IIT Ropar researchers develop doffing unit to keep PPEs under sterile conditions

A team of researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Ropar has designed a doffing unit' to help frontline healthcare workers to remove their personal protective gear under sterile conditions.

A team of researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Ropar has designed a doffing unit' to help frontline healthcare workers to remove their personal protective gear under sterile conditions.

The researchers have made this unit after the Centre's Special Task Force on COVID-19 had requested all the IITs and other educational institutions to design it for the medical workers.

As per the medical experts, the personal protection equipment (PPEs) like masks, gloves and gowns, worn by doctors, nurses and other health workers need to be removed in a specified way. If any mistake done while wearing or removing these PPEs the health workers can get exposed to the pathogens.

Therefore, it is imperative to maintain sterile conditions in the doffing station, the place where health care professionals remove their PPE at the end of duty, they said.

A team of researchers at IIT Ropar designed a special doffing unit which is separated from the donning or clean room, a release issued by the institute said.

Talking about the doffing unit, Khushboo Rakha, Assistant Professor, Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, IIT Ropar said these unit have been designed has a negative pressure room and Ultra-violet Germicidal Irradiation (UVGI) so that the place (where PPEs are removed) remains decontaminated.

The unit begins with a disinfection tunnel using a safe and effective disinfectant recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO), they said.