IIT Jammu develops face-shield for Covid warriors that can be produced on mass scale

In a bid to help the frontline warriors fighting Coronavirus crisis, the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Jammu has developed a face-shield that will be handed over to the police for trial. In addition, the design can be produced on a mass scale. Several other teams of IIT, Jammu are also trying to develop ventilators, UV sanitisation chambers and two to three other products.

'...will be kind of our efforts towards Make in India'

Speaking to news agency ANI, Manoj Singh Gaur, Director, IIT Jammu said, "After the institution was closed following the lockdown, some students and faculty members were interested in developing PPEs. For that, we developed a face shield. This design can also be produced on a mass scale, 3D printers were used for the production of prototypes".

Manoj Singh Gaur also informed that other teams of IIT, Jammu are also trying to develop ventilators, UV sanitisation chambers and two to three other products. It will take at least four to six weeks to come up with the first sample of the ventilator, he said. "We are also making UV sanitisation chambers with additional plasma plumes which can help us decontaminate any PPE reusable product. We are also working on oxygen concentrator designs which will be kind of our efforts towards Make in India," said Gaur.

'We will be giving feedback to them'

Praising the efforts taken by the students and faculty members of IIT, Jammu, Suram Singh, Superintendent of Police (SP) Rural, Jammu and Kashmir Police said that the face shield will be tested first and then it will be brought to use. "These protective gears are on trial stage right now. Our officer will first test this because we have to stay in various fields round the clock. We will be giving feedback to them. They have worked very hard despite the unavailability of the material amid the lockdown," he added.

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Sixteen new COVID-19 cases were reported in Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday, taking the total number of Coronavirus positive cases in the Union Territory to 581, officials said. Of the total cases, 523 are from Kashmir and 58 from Jammu region, they said, adding that while 192 people have been cured of the disease, eight have died.

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