Nocca Robotics, an IIT-Kanpur incubated startup has developed an Intensive Care-grade ventilator to meet the ever-increasing demand for ventilators, thanks to COVID-19. Its ventilator claims to be at least 90 percent cheaper than the imported ventilators currently available in the market. Nocca Robotics has signed up a collaborative agreement with Bharat Dynamics, a defense-based public sector company. The company is slated to ship by May-end or the first week of June.

The Details

Nocca Robotics, in collaboration with IIT Kanpur, signed an agreement with Bharat Dynamics, a defence public sector company, for the manufacturing and shipment of ventilators on a not-for-profit basis. A ventilator unit will cost INR 1.5 lac, which is far lower than the imported ventilators which cost between INR 8-25 lac.

Nocca Robotics has taken into consideration the potential health hazard the healthcare workers face while treating a patient under intensive care. Usually, when a person exhales, the entire room gets filled with viruses. Nocca Robotics' ventilators come with three UV-filter chambers and other subsequent filters which kill the suspended viruses. The ventilator can also work 4 hours without interruption on the in-built battery. It can be used in ICUs as well as in other mobile locations.

Testing and Roll-out Plans

Nocca Robotics and IIT Kanpur will start testing the ventilators within the coming few days. They will commence testing in two Pune-based hospitals from May 12th. The ventilators will also undergo TUV and UL testings. Since ventilator is very critical equipment, the startup is leaving no stone unturned to make sure that the ventilator passes through every test and prescribed standards before manufacture. The company hopes that its product will be available on a mass scale by the end of May or by the first week of June.

Nocca Robotics will monitor demand for their product and on that basis, they plan to raise their manufacturing capacity to 30,000 units by the end of August. Nocca Robotics also has Avi Healthcare and Polybond onboard for the manufacturing of ventilators.

Conclusion

With the overwhelming demand for ventilators, thanks to the rising numbers of COVID-19 patients, startups as well as established companies are pivoting their focus towards the construction of cheaper and effective ventilators. The imported ventilators are short in supply as well as costly, and companies like Nocca Robotics are gearing forward to come up with alternatives that are cheaper as well as more effective as their imported counterparts.