India-U.S. Grand Challenge: Affordable Blood Pressure Measurement Technologies for Low-Resource Settings in India and the U.S.
Hypertension diagnosis and management is a critical healthcare issue. However, the basic underlying approach for the measurement of Blood Pressure has essentially remained the same for the past several decades. This is an obvious area that is ripe for disruptive technological innovation
The purpose of this Indo-US Grand Challenge Initiative between Science & Engineering Research Board (SERB), Department of Science & Technology, Government of India and the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB), NIH, USA is to encourage collaborative research within and between both the countries to propose new approaches to the measurement of Blood Pressure that are unobtrusive or passive, low cost and which can automatically provide frequent data recording and reporting to healthcare workers as well as feed back to the patients. It is expected that this partnership between the two countries will leverage knowledge and material resources to develop new technologies which are relevant for low resource settings not only in their respective political domain but other similar settings all over the world. Primary focus of the work is "accurate measurement" and "simplicity & ruggedness" of the device, doing away the need of cuffs and clinical expertise to carry out the measurement.
SERB and NIBIB have launched two separate and parallel, but fully coordinated, funding opportunity announcements in India and the U.S. respectively to promote research in this area and generate alternate scientific approaches and technological options. It is expected that this partnership between the two countries will leverage knowledge and material resources to develop new technologies which are relevant for low resource settings not only in their respective political domain but other similar settings all over the world.
| Title of the Proposal | Lead PI |
|---|---|
| FIRST CALL | |
| Development of a low cost arterial tonometry based blood pressure monitoring device | Santosh Noronha Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay |
| Arterial Compliance Probe for Cuff-less Blood Pressure Measurement | Mohanasankar Sivaprakasam Indian Institute of Technology, Madras |
| Rapid Real time Blood Pressure Measurement and Hypertensive Predisposition Diagnostics using Pulse Transit Time and Blood Pressure Variability | Bala Pesala CSIR-Central Electronics Engineering Research Institute |
| SECOND CALL | |
| A Low Cost and Easy to use Cuff-less Blood Pressure Measuring Device using Pulse Transit Time and Pre-ejection Period | Sujay Deb Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology, Delhi |
| Cuff-less Noninvasive Blood Pressure Measurement using Radial Arterial Pressure Patch | Sittikanta Roy Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi |
| Blood Pressure Measurement Device based on Flexible Organic thin film transistors | Dipti Gupta Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay |
| Title of the Proposal | Lead PI |
|---|---|
| FIRST CALL | |
| Unobtrusive and Affordable Blood Pressure Monitoring via Pulse transit time | Ramakrishna Mukkamala Michigan State University |
| SECOND CALL | |
| Low-cost Microelectronic Ultrasound System for Unobtrusive BP Measurement | Thomas Heldt Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| Development of Blood Pressure Imager | Mohan Thanikachalam Tufts University Boston |
| Unassisted Blood Pressure Monitoring using Arterial Tonometry and Photoplethysmography | Sanjay Mehrotra Northwestern University at Chicago |
| An Instantaneous Ultrasonic Personal Blood Pressure Monitor | David Frederick Lemmerhirt Sonetics Ultrasound, Inc. |
Q1: I was awarded Travel Support to attend an International Conference held in Washington during Oct. 2012. But, I could not attend the conference due to delay in getting Visa. Can I use the above support to attend another conference to be held in Jan 2013?
A1: No. The support given to one event can not be used to attend another. The researcher need to apply afresh to seek funding for another event.
Q2: I have been given travel support to attend an International Conference in Guanzhou, China during Nov. 2012. Air India does operate directly to the destination. Can I go by Private Airlines which have direct connection from Delhi?
A2: No. If Air India does not have direct flight, you should go to the nearest hub (in this case Hong Kong) by Air India, and beyond that you can avail the service of Private Airlines.
Q3: I have been recommended support to attend an International Conference to be held in Paris during Dec. 2012. I find the cost of travel by Air India is much higher than Private Airlines. Can I travel by Private Airlines as the cost is cheaper?
A3: You should travel by Air India even if the cost is more and the Board will reimburse the Air fare.
Q4: I have been recommended support to attend an International Conference to be held in Paris during Dec. 2012. I find the cost of travel by Air India is much higher than Private Airlines. Can I travel by Private Airlines as the cost is cheaper?
A4: No. You should travel by Air India even if the cost is more and the Board will reimburse the Air fare.
