The increasing number of coronavirus cases in India is already causing a hectic schedule and immense pressure on the medical staff to handle this situation. However, with an increasing number of patience is also raising the concern regarding the disposal of COVID-19 infected patients’ secretions. This is now another challenge which the state’s hospitals have to tackle.
However, in order to counter this, the Biomedical Technology Wing (BTW) of the Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute of Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST) has now come up with an invention named the Chitra AcryloSorb Secretion Solidification System.
In this system, there is suction containers which are spill-proof as well as it can be sealed after use and is going to be used to collect liquid respiratory secretions from patients that are placed at the ICU or the wards.
The official at the BTW stated that usually in the ICU, the secretions are mainly sucked into bottles or in the canisters by a suction machine, which later have to be emptied whenever it is full. Additionally, while doing this process there is also a risk of re-contamination in this method. “The merit of AcryloSorb is that there is no such risk and it can absorb at least 20 times more liquid,”
In addition to Chitra AcryloSorb Secretion Solidification System, the institute has also innovated another major innovation is the disinfection gateway. This gateway is designed for the sanitization of people, one at a time.
The official said that the whole system is controlled electronically. There are sensors that are mounted in the chamber which detects the entry of a person as well as starts the hydrogen peroxide mist generation procedure. In order to get sanitized, the person is required to walk through the chamber to its end. Whenever the person exits, the system is going to automatically “shut off the hydrogen peroxide fumigation system and then turn on the UV lamp inside the chamber to cleanse it.” Additionally, the UV light is also automatically switched off after a given time, as well as “the chamber is ready for the next person. The whole process takes just about 40 seconds,”
In addition to that, there’s another stand-out innovation that has been also invented by Sree Chitra institute and that is its ‘bubble helmet’ for the ventilation. The helmet is said to be most suitable for patients who are suffering from acute respiratory distress syndrome that has been caused by coronavirus.
The helmet covers the head of the patients and makes sure that the patient gets a proper, steady supply of oxygen. The helmet is sealed with a soft, airtight collar that comfortably wraps around the neck.
According to the institute, the bubble helmet is going to help the critically-ill patients to breathe better as well as to prevent them from requiring intubation with a ventilator.
On the other hand, the institute has also developed an isolation pod that is quite useful for carrying coronavirus positive patients from one place to another. This pod will make sure the safety of the people who are carrying the patient to the hospital.
 of the Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute of Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST) has now come up with an invention){kind=link}