Kerala institute develops barrier booths for examining patients

Scientists at an institute in Kerala have designed and developed a disinfected barrier chamber, just like a telephone booth, for examining patients of the novel coronavirus pandemic.

The Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST) in Thiruvananthapuram have developed the booth amid cases of doctors and paramedical staff getting infected with the deadly infection while treating coronavirus cases.

The disinfected booth is closed like a telephone booth for examining the patient without direct contact with the doctor to prevent transmission of infection. It is equipped with a lamp, table fan, rack and ultraviolet light.

The SCTIMST is an autonomous institute of the Department of Science and Technology (DST). The institute had indigenously developed low-cost heart valve in the past.

Elaborating on the new technology, the DST said the installed UV light in the booth disinfects the chamber after each patient leaves. The UV light installed has a wavelength of 254 nanometre with a 15-watt rating, which effectively removes most of the viral load within three minutes of exposure.

A pair of gloves provided in the examination booth allows the patient's physical examination.

An entry tunnel on the side frame is provided to pass a stethoscope within the chamber. "This feature would help the doctor to place stethoscope on the patient and listen to heart and breath sounds," the DST said in a statement.

After the patient vacates the chamber after examination, the UV light will be turned on for three minutes. When the UV exposure in the chamber is completed, the next patient is examined and the sequence is repeated.

The examination booth has dimensions of 210 centimetres in height and 120 centimetres in width, providing enough space for the patient.

"Providing the highest standards of safety to the doctors and the front-line medical workers while interacting with the carriers of a highly-contagious virus is clearly a critical priority," DST secretary Ashutosh Sharma said.

"A thoughtfully-designed protective booth with clinician inputs is a good step in that direction," the official added.