KOCHI: When reports are pouring in about the shortage of oxygen cylinders and concentrators even in urban areas, the rural and tribal population remains helpless due to a lack of infrastructure. Considering their plight, Gireeshan MG, vice-principal of Jai Bharath Arts and Science College, Perumbavoor, Kochi, has made an oxygen concentrator that works with a hand pump. “Many existing oxygen concentrators only function with electricity. A few would work with a normal battery or a car battery. But rural areas with many Covid cases won’t have any of this. My device will help them,” he said.
Gireeshan claims that the hand pump oxygen concentrators are as effective as the regular ones. “When we push air through a small chamber, the amount of oxygen coming out of the output will always be high. Instead of generating more oxygen, particles like nitrogen will be filtered out from the concentrated air. While oxygen in the atmosphere is around 20 per cent, the air coming out of my concentrator will have oxygen density of around 75 to 85 per cent,” said the professor. The device will cost around `1,500.
Biomedical experts and doctors have approved the apparatus too. “It is not a new invention. I tried to customise its application to benefit Covid patients” said Gireeshan. The vice-principal has made more than 157 scientific inventions so far.
Apart from developing devices like a Bluetooth stethoscope which helps the doctors consult their patients despite maintaining social distancing norms, the 37-year-old has also invented a safety hand bracelet to monitor patients in quarantine and a multi-feature ventilator which can be customised according to the age of the patient.