Probably for the first time in the technological era, we are passing through a very critical phase. Many have lost their beloved ones. SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) is a tragic and disastrous infection that is killing hundreds of thousands of people around the world. It seems to be a supernova in human history. Nonetheless, new technologies will continue to develop, benefit societies and improve life in various ways even during the pandemic. Teachers in general and students in particular need to learn the science behind smart devices and use the improved knowledge for the betterment of humanity.
Smart medical devices and smart medical systems are the future of healthcare. These devices mitigate several problems that impede delivering good healthcare to people worldwide. Human civilisations are facing threat for their survival and we should not be silent spectators.
Swami Vivekananda used to say,
“Go, all of you, wherever there is an outbreak of plague or famine, or
wherever the people are in distress, go and mitigate their sufferings…. Preach
this ideal from door to door, and you will yourselves be benefited by it at
the same time that you are doing good to your country”.
Modern science and technology is the outcome of the brilliance that has evolved through ages to assume its present shape. In the past decade, the field of semiconductors has enlarged its scope enormously, embracing a far wider range of problems than ever before. At the heart of subject is the quest to understand, through a combination of experimental, theoretical, and computational investigations, how unexpected phenomena emerge when large numbers of constituents interact with one another. These constituents, traditionally electrons, atoms, and molecules, have now been extended to a vast array, including complex biological molecules, functional nanomaterials, and even grains of sand. Medical electronics is the most widely developing field of this era and by using medical electronics doctors and surgeons can do medical examinations in a very fast and smart way.
Sophisticated equipment of precision and their applications have made for perfect identification of diseases. Remote patient monitoring is the most common application of smart devices for healthcare. Such devices can automatically collect health metrics like heart rate, blood pressure, temperature, and more from patients who are not physically present in a healthcare facility, eliminating the need for patients to travel, or for patients to collect it themselves. The first humanitarian drone, developed at IIT Kanpur, shall be put to use for delivery of Covid vaccines to hospitals and homes in near future.
We at NIT Srinagar are organising a five-day Short Term Course on smart devices from 01-05 May 2021. Many renowned scientists and internationally acclaimed speakers will deliver talks. A special medical session is also being organised. This course will inspire the students to learn the basic principles of smart devices which could be used for the betterment of humanity. The aim is to improve the knowledge of students and to take up new challenges in medical electronics.
Remembering the school days, teachers used to teach us how to produce oxygen and how body transports oxygen to the organs by filtering it through lungs. Need of the hour is that basic diagnostic tools, like oxygen concentrators, shall be available to every home at affordable prize with improved efficiency. This is possible provided young students take up new challenges. The students have tremendous potential, which Dr Pokhriyal, Hon’ble Minister, keeps saying in his speeches.

[email protected]

Dr M A Shah