Development of Low Cost Rapid Detection Microwave Biosensors for Efficient Diagnosis

of Health Risks in Rural Zones of India

Pilot proposal submitted toMinistry of Human Resource Development

Under the Scheme on“National Mission on Education through Information and Technology”

Project PI: Dr. K. S. DayaMicrowave Physics Laboratory

Department of physics & Computer ScienceDayalbagh Educational Institute

Dayalbagh, Agra –282 110

Technology advancements in the field of healthcare and biological sciences has overwhelmingly influenced our lifestyle and lifespan. Advanced technologies today seem incomplete due to the complexity of the biological systems and for its drawbacks in providing easy and fast information as it require highly priced consumables, considerable time and skilled manpower, none of which are easily available. Hence…understanding the health risks and the health status of individuals in the rural India has not been viable till date.Over half the population of India lives in rural or geographically challenging locations, thus any statistics available on the health is incomplete.

Motivation

There is a need to substitute the current conventional and advanced testing methods with a simple yet reliable health monitoring system that will provide convenience to the user, interms of procedures, portability and economic viability and will also provide the user with rapid and easily extractable results. There lies a great socio-technological challenge to bridge this information gap between the urban and rural population. The only bridging solution is ‘services at the door step’; by giving them solutions for self monitoring of health hazards which will provide autonomy and will inculcate a sense of self responsibility towards their own health and surroundings.

Justification

Objective for the Pilot Phase

Until the 1970s, it was widely believed that the prevalence of diabetes in India was low compared to the western world. But recent statistics now show that India has the world's largest diabetic population.

Today, India has 40.8 million diabetic patients, more than any other country, and the number is expected to rise to 57 million by 2025!

Development of NON-INVASIVE PLANAR BLOOD GLUCOMETER.

And another major health safety concern is …

Ensuring the supply of safe drinking water in India is a constitutional

mandate, with the Article 47

‘Both surface water and ground water should be regularly monitored for quality’

- National Water Policy (2002) of India

Objective for the Pilot Phase

Since the First Five-Year Plan in 1951, investments made in water and sanitation have been estimated at

Rs 1105 billion. Yet, it has been estimated that

• around 37.7 million Indians are affected by water-borne diseases annually,

• 1.5 million children are estimated to die of diarrhea alone• 73 million working days are lost due to water-borne diseases each year. • The resulting economic burden is estimated at US$ 600 million a year.

Clearly, the health benefits in terms of reduction in water-borne diseases have not been commensurate with the

investments made.

Objective for the Pilot Phase

Thus ,ACCESS to safe drinking water remains an urgent necessity, as 90% of rural households still

depend completely on untreated surface or groundwater.

Though a degree of intervention interms of monitoring of water quality exists in major

cities and towns, rural India, which constitutes the bulk (70%) of the population, is usually

‘deprived’ of such interventions.

Objective for the Pilot Phase

The “Rajiv Gandhi National Drinking Water Mission” (RGNDWM) was launched in 2006 to undertake the assessment of all drinking water sources……..

However, as on date less than 50% of all the rural water sources have only been analysed, due to factors such as the lack of skilled man power and inadequately equipped laboratories. Weak links in the supply chain for transporting the reagents and chemicals to remote locations“THUS MONITORING IS THE WEAKEST LINK IN THE SYSTEM THAT WORKS TO

PROVIDE SAFE WATER IN RURAL INDIA.” ( Source :- CURRENT SCIENCE, VOL.97, NO.3, 10 AUGUST 2009)

Objective for the Pilot Phase

Objective for the Pilot Phase

To demonstrate a NON-INVASIVE PLANAR MICROWAVE SENSOR for BLOOD GLUCOSE DETECTION

To demonstrate RAPID DETECTION MICROWAVE SENSOR FOR THE PRESENCE OF PATHOGENIC BACTERIA IN DRINKING WATER

Rapid Detection Microwave Bio-sensorsNon Invasive Blood Glucometer

Low cost, NO-PRICK and easy to use solution for continuous self monitoring of blood glucose .

Thus there is an immediate need for a easy and safe solution which will overcome:-

The psychological hassle to a prick.Blood related safety concerns (infections)Requirement of skilled manpower.Requirements of consumables of conventional ready to use

invasive gluco-meters.

And …

Provides with an indigenous and user friendly self monitoring systems to the under privileged and elderly

Working Principle

• Microwave sensors are based on the interaction between microwaves and matter. When the electric field passes through the dielectric medium, electric field affects medium parameter called permittivity (dielectric constant)

• Measuring the dielectric properties of a material can indirectly measure other properties that have a correlation to the material

• Dielectric constant of blood increases with increase in glucose level in blood

Why RF sensors for biological system ?

• Microwave sensors are very sensitive to change in dielectric constant and most of the bacteria commonly found in water are high dielectric proteins

• Microwave sensor does not require any reagents or chemical, thus an indigenous solution without interdependencies

• Unlike biological methods, results are immediate

Benefits

• Easy to use • No technical expertise required• Can be a completely portable systems• No reagents or chemical required, thus

eliminating the need of supply chain for transporting chemicals to remote locations

• Gives autonomy to the user resulting in better health safety concern

TIMELINE & DELIVERABLES

Time Line Deliverable Milestones0th month Project kick off3rd Month Designing of resonator 6th Month Identifcation of

suitable dielectric material and simulation of glucometer sensors

9th Month Spiking studies for the presence of bacteria.

1st Miles stone

12th Month Live testing of gluco sensors.

2nd Mile stone.

Non-Recurring INR 1.28 CroreRecurring INR 0.451 CroreTotal INR 1.74 Crore

PROPOSED BUDGET

S.No.ITEM Cost in Lakhs

(in INR)

Site Preparation 5Bax DUPONT PCR based detection system 40Laminar Air Flow Bench 3Biosafety Cabinet 5Deep Freezer 10Incubators 3Glass wares 5Millipore filter Assembly with Vaccum pump 2Analytical Balance 2.0Refrigerator 1.0Books & Journals 15Autoclave 1.5Laptops & Computers 6Other software 15.0Microscope 10Hot air oven 1.0Spinner 1.0Millipore water purification system 5Microwave Connectors 5UPS 1.5

Total Non Recurring Cost 128.2

MANPOWER Cost in Lakhs for one year

Senior Research Fellow 1 2.4

Junior Research Fellow 4 7.2Research Assistant 2 1.92Lab Technicians 1 1.2Lab attendants 1 0.6

ConsumablesGeneral Maintenance 3.0Travel 2.0Glass wares 5.0Bacterial Strains 2.0Contingency 2.0Miscellaneous 3.0Microwave Laminates` 5.0Chemicals & Reagents 10.0

Total 45.12

• Present project proposal would lead to the development of low cost, user friendly, biosensors for noninvasive glucose sensing in blood and rapid bacteria sensing in water.

• The developed prototype will be of use in continuous and consistent health and health risk monitoring in the rural parts as it will be user friendly, economically viable and rapid solution .

• As the product developed aims to replace the high cost involved in precision instruments, reagents and skilled manpower, it would bring down the capital and operational expenditure in health monitoring at remote locations.

• To summarise, the output of this proposal will be providing economically and operationally viable solution for continuous and consistent health and risk monitoring of millions of truly localized people residing in the rural zones of India.

OUTCOME

THANK YOU !!