KOCHI: Medicines when applied in the right amount, work miracles but when it might turn fatal if there happens even a slight variation in the dosage. In the case of patients especially those undergoing treatment like chemotherapy, it is of utmost importance that the medicines enter the body at the rate prescribed by the doctor. “But sometimes this doesn’t happen and it is during those times that fatalities happen,” says Vishnu M S, CEO of Evelabs.
After visiting many hospitals as a part of his project he was doing for his post-graduation from National Institute of Design, Vishnu realised that there is an urgent need for a regulator device to monitor the administration of intraveinous drips.
The result of the research was Dripo, a digital drip monitor, that was developed using a seed fund of Rs 50 lakh. “We got the funding from an external investor. We had applied for funds from KRIBS BioNest and have been selected for funding which will be to the tune of `50 lakh,” said Vishnu. According to him, with every sector going the digital way, it is high time the medical industry too adopts futuristic equipment to provide better and safer care.
“The device is wifi linked and comes with a hub. A nurse, who otherwise would have to check the flow of the drip manually at least every five minutes or so, will no longer have to do so. Any variation in the functioning of the drip will be notified by the device via the software programme that is provided on the mobile or the desktop at the nursing station,” he said. The battery operated device is not a disposable one, he added.
Vishnu said Dripo will be out in the market within six months. “Each device costs around `10. The ones that are available in the market do not have the features that Dripo has and costs around `20,” he said. Vishnu started Evelabs along with two of his friends Sanjai Rajendran and Sruthy Gopal.
He said, “The devices are set in a five in a hub mode. The model is based on the assumption that at a time five IV drips are being administered. However, the numbers can be increased. All that has to be done is add the other devices to the hub and connect it with the monitoring app. The software programme has been developed keeping in mind all these factors.” The nurses won’t feel stressed out and the margin of error both human or otherwise will be nil.
“Improper administration of drips can lead to many problems. One of the most fatal complications is pulmonary oedema. It can even lead to death if not taken care of immediately,” he said.
In a nutshell