This Bengaluru startup has developed a device to monitor multiple COVID-19 patients simultaneously

The increasing number of coronavirus cases is posing a serious health risk to healthcare professionals. In India, which has a low doctor-patient ratio, the continuous monitoring of coronavirus patients has not only resulting in an increased risk for the frontline workers, but is also adding up to their work hours, leading to burnout and overstress.

Bengaluru-based Cardiac Design Labs is working to solve this problem. The startup was founded in 2011 by Anand Madanagopal with an aim to build advanced monitoring and diagnostic systems for the Indian masses.

To keep a tab on the health of dozens of patients from a distance, Cardiac Design Labs has come up with a ‘Telemetric Patient Monitoring System’. It is a centralised vitals monitoring system, which will allow frontline workers to monitor multiple patients simultaneously from a central location. 

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How does it work?

Speaking to YourStory, Anand says, the Telemetric Patient Monitoring System can continuously monitor ECG, respiration, SpO2, body temperature, and blood pressure of the patient.

“The system has wearable devices, which are put onto the chest of the patient. The data collected is then shared with the nursing station, which can be located out of the COVID-19 wards. It also has algorithms to alert the healthcare professionals if something goes wrong with any particular patient,” Anand explains. “The data can also be accessed by senior specialists through a mobile app, thereby reducing the need for nurses and doctors to go around the wards.”

The ‘Made in India’ device also continuously monitors the ECG of the patients, thereby allowing doctors to keep a check on any cardiac complications in the patients, which might arise due to COVID-19 complications.

According to Anand, apart from monitoring the patients in hospitals, the device can be used for remote monitoring of patients in their homes or during their commute via ambulance, etc., by pairing the device with a smartphone or tab. 

Due to its wireless infrastructure, the device can also be used in re-purposed alternate infrastructure such as hotels, schools, and railway coaches as isolation wards to give intensive care in times of emergencies. 

Increasing demand

“We are deploying our first 100 units in Narayana Health (Bengaluru) in the following week and we have also received a lot of orders and enquiry about the product from across the country,” Anand says.

Earlier this month, Cardiac Design Labs was nominated by Bengaluru-based incubator Centre for Cellular and Molecular Platforms (C-CAMP) as deployment-ready coronavirus innovation. 

The device is also quite affordable compared to traditional ICU setups. Anand says, the device is priced at Rs 45,000. However, the company is currently selling the product for Rs 30,000 to ensure maximum reach to combat the COVID-19 situation.

Amid the lockdown, the company has been facing difficulties to ensure timely delivery of the machines. According to Anand, the team is personally delivering the product in Bengaluru and Mysore. The company has also partnered with Gurugram-based logistics startup Delhivery to deliver the machines in other parts of India, including Mumbai, Delhi, etc.

“We plan to deploy 10,000 at different hospitals and get their wards enabled with centralized remote monitoring to ensure easing of manual work and create efficiency in the nurses station,” Anand said. 

According to Anand, Cardiac Design Labs is currently competing with other players such as Mindray and Philips in the medical device manufacturing space.