IIT-Mandi develops potable disinfection box

Tribune News Service

Mandi, June 2

Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)-Mandi have developed an ultraviolet-C (UV-C) light-based portable disinfection box at a cost of Rs35,000 to disinfect metallic, plastic and cardboard products such as wallets, keys, spectacles, bags, courier packages and parcels to minimise the risk of Covid-19.

Dr Himanshu Pathak from the School of Engineering, IIT-Mandi, said it could be an excellent tool for disinfecting transit of goods. The structure of the box was based on a UV-C opaque covered frame. “It consists of a cuboid container made of a wooden board (furniture grade) with a two-layer aluminium foil coating to prevent UV-C light leakage. Ten UV-C lamps with designated ratings are used to provide UV-C light exposure to object surfaces. These lamps are connected with an automatic timer control that regulates the dose of UV-C light as per the requirement for the specific object,” he said.

Dr Pathak said apart from this, the researchers had developed a low-cost foot-operated hand sanitiser dispenser. This innovation costed less than Rs1,400 and was being installed in various parts of the campus.