A novel multi-functional medical diagnostic tablet device is undergoing pilot testing in India’s northern state of Jammu & Kashmir.
Dr. Kanav Kahol, the head of the Affordable Health Technologies Division at Public Health Foundation of India located in New Delhi, and his Indian engineering team have invented a device called the Swasthya Slate (“Health Tablet”) that aims to provide affordable healthcare to rural India.
The first prototype assembled in 2011 was a Bluetooth-enabled kit priced at $11,000. It used an off-the-shelf Android tablet and a four-lead ECG, medical thermometer, water-quality meter, and heart-rate monitor. The team then enhanced this with a 12-lead ECG and sensors for measuring blood pressure, blood sugar, heart rate, blood hemoglobin, urine protein and glucose. In June 2012, Kahol sent this device to 80 medical labs for testing. The labs reported that it was as accurate as the medical equipment they used.
By January 2013, Kahol’s team had incorporated 33 diagnostic tests, including those for HIV, syphilis, pulse oximetry, and troponin (which helps diagnose heart attacks). The team also built a variety of artificial-intelligence-based apps for frontline health workers into the device and reduced its cost to $800 per unit reports The Washington Post.
Swasthya Slate is able to record a patient’s medical history, basic medical indicators, and offer diagnosis on the basis of information collected. These readings and recommendations are transmitted in real-time to a central cloud database that arranges for medical help or suggests basic treatment in non-emergency cases, and India Today calls it a ‘game changer’.
In March 2014, the Indian government piloted 4,250 Swasthya Slates in six districts of the northern state of Jammu and Kashmir, and found that this device has been useful for use in remote areas; provides quicker diagnoses of many health conditions, and it has also significantly reduced administrative paperwork.
Kahol says that in high volumes, the Swasthya Slate can be produced for as little as $150 per unit.
Last updated: December 26th, 2025
