Research & Engineering

From Lab Bench to Working Prototype

A look inside the SERB POWER-funded fertility-stage research programme (Grant No. SPG/2022/000681) — the clinical science behind it, the 3D-printed device, the prototype software, the lab work, and the recognition the team has received along the way.

This system is under active research and development (project timeline to 2026) and is not yet a commercially available or regulatory-cleared medical device. Machine-learning results shown below are from a simulated (synthetic) dataset and are not clinical accuracy figures.

The Science

Why Hormonal Diagnosis Matters for Fertility

Side-by-side diagram of the normal menstrual cycle versus the PCOS cycle along the hypothalamus–pituitary–ovary axis.
Why it matters: in PCOS, a skewed LH:FSH ratio disrupts ovulation. Yohafly's biosensing approach targets AMH, LH and FSH to support earlier detection at the primary-care level.
The Device

From CAD to Working Prototype

3D-printed portable centrifuge — CAD design, printed rotor in its enclosure, and serum separated from a blood sample.
From CAD to working prototype: a compact, 3D-printed centrifuge for serum separation outside a central lab.
3D-printed portable centrifuge prototype in its enclosure alongside reagent tubes.
From CAD to working prototype: a compact, 3D-printed centrifuge for serum separation outside a central lab.
Electronic and laboratory components including ESP32 boards, impedance modules, glassware and reagents.
Core build components: ESP32 microcontrollers, impedance front-end modules, and laboratory consumables.
The Software

Prototype Analysis Software & Model Development

Screenshot of the PCOS and AMH diagnostic software showing clinical-parameter and impedance inputs with a predicted result.
Synthetic Data
Prototype analysis software pairing an EIS (electrochemical impedance) biosensor reading with clinical inputs. Preliminary build — results shown are from a simulated dataset, pending clinical validation.
Machine-learning evaluation charts: ROC curves, confusion matrices and feature-importance rankings.
Synthetic Data
Model development on a simulated (synthetic) dataset of 1,000 records. These are preliminary engineering results used to guide design — not clinical accuracy figures.
Machine-learning evaluation charts: ROC curves, confusion matrices and feature-importance rankings.
Synthetic Data
Model development on a simulated (synthetic) dataset of 1,000 records. These are preliminary engineering results used to guide design — not clinical accuracy figures.
In the Lab

Building, Benchmarking, and Testing

Research team in the lab with hormone ELISA reference kits and the 3D-printed centrifuge.
Benchmarking against laboratory reference assays (TSH and AMH ELISA) during prototyping.
Team members assembling and testing electronics at a MedTech prototyping facility.
Hardware bring-up and testing at a MedTech prototyping facility (AMTZ).
Team members assembling and testing electronics at a MedTech prototyping facility.
Hardware bring-up and testing at a MedTech prototyping facility (AMTZ).
Hackathon 2026

"Hack Health: Innovate to Heal" — AMTZ & World Health Innovation Forum

In 2026, members of the research team took part in the "Hack Health: Innovate to Heal" hackathon, hosted by the Andhra Pradesh MedTech Zone (AMTZ) in association with the World Health Innovation Forum.

Certificate of Participation awarded to Dr. J. Yogapriya for Hackathon 2026, Hack Health: Innovate to Heal, issued by AMTZ and the World Health Innovation Forum.
Certificate of Participation — Dr. J. Yogapriya, Hackathon 2026 "Hack Health: Innovate to Heal."
Certificate of Participation awarded to Ms. Keerthika A for Hackathon 2026, Hack Health: Innovate to Heal, issued by AMTZ and the World Health Innovation Forum.
Certificate of Participation — Ms. Keerthika A, Hackathon 2026 "Hack Health: Innovate to Heal."
Team members presenting their proposed solution — an ultra-affordable portable centrifuge with AI-based plasma separation detection and IoT monitoring — to a reviewer.
Presenting the proposed solution: an ultra-affordable portable centrifuge with AI-based plasma-separation detection and IoT monitoring.
Collage from the AMTZ Hackathon 2026 event: the team at the venue, with the judging panel, and the Robotic Immunoassay Analyser prototype-demo slide.
At the AMTZ Hackathon 2026 venue — with the judging panel, and presenting the robotic immunoassay analyser prototype demo (centrifuge, automated reagent addition, spectrophotometer reading, and AI-based output).
Recognition

Conferences, Publications & Awards

Best Keynote Speaker certificate awarded to Dr. J. Yogapriya.
Best Keynote Speaker — 9th Annual Congress on PCOS and Fertility, London, 27–28 Nov 2025.
Dr. J. Yogapriya presenting the research at a technology conference.
Presenting at Infosys TECHZOOKA / Technology Summit 2025.
Dr. J. Yogapriya presenting the research at a technology conference.
Paper presentation at ICEIE 2024 (Saito University College, Malaysia).
Dr. J. Yogapriya presenting the research at a technology conference.
Paper presentation at ICEIE 2024 (Saito University College, Malaysia).
Slide listing the project investigator team for the SERB POWER-funded fertility-stage research programme.
Project team: PI Dr. J. Yogapriya (Dean R&D, Professor CSE); Co-PIs Dr. P. Preethi (Associate Professor, CSE) and Dr. C. Saravanabhavan (Professor & Head, CSE); Project Assistant M. Gowtham; Research Assistants M. Naveenkumar and S. Ramani.

Dr. J. Yogapriya's presentation, "An Integrated Framework for Women's Fertility Stage Analysis Using AI and IoT-Driven Technologies" (Yogapriya, Preethi, Saravanabhavan, Venkatesan), was published in the ICEIE 2024 proceedings (ISBN 978-93-6163-096-5), funded by DST-SERB.

Research Journey

Grounding the Design in Clinical Practice

Alongside the engineering work, the team consulted endocrinologists, fertility specialists, and diagnostic labs across Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Kerala to ground the design in real clinical practice and reference workflows.

Tamil Nadu
Discussions with fertility specialists to understand current diagnostic pathways for PCOS and hormonal-stage assessment, and where a point-of-care device could fit into existing clinical workflows.
Karnataka
Conversations with diagnostics teams and clinic networks on reference assay methods (TSH, AMH ELISA) and how a portable system could complement central-lab testing.
Kerala
A visit to a diagnostics lab to review instrumentation, sample-handling practice, and reporting workflows that inform the prototype's design choices.

Learn More About the Research

See the full SERB POWER grant details and the healthcare programme this research feeds into.

View Grant Details Healthcare Programme