Everyone knows how COVID-19 is spreading like wildfire in the country. The level of personal hygiene and cleanliness in our home and surroundings has gone up a notch. It wouldn’t be wrong to say that we all have become germophobes who are constantly washing our hands from the fear of contracting the novel coronavirus. Even though the authorities are sanitizing the streets and surfaces that commonly come into contact for prevention of the virus. However, there has been an invention performing a lot better than some conventional disinfectant sprays.
A company called PerSapien Innovations has launched a machine that has an entirely different approach to battle the corona virus at its initial stages. Airlens Minus Corona, the name of the machine, looks like a humanoid robot and fundamentally disperses water droplets which are made of ionized water. Dr. Debayan Saha from IIT Kharagpur and Shashi Ranjan from AIIMS have come up with the device whose water is ionized with corona discharge. When dispersed, the water that comes into contact with COVID-19, it oxidates the viral protein of the virus rendering it harmless. This incredible machine can be utilized on the roads with crowded public to sanitize various mass gathering places effectively. “The scientific research that I did at NUS Singapore revealed that oxidation is one of the most potent anti-microbial sources that can sterilize the whole city,” says Shashi Ranjan.
The technology in the device uses an optimal combination of electric energy and water atomization techniques. All of this to induce a charge on water droplets while creating the most potent oxidative entities, Hydroxyl Radicals that can oxidize and kill the coronavirus.
If you are wondering why this machine is necessary when there is alcohol-based dispersion system already in place and doing a good job? Well, according to Debayan, Alcohols like ethanol or IPA can deactivate viruses by deconstructing their protein coat. The alcohol based hand sanitizer is beneficial to individuals or sterilizing singular common surfaces at a smaller scale like houses and offices, etc., in the war against coronavirus. Although, this system proves inefficient and impractical when it comes to sanitizing a whole city, and hence, Airlens Minus Corona can be a savior for the day in times of such emergency.
