Bhubaneswar: Boosting Odisha’s growing MedTech ecosystem, city-based startup ZTOP IOT Solutions Pvt Ltd secured a patent for a pioneering device designed to reduce pain caused by needle pricks during vaccinations, blood tests and other diagnostic procedures.The innovation, called the Topical Anaesthetic Inducer (TAI), aims to make routine medical procedures far more patient-friendly. Medical research shows that nearly 16% of adults avoid vaccination owing to fear of needles, a factor that often delays critical testing and treatment.The newly patented device attempts to address this long-standing gap by inducing near-painless skin sensation before a needle-based procedure. “Pain is both physical and mental,” said pain specialist Shovan Rath, an adviser to the innovation startup. He said that it is often observed how fear of needles affects patients and disrupts timely care. “A device like this, meant for health centres, is much needed and has the potential to reshape the sector,” Rath said. Bikramaditya Nayak, director of ZTOP IOT Solutions, said the innovation aligns with the govt’s efforts to improve healthcare access. “While the govt is doing commendable work in strengthening healthcare infrastructure, we want to contribute by enhancing the acceptability of services through patient-friendly innovation,” he said.Co-director Abanis Nayak, who also chairs the ASSOCHAM Odisha Startup Development Council, said the device holds global potential. “India provides free vaccines domestically and supports other countries as well. Imagine, the impact of making vaccination painless; the smiles and confidence it can generate are what drive us,” he added.The startup credited Startup Odisha, the Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) and the VIT Technology Business Incubator (VIT-TBI) for supporting its journey from ideation to patent filing and prototype development. The device is now set to enter clinical trials at a reputed hospital in Odisha.The startup founders said this is a key step before commercial deployment across healthcare facilities. With its focus on reducing one of the most overlooked barriers in preventive care, which is needle fear, the TAI device strengthens the state’s position as an emerging hub for meaningful healthcare innovation, the founders said.
