4 days ago
Sree Chitra transfers Parkinson's care tech to industry partners
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST) has transferred five advanced medical technologies to industry partners, paving the way for their commercial production and broader clinical use.
Among the developments is a Deep Brain Stimulator, an implantable device designed to manage movement disorders such as Parkinson's disease and dystonia. Developed by a multidisciplinary team from SCTIMST in collaboration with the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, the device offers a cost-effective, indigenous alternative to imported stimulators.
Another major innovation is a chitosan-based wound dressing sponge, intended for the treatment of chronic and infected wounds. The dressing delivers antibiotics directly to the site of infection, neutralises free radicals, and promotes faster healing while reducing the risk of systemic toxicity associated with oral or injectable antibiotics.
The institute has also developed a small-scale plasma fractionation technique that enables the extraction of four critical proteins—fibrinogen, thrombin, albumin, and immunoglobulin—from blood plasma. These proteins can be used in specific combinations to aid blood clotting and manage immune-related conditions.
Additionally, SCTIMST has created a device to transfer laboratory mice without causing stress. The Mice Transfer and Enrichment Box is designed to improve animal welfare standards in laboratory environments.
The technologies have been licenced to various companies for commercial development. The Deep Brain Stimulator has been transferred to Shree Pacetronix Ltd in Madhya Pradesh.
Intracranial and subdural electrodes, along with the plasma protein extraction technology, have been handed over to Synapticore Technology Pvt Ltd. The chitosan-based wound dressing has been transferred to Vranova Biotech Pvt Ltd in Mumbai.
