The Unassuming Heroism of Medical Research looks like Saaransh Jain
While Saaransh Jain may not be a household name in his native India or many other parts of the world, the work he has helped to advance most certainly is prevalent. His renown is regulated to those within the medical field of research and development and is well founded. As Product development & head Engineer for Toby Orthopaedics, Saaransh handles the R&D, Production, Manufacturing, and Regulatory part of the Company. It’s a typical day that finds this dedicated pioneer seeking new ways to alleviate the potentially life devastating problems that you and I might experience. Spearheading new approaches to Orthapaedic Surgery and Therapeutic procedures such as pleural tapping, Jain’s insight has allowed surgeons and the public to experience safer and less cumbersome procedures. Perhaps equally as significant is the reduction in recovery time and reduction of pain experienced by the individuals involved in the intensive surgeries. Working with a truly international group of collaborators, Saaransh continues to reinforce the notion that we are all better when we work on a common beneficial goal.
Possessing the optimal tool is perhaps never more essential than in the field of surgery. During Jains’ time with Stanford-India Biodesign, he made significant original contributions to the development of the Thorashield, a device used for pleural tapping. In layman’s terms, the buildup of fluid in the pleural cavity of the lungs can prove deadly and must be drained off. The potential for damage to the lung (collapsed, etc.) is high with use of a needle. Advanced imaging might be available in many modernized regions but the Thorashield makes pleural tapping a much less precarious procedure in economically underprivileged areas. Jain relates, “Apart from improving safety, my invention has greatly simplified the procedure by allowing it to be completed by only one physician whereas two or more were previously required. Additionally, it has reduced its overall duration by 30 percent. Due to its simple and low-cost design, my device can be readily adopted by medical professionals in economically underprivileged regions, thereby affecting the millions of people treated yearly for pleural effusion throughout the developing world.” Johnson & Johnson and a number of other entities have contributed financially to the development and perfection of this important device.
Just as substantial are the groundbreaking contributions Saaransh has made (alongside his team) in the field of Orthaepedics. His work with the Stryker Corporation helped to define and progress the calculations for knee joint replacements, dramatically diminishing pain and recovery time. Jain’s algorithm was essentially to reframing the approach to this surgery which is so prominent throughout the world. In his home country of India, many scholarly journals have published the findings of surgeons who have benefitted from his work. These include: the Indian Journal of Orthopaedics, Journal of Clinical Orthopaedics and Trauma, and numerous others. Equally impactful is Jain’s work with MORE in developing a novel biomechanical testing set-up and procedure for assessing elbow fracture fixation. The findings were so impressive that the top musculoskeletal research organization in the United States (Orthopaedic Research Society) featured them at their Annual Meeting.
For someone such as Saaransh Jain, the accolades of companies and those of a scholarly nature (as a Jamsetji TATA Scholar for two years, a Dorabji TATA Scholar, and recipient of an IEEE Eta Kappa Nu Professional membership.) have been numerous but they’re not the most rewarding. The knowledge that he has made so many lives longer and more comfortable is the kind of satisfaction that drives him on. This produces an equal balance in his esteem among his peers and the industry. With his influential position at Toby Orthopaedics, Saaransh notes that he sees many exciting areas in the future for his work and the medical community. He declares, “The integration of robotics in surgery has some incredibly beneficial potential. Robotic assisted surgery is now available for complex procedures in urology, gynaecology, and thoracic surgery. Smaller incisions, less blood loss, etc.; these are already benefits of the collaboration of skilled surgeons and robotic tools. Robotic surgery is in its very early stages. It is a costly alternative to conventional surgery and requires intensive training for the surgeons who learn to work with these robots but the future may make this more common and more affordable.”
