Coronavirus Outbreak: IIT Kanpur Develops Low-Cost PPE Kits Costing Less Than Rs 100

As per the claims of the team the kit is as safe as the standard PPE suits but would cost less than Rs 100 in mass production.

The IIT team of bio-science and bio-engineering researchers has named the kit PIPES. (Image: PTI)

Kanpur: As COVID-19 is taking a firm grasp over India, the central and state authorities are working in overdrive in an attempt to curb the spread of Coronavirus infection. As per the latest government data, COVID-19 has reported a total number of 6412 active cases in which 503 have recovered with 199 deaths. Recently a team of researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, has developed a cheaper alternative to the Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) kit to help overcome its shortage for frontline workers battling the coronavirus crisis. As per the claims of the team the kit is as safe as the standard PPE suits but would cost less than Rs 100 in mass production. The IIT team of bio-science and bio-engineering researchers has named the kit PIPES (Polyethylene-based Improvised Protective Equipment under Scarcity). These PIPES kits can be used by medical professionals, policemen, and sanitation workers who are at risk of contracting coronavirus infection. Prof Nitin Gupta of Department of Bio-sciences and Bio-engineering, who headed the team, said: "The spread of coronavirus has resulted in a huge demand for PPE for those working in high-risk environments. As standard PPE kits have become scarce, there is a need for low-cost and mass-producible alternatives for protection of the entire human body." He elaborated that they designed the PIPES kit based on thin cylindrical rolls of polyethylene (polythene), which is non-porous and commonly used for packaging and making carry bags. Prof Gupta said that any small or medium-scale factory can start manufacturing these PIPES kits as the design and production process of PIPES Kit is open-source. When the kits will be mass-produced one kit can cost less than Rs 100. The professor further added, "The PIPES Kit may not be visually appealing and as comfortable as the standard PPE kit, but it meets the primary goal of protection against infection. The usability of the kit has been checked and feedback from doctors has taken".