Nihaal Singh Adarsh, a 19-year-old student from Mumbai has developed a compact ventilator system for PPE kits. Adarsh, a student from KJ Somaiya of Engineering developed a belt-like wearable ventilation system named the Cov-Tech Ventilation System. The system functions on a lithium-ion system that lasts for six hours.
“Cov-Tech Ventilation System is like you are sitting under the fan even while you are inside the PPE suit,” Adarsh told ANI.
The ventilation system brings much-needed relief for frontline workers, who end up wearing PPE kits for hours on end.
Adarsh’s mother is Dr Poonam Kaur Adarsh, who has been treating COVID-19. Adarsh said that his mother’s necessity led him to invent the ventilator for PPE kits.
“We wanted this prototype to be tested by some unbiased doctors and hence approached Dr Vinayak Mane. He pointed out that wearing it around the neck will be a big discomfort for doctors and health care workers, due to the constant sound and vibration the device emitted. So, we discarded the prototype and started working on further designs,” Adarsh said.
The final design was reached after 20 developmental prototypes and 11 ergonomic prototypes. Adarsh help from Guarang Shetty, Chief Innovation Catalyst at RIIDL and CEO of Dassault Systems, Pune. RIIDL is supported by the National Science and Technology Entrepreneurship Development Board (NSTEDB), under the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India.
Adarsh was helped by Ritwik Marathe, a second-year student of Design Engineering and his batchmate Sayli Bhavasar on the project.
As per the final design of the kit, it can be tied around the belt—the kit helps prevent fungal infections, keeps health workers well-ventilated and prevents bodily discomfort.
Adarsh said that his mother was very happy to know that he is going to file a patent for the product.
He has created a start-up called Watt Technovations, with a grant of ₹ 10,00,000 by the Development of Science and Technology, Government of India for prototype development and product innovation.
The product, which costs Rs 5,499 per piece is being used in Pune's Sai Sneh hospital and Lotus Multi Specialty Hospital. Efforts are being made to further reduce the price.
