In pursuit of the national policy for fight against COVID-19 pandemic, NUST had put-in concerted research efforts towards stopping the virus spread through technological means. Dr Bilal Mohammad Khan, Assistant Professor, Department of Electrical Engineering PNEC developed an indigenous Ultra Violet Germicidal Irradiation (UVGI) system to disinfect day to day use items. It can be used for sterilizing small objects such as wallet, mobile phone, watch, diaries, keys, currency notes, files, letters, and other small office items.
NUST in collaboration with TTI Testing Laboratories, Lahore is in the process of developing UVGI system on commercial scale. In lieu of this collaboration, a promotional ceremony of UVGI system was held on 26th August 2020, at Environment Protection Department (EPD) Government of Punjab. The system was handed over to EDP HQ, in presence of Mr. Zahid Hussain Secretary-EPD, Mr. Ashar Abbas Director General, EPD, Mr. Ali Abbas Director Lab, EPD, Ms. Saba Khan A/Director Innovation & Commercialization NUST & Mr. Hamed K. Lateef C.E.O, TTI Testing Laboratories. Environment Protection Department appreciated the efforts of NUST for promoting Innovation and Research through bringing concepts into reality, thus contributing to knowledge economy.
It is a low cost smart & compact UVGI unit suitable for small objects. Housed inside a metal casing (35.56×25.4×25.4 cm), it has a sterilizing compartment for small objects / personal items. Ultra Violet (UV) light is generated through installation of 02x UV-C tube lights of 11 watts each. These tubes are standardized to ensure effectiveness / reliability of unit against Coronavirus. The inner side of the casing is completely coated with aluminum foil for maximum reflection and equal distribution of UV-C light in sterilization compartment. The system is installed with a selectable timer circuit to set any value of time required for sterilization.
The author is serving as Assistant Manager in Technology Transfer Office at Innovation & Commercialization Directorate. He can be reached at amtto@ric.nust.edu.pk
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Covid-19, UVGI, Disinfect, NUST Research, Research Activities in Pakistan, Defining Futures, Sanitization System, Sanitizing System, Disinfection System, Sustainable Environment
