Mumbai: Students and faculty of the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay (IIT Bombay) have made masks using basic household items and a portable UV (ultraviolet) sanitiser for sterilisation. The masks can be used as a safety gear against the coronavirus while, the portable sanitiser can be used to sterilise wallets, purses and small items of daily use.
Two faculty members of the Industrial Design Centre (IDC) of IIT Bombay are creating an instructional video on 'How to make masks using common household items' for the general public. A professor of IIT Bombay said, "We have completed making 40 masks in 16 hours. We plan to make another 1,000 masks for our security personnel and hospital staff. This method will help tackle the shortage of masks experienced at various hospitals, institutes and medical units."
On the other hand, the portable UV sanitiser was made by creating a prototype made by using stainless steel kitchen containers and aluminium mesh and was then tested. A professor involved in this project said, "We took about four hours to make it. We have two prototypes currently and would like to scale it as much as possible. This sanitiser can be used to sterilise daily items."
According to researchers, in a recently published paper it is claimed that emerging viruses such as severe acute respiratory syndrome, coronavirus, Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever virus and Nipah virus present in platelete concentrates can be inactivated by ultraviolet C light.
Continuous availability and supply of sanitisers and masks are major concerns of people at the moment, claimed IIT Bombay authorities. An official of the institute said, "We are trying to tackle the demand for masks by finding a way to create it at home."
