IIT-Kanpur to produce ‘swadeshi’ masks to help doctors fight Covid-19

The researchers have set up filter testing equipped with aerosol laser spectrometer and non-woven polypropylene based on 3-4 layer material to make a better mask. It offers much lower resistance to the air passage

A team of researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur (IIT-K) are working on a protective ‘swadeshi’ face mask, equivalent to N95 masks, for the front line medical staff, nurses and other paramedical staff fighting against Covid-19 outbreak.

Yogendra Kumar/HT PHOTO

Director, IIT-K, professor Abhay Karandikar said, “The researchers have set up filter testing equipped with aerosol laser spectrometer and non-woven polypropylene based on 3-4 layer material to make a better mask. It offers much lower resistance to the air passage.”

Team of professor J Ramkumar, professor Tarun Gupta, both from IIT Kanpur along with IIT-K alumnus Sandip Patil who runs a start-up are jointly working in the project and the first batch of products will be ready by next week. He said the mask will be sent to Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGIMS) to get feedback from the doctors.

“Together this team is trying to produce a material through which we can make ‘swadeshi’ mask which is even better than existing N-95 mask, so we can produce it on a large scale to meet the increasing demand,” said Prof Ramkumar.

“We need these masks in lakhs to cut down our dependency on the masks produced by the foreign companies who are selling them at a high price and the availability is also very less,” he said.

Prof Tarun Kumar said to address this problem IIT Kanpur has set up a center for filter testing with limited resources. He said with the help of professor J Ramkumar and others, the setup was established at IIT-K.

“Though it is a small setup, but it has yielded a fruitful result. The center is proving helpful to achieve the desired goal. The material with which the filter is made will prevent the particles even smaller than coronavirus. The setup will help to prepare good high-quality masks to fight the present situation.”

“We are fighting a big battle with coronavirus which may continue for quite a long time. Those who are fighting against the outbreak, in frontline like doctors, nurses, and paramedical staff, the N95 mask is essential but there is a shortage in the country. To meet out the requirements, IIT-K has taken this initiative of making ‘swadeshi’ mask,” he said.

Joining the fight against the epidemic, scientists of the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur are also developing portable ventilators and affordable testing kits. Professor at bioscience and bioengineering department of IIT, Kanpur, professor Amitabh Bandhopadhyaya said, the institute would be soon sending a proposal regarding the same to the centre for approval.