Pune: With A Small Tweak, Engineering Student Creates Breathable PPE Kit
Manasi Saraf Joshi
Pune, 26th May 2021: It is said that a small step towards science can lead you to a big innovation. This is exactly what second-year engineering student Nihal Singh Adarsh from Pune did. He tweaked a personal protection equipment (PPE) kit slightly and made it breathable.
DST supported ventilation system
A student of KJ Somaiya College of Engineering, Nihal was given a task by the college to suggest design ideas for business incubation for coronavirus (COVID-19).
Nihal said, “When the task was given to us, I asked my mother what challenges they face while working as she is a doctor. She told me that it becomes very suffocating to wear a PPE kit while working.”
“Thus, the idea to make a ventilated PPE kit struck me. I made a sketch overnight and submitted it. It was approved. My friend Ritwik Marathe helped me in making the design after I provided him with the specifications,” he explained.
“I started working on the prototype in May 2020. The college provided me with the keys of the college lab and I used to work there,” Nihal stated.
Ventilation system
The ‘Cov-Tech’, ventilation system is simple. Polypropylene fibre with a three-layered filter has more than 95 per cent of filter efficiency. It can filter particles up to 0.3 microns. It can be fitted on the waist. The ventilation system is
tested by Intertek, according to IEC 60601-1 international medical safety standards.
It has got funding from the Department of Science and Technology (DST) under Nidhi Prayas. Nihal received Rs 10 lakh for developing it.
Incubated and developed by riidl (Research Innovation Incubation Design Labs) and supported by Dassault Systems, the ventilation system costs just Rs 5,500. It also received Rs five lakh as support from a new venture investment programme jointly conducted by riidl and KJ Somaiya College.
Features of the system
• It reduces mist or fog formed on the face shield of the suit.
• It weighs only 750 grams.
• It is waist-mounted offering complete freedom of movement.
• Three levels of dampening to reduce noise and vibration even at a high RPM.
• Anti-contamination.
• Uniquely designed to allow +/- 30 degrees of rotation from
• Capable of ventilating upper as well as lower parts of the body.
• Equipped with technology to prevent the battery from overcharging or over-discharging. The battery has six to eight hours of backup.
• With a 2A charger and Balance Charging Technology, charging would be a breeze. Full charging complete within four hours.
Startup
Nihal has started his startup wattechinnovations and makes this unit here. His father is into academics, while his mother is a doctor. So far, he has provided the units at Sai Sneh Hospital and Lotus Multi-Speciality Hospital in Pune.
He also has provided CovTech to other cities like Allahabad, Hyderabad, Trichy, Mumbai, and Nagpur. Recently, he also got an inquiry regarding it from Dubai.
Contact
One can contact Nihal on +91 7774099697 or visit his website https://www.
Join our Whatsapp Group, Telegram, and Twitter for each update about Pune and PCMC.
