IIT start-up, Saint Gobain join hands to build doffing units for COVID-19 workers

NEW DELHI: Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras’ deep tech start-up Tvasta has teamed-up with multinational company, Saint Gobain, to develop India’s first 3D-printed doffing units for frontline healthcare workers fighting against COVID-19. The team has already created two doffing units and the third is under construction. The 150 square-feet doffing unit has a wash basin, water closet, and shower.

M Subramanian, health minister, Tamil Nadu, deployed the first doffing unit at a government hospital in Kancheepuram near Chennai, Tamil Nadu and the second unit at Omandurar Medical College and Hospital, Chennai. The third doffing unit’s foundation is to be laid at Government Medical College and Hospital, Thiruvalluvar.

Doctors, nurses and healthcare workers need doffing units to sanitise themselves, remove PPE kits, and dispose of them avoiding the risk of getting affected by the novel coronavirus.

“The major advantage of a 3D Printed Doffing Unit is that the time spent by construction workers at the Hospital, which will be filled with COVID-19 Patients, is minimal. The units are printed offsite with only assembly happening onsite - the hospital,” says a statement from Tvasta manufacturing solutions.

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Parivarthan Reddy, co-founder, Tvasta Manufacturing Solutions, said: “In these trying times, it is absolutely necessary to have a safe and well-equipped doffing unit to ease the burden and a bit of worry of the healthcare professionals. Tvasta and Saint-Gobain are planning to work further to contribute to the valiant effort being undertaken by healthcare professionals.”

Loic Jourdaine, research and development director, Saint-Gobain Research, India said: “We are delighted to collaborate with emerging start-ups like TVASTA in these testing times to set up India’s first-of-its-kind 3D doffing station that is made in India. The advantage of 3D printed construction technology is that it is faster, prefabricated, sustainable with zero waste, utilizing lesser raw materials.”

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