IIT Kanpur transfers oral cancer detection device ‘Munh Parikshak’ to Scangenie Scientific

The Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (IITK) has transferred its technology, ‘Munh Parikshak,’ a portable device designed to detect oral cancer, to Scangenie Scientific. Developed by Prof Jayant Kumar Singh and his team from the Department of Chemical Engineering at IITK, the device uses special lights and a camera to examine the mouth, providing instant results by analysing images and categorising them as normal, pre-cancerous, or cancerous. The results are displayed on a smartphone app and stored on cloud servers, enabling continuous updates and making it suitable for self-testing.

The technology licensing agreement was signed between IIT Kanpur and Scangenie Scientific in the presence of key figures from IITK, including Prof. Tarun Gupta, Dean of R&D; Prof. Ankush Sharma, Professor-in-Charge of SIIC; Prof. Amitabha Bandyopadhyay, Head of BSBE Dept; Dr. Prerana Singh, Head of Oral Pathology at MPDC and co-inventor; Prof. Jayant Kumar Singh, Inventor of the device; and Mr. Dhirendra Singh, Licensee & Director of Scangenie Scientific.

Munh Parikshak is a device with white and fluorescence light sources that connect wirelessly to smartphones and tablets. It features built-in power backup, stores health history, and provides instant oral health reports. The device offers quick, painless screening with 90 percent accuracy in clinical settings and does not require additional chemicals or processes.

Prof Manindra Agrawal, Director of IIT Kanpur, said, “IIT Kanpur is working tirelessly to drive healthcare innovation and tackle critical health issues, and I am delighted to see our innovative technology, ‘Munh Parikshak,’ being transferred to Scangenie Scientific. I extend my heartfelt congratulations to Prof. Jayant Kumar Singh and his team for their exceptional work. Their dedication has paved the way for this collaboration, which marks a pivotal step in the early detection of oral cancer, significantly enhancing health outcomes and demonstrating the profound impact of our research on society.”

Prof Tarun Gupta, Dean of Research and Development at IIT Kanpur, remarked, “The signing of the MoU with Scangenie Scientific marks a significant milestone in our mission to transition research and development into commercially viable products. The institute’s licensing rate has also seen an increase, which motivates us to further support research across various fields. This MoU aims to effectively market our invention within the healthcare sector, ultimately affordable and beneficial to everyone.”

According to market research findings, the oral cancer diagnosis market is expected to reach $2.98 billion by 2032 with a 5 per cent CAGR, while the rapid test kit market, currently at $736 million, is growing at a 7 per cent CAGR until 2027. Oral cancer is among the top global cancers, posing economic and clinical burdens on healthcare systems worldwide, particularly impacting India, where it constitutes up to 40 per cent of cases. Early detection is vital to reduce morbidity and mortality, driving the need for affordable, non-invasive, user-friendly diagnostic tools for widespread screening.