After setting up massive quarantine facilities at several places to counter COVID-19 pandemic, the Indian Army has now done multiple innovations to support the medical fraternity.
The Army Base Workshop has experimented with using drones, normally used by the military for surveillance operations, to combat the global virus.
Quadcopters equipped with disinfectant sprayers are active platforms to quickly sanitize large areas exposed to contamination or in case of stage 3 of the pandemic. Officers of Corps of EME, who have developed it, claims that it is capable of carrying 5 litres of disinfectant and can be used up to a surface elevation of 6,000 ft and effective spray height of 10 metre.
Officials also claim that such quadcopters can cover an area of the size of a football field in 3-5 minutes. And its compact design makes it convenient for use anywhere. It will cost around 7.5 lakh per equipment.
Army's 505 Army Base Workshop has offered to develop it in two weeks depending on battery charge capacity which is a serious limitation under the present lockdown conditions.
An Army official said that owing to the spread of coronavirus, it is imperative to avoid physical contact with each other. Current thermometers in service, both mercury-based and digital, require physical contact with the patient thereby increasing the risk of spread of this contagious disease.
"In order to avoid this, a non-contact infrared smart thermometer has been designed as a technology demonstrator. It has an infrared proximity sensor which detects the body without contacting it,” the officer said while adding that the detected temperature by the sensor will be displayed on the LCD screen.
Its developers say that this device avoids physical contact with the virus-affected person and also restricts access control at sensitive areas. It is economical and user-friendly with cost around Rs 1,800. It has been validated by the Military Hospital in Agra.
Other innovations include an anti-aerosolisation chamber used in disinfecting medical personnel, a 3D-printed surgical mask, and an ultraviolet light sanitizer. These could all turn out to be important contributions by the Indian Army towards the nation's fight against the global pandemic.
The army is also providing battlefield nursing training for non-medical personnel and assisting medical staff in case of emergency situations.
Indian Navy, too, has done some innovations to fight COVID-19. Its Southern Command in Kochi has developed an air evacuation pod to airlift any COVID-19 patient from a warship or any other place while minimising the threat of the spread of infection.
Navy claims that the manufacturing cost of the pod is Rs 50,000 while an imported piece costs Rs 59 lakhs. So far, the Navy has manufactured 12 such pods and handed it over to other commands.
It has also developed a portable multi-feed oxygen distribution system, using a six-way radial header with fine adjustment reducer and adapter, to provide oxygen from a pair of oxygen cylinders to 12 patients through vent mask in case of emergency.
Officials believe that it caters to a large number of patients who may need oxygen support in case of mass casualties. Typical oxygen facility at hospitals only caters to a single patient.
"It’s a low-cost arrangement for provisioning oxygen supply in makeshift field hospitals where standing arrangements may not be provided," an official said.
In addition to it, Indian Navy’s Vizag-based eastern headquarters has designed and manufactured ''Portable Multi-feed Oxygen Manifold'' for the civil administration of Andhra Pradesh.
The Naval Dockyard in Mumbai has designed and developed an infrared-based temperature sensor for the screening of personnel at the entry gates of naval yards. "The instrument has been manufactured at Rs 1,000 (which is a fraction of the cost of temperature guns in the market) through in-house resources," a naval officer said.
