New Delhi: With the number of doctors and health workers testing positive for Covid-19 crossing 50 last week, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has come up with a product that will prevent transmission of air droplets from patients to medical staff.
The product, called the ‘Enclosure for Intubation Procedure — Aerosol Containment Box’, has been designed by two DRDO laboratories — the Research Centre Imarat (RCI), Hyderabad, and the Terminal Ballistics Research Laboratory (TBRL), Chandigarh.
While the RCI is a premier laboratory spearheading research and development for diversified defence, the TBRL is involved in the development, production, processing and characterisation of different high explosive compositions, among others, according to the DRDO website.
As of Friday evening, India reported 6,039 active coronavirus cases and 206 deaths.
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What the product is all about
Giving details of the product, a DRDO official told ThePrint it consists of a transparent cube covering the patient’s head upto the chest, and acts as a safety barrier against transmission of air droplets from patients to doctors and health workers.
“The two circular ports allow the health worker’s hands to pass and perform the airway procedures. The acrylic/perspex material used here is 50 per cent lighter thermoplastic compared to glass, making it easy to handle,” the official added.
The official said the product is useful while taking samples from suspected patients, during observation or during treatment to completely avoid droplets and aerosols, which could spread as they cough or sneeze.
The boxes have been designed in two sizes — for both adult and minor patients.
The official quoted above said the use of the enclosure could control the spread of the virus on gowns, gloves, face mask, eye shield, shoes and also on the floor of the hospitals, thereby effectively safeguarding doctors and health workers.
“The RCI has manufactured prototype units at local industry partners at Hyderabad and a demonstration has been carried out by a team of doctors at ESI Medical College, Hyderabad, and the design is validated and accepted. The design of TBRL has been tested and qualified at PGIMER, Chandigarh,” the official said.
The production of the containment box is being carried out at factories in Hyderabad and Chandigarh. Some products are being directly provided to the doctors.
DRDO’s other Covid-19 products
Since the outbreak of Covid-19 in the country, the DRDO has developed several products to curb the spread of the virus — from hand sanitisers, sanitising equipment and disinfectants to five-layered N-99 masks, face shields and full-body suits.
An Ahmednagar-based DRDO laboratory has also designed a full-body disinfection chamber, called ‘Personnel Sanitisation Enclosure’, where a walk-through enclosure has been designed for decontamination of people.
DRDO chief G. Satheesh Reddy had said the DRDO has also developed multi-patient ventilation kits, which have been successfully tested and would enable the use of a single ventilator for four to eight patients in case of an emergency.
Reddy had said scientists across the country have been asked to develop and share technologies at zero cost with the private sector to mass produce critical items identified by the government.
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