"The two areas that are changing are information technology & medical technology. Those are the things that the world will be very different 20 years from now than it is today"

- Bill Gates

The impeccable interlinking of science and technology has effectuated a new momentum in research and development of health sciences. The field of medical technology is dedicated to finding new solutions to improve and save innumerable lives across the world. Dependency on medical technology allows the doctors to make accurate readings rather than assumptions in order to speed up the diagnosis and hence an effective prognosis. With the huge support provided by information technology in the digitization of patient & medical records, in providing telehealth services with an opportunity to treat any patient in any part of the world is indeed becoming a reality. Medical and engineering professional & researchers are coming together to innovate and develop new machines and devices that are simple and transport worthy and which will offer as a means of rapid diagnosis.

These point-of-care testing (PoCT) are also termed as bedside testing as they bring the lab next to a patient bed. With the increased demand, growing potential & innovative approaches towards developing PoCT, certain guidelines termed as ASSURED have been set by the World Health Organisation (WHO) for addressing the needs of the user. The term ASSURED stands for Affordable (for those at risk of infection), Sensitive (minimal false negatives) Specific(minimal false positives), User-friendly(minimal steps to carry out test), Rapid & Robust (short turnaround time and no need for refrigerated storage), Equipment-free (no complex equipment), Delivered(to end users).

PoCT devices for blood glucose testing, blood gas, and electrolytes analysis, rapid coagulation testing & cardiac markers diagnostics have been developed and in regular use. Similar devices for abuse screening, pregnancy testing, fecal occult blood analysis, food pathogen screening, hemoglobin diagnostics, infectious disease testing and cholesterol screening are much in demand since they have been developed and are made available in the market.

A team of like-minded researchers belonging to medicine and disciplines of engineering & information technology of Somaiya Vidyavihar has connected together to explore and find possible and easy solutions to medical problem statements.