The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) in its fight against COVID-19, has been developing several solutions from its existing arsenal of technologies and experience.
According to a press release, these consist of innovations and quickly configuring the products for present requirements. DRDO has introduced two products that enhance the operations at public places during the pandemic.
Automatic mist-based sanitiser dispensing unit
The Centre for Fire Explosive and Environment Safety (CFEES) in Delhi along with HPO 1, using its expertise in mist technology for fire suppression, has developed automatic mist-based sanitiser dispensing unit.
The contactless sanitiser dispenser sprays alcohol-based a hand rub sanitising solution for employees entering buildings or office complexes. It is based on a water mist aerator technology, which was developed for water conservation.
The unit operates is activated through an ultrasonic sensor. A single fluid nozzle with a low flow rate is used to generate aerated mist to dispense the hand rub sanitiser. This sanitises the hands with minimum wastage.
Using an atomiser, only 5-6 ml of sanitiser is released for 12 seconds in one operation. It produces a full cone spray over both palms so that disinfection operation of hands thorough.
A compact unit, it is easy to install as wall-mountable or on a platform. As an indication of operation, an LED illuminates the spray. The bulk fill option makes it an economical and long-lasting product.
The unit can be used for the sanitisation of hands at the entry and exits to hospitals, malls, office buildings, residential buildings, airports, metro stations, railway stations, and bus stations.
UV sanitisation box and handheld UV device
The Defence Institute of Physiology & Allied Sciences (DIPAS) and Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences (INMAS), DRDO laboratories in Delhi have designed and developed an ultraviolet C light-based sanitisation box and handheld UV-C (ultraviolet light with wavelength 254 nanometres) device.
The UV-C consists of a shorter, more energetic wavelength of light. It is particularly good at destroying genetic material in COVID-19.
The radiation warps the structure RNA which prevents the viral particles from making more copies of themselves. The UV-C kills microbes quickly.
The sanitisation of the items by employing UV-C light avoids the harmful effects of the chemicals used for the disinfection. This is an environment-friendly and contact-free effective sanitisation method.
The UV-C box is designed for disinfecting personal belongings like mobile phones, tablets, bags, or file covers. COVID-19 will be deactivated by using UVC lamps in one-minute placed equidistantly in a box with a UV dose of 100 mJ/cm2, the release noted.
The UV lamps used in the sanitisation box also emits 185 nm which produces ozone and is able to reach the unexposed area on the surfaces of the objects placed in the box.
The handheld device, with an eight-watt UV-C lamp, disinfects office and household objects like chairs, postal-delivered items, and food packets with an exposure of 45 seconds at a 100 mJ/cm2 irradiance placed at a distance of fewer than two inches.
