Healthcare Technology Innovation Centre

What Healthcare Technology Innovation Centre does

Healthcare Technology Innovation Centre (HTIC), founded in 2011, is a multi-disciplinary R&D centre headquartered at IIT Madras Research Park in Chennai and jointly operated with the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Government of India. HTIC brings together engineering, medical, and clinical research to develop affordable healthcare technologies spanning cardiovascular screening (ARTSENS arterial stiffness probe, cuffless blood pressure via pulse wave velocity), ophthalmic screening (Eye-PAC image computing for diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma detection), point-of-care diagnostics (iQuant immunofluorescence reader), mobile surgical delivery (MESU self-contained cataract surgical vehicles), neonatal transport and non-contact NICU monitoring, indigenous endoscopy systems with stereo and multispectral imaging, and a clinical-grade wearables line (VitalSens ECG patch, wrist-worn SpO2 monitor, neonatal respiratory rate monitor, pressure ulcer sensor, EDA-based stress monitor). The technical stack combines custom ultrasound probe design, BLE/wireless hardware, IEC 60601 compliant embedded software, computer vision, deep learning (CNN/LSTM/CLSTM), and AI-based image enhancement (super resolution, Imagelab).

HTIC operates a translational R&D rather than direct-sales model: it identifies clinical needs, builds proprietary technology with clinical validation, and transfers or licenses it to commercial partners such as Forus Health (Eye-PAC inside the 3nethra device, deployed across 28 countries), J Mitra (iQuant diagnostics), Sankara Nethralaya (MESU operations), and EMRI (neonatal ambulance transport units). Direct revenue derives from three streams: technology licensing and royalties, professional services for medical device design (hardware, software, camera sensor interface), and clinical trial execution plus regulatory certification consultancy (CE, CISPR, IEC 60601). The centre also runs the ICMR DHR Centre of Excellence and a MedTech Incubator, and is led by Director Dr. Mohanasankar Sivaprakasam (Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar awardee) with Dr. Jayaraj Joseph as Chief Technologist.

Name

Healthcare Technology Innovation Centre

Legal name

Healthcare Technology Innovation Centre

Website

https://hticiitm.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Healthcare Technology Innovation Centre (HTIC) is an IIT Madras–DBT (Government of India) R&D centre in Chennai developing affordable medical devices and AI-enabled diagnostics (ARTSENS, Eye-PAC, iQuant, MESU, endoscopy, wearables), licensing them to commercial and public-health partners like Forus Health, J Mitra, and EMRI.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Chennai

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Technology Licensing and Transfer: Developed technologies are licensed to commercial partners for manufacturing and commercialization. Examples include endoscopy technology licensed to industry partners and Eye-PAC technology powering Forus Health's 3nethra device.
2. Product Development Services: Custom product development for medical devices including hardware design, software architecture, clinical trials and validation, and regulatory certification support for endoscopy and other medical technology.
3. Design Services: End-to-end medical device engineering services including hardware design, camera sensor design, software architecture, advanced imaging solutions, and medical device certification consultancy.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

HTIC is a multi-disciplinary R&D centre that develops affordable healthcare technologies through collaborations with medical institutions, industry, and government. It creates proprietary medical device platforms covering cardiovascular screening (ARTSENS), eye screening (Eye-PAC), point-of-care diagnostics (iQuant), mobile surgical units (MESU), neonatal transport, endoscopy systems, and wearable vital sign monitors, then licenses or transfers these technologies to commercial partners for manufacturing and distribution while offering paid design, clinical validation, and certification services.

Product overview

Healthcare Technology Innovation Centre (HTIC) is a multi-disciplinary R&D center at IIT Madras developing healthcare technologies across a diverse portfolio of products. The core offerings include ARTSENS (arterial stiffness evaluation using ultrasound), Eye-PAC (eye image computing for screening), iQuant (point-of-care immunofluorescence diagnostic reader), MESU (mobile eye surgical unit), and Neonatal Transport Unit (NTU). The portfolio also includes an indigenous endoscopy technology platform with gastroscopy, bronchoscopy, and ureteroscopy capabilities enhanced by AI features like stereo 3D visualization, multispectral imaging, and super resolution. The wearables division offers clinical-grade monitoring including VitalSens ECG patches, wrist-worn SpO2 monitors, and neonatal respiratory monitors. The ICMR DHR Center of Excellence develops additional technologies including C3 Med-Tech for eye screening, Dextroware assistive devices, and Non-contact Neonatal Health Monitoring. HTIC also provides endoscopy design services including hardware design, software architecture, camera sensor interface, medical device certification, and clinical trials support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Eye-PAC: Computing technology for extracting clinically relevant information from eye images, powering the 3nethra device for eye screening.
• iQuant
• ARTSENS
• MESU
• Neonatal Transport Unit
• ICMR DHR Centre of Excellence
• Endoscopy Solutions

Products and services

• ARTSENS (Arterial Stiffness Evaluation for Non-invasive Screening) Image-free technology for non-invasively measuring arterial stiffness using a custom ultrasound probe integrated with proprietary intelligent signal processing; calculates clinically accepted measures of stiffness within 30 seconds. For clinicians and screening programs needing accessible cardiovascular assessment.
• Eye-PAC Computing technology for extracting clinically relevant information from eye images using image computing and analytics for disease screening (glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy). Licensed to Forus Health and embedded in their 3nethra device, deployed across 150+ locations in 28 countries with 2.5 million screenings performed.
• iQuant Point-of-care diagnostic instrument using lateral flow immunofluorescence assay technology that reads rapid test kits and provides quantitative numerical results, designed for small to medium labs with touchscreen display and data transmission capabilities. Developed with J Mitra; 450 instruments manufactured targeting 10 million tests in 5,000 laboratories.
• Mobile Eye Surgical Unit (MESU) Self-contained, sterile surgical facility for performing cataract surgery in remote locations, consisting of a Preparatory Vehicle and Surgical Vehicle connected by a retractable vestibule with on-board power, sterile air, water, and instrumentation. Deployed by Sankara Nethralaya for over 16,000 cataract surgeries.
• Neonatal Transport Unit (NTU) Custom-built neonatal transport unit designed for ambulances to optimize space within the vehicle while enabling caregivers to provide quality care during transport of rural infants, with air suspension and adjustable EMT seat. Deployed in 65 ambulances covering all Tamil Nadu districts.
• Indigenous Endoscopy Technology Platform IEC 60601-certified indigenous endoscopy technology platform with enhanced performance, scalability, and user experience covering gastroscopy, bronchoscopy, and ureteroscopy applications. For medical device manufacturers seeking endoscopy product development and licensing.
• Cuffless Blood Pressure Measurement Novel calibration-free, cuffless blood pressure measurement method based on local pulse wave velocity and real-time evaluation of arterial wall dynamics through ARTSENS technology. For low-resource settings and continuous BP monitoring.
• VitalSens EAS-based ECG Patch Platform for obtaining clinically relevant ECG using EAS lead system with wireless BLE connectivity, along with activity and temperature monitoring; streams raw ECG, accelerometer data, and temperature to cloud for algorithm-based detection of abnormal behavior. For clinical and remote patient monitoring.
• C3 Med-Tech Smart, portable, and affordable eye screening technology developed under the ICMR DHR Center of Excellence for making vision accessible to underserved populations.
• Dextroware Devices (Mouseware) Hands-free mouse technology that transforms simple head movements into precise cursor control, enabling seamless access to digital devices without using hands, developed under ICMR DHR Center of Excellence.
• dVerse Labs (CuriO) STEM learning ecosystem designed to enhance inclusive education and skilling for visually impaired (VI) students, developed under ICMR DHR Center of Excellence.
• The ERA Device Endothelial health monitoring device bringing endothelial health monitoring to the forefront of preventive cardiology, developed under ICMR DHR Center of Excellence.
• Non-contact Neonatal Health Monitoring (NNHM) AI-driven, multi-modal non-contact neonatal health monitoring system integrating computer vision, infrared thermography, and near-field sensing for NICU radiant warmers; validated on 40 neonates.
• Advanced Imaging Solutions AI-driven tools for automated cancer detection, disease classification, prediction for patient outcomes, and AI techniques to improve image quality and clarity for medical imaging. Service offering for clinicians, researchers, and med-tech developers.
• Medical Device Certification Consultancy Regulatory expertise and consultancy for EMI/EMC standards including CE, CISPR compliance, pre-compliance testing, design reviews, and certification support for medical devices. Service for medical device companies.
• Clinical Trials and Validation Studies Expertise in conducting clinical trials and validation studies for medical equipment, managing patient recruitment, data collection, analysis, and regulatory support for ethics committee approval. Service for medical device developers.
• Hardware Design Support Advanced hardware design services including high-speed HDI design, multi-layer PCB design, FPGA design, embedded systems, IEC 60601 compliance, and prototype-to-production support. Service for medical device manufacturers.
• Software Architecture Design Scalable software architecture design services for medical applications, GUI design, user experience optimization, system software design, embedded systems, and cross-platform development. Service for medical device manufacturers.
• Camera Sensor Interface and ISP Design Camera sensor interface solutions for high-resolution medical imaging applications, supporting USB, HDMI, DVI, DP, Serdes, Analog, and Ethernet interfaces with ISP design for superior image quality. Service for medical imaging OEMs.

Quantifiable outcome

• 80% of transported neonates reached healthcare facilities in stable clinical condition with survival rate of 94%
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

AI capability18 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHTIC is a joint initiative of IIT Madras and Department of Biotechnology, Government of India. IIT Madras provides the academic infrastructure, research facilities, and talent pool for healthcare technology development.
• Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Government of IndiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDBT is the founding partner of HTIC along with IIT Madras. Provides government funding and support for biotechnology and healthcare innovation initiatives.
• Sudha Gopalakrishnan Brain CentrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHTIC Director Dr. Mohanasankar Sivaprakasam also leads this center focused on generating world's most detailed cell-resolution human brain maps.
• Forus HealthcoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerHTIC partnered with Forus Health to develop Eye-PAC image computing technology for their 3nethra indigenous ophthalmic pre-screening device. This partnership has enabled 2.5 million eye screenings across 28 countries.
• Sankara NethralayacoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerMESU (Mobile Eye Surgical Unit) was developed by HTIC and handed over to Sankara Nethralaya in 2012 for operations. Over 16,000 cataract surgeries have been performed.
• J Mitra Pvt. LtdcoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerHTIC partnered with J Mitra to develop iQuant point of care diagnostic instrument for reading quantitative rapid test kits. 450 instruments manufactured targeting 10 million tests.
• EMRI (Emergency Management and Research Institute)minorOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerHTIC developed custom neonatal transport unit designs for EMRI's neonatal ambulances. 65 ambulances deployed covering all Tamil Nadu districts.
• Saveetha Medical College, ChennaiminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerClinical partner for validation of AI-driven non-contact neonatal health monitoring system. Initial trials conducted on 40 neonates.
• MediScan Systems, ChennaiminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated for pilot study validating ARTSENS technology against conventional ultrasound imaging system on nearly 100 subjects.
• Thambiran Heart and Vascular Institute, ChennaiminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConducted vascular screening camp using ARTSENS device to measure arterial stiffness of more than 50 subjects within 4 hours.
• IEEE Engineering in Medicine & Biology SocietyminorOthersResearch publications and conference presentations in EMBC and IEEE Medical Measurements and Applications symposium.
• Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE)minorOthersEndoscopy imaging research published in SPIE Medical Imaging conferences.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST): Indian autonomous institute under the Department of Science and Technology that develops medical devices and biomaterials through translational R&D. Closely comparable to HTIC as a publicly-funded Indian medical device R&D centre producing commercialised products.
• Forus Health: Indian medical device company behind the 3nethra ophthalmic pre-screening device, which embeds HTIC's Eye-PAC technology. Direct commercial partner and the clearest downstream manifestation of HTIC's IP, making it a tightly coupled peer in the affordable eye-care space.
• Center for Cellular and Molecular Platforms (C-CAMP): India's deep-tech life sciences and medtech innovation hub in Bengaluru, supported by the Department of Biotechnology. Like HTIC, it bridges academic research with industry through incubation, prototyping, and translational programmes.
• Phoenix Medical Systems: Indian medical device manufacturer specialising in neonatal care equipment such as infant warmers and phototherapy units, overlapping with HTIC's neonatal transport unit and respiratory monitor product lines.
• Perfint Healthcare: India-based medtech company developing image-guided intervention and AI-assisted diagnostic platforms, with comparable focus on affordable, India-engineered clinical imaging technology.
• J Mitra & Co. Pvt. Ltd. Indian in-vitro diagnostics manufacturer partnered with HTIC on the iQuant point-of-care immunofluorescence reader. Direct commercialisation partner with overlapping focus on affordable Indian diagnostics.

Broad incumbents

• Trivitron Healthcare: Large Indian medical technology company offering imaging, diagnostics, and critical care equipment across multiple specialties. Comparable product overlap (diagnostics, imaging, neonatal) but operates as a broad incumbent rather than a focused R&D centre.
• Wipro GE Healthcare: Indian joint venture between Wipro and GE HealthCare manufacturing and distributing medical devices in India. Comparable overlap in diagnostics and imaging but at much larger scale and with established commercial distribution.
• Mindray: Global Chinese medical device company offering patient monitoring, diagnostics, and imaging systems with strong presence in emerging markets. Highly comparable on the affordable-monitoring thesis but as a much larger incumbent.
• BPL Medical Technologies: Indian medical device company with products in patient monitoring, diagnostics, and imaging, overlapping with HTIC's vital-sign and ECG monitoring portfolio. Operates as a broader commercial incumbent rather than an R&D hub.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/showcase/endoguide

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Healthcare Technology Innovation Centre