launch stage and would help them in further in connecting them to right business partners through Karnataka Startup Cell and BBC.

BBC Managing Director said Dr. Jitendra Kumar that the organisation is committed to providing all supports such as Infrastructure/equipment, funding, mentorship, networking, and branding support to the Innovators and the launch of these products in addition to the earlier launch of fifteen products was a testimony to this.

Dr. Anita Gupta, Head, National Science and Technology Entrepreneurship Development Board (NSTEDB) and Advisor, DST, Government of India, Meena Nagaraj C N, Director, Electronics, IT & Bt, and MD, KITS attended and addressed during the occasion.

The occasion also saw the signing of MoU between IIT-SINE, Mumbai, and BBC. On the eve of the signing of MoU, Prof Santosh Gharpure, IIT SINE said that that expertise and capabilities of mature Incubators like IIT-SINE in facilitating funding, technical help through IIT faculties and networking support to the start-ups of BBC would open up a co-incubation model and help IIT-SINE Innovators to access the mature ecosystem of Bangalore through BBC.

Procedure for selection

The Karnataka Startup Cell launched Combat Covid-19 Challenge inviting applications from innovators who have developed innovative products/ solutions to combat the Covid19 pandemic. Karnataka Startup Cell received 356 applications across 3 phases.

Applications were evaluated through a structured evaluation process by an independent jury nominated by industry associations against certain parameters like Novelty/ Innovation, Feasibility & Social Impact, Timeline for Deployment, and Reach Scalability & Regulatory Hurdles, and Team Strength. Based on the readiness, certifications & compliances, 16 products/ solutions were selected for the showcase.

Karnataka Startup Cell is offering the below-mentioned incentives to the 16 Startups :

1. Free incubation for six months in K-tech incubation center wherever feasible
2. Free access to CiF for 2 months to build prototypes
3. Free stall in the innovation zone during Bengaluru Tech summit on the startup day
4. Access for pilots wherever possible*.
5. Structured mentoring through CoE or Ecosystem Partners
6. Delegate pass and access to Bengaluru Tech Summit

Brief description of Products launched by BBC

1. NucleoDx RT: It is a simple and cost-effective method of RNA isolation to be used in RT PCR for the detection of COVID 19. This is developed indigenously.
2. CoviDx mPlex 3R and 4R: It is an in-vitro RT PCR qualitative assay for the detection of COVID 19 virus utilizing three and four genes identification. This is a sensitive assay and is indigenously developed. It has got ICMR approval and CDSCO approval for manufacturing.
3. Dr. Tapaman: This device measures the body temperature as a symptom for COVID 19. Unlike a similar device available in the market, it doesn’t have a trigger but a switch, lighter in weight, and does not emit radiation. So it is user friendly and is developed entirely indigenously.
4. SAFAE Biosecurity Solutions: This tunnel provides for automated temperature scanner, blood oxygen level check, mask detection, automated hand wash, complete disinfection of body, clothes, and luggage, in addition to contact tracing of people within the location of installation. It is a completely developed indigenously and one of its kind in the country.
5. UVEE beamer: The device eliminates germs by denaturing their DNA within 30 seconds and is unmanned with 360 degrees UV exposure.
6. UVEE conveyor: The device is an enclosed moving belt with a UV- C system that kills germs on objects of varying sizes and will be most useful in big commercial spaces.

Brief description of Products launched by Karnataka Startup Cell, KITS

1. Qonch is an IOT based platform with a smart ID cardholder which makes businesses, schools, colleges, and university to re-open with confidence and implement social distancing norms on real-time and contact trace in case of any breakouts. In addition, the platform also allows us to manage attendance, geo-fencing, crowed management asset management, etc.
   
2. AMPWORK : This platform enables Business, Governance, People, and Health Care to work together to help the government to UNDERSTAND MONITOR, and EVALUATE the current situation. It is already being used in Kodagu and Dharwad districts.
   
3. RespirAID: it is a safe, reliable, portable, affordable alternative for prolonged manual ventilation that delivers intermittent positive pressure ventilation with essential ventilator parameters and provides automated respiratory assistance for patients. It can be used during emergency care, transport ventilation, and postoperative anesthesia.
   
4. Emvlio is a portable medical-grade refrigeration system for the safe transport of biologicals like vaccines, blood, serums, etc. that require strict temperature control. The product is now being used by District Hospitals in Karnataka and TN for the transport of COVID-19 specimens (nasal & throat swabs) while ensuring the samples are not thermally-degraded or contaminated, thereby preventing risks of false-negatives arising during testing.
   
5. Pixuate: This is an AI-based software which uses a thermal camera when placed at the entrance of public places, can detect the body temperature of people entering the premise, without stopping them. This is done at a safe distance of 3-5 meters. Also, the temperature reading of everyone is recorded by the software, and a real-time alarm is given if someone with high temperature walks in.
   
6. AskDoc: This is a Doctor VideoBot addressing to the queries about COVID-19 disease transmission and contagion control supported with multi-lingual voice and text formats. This provides its users with an auto and quick response to any queries about the Coronavirus, along with the safety measures to be followed as per the MHFW, Government of India, and WHO guidelines.
   
7. Thermoxy: This device is specifically designed to measure the human body parameters like temperature, pulse rate, and oxygen level and display each parameter on the device screen. The real-time data such is transferred to the network by both wirelessly or through LAN.
   
8. Hylobiz: This is being developed keeping in ming digitizing receivables | payables and working capital for SMEs. Post-COVID, SME’s value chain is badly disturbed on its cash flows and working capital. Moreover, physical cash and cheque collections are no more comfortable or safe. Hylobiz digitizes the whole process of sending invoices, automated reminders, collections/payments, automated reconciliations, working capital possibilities from Banks/ NBFCs, insurance services through a single-window platform. It would help the SME value chain which is the core of any country’s economy to bounce back sooner.
   
9. Doxper: This is an AI-powered digital pen and encoded paper solution which does not require any behavior change from the doctor, nurse, or assistant – no typing is required. The solution can be quickly deployed to all of the COVID-19 screening and testing centers (Fever Clinics, Serological Testing, etc), to ensure that real-time, accurate data is digitized and flows to the right stakeholders for updates and analysis. Additionally, in the case of false negatives or new cases discovered, a digitized paper trail will allow for rapid contact tracing and investigation.
   
10. VapCare: This is automated secretion management and oral hygiene system for ICU patients on mechanical ventilation. VAPCare provides a completely closed system for intelligent and accurate removal of saliva and secretions in a ventilated patient without any risk of exposure of the nurse to these secretions. VAPCare also significantly reduces the nursing burden by automating a key nursing step in the management of ventilated patients, which will also be critical in the impending shortages of nursing staff with increased ICU admissions for COVID.
    
11. Nubewell Network Function Gateway – Fake News Filtering at the Enterprise and Service Provider Level. Their SDWAN solution offers optimal traffic steering with predictable application performance combined with Smart Generation security features with Real-Time Full Visibility and seamless Integration with third-party vendors. Blocking all the Chines applications at the ISP level. WFH (Work From Home) users are benefitted with Nubewell All In One simplified pizza box to prioritize video streaming application, collaboration tools such as WebEx, Microsoft Teams, Goggle Video, Corporate Applications such as Citrix, SAP, Oracle ERP, and Cloud Applications such as Office 365, SAP Cloud, Oracle Cloud, Corporate VPN, etc.
    
12. FACE SHIELD: This can protect the public, healthcare heroes from getting infected by the COVID-19 virus.
    
13. SenseGiz: This is an award-winning & patent-pending digital solution for enforcing social distancing and contact tracking for enterprise use to mitigate risks, keep employees safe, and prevent future business Shutdowns due to COVID-19. This also helps enforce geofencing for specified areas & prevents overcrowding. It can give instant audible alerts to individual employees carrying tiny tags if they break social distancing norms as well as give detailed reports with timestamps to admins.
    
14. Stasis is the only Made-in-India, USFDA-cleared Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) solution that converts any bed into a cloud-connected in any care setting within minutes. Their smart, continuous, remote monitoring solution is easy to install and very simple to use, needs NO additional infrastructure, and can be deployed in all areas of the hospital including general wards, private rooms, isolation rooms, transplant units, post-operative areas, HDUs, step-down units, and even the ICU.
    
15. Touchless ID: This replaces HW scanners. This uses the mobile phone camera to take a picture of the person’s fingers and extract fingerprint biometrics. These biometrics are compatible with Govt databases like Aadhaar and so on. The single biggest cause of disease transmission is based on what people touch, the germs people leave behind and the germs people pick up from what other people have touched. During these times, this device won’t allow anyone to touch an HW scanner as the scanner could become the very epicenter for the spread of disease. This product eliminates the “touch” in the attendance system.

15. Dozee: This is India’s only contactless health monitor. It is a thin sensor sheet that goes below the mattress and monitors heartbeat, respiration, oxygen saturation, and more and sends this information to doctors remotely. Without any wires, patients can be continuously monitored. Nurses don’t have to physically visit patients to check their health vitals, reducing their exposure to infection and workload. Doctors can also put custom alerts on each patient to identify patients that are deteriorating, and hence can timely transfer them to ICU. Dozee is being used in 20+ hospitals and covid centres in remotely monitoring patients. Dozee is also being used in monitoring thousands of patients in home, increasing India’s bed capacity by thousands. Dozee has proven life-saving in 47 cases already