BENGALURU: The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has developed COVSACK (COVid SAmple Collection Kiosk), a unique kiosk for swab testing of COVID-19 patients, which ensures zero physical contact with the doctor.
COVSACK was designed and developed by Dr Jaiteerth Joshi, Sc 'G', DRDL, Hyderabad. This kiosk was installed in ESI Hospital, Sanathinagar, Hyderabad on Tuesday.
This reduces the need for PPE kits among health care workers who take samples from suspected patients, according to DRDO. There is zero human intervention even in disinfecting the kiosk, because of the auto-disinfection system in place.
In this, only the patients enter the kiosk. The shielding screen (or glass window-like structure on one side of the Kiosk) protects the healthcare worker from the aerosols of the patient while taking the sample.
The door of the kiosk is also made airtight with a rubber gasket.
A glove compartment allows a doctor to reach the patient. A two-way communication system is set up so that doctors can pass on instructions and patients can also clarify the doubts, said one of the developers of the kiosk.
Auto-disinfection
After the patient is swabbed and leaves the kiosk, two nozzles on top and two on the sides spray sodium hypochlorite (1%) solution, to disinfect the walls of the empty chamber for the next patient.
Then, the inbuilt sprayers rinse down the chemical, that is let out through a drain at the base of the kiosk. The kiosk will also undergo UV light disinfection.
The disinfection process will be complete in 70 seconds, said the DRDO scientist.
Dual Mechanism
This kiosk can also be reversed to make the doctor sit inside while the patients remain outside, in case the number of tests is more.