BETIC (Biomedical Engineering and Technology (incubation) Centre) based at

Indian Institute of Technology Bombay The Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT Bombay or IITB) is a public research university and technical institute in Powai, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. It is considered as one of the best engineering universities in India and is top ranke ...

is an

inter-disciplinary Interdisciplinarity or interdisciplinary studies involves the combination of multiple academic disciplines into one activity (e.g., a research project). It draws knowledge from several other fields like sociology, anthropology, psychology, ec ...

multi-institution initiative for

medical device A medical device is any device intended to be used for medical purposes. Significant potential for hazards are inherent when using a device for medical purposes and thus medical devices must be proved safe and effective with reasonable assura ...

innovation. Established in 2014 with support from the government of

Maharashtra Maharashtra (; , abbr. MH or Maha) is a states and union territories of India, state in the western India, western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. Maharashtra is the List of states and union te ...

, it comprises a network of 14 engineering and medical institutes across the state. The BETIC team have developed 50 medical devices as of 2019, and licensed 20 of them to

startup companies A startup or start-up is a company or project undertaken by an entrepreneur to seek, develop, and validate a scalable business model. While entrepreneurship refers to all new businesses, including self-employment and businesses that never intend t ...

or industry for mass production.

History

BETIC has its origins in a study conducted by

Maharashtra University of Health Sciences Maharashtra University of Health Sciences (MUHS) is a higher education institution in Nashik, Maharashtra, India. History The university was established on 3 June 1998 by the state overnment of Maharashtrathrough an ordinance. The State Legisl ...

, which concluded with a brainstorming meeting at Sahyadri Guest House,

Mumbai Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second- ...

in Dec 2009. This was attended by about 25 representatives of government, academia and medical community, who unanimously recommended setting up a center for indigenous development of affordable medical devices. The study was funded by Rajiv Gandhi Science & Technology Commission, government of Maharashtra. Its chairperson Dr.

Anil Kakodkar Anil Kakodkar (born 11 November 1943) is an Indian nuclear physicist and mechanical engineer. He was the chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission of India and the Secretary to the Government of India, he was the Director of the Bhabha Atomic ...

invited

IIT Bombay The Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT Bombay or IITB) is a public research university and technical institute in Powai, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. It is considered as one of the best engineering universities in India and is top ranked ...

to develop a proposal for incubating a biomedical engineering and technology center based on hub-and-spoke model. This was approved in April 2014 as a five-year project, with a mandate to develop 12 different medical devices and train 50 innovators. BETIC started functioning from OrthoCAD lab in IIT Bombay in early 2015, followed by two satellite centers established at Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology, Nagpur and

College of Engineering, Pune COEP Technological University, is A Unitary Public University of Government of Maharashtra, situated in Pune, Maharashtra, India. Established in 1854, it is the 2nd oldest engineering college in India, after IIT Roorkee (1847). The students and ...

. In the next three years (2016-2018), another four engineering institutes and four medical institutes set up self-funded BETIC cells in collaboration with the first three centers. Th
Medical Education and Drug Department
of Maharashtra approached IIT Bombay to set up three more BETIC cells in government hospitals; this agreement was exchanged in the presence of Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Devendra Fadanavis in February 2019 at Sahyadri guest house, the same place where the first meeting took place ten years earlier. Andhra Pradesh Med Tech Zone,

Visakhapatnam , image_alt = , image_caption = From top, left to right: Visakhapatnam aerial view, Vizag seaport, Simhachalam Temple, Aerial view of Rushikonda Beach, Beach road, Novotel, Novotel Visakhapatnam, INS Kursura (S20), INS ...

and

Gujarat Technological University Gujarat Technological University (International Innovative University), commonly referred as ''GTU'', is a state university affiliating many engineering, pharmacy, and management colleges in Gujarat state, India. The university is headed by the s ...

Ahmedabad Ahmedabad ( ; Gujarati: Amdavad ) is the most populous city in the Indian state of Gujarat. It is the administrative headquarters of the Ahmedabad district and the seat of the Gujarat High Court. Ahmedabad's population of 5,570,585 (per t ...

also signed agreements with IIT Bombay for collaboration with BETIC. At the 5th annual review, symposium and expo of BETIC held at IIT Bombay on 12–13 April 2019, over 100 stakeholders representing the government, academia, medical community, startups, industry and investors discussed how to sustain, replicate and scale up the healthcare innovation eco-system.

Centers and key people

BETIC network comprises one main center, two satellite centers, four cells in engineering institutes and seven cells in medical institutes. The centers and their respective founders are listed here.

Main center

, Mumbai (Prof. Bhallamudi Ravi) The center has facilities for

3D scanning 3D scanning is the process of analyzing a real-world object or environment to collect data on its shape and possibly its appearance (e.g. color). The collected data can then be used to construct digital 3D models. A 3D scanner can be based on ...

CAD/CAM CAD/CAM refers to the integration of Computer-aided design (CAD) and Computer-aided manufacturing (CAM). Both of these require powerful computers. ''CAD'' software helps designers and draftsmen; ''CAM'' "reduces manpower costs" in the manufactur ...

3D printing 3D printing or additive manufacturing is the Manufacturing, construction of a three-dimensional object from a computer-aided design, CAD model or a digital 3D modeling, 3D model. It can be done in a variety of processes in which material is ...

biocompatible Biocompatibility is related to the behavior of biomaterials in various contexts. The term refers to the ability of a material to perform with an appropriate host response in a specific situation. The ambiguity of the term reflects the ongoing de ...

plastic and metal,

printed circuit board A printed circuit board (PCB; also printed wiring board or PWB) is a medium used in Electrical engineering, electrical and electronic engineering to connect electronic components to one another in a controlled manner. It takes the form of a L ...

design and fabrication, and basic mechanical testing. It is managed by Dr. Rupesh Ghyar, Senior Executive Officer.

Satellite centers

College of Engineering Engineering education is the activity of teaching knowledge and principles to the professional practice of engineering. It includes an initial education ( bachelor's and/or master's degree), and any advanced education and specializations tha ...

, Shivajinagar, Pune (Prof. B.B. Ahuja) *

Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology Nagpur (VNIT) is a public technical university located in the central India city of Nagpur, Maharashtra. Established in 1960, the institute is among 31 National Institutes of Technology (NITs) in ...

, Nagpur (Prof. A.M. Kuthe)

Engineering institute cells

* KJ Somaiya College of Engineering, Mumbai (Dr. Ramesh Lekurwale) * MIT Art, Design & Technology University, Pune (Dr. Renu Vyas) *

Symbiosis International University Symbiosis International (Deemed University), is a multi-campus private deemed university located in the city of Pune, India. The university has more than 30 academic institutions spread over various campuses in Pune, Bangalore, Hyderabad, In ...

, Lavale, Pune (Dr. Nishant Tikekar) * G.H. Raisoni College of Engineering, Nagpur (Dr. Vibha Bora)

Medical institute cells

P.D. Hinduja National Hospital and Medical Research Centre The P. D. Hinduja National Hospital and Medical Research Centre is a multi-specialty, tertiary-care hospital in Mumbai, India. It was founded in 1951 by Parmanand Deepchand Hinduja, in collaboration with the Massachusetts General Hospital, the m ...

, Mumbai (Manish Agarwal and

B. K. Misra Dr. Basant Kumar Misra is a neurosurgeon specialising in treating brain, spine, cerebrovascular and peripheral nervous system disorders, injuries, pathologies and malformations. He is the Vice-President of the World Federation of Neurosurgical ...

) * Grant Govt. Medical College & JJ Hospital, Mumbai (Dr. Neetin Mahajanl) *

Haffkine Institute The Haffkine Institute for Training, Research and Testing is located in Parel in Mumbai (Bombay), India. It was established on 10 August 1899 by Dr. Waldemar Mordecai Haffkine, as a bacteriology research centre called the "Plague Research Labora ...

of Training, Research & Testing, Mumbai (Dr. Nishigandha Naik) * MGM Institute of Health Sciences, Navi Mumbai (Dr. Rajani Mullerpatan) * B.J. Medical College & Sassoon Hospital, Pune (Dr. Sanjay Gaikwad) *Datta Meghe Institute of Medical Sciences, Wardha (Dr. Punit Fulzele) *BKL Walwalkar Rural Hospital, Dervan, Chiplun (Dr. Suvarna Patil)

Innovation process

BETIC uses a collaborative

innovation Innovation is the practical implementation of ideas that result in the introduction of new goods or services or improvement in offering goods or services. ISO TC 279 in the standard ISO 56000:2020 defines innovation as "a new or changed entity ...

model comprising four stages: ''defining'' an unmet clinical need where doctors play a critical role, ''developing'' a novel solution by researchers, ''delivering'' a well-tested product by entrepreneurs, and ''deploying'' it in clinical practice supported by investors. The goal is to take new ideas through invention and innovation to impact. This process is referred to as 'bedside to bench to business to bedside', enabling affordable, effective, reliable and suitable products for

healthcare in India India has a multi-payer universal health care model that is paid for by a combination of public and private health insurance funds along with the element of almost entirely tax-funded public hospitals. The public hospital system is essential ...

and other

developing countries A developing country is a sovereign state with a lesser developed industrial base and a lower Human Development Index (HDI) relative to other countries. However, this definition is not universally agreed upon. There is also no clear agreem ...

using a frugal innovation process. The Centre organizes Medical Device Hackathon (MEDHA) during weekends in July, and week-long Medical Device Innovation Camp (MEDIC) in September. Participants include final year students, entrepreneurs, working professionals, teachers and incubation managers. Inter-disciplinary teams of four people are formed, one each from

medical Medicine is the science and practice of caring for a patient, managing the diagnosis, prognosis, prevention, treatment, palliation of their injury or disease, and promoting their health. Medicine encompasses a variety of health care practic ...

design A design is a plan or specification for the construction of an object or system or for the implementation of an activity or process or the result of that plan or specification in the form of a prototype, product, or process. The verb ''to design'' ...

electronics The field of electronics is a branch of physics and electrical engineering that deals with the emission, behaviour and effects of electrons using electronic devices. Electronics uses active devices to control electron flow by amplification ...

and

mechanical Mechanical may refer to: Machine * Machine (mechanical), a system of mechanisms that shape the actuator input to achieve a specific application of output forces and movement * Mechanical calculator, a device used to perform the basic operations of ...

backgrounds. They select problems from a curated list prepared in consultation with hospitals, evolve novel solution concepts, fabricate proof-of-concepts, and present them to a jury panel. Eight MEDHA and five MEDIC organized during 2015-2019 had more than 700 participants in total. Several winners joined BETIC full-time for developing and commercializing the products; most of them incubated startup companies. The innovation process of BETIC received

ISO 13485 ISO 13485 ''Medical devices -- Quality management systems -- Requirements for regulatory purposes'' is a voluntary standard, published by International Organization for Standardization (ISO) for the first time in 1996, and contains a comprehensive ...

certification of

quality management system A quality management system (QMS) is a collection of business processes focused on consistently meeting customer requirements and enhancing their satisfaction. It is aligned with an organization's purpose and strategic direction (ISO 9001:2015). I ...

for medical devices, in 2018.

Products and partners

Medical devices developed by BETIC researchers span different medical specialties and risk classes, including

medical diagnosis Medical diagnosis (abbreviated Dx, Dx, or Ds) is the process of determining which disease or condition explains a person's symptoms and signs. It is most often referred to as diagnosis with the medical context being implicit. The information re ...

devices,

surgical instrument A surgical instrument is a tool or device for performing specific actions or carrying out desired effects during a surgery or operation, such as modifying biological tissue, or to provide access for viewing it. Over time, many different kinds of ...

s, implants and

prostheses In medicine, a prosthesis (plural: prostheses; from grc, πρόσθεσις, prósthesis, addition, application, attachment), or a prosthetic implant, is an artificial device that replaces a missing body part, which may be lost through trau ...

. Sixteen products were licensed to startup companies incubated by the innovators, and six were developed for industry partners.

Startup venture products

* Orthopedic surgery planner - AlgoSurg Products (Dr. Vikas Karade) * Smart stethoscope module - Ayu Devices (Adarsha K, Tapas Pandey) * Diabetic foot screener - Ayati Devices (Nishant Kathpal) * Stance-controlled knee ankle foot orthosis - Aumeesh Tech (Aneesh Karma) * Flexible burr - Aur Innovations (Dr Roshan Sakharkar) *Endo-tracheal blockage detector - Atmen Technovention (Kishor Khandare) *Menstrual cup - Care Form Labs (Pramod Priya Ranjan) *Automatic suturing - Denovo Bioinnovations (Dr. Nikhil Mamoria) * Patient-specific bone scaffolds - Lucid Implants (Pranav Sapkal) * Hybrid plaster splint - MediAsha Technologies (Mayur Sanas) * Burn patient isolation unit - Medgyor (Dinoj Joseph) *Artificial temporal bone - Nu Ossa Mediquip (Piyush Ukey) *Glaucoma screener - OKO Icare Solutions (Neha Lande) * Skin spray gun - Pacify Medical (Saiprasad Poyarekar) *Maxillofacial surgery guides - Precisurg (Sandeep Dahake) * Jaw relation recorder - Prosthocentric (Dr. Jayant Palaskar)

Industry partner products

* Clubfoot brace monitor - Metwiz Materials (Lokap Sahu) * Multi-use biopsy gun - Tenon Meditech (Jaydip Deshpande) * Laparoscopy instrument - Eclipse Instrumentation (Priyal Nagare) * Nasal osteotomy forceps - Om Surgicals (Rashmikant Gangar) * Above knee prosthetic leg - Ratna Nidhi Charitable Trust (Rajiv Mehta) *ICU ventilator - Innovations Healthcare (Gaurav Agarwal)

Awards

Biotechnology Ignition Grant (BIG) instituted by

Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council The Department of Biotechnology (DBT) is an Indian government department, under the Ministry of Science and Technology responsible for administrating development and commercialisation in the field of modern biology and biotechnology in India. It ...

, under the

Ministry of Science and Technology A Science Ministry or Department of Science is a ministry or other government agency charged with science. The ministry is often headed by a Minister for Science. List of Ministries of Science Many countries have a Ministry of Science or Ministry ...

, Delhi, was won 16 times by BETIC innovators, to kickstart their startup ventures.{{Cite web, url=http://birac.nic.in/List_of_Beneficiaries.php, title=List of Beneficiaries, website=birac.nic.in, access-date=2019-04-20 Other awards include Gandhian Young Technological Award (twice), DST India Innovation Growth Programme Medal (thrice), Google Impact Challenge for Disabilities Award, Dr. Albert Schweitzer International Health Award, Dr. B.C. Roy International Award, Emerging Startup of the Year, American Bazaar StartUp Competition, Young Entrepreneur Award, Indo-Swiss AIT, SICOT Research Award, SKB Seva Samaj Award, Maharashtra Startup Week, Maharashtra AI Innovation Challenge Award, NCPEDP-Mphasis Universal Design Award, IET IOT Challenge Award - Healthcare track, and Infosys Aarohan.

References

External links

Biomedical Engineering and Technology incubation Centre
IIT Bombay, Mumbai
Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council
New Delhi # Ravi, B.
The Essence of Medical Device Innovation
The Write Place, Crossword, Mumbai, 2018
Coronavirus Outbreak: Digital Stethoscopes To Doctors' Rescue
" Sunday Mid-Day, 5 April 2020
BETiC- IIT B innovator Aneesh Karma wins Aarohan social innovations awards for 2019
" Express Healthcare, 2 March 2020
Low-cost portable diabetic foot screener makes debut at IIT-Bombay innovation camp
" Indian Express, 1 Nov 2019
15 novel medical devices conceived within 100 hours at camp in IIT Bombay
" India Today, 7 Oct 2019
15 innovations at centre of BETiC IIT Bombay med-tech camp
" Economic Times Health World, 1 Oct 2019
IIT-B’s BETiC making a difference in healthcare industry
Medical Equipment & Automation, 1 Aug 2019
IIT Bombay professor pens medical device innovation book
, NDTV, 24 Oct 2018
BETiC IIT-B launches Medical Device Hackathon - MEDHA 2019
, India Today, 25 June 2019

" Hindustan Times, 19 Apr 2019 #
3 best medical devices innovations at IIT-B get Rs 50 lakh grant
Free Press Journal, 16 April 2019 #
Portable surgery tent of 20 medical innovations at IIT-Bombay
Times of India, Mumbai, 14 April 2019 #
How IIT Bombay’s healthcare innovation centre BETiC is solving India’s massive doctor shortage
" India Today Online, 28 March 2019 #
Haffkine Institute, IIT to Start Biomedical Incubation Centre
" The Hindu, 15 Feb 2019 #
We need more screening devices for specific diseases
" Express Healthcare, 7 Feb 2019 #
New low-cost device to diagnose glaucoma in time, prevent blindness
" The Hindustan Times, 11 Jan 2019 #
Poonam Mahajan invites IIT-B BETiC to conduct low cost medical device camps in her adopted villages
" Mid-Day, 9 Dec 2018

" Business Standard, 28 Sep 2018 #
How IIT-Bombay’s MEDIC initiative is making a difference: new technology for smarter medical aids
" Mumbai Mirror, 29 Aug 2018 #
More Than Just A Heart Beat
Outlook Business, 22 June 2018, pp. 22–25 #
The Frugal Innovators at IIT Bombay
" Forbes India, 11 May 2018, pp. 42–44 #
IIT-B researchers develop steth that can filter noises
" Free Press Journal, 3 May 2018 #
CoEP develops instant splint for injured limbs
, Times of India, Pune, 10 Feb 2017 #
Jaipur foot gets a leg-up, 3D-printed version ready
, Times City, Times of India, Mumbai, Monday 7 Nov 2016 #
Meet produces prototypes for 20 new medical devices
, Times of India, Nagpur, Saturday, 24 Sep 2016 #
Google.org announces grant funding of Rs 54 million for three Indian non-profits
Economic Times, 4 March 2016 #

" Hindustan Times, 24 April 2015 #
IIT-B scholar develops software to convert 2D X-ray into 3D
" Times of India, 26 Feb 2015. IIT Bombay