BENGALURU: The National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (Nimhans) held a two-day event to celebrate Nimhans Science Day 2020 on Wednesday. More than 1,000 people attended the first day of the event, where they visited various stalls that showcased technologies used in the hospital and fun games. The key themes of the event this year were the brain, cognition and sleep, neuro infections and inflammations, cancer and the brain, strokes, cerebrovascular accidents, along with with the technologies and equipments used.
A model of radiotherapy equipment to treat benign tumours was displayed. Nimhans procured the device a few years ago and has treated 3,200 patients with it so far. “The equipment uses a method called gamma knife radiosurgery. However, contrary to its name, it is a knifeless and non-invasive medical procedure. The device will emit gamma rays on that part of the brain affected by the tumor. The person is treated in one sitting. This is the only device present in South India.” said Dr Jeeva of the Department of Neurosurgery.
Smitha from the Department of Psychiatry had a stall that showcased the effects of stress on various parts of the body. There was also a game where people had to make up words to overcome stress. “Stress causes irritability, rapid breathing, increase in glucose levels, constipation, loss of skin tone, frequent urination and others,” she said. There was also a stall where kids could try their hand at becoming neurosurgeons. Here, they had to remove a red coloured tumour from a specimen of a brain using an operating microscope, which showcases the brain on a screen. “My dream is to become a neurosurgeon and I did my first surgery today thanks to Nimhans.” said 10-year-old Aarav Mehta from BTM Layout.
Nimhans’ biomedical engineering department developed a prototype of a truck with a solar panel which can be used to move around the campus for transportation. “We already have an e-vehicle. Now, I have modified it to run on solar panels. On sunny days, the energy produced will be stored in a battery. When there is no sun, the truck will run on the energy from this battery,” said Madhu KB, a biomedical engineer.