VIT-Chennai develops chip to integrate medical devices into self-diagnostic application

Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT), Chennai, has developed a chip capable of integrating into portable medical devices for self-diagnostic application.

The Centre for Nanoelectronics and VLSI Design (CNVD) at VIT, Chennai, has designed and developed a Mixed-Signal Readout Interface (RoI) chip which can integrate into portable medical devices for self-diagnostic application. The fabricated chip was formally handed over to VIT Chennai by Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw at a function at the Semiconductor Laboratory, Mohali, held recently.

The chip integrates both analog and digital circuits to exploit the advantages of both the designs, thereby efficiently picking up and processing the physical parameters of the user through a range of Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) sensors for healthcare applications including: heart rate, blood pressure and other similar cardiac function measuring devices.

G.V. Selvam, vice president, VIT, said that VIT Chennai places a strong and strategic emphasis on multidisciplinary research that directly contributes to societal advancement. “Our faculty and students actively collaborate to develop practical and real-world solutions to the challenges faced by communities,” he added.

T. Thyagarajan, Pro Vice-Chancellor, VIT Chennai said that VIT Chennai’s stronger focus on translational research enabled the faculty team from Centre for Nanoelectronics and VLSI Design at VIT Chennai to successfully tape-out this indigenously designed chip at the Semiconductor Laboratory, Mohali, using a dual design-style approach.

The designs ensure signal processing done with less footprint as well as minimal power consumption of 14% lower than the market available products. These features, with an added advantage of 4% reduction in delay, make the chip well-suited for micro sensor based handheld glucose monitoring devices, electronic stethoscopes.