Category: Science & Technology

** ‘Was challenging’: Mangaluru doctor on leading world’s first mucor lung surgery

Dr Klein Dantis, a 35-year-old thoracic surgeon from the coastal city of Mangaluru, was part of the world’s first successful mucor lung surgery that took place at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Raipur, early this month.

Raised in Kinnigoli, Klein completed his MBBS and MS in Mangaluru, and superspeciality training at National Institute of TB and Respiratory Diseases, New Delhi. He worked for a year at All India Institute of Medical Sciences-Bhopal, before being appointed consultant at AIIMS Raipur.

** Innovation award for Index App

The city’s Index App, which was developed following the outbreak of COVID-19, has been recognised for using technology to set up the COVID-19 war room. It has been adjudged the winner in the third round of the COVID-19 Innovation Award in the India Smart Cities Awards Contest (ISAC) 2020.

The results of ISAC 2020 along with Climate Smart Cities Assessment Results 2.0 were announced by Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri in New Delhi on Friday. Bengaluru bagged three stars with an overall score of 1,271 out of 2,800. It fared fairly well and bagged three stars each in the areas of energy and green building (330/600) and urban planning, green cover and biodiversity (244/500).

The city also bagged four stars in waste management (395/600), but fared poorly in the areas of mobility and air quality (two stars; 187/500) and water management (one star; 115/600). Tumakuru’s Digital Library Solution also bagged third place in ISAC 2020 under the social aspects category.

** Trials for India’s first medical drone delivery service begins in Karnataka

India’s first drone delivery service, that specialises in medical supplies, will begin operating in Karnataka soon. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation’s green signal is awaited, Throttle Aerospace Systems (TAS) CEO Nagendran Kandasamy said.

The trial, which started on Monday and continued till Tuesday, was successful, Kandasamy said. He said India’s first official beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) medical drone delivery experiment started in Sembhukha Nagar of Gowribidanur taluk in Chikballapur and the trial will continue for 30 to 40 days.

** IBM, IISc. set up Hybrid Cloud Lab

IBM and the Indian Institute of Science (IISc.) on Wednesday launched the IBM-IISc Hybrid Cloud Lab to advance research in hybrid cloud technologies and drive breakthrough innovations.

IIT-B scientist gets DCGI nod to launch algo-based Covid-19 testing tool

Called Tapestry, the new testing tool is developed by the startup launched by IIT-Bombay professor Manoj Gopalkrishnan.

Bengaluru-based tech startup Algorithmic Biologics has received regulatory approvals to launch its Covid-19 testing method that can help scale up testing for the deadly virus infection at half the prevailing cost and one-tenth of the time.

** Mysuru man designs world’s smallest rideable electric bike

Known for bringing innovation to bikes, Santhosh’s bike is just 145 mm (lesser than that of a pencil), a wheelbase of 130 mm weighing 2.5 kg which can withstand over 65 kg load.

Love and passion for machines have resulted in a Mysuru-based pharma company employee designing the world’s smallest rideable electric bike.

Meet Santhosh who has designed and developed ‘Mooshiqk3’, the world’s smallest rideable electric bike, which has now entered the golden book of world records.

** Israel model of farming to be implemented in Kalaburagi district

As part of his ambitious Kalaburagi Vision 2050, a 30-year programme for changing the backward scenario in different economic sectors in Kalaburagi district, Mines and Geology Minister Murugesh Nirani said that Israel model of farming would be implemented in all taluks of the district. The Israel model is known for high productivity with limited resources.

“Israel is known for its unique methods of farming using advanced technologies to achieve high productivity with limited resources. We are planning to implement such farming on 100 acres in each taluk of Kalaburagi district on a pilot basis. We can expand to other areas after assessing the results,” he told mediapersons at the Aiwan-e-Shahi Guest House in Kalaburagi on Tuesday.

** Koppal: Dr Mahesh – Covid warrior who stayed inside hospital for 1 month

Normally people are afraid of coronavirus disease. Many doctors who were assigned with Covid duties have fallen victims to this dreaded disease. Among the doctors who take strains to work effectively, Dr Mahesh, district tuberculosis officer, takes the cake.

Dr Mahesh has emerged as a model for others by working non-stop for over a month in the Covid hospital. He stayed inside the hospital, overlooking his responsibilities towards his family, house, wife and children. He is a corona warrior in the real sense.

Three kids get life-saving Rs 16-crore injections for free at Bengaluru hospital

Three girls suffering from the rare disease, Spinal Muscular Atrophy, were administered the expensive gene therapy, Zolgensma, for free at Bangalore Baptist Hospital on Thursday. Each vial of the one-time injection costs Rs 16 crore and is capable of changing the genetic code in the body.

In all, the initiative amounts to Rs 48 crore for the three children, and is being given for free by the manufacturing company, through a lottery system (CSR). Three other girls with the same disease are being administered Spinraza, a drug costing Rs 70 lakh each (Rs 2.10 crore for three kids) in the same hospital. This is also being given for free by the Compassionate Access Programme of the NGO Direct Relief. The total cost is Rs 50.1 crore.

The cost for treatment for rare diseases is high as it takes 8-10 years to develop a drug, explained Prasanna Shirol, founder of Bengaluru-based Organization for Rare Diseases India

** Israeli aerospace firm donates 100 oxygen concentrators to BEL

Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), Israel’s leading aerospace and aviation manufacturer, has donated 100 oxygen concentrators to defence PSU Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) as a goodwill gesture.

The oxygen concentrators were handed over by Anandi Ramalingam, Director (Marketing), BEL, to Shivakumaran K M, Director (HR) at BEL corporate office in Bengaluru.