Aimed at further development of indigenous affordable technologies for healthcare, developed by its various institutes spread across the country during the last couple of years, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has launched a special programme.

The technologies targeted for 2013-14 include diagnostic assays/ reagents/ devices for diabetes mellitus, cervical cancer and thalassemia; vaccines for hepatitis E; technologies for infectious diseases like tuberculosis, leptospirosis, hepatitis E, rotavirus diarrhoea, food borne pathogens, chlamydia infections, kalazar, malaria, filaria and lung fluke infection; assays for bioavailability of iron, vitamin A estimation; and other technologies like cooling garment to prevent and manage heat effects; ergonomically designed rickshaw; test for determination of viability of sperms; molecules, metabolites/organisms for biological control of mosquitoes/vectors.

The ICMR has invited expression of interest from interested companies, manufacturers and entrepreneurs for further developing these technologies.

The technologies available for collaboration include ELISA for Rotavirus; PCR methodology in Pathogen Detection; development of LAMP Assay for Diagnosis of Human Malaria; Latex based technique for the detection of leptospiral antibodies; recombinant ELISA for the diagnosis of Leptospirosis; a process for pot staining of sputum for detection of acid fast Bacilli; Dot ELISA for diagnosis of sequelae to Chlamydia trachomatisinfection in women using chlamydial Heat Shock Protein-60; and recombinant vaccine for hepatitis E vaccine and combination of hepatitis E & hepatitis B vaccines using a novel approach.

Other technologies available for collaboration include Recombinant protein- based assay for diagnosis of hepatitis E; ELISA for Ferritin as marker for assessing bioavilability of iron using Caco-2 cell; low cost point of care device for the detection of blood glucose levels; low cost Glucose Biosensor; non-invasive blood glucose measurement system; PCR based diagnosis for visceral leishmaniasis from urine samples; novel noninvasive method for diagnosis of visceral leishmaniasis of sputum samples; immunodiagnostic reagent for the detection of P vivax antigen; multi-angular viewer for identification of mosquito species; test/reagents for lung fluke useful for differential diagnosis from lung TB; etc.