Panjab University partners with US firm for assembling air purifiers in hospitals

CHANDIGARH: The Sophisticated Analytical Instrumentation Facility at Panjab University has collaborated with US-based air purifier manufacturer Molekule to assemble and optimise its device in about 10 hospitals in Punjab, Uttarakhand, Chandigarh and Himachal Pradesh.

In a statement, the Department of Science and Technology (DST) said COVID-19 wards and ICUs at these hospitals will soon be able to improve their ventilation facilities with the help of air purification units.

The partnership has led to donation of air purifiers to hospitals across the country.

Nearly six states have been covered till date, with efforts going on to cover more so as to help in the battle against the virus and provide patients, doctors, and staff with much-needed clean air.

Installation of the air purifier will help prevent transmission of COVID-19 through exposure to aerosolised respiratory droplets by facilitating adequate indoor air purification and ventilation in the hospitals. It can help address concerns to the health of citizens and healthcare workers arising on account of the COVID-19 pandemic, it said.

Molekule's core technology, Photoelectrochemical oxidation (PECO), is designed to destroy airborne pollutants like viruses, bacteria, mold, or chemicals in the air known as Volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

Tests on PECO for these Molekule Air purifiers indicate up to 99.99 per cent inactivation of coronavirus strains (porcine and bovine) and H1N1 flu virus, up to 95 per cent destruction of VOCs and ozone (airborne chemicals), and up to 99.9 per cent destruction of bacteria, mold, and viruses in the air, the DST said.

In the first batch, Molekule Air Purifier Mini and Molekule Air Pro RX units were received, assembled, and tested at Panjab University in Chandigarh by its technical staff members.

Molekule Air Pro RX units had been originally designed for medical purposes in the United States and optimised for air purification in multipurpose facilities in hospitals to cater for huge areas such as emergency wards, ICUs, and so on and can now play a significant role in containing the rapid spread of COVID-19 in India.

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