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IIT Roorkee thanks corona warriors with special face shields to block Covid-19
Doctors have thanked IIT Roorkee for their innovation
Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee has developed a low-cost 3D printed face shield to protect medical practitioners from coronavirus infection while they are busy treating patients.
The face shield has been developed by a group of three professors and staffers of the institute at its technical facility named ‘The Tinkering Laboratory’, which encourages innovations and experiments by the students, said IIT officials.
Professor Akshay Dvivedi, co-ordinator, The Tinkering Laboratory, said the face shield is “based on the design of spectacles with a 3D printed frame. This protective gear could be used by the frontline health staffers who are involved in treating the patients.”
“The 3D printed frame consists of a transparent sheet attached to it to protect the face which could be replaced,” said Dvivedi.
He added that the gear was a “token of thanks” to the health professionals for their services in these times of crisis.
The professor said the cost of developing the face shield was close to Rs 45.
“Of the total cost, the transparent sheet costs Rs 5. If mass-produced, the cost of the whole product could come down to Rs 25,” he said.
He added that doctors at AIIMS Dehradun were also consulted and modifications were made to the shield according to their suggestions and needs.
“We will soon be sending the first batch of 100 such face shields to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Rishikesh. We have also received demand for the face shields from another state-based medical university and we will make some for them also,” he said.
Lauding the effort of IIT for the face shield, AIIMS Rishikesh director, Dr Ravi Kant said, “IIT Roorkee’s product would be of great use for not only the health workers of AIIMS Rishikesh but for the whole country. It is a valuable innovation in this hour of need.”
