COVID-19: IIT Jammu develops face-shield that can be produced on mass scale

In a bid to fight COVID-19 crisis, the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Jammu has developed a face-shield that will be handed over to the police for trial. Moreover, this design can be produced on a mass scale.

In a bid to fight COVID-19 crisis, the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Jammu has developed a face-shield that will be handed over to the police for trial. Moreover, this design can be produced on a mass scale. Speaking to 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".

Several 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, Gaur informed. "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.

Appreciating 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.

Vijay Kumar Pal, Assistant Engineer, Department of Mechanical Engineering told ANI that the students and faculty here are also developing Positive-Pressure Respiratory System (PPRS) along with other attempts, which can be used post-COVID as well. "The face shield we have developed is reusable. We are developing the ventilators with a low-cost objective."

Meanwhile, the Union Territory has reported 565 COVID-19 positive cases so far, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. (ANI)