TI, India medical school team on health care monitoring

Texas Instruments Inc. has entered a collaborative agreement with the School of Medical Science and Technology (SMST), Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur, to develop semiconductor technologies that will help improve the quality, comfort and accessibility of health care, particularly to help people with cancer and heart ailments.

This is the first time TI has partnered with an India organization on research projects for medical electronics. The announcement was made by Biswadip Mitra, managing director, TI India and Ajoy Kumar Ray, headperson of SMST, IIT Kharagpur.

Focus on health
In September 2007, TI announced that it would invest $15 million to fund medical technology research at selected universities worldwide with a focus on quality, accessibility and affordability. In supporting this research, TI aims to help develop semiconductor technologies for personal medical devices, implantables, medical imaging, wireless healthcare systems and bio-sensor technology.

The collaboration also reflects TI's commitment to engineering education and developing the next generation of innovators. The research projects TI is funding at IIT Kharagpur will be undertaken by students holding Physics or Mathematics degrees with specializations in image processing, neural networks and pattern recognition, DSP-based embedded system design and MEMS-based bio-sensors. These students, to be selected by IIT Kharagpur, will register for a MS/PhD program under the TI-SMST Research Scheme.

Kent Novak, VP and manager of TI's medical and high-reliability business unit said the company aims to couple its expertise in analog and DSP technology with the university's research strength to help provide solutions to people with cancer and heart ailments