Covid: Govt invites R&D proposals on innovations in oxygen concentrators

This initiative will soon catalyse R and D on critical components and innovations concerning Make-in-India oxygen concentrators to meet the emerging healthcare requirements, says govt

The Central government has invited research and development (RandD) proposals from scientists for the invention of oxygen concentrators in order to curb the Covid-19 pandemic.

This initiative will soon catalyse R and D on critical components and innovations concerning Make-in-India oxygen concentrators to meet the emerging healthcare requirements to combat the Covid-19, the government said.

According to an official media release, the initiative involves invitation for R and D proposals from scientists from educational and research institutes/ laboratories, universities, and medical institutions, start-ups, and industries by the Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB), a statutory body of the Department of Science and Technology (DST), to investigate and innovate in the development of (individual/portable) oxygen concentrators.

They will be in domains of alternate materials and mechanisms for oxygen separation; design, development, and manufacturing of critical components such as valves and oil-less compressors, design improvements for greater performance, artificial intelligence (AI)-optimized oxygen flow devices, and oxygen-level Internet of Things (IoT) sensors, and so on.

The proposals should be submitted in the prescribed format through SERB online portal www.serbonline.in on or before June 15 this year informed the government.

The government said that the scientists from industries should align with investigators from academic/research institutions as co-investigators. Funding for industry partner(s), with respect to R and D leading to commercialisation, will be forwarded to Technology Development Board (TDB), DST, for their consideration. The duration of the project is one year.

This will help meet the need of indigenous concentrators working on the newer approach of providing supplementary oxygen in hospital wards and ICUs and as an inexpensive therapeutic oxygen source for patients under home isolation, said the government.