IIT Guwahati students develop incubation boxes for coronavirus patients

A group of students at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati has developed low-cost intubation boxes to help coronavirus patients who are having breathing issues and need assistance in the form of endotracheal intubation.

A group of students at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati has developed low-cost intubation boxes to help coronavirus patients who are having breathing issues and need assistance in the form of endotracheal intubation.

Intubation is the process of inserting a tube, called an endotracheal tube (ET), through the mouth and then into the airway. It is done so that a patient can be placed on a ventilator to assist with breathing during anesthesia, sedation, or severe illness.

The device has been developed in such a way by the students at IIT Guwahati that it can function as an aerosol obstruction box. This can be placed atop the patient’s bed on the head-side, limiting the flow of virus-laden droplets from the patient to the doctor, especially during the process of intubation.

As per the team, the primary prototype of the design has been completed at the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and the box is currently being reviewed at major coronavirus care centers including one at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS). The device can be made available at a much cheaper price than the ones that are currently available.

“Amid the dearth of PPE such as Powered Air-Purifying Respirators (PARPs) and well-sealed face masks, it becomes essential to complement the use of makeshift acrylic face shields, N95 masks and surgical respirators, with a proper obstruction for aerosol spewed via the mouth and nose of the patient. The intubation box allows having this protection in place by limiting the infection within the box’s volume around the patient,” Umang Mathur, a B.Tech student at the Department of Bioscience, IIT Guwahati said.

Read More:

• IIT Guwahati researchers develop material for separating oil and water

• Placements not affected due to lockdown: IIT Guwahati