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Dr. Suman Chakraborty (Dept of Mechanical Engineering – IIT Kharagpur

Suman Chakraborty has research interests in the area of Microfluidics, Nanofluidics, and CFD. Through a serious of investigations, he resolved one of the outstanding paradoxes on interfacial slip in nanoscale transport, by demonstrating the exact mechanism by which less dense phases may be segregated within nanometer length scales adhering to solid-liquid interface. He further extended this model to understand electrohydrodynamics in presence of hydrophobic interactions, resolving outstanding anomalies on massive amplification in electrokinetic pumping in nanochannels. Extending the above fundamental scientific principles, Chakraborty has been the pioneer to agglomerate the science of microscale fluid mechanics with the complex biophysics of cells. Chakraborty has also been the first researcher to develop a fundamental theory on electrokinetic transport of blood through microfluidic conduits, and to translate the same towards the development of an original device for analyzing the flow of blood from a droplet into a microfluidic capillary, together with the effects of suspended red blood cells and dynamically evolving contact angle on the underlying non-intuitive flow features under the complex coupling of electrokinetics, interfacial phenomena and fluid rheology. One aspect which distinguishes Chakraborty?s research work from many others? is the strong link between outstanding fundamental scholarly work and innovative technology development relevant to industries and society. His contributions on fluid flows in miniaturized devices, leading to the development of low cost medical diagnostic devices, is expected to revolutionize rapid, portable, accurate, and inexpensive medical diagnostics with very low sample consumption, thereby addressing perhaps the most challenging proposition of the underdeveloped world. In recognition of his pioneering research contributions in Engineering Sciences, he has been conferred the Shanti Swaroop Bhatnagar Prize, the highest scientific honour from the Government of India. He has also become Fellow of various National Academies of Science and Engineering, and a fellow of ASME, APS and the FRSC.

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Artificial Intelligence: time to act is now

Artificial intelligence will soon change how we conduct our daily lives. Are companies prepared to capture value from the oncoming wave of innovation?

Pity the radiology department at your local hospital. Yes, they have a fine MRI machine and powerful software to generate the images. But that’s where the machines bog down. The radiologist has to find and read the patient’s file, examine the images, and make a determination. What if artificial intelligence (AI) could jump-start that process by enabling real-time and more accurate diagnoses or guidance, beyond what human eyes can see?

Thanks to technological advances over the past few years, manufacturers are close to offering such leading-edge MRI solutions. In fact, they’re exploring new AI applications that span virtually every major industry, from industrials to the public sector. With better algorithms and increased stores of data, the error rate for computer calculations is now often similar to or better than those of human beings for image recognition and several other cognitive functions. Hardware performance has also improved drastically, allowing machines to process this unprecedented amount of data. That has been a major driver of the improvement in the accuracy of AI models.

Within AI, deep learning (DL) represents the area of greatest untapped potential. (For more information on AI categories, see sidebar, “The evolution of AI”). This technology relies on complex neural networks that process information using various architectures, comprised of layers and nodes, that approximate the functions of neurons in a brain. Each set of nodes in the network performs a different pattern analysis, allowing DL to deliver far more sophisticated insights than earlier AI tools. With this increased sophistication comes greater needs for leading-edge hardware and software.

Well aware of AI’s massive potential, leading high-tech companies have taken early steps to win in this market. But the industry is still nascent and a clear recipe for success hasn’t emerged. So how can companies capture value and see a return on their huge AI investments?

Our research, as well as interactions with end customers of AI, suggests that six tenets will ring true once the dust settles. First off, value capture will initially be limited in the consumer space, and companies will achieve most value by focusing on enterprise “microverticals”—specific use cases within select industries. Our analysis of the technology stack also suggests that opportunities will vary by layer and that the most successful companies will pursue end-to-end solutions, often through partnerships or acquisitions. For certain hardware players, AI might represent a reversal of fortune, after years of waning interest from investors who gravitated toward software, combined with heavy commoditization that depressed margins. We believe that the advent of AI opens significant opportunities, with solutions in both the cloud and the edge generating strong end-customer demand. But our most important takeaway is that companies need to act quickly. Those that make big bets now and overhaul their traditional strategies will emerge as the winners.

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IIT Kharagpur Researchers developed low-cost Compact disc for blood test in rural areas

Compact Discs may be outdated for our laptops but IIT Kharagpur researchers are have redefined the use of these devices for low-cost medical diagnosis in rural areas.

Researchers from IIT Kharagpur led by Professor Suman Chakraborty from the Department of Mechanical Engineering have recently innovated a simple low-cost motorized spinning disc based kit to perform Complete Blood Count (CBC).

“We have proposed a unique low-cost kit comprising a motorized device as a blood cell counting platform,” said Dr. Chakraborty.

CBC are a collection of the most commonly required blood tests, which can detect a wide range of diseases, ranging from a common fever to cancer. It is the basic blood test that any doctor runs to make a diagnosis.

Currently, these tests cost around Rs. 200 due to the requirement of sophisticated instruments and trained medical professionals, which makes it expensive for the underprivileged population.

“The device is a simple spinning disc running on a small motor which is capable of performing the test whereby the parameters such as haematocrit (packed volume of red blood cells), haemoglobin, red blood cell (RBC), white blood cell (WBC), and platelet counts are estimated with an accuracy higher than 95 % as compared to an automated haematology analyser,” Dr. Chakraborty added.

How was this unique innovation developed?

Ph.D students Rahul Agarwal and Devdeep Mukherjee, and Post Doctoral Fellows Arnab Sarkar and Arka Bhowmik were a part of the research team for this project, which was also mentioned in Biosensors and Bioelectrics, which is a notable journal from Elsevier.

While explaining the mechanism behind this innovation, Ph.D students Rahul Agarwal and Devdeep Mukherjee said, “The method essentially exploits the difference in densities of cells for separation in a rotating disc due to centrifugal force and implements label-free imaging method for counting the separated cells within the spinning disc.”

This method is not only cost efficient but also biodegradable, as per the researchers.

According to Post Doctoral Fellows Arnab Sarkar and Arka Bhowmik, the design and techniques involved in the process are fairly simple which makes the device portable and easy to use. It also eliminates the need for downstream processing of the separated blood.

CBC test cost brought down drastically

As per the researchers, a normal CBC test costs about Rs. 200 but this innovation will help bring down the cost of the test to nearly Rs. 10.

Director V K Tivari feels that such an innovation of medical device might bring a paradigm shift in providing diagnostic services to the underserved rural population at large.

He said, “The upcoming superspecialty hospital of IIT Kharagpur would operate in a hub and spoke model, and would use several of such devices to ensure improved reach of telemedicine and mobile healthcare to the last man of the society.”

Dr. Chakraborty remarked that the CBC kit will be a key product which could be licensed and made market ready by MSMEs.

“The Common Research & Technology Development Hub on Technologies for Affordable Healthcare supported by the Government of India’s DSIR aims to support growth & development of precision manufacturing of innovative technologies through MSMEs to reduce India’s massive import in healthcare technologies and their affordability and accessibility,” he added.

Chakraborty also confirmed that more such healthcare technology commercialization is in the process.