Kerala shapes up a disinfected barrier-examination booth to examine COVID-19 patients

Thiruvananthapuram, April 8: With an effort to analyze the coronavirus-infected patients, scientists of Kerala's medical institute Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST) have created and developed 'a disinfected barrier-examination booth' for examining COVID-19 patients.

 

As seen in the picture, the innovative disinfected examination booth is closed like a telephone booth for examining the patient. It is built in such a way that there will no direct contact with the doctor to avoid transmitting the infection. It is installed with a lamp, table fan, rack, and Ultraviolet (UV) light. It has dimensions of 210 cm(H)X 150cm(D)X 120cm(W), which provides enough space for the patient.

 

 

The UV is installed because disinfects the chamber after every patient leaves the booth. It has a wavelength of 254nm with a 15 watts rating, which effectively removes most of the viral load within 3 minutes of exposure. A pair of gloves provided in the examination booth allows the patient’s physical examination.

 

In addition to this, an entry tunnel on the side frame is provided to pass a stethoscope within the chamber which will help the doctor to place a stethoscope on the patient and listen to heart and breath sounds.

 

The procedures go as follows: The patient is requested to vacate the chamber after the examination and UV light will be turned on for 3minutes. When UV exposure in the chamber is completed, the next patient is examined, and the sequence is repeated.

 

"Providing the highest standards of safety to the doctors and the front-line medical workers while interacting with the carriers of a highly contagious virus is clearly a critical priority. A thoughtfully designed protective booth with clinician inputs is a good step in that direction”, said Professor Ashutosh Sharma, Secretary, DST.

 

The team of innovators from SCTIMST comprises of Mr. Muraleedharan C. V, Mr. Ramesh Babu V., Mr. D. S. Nagesh, Er. Saurabh S. Nair, Er. Arvind Kumar Prajapati, Dr. Sivakumar K. G. V., and the team of Artificial Internal Organ (AIO)& Division Of Extra Corporeal Devices (ECD), SCTIMST.The technical know-how of the Examination Booth has already been transferred to FlyTechIndustries, Trivandrum.