The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Mumbai, is currently at an advanced stage to develop nano composite products for dental and orthodontics use, a rare product in bio medical device sector, even as a number of nano based researches in healthcare is in pipeline.

The institute has recently commenced the animal trials of the nano product to fill in as artificial bone in collaboration with the Bombay Veterinary College. If found effective in animals, the trials will be done on humans with the support of a US-based venture capital company, Bindi Group. The institute has already entered into an agreement with the company for commercialisation of the product, it is learnt.

"The product is designed to fill the gaps of bone to cure serious injuries affecting bone in various parts of the body. The product is under research in the form of sponge, granules and solid," said, Dr Jayesh R Bellare, professor, Department of Chemical Engineering and School of Biosciences and Bioengineering, IIT Mumbai. The institute has filed patent application for the process. However, he maintained that revealing further details of the research would be harmful for the goodwill of the institute at this stage.

The institute is looking for collaboration with biomedical devices companies and pharmaceutical companies for technology transfer of its nanotech products, which are currently under research pipeline.

IIT Mumbai is currently carrying out eight nanotech research works on healthcare, including novel surfactant nanoparticles for respiratory disease, controlled drug delivery systems and nanoparticles, nanocomposites for dental and orthodontics use, nano particles as biocatalysis: the Bhasma concept and micro-devices for cardiac use (minimally invasive surgery). The rest of the three research works are on nano and microelectronics and MEMS for diagnostics, cellular and molecular engineering for nano- biotechnology based drug discovery and magnetic nanoparticles for hyperthermia (anti-cancer).

Works on these projects are in invitro or cell culture testing stages and are categorised as deliverables. The nanocomposite to substitute bone particles will be one among the leading nano-biotech products in the country, while the nanotech devices business and companies are limited in India at present, Jayesh noted.