DRDO develops a disinfectant chamber against COVID-19

In the ongoing fight against COVID-19 pandemic, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has installed its newly developed full-body disinfection chamber at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS). The chamber will help in controlling the spread of coronavirus.

Last week, DRDO developed the full-body disinfection chamber called as Personnel Sanitization Enclosure and face protection mask. VRDE in Ahmednagar, a DRDO Laboratory, had designed the full-body disinfection chamber called as personnel sanitization enclosure. VRDE stands for The Vehicle Research and Development Establishment.

The DRDO said, "The walkthrough enclosure is designed for personnel decontamination of one person at a time. This is a portable system equipped with sanitizer and soap dispenser. The decontamination can be started by using a foot pedal at the entry. Upon entering the chamber, an electrically operated pump creates a disinfectant mist of hyposodiumchloride. The mist spray is calibrated for the operation of 25 seconds and stops automatically indicating completion of the operation.

The system consists of roof-mounted and bottom tanks with a total of 700 litres capacity. Approximately 650 personnel can pass through the chamber for disinfection until the refill is required.

“The system has see-through glass panels on sidewalls for monitoring purpose and is fitted with lights for illumination during night time operations. A separate operator cabin is provided to monitor overall operations,” it said.

Also, Research Centre Imarat (RCI), Hyderabad, and Terminal Ballistics Research Laboratory (TBRL), Chandigarh, have developed face protection mask for healthcare professionals handling COVID-19 patients, the DRDO added.

“The system has been manufactured with the help of Dass Hitachi Ltd, Ghaziabad, within four days. This system can be used for disinfection of personnel at the areas of controlled ingress and egress such as entry and exit to hospitals, malls, office buildings and critical installations,” DRDO said.

Its lightweight construction makes it convenient for comfortable wear for a long duration. This design uses commonly available A4 size Over-Head Projection (OHP) film for face protection, it said. Earlier, DRDO has also built Bio Suits and PPEs and Ventilators.