IIT Hyderabad Incubated Startup Launches Medical Device to help Stroke Victims
Hyderbad: Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad’s Center for Healthcare Entrepreneurship (CfHE)-Incubated Startup BeAble Health has launched ‘Arm Able,’ an interactive arm training rehabilitative device offering a solution for arm rehabilitation.
The product is aimed towards neuro-rehabilitation of Stroke victims and motor rehabilitation of victims with upper limb motor deficit due to conditions such as Cerebral Palsy, Multiple Sclerosis, Traumatic Brain Injury, Fracture, Frozen. BeABle was founded by CfHE Fellow Mr. Habib Ali, a Biomedical Engineer and Roboticist.
The Startup launched the product during the graduation of third batch of CfHE Fellows today (8th August 2019). As many as Eight Fellows are graduating in the Third Batch of CfHE. All Three batches put together, 16 Fellows have graduated including four each in the First and Second Batches.
CfHE offers a prestigious Fellowship program in Healthcare Entrepreneurship focused on Biodesign innovation through a structured and fast-paced curriculum that is completed in one year.
The Fellows enrolled in this program undergo a thorough immersion in clinical environment to identify the unmet needs. This is followed by training in needs analysis, solutions, and business plan development.
Speaking about unique aspects of CfHE, Prof Renu John, Co-Head, CfHE, IIT Hyderabad, and Head, Department of Biomedical Engineering, IIT Hyderabad, said, “This is not a traditional program that awards a degree. We want to understand and address the question of what it takes to bring a Medical product from an unmet need in the clinic to the people who wants to use it.”
CfHE marked the Third Graduation of its Fellows on Thursday by hosting a ‘pitching session’ its Fellows with Investors, Venture capital and Private equity firms. This will help the CfHE Fellows such as Mr. Habib and others convert their ideas and innovations into actual health technology products.
Speaking about CfHE, Dr. Kousik Sarathy Sridharan, Faculty Advisor, CfHE, and Assistant Professor, Department of Biomedical Engineering, IIT Hyderabad, said, “The latest of the strides CfHE is taking is to add a very important component to the healthcare innovation ecosystem in Hyderabad, which is building the pre-compliance facility which is the first step in the regulatory pathway. The pre-compliance facility currently being setup at CfHE will play an important role in the development pipeline of healthcare innovations in and around Hyderabad. CfHE will strive to contribute to the innovation ecosystem and make our innovators go global!”
CfHE has incubated Seven Startups founded by its Fellows, which have gained a lot of traction with the Investor Community and Government Agencies. This is a testimonial to the success of the process that the Center has been following in developing entrepreneurs. It has successfully graduated three cohorts of Entrepreneurs
Highlight the unique aspects of ‘Arm Able,’ BeABle Founder and CfHE Fellow Mr. Habib Ali said, “We believe there is no such thing as a ‘disabled’ person, there are only bad design and disabled technology. BeAble Health is committed to enabling health and lives through design and technology. We are solving the need for an intensive and engaging, rehabilitation therapy for individuals with upper extremity motor deficit at clinic and home, which can minimize the burden on the therapists, without compromising on the quality of therapy.”
Arm Able is an interactive arm training rehabilitative device offering a solution for arm rehabilitation. The product is aimed towards neuro-rehabilitation of Stroke victims and motor rehabilitation of victims with upper limb motor deficit due to conditions such as Cerebral Palsy, Multiple Sclerosis, Traumatic Brain Injury, Fracture and Frozen shoulder, among others. At present, the company is preparing to sell the devices to hospitals, physiotherapy clinics and rehabilitation centers as well as to individual customers on a rental basis.
The key features of ‘ArmAble’ device include:
Ø Affordable
Ø Engaging Game Based Therapy
Ø Higher Repetitions and Intensity
Ø Data based quantified progress and recovery
Ø Full ROM for the Arms
Ø Tele-Rehabilitation