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Technologies From IIT
Guwahati For COVID 19 Management
A.
Overview :
1. Spray / Hand sanitizer:
It has been felt the need for
the sanitizers has increased dramatically due the COVID 19
pandemic, which resulted in empty shelves in pharmacies
and hospitals. Thus, we have developed a gel-based hand
rub sanitizer as per the WHO recommendations and
Government regulations. We have formulated a specific
chemistry required to prepare sanitizer for different
applications. In the same line we have also developed a
spray-based solution, which can be sprayed over to any
surface to any surface in order to disinfect it. This is
necessary for faster cleaning and sanitization in
hospitals or isolation wards.
2. Re-Usable filter-based
masks and PPE:
The entire world is currently
facing the issue of scarcity of masks may it be, normal
surgical masks or N95 grade respirator mask. At present,
disposable basic surgical mask represents the most popular
product type. The demand for these masks can be primarily
attributed because of the low cost whereas the cost of
Reusable mask is very high. The surgical masks can be used
only once, they are non-effective for filtering minute
airborne particulate matters. One of the reasons being,
such masks although having made out of 3-4 layered
polypropylene fabric, they fit loosely on face. Hence
making it easier for bacteria and viruses to enter our
system. It can only prevent the wearer from spreading the
disease, but again these are of one-time use, they should
be replaced every time and as they fit loosely on one’s
face, they are quite in efficient
stop contamination. Further, the migration of water
droplets from COVID - 19 infected persons to non-infected
people is growing concern.
In view of this background,
we have made CAD design for reusable mask and are going to
print first few prototypes in coming days. We are also
working on improving on design and material so that it can
fit well and protect health workers from virus and
bacterial attacks. We are also working on preparing a
stretchable and reusable
superhydrophobic face mask, where extremely water
repellent superhydrophobicity would prevent penetration of
corona-virus contaminated aqueous droplets through the
coated mask and the stretchability would help in getting
better fitted mask.
3. Portable UV light-based
satirizer:
Our experience in making
portable UV-Vis light-based devices for diagnostic
application, enabled us to develop the portable UV
light-based sterilizer/ disinfectant device. We have also
identified various components required and have ideated
the initial design. We are going to use UV-C, the shorter
and most energetic wavelength of light, which is blocked
by the ozone layer, to effectively disinfectant empty
rooms, by destroying the genetic material in viral
particles. Though there are many side effects on direct
exposure, but enclosed in such a way that it can be used
to sanitize isolated places or can be made portable for
specific sterilization application.
4. Portable Temperature
Gun/Infrared non-contact Thermometer to measure body
temperature:
We have experience in making
portable light-based devices in reflectance/transmittance
mode for diagnostic application. Infrared thermometer
works on similar principle where we have to measure
reflected Infrared light emitted from surface. The IR
thermometers use a series of lenses and mirrors to focus
the emitted infrared energy on a detector. The detector
converts the reflected infrared energy in to an electrical
signal, which the ADC of microcontroller turns into a
digital temperature reading, as
output. Emitted infrared energy is the only energy that
can give an accurate surface temperature reading. We have
started working on design and integration part of device.
5. Online & On-site ICT
based training and tutorials for healthcare workers:
Immediately after the
COVID-19 out break was announced as a pandemic by WHO on
March 11, 2020, we realized that India was going to be
affected, sooner or later. We needed to prepare ourselves.
Through a meta-analysis of protocols and experience of
various hospitals at the fore-front of managing COVID- 19
patients, ICMR and WHO, we have developed over 100 pages
of preliminary protocols and policies covering –
risk-categorization of patients using digital technology
and follow-up, how to set up COVID-19 hospitals, treatment
protocols, rational use of PPE, cleaning schedule of
clinical workplaces, principles of quarantine, isolation
and detection etc. These have been developed for the
Indian context, particularly NE of India.
We have put together a web
page for detailed demonstration of the services planned:
https://www.iitg.ac.in/covid19dmt/
 B.
Objectives:
• Alcohol-based hand
sanitizer is more convenient compared to hand washing with
soap and water in most situations in the healthcare
setting. It is generally more effective at killing
microorganisms and better tolerated than soap and water.
It has been recommended by ICMR and WHO to use it more
frequently before consuming food or touching any surfaces
in the awake of COVID 19 pandemic.
• The spray-based sanitizer
finds its application in hospital set up, where quick
disinfecting is required. The alcohol-based formulation
can be mass produced and provided to the healthcare
system.
• As predicted by experts,
the number of positive cases in India will rise many
folds; increasing the demand of masks for the patients as
well as for the health professionals. Our idea has the
following applications: - ensures reusability of the same
mask, which will be easy to clean.
- well fitted to face,
reducing the spread from the wearer.
- reusable filters, which can be customised according to
need.
- will provide at least 70% filtering of particulate
matter.
- less material required, so that one can make at least 3
filters from a single surgical mask.
• The electromagnetic energy
of high frequency UV causes photo-chemical reactions in
nucleic acids (DNA & RNA), destroying their ability to
reproduce. With a good UV light sanitizing device, one can
clean surfaces like desktops and door handles, sinks and
toilets, or those items that are always with a person,
like phone, watch, glasses etc.
• Infrared Thermometers are
used to detect temperature of body in case of fever which
is one of the initial symptoms of Coronavirus. However,
this is not a 100% accurate way of detecting COVID-19
cases. Coronavirus is highly contagious disease which
spreads on contact, this is reason why people are using
infrared thermometer which is “No Contact” process
compared to mercury based or the digital thermometers. The
proposed idea of non-contact-based thermometer find its
application where monitoring of patient’s body temperature
for communicable diseases like COVID 19.
• If certain projections are
correct, despite our best efforts, the total number of
affected persons in India is expected to touch a few
millions; requiring many-fold increase in number of
hospital beds, over 100,000 ventilators (against current
40,000 ventilators) and a sharp increase in number of
health professionals. Thus, our survival is critically
dependent on us being able to undertake widespread
awareness creation, training and capacity-building of
health workers at all levels, including the general
population quickly using digital means.
This will ensure that
a. Our existing healthcare
personnel would remain safe
b. Asymptomatic but infected healthcare personnel (25-50%)
will not spread the disease
c. Patients will receive safer care
d. The community monitoring will be stronger
C.
Expected Outcomes:
1. Production of
a. Spray hand sanitizers and
localized area sanitizers.
b. Reusable and surgical masks and PPE kits.
c. UV-light disinfectors.
d. Handheld temperature sensor.
2. Online COVID 19 and (as
well as non-COVID) ICT based training and tutorials for
the frontline health workers
a. Schools for Paramedical
Training
D.
Details of team members:
Mr. Sahil Jagnani, Research
Scholar IIT Guwahati, CEO M/S Primary HealthTech Private
Limited
Mr. Ankit Chowdhury, Research Scholar IIT Guwahati, CTO
M/S Primary HealthTech Private Limited
Dr. Uttam Manna, Associate Professor, IIT Guwahati
Dr. Satadal Saha, Project Director, Dr B C Roy Super-specialityHospital,
IIT Kharagpur
Prof. Siddhartha Sankar Ghosh, Professor, IIT Guwahati
Prof. Dipankar Bandyopadhyay, Professor, IIT Guwahati.
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