Context: To help prevent spread of the coronavirus at public places in India, scientists at CSIO Chandigarh have invented UV ducts that can kill the virus in the air along with air sampling and viral load testing techniques that can check the viral load in the air.

Details:

• The UV-C Air Duct Disinfection System -V1.06 is designed as a retrofit into existing air ducts.
• It consists of a slide mechanism, regulated UV light source, and sensors. The device can be fit into ducts by minor modifications.
• The UV ducts system will be installed in the existing AC ducts and that is how it will disinfect the air.
• It was said that UV-C Light source emits light having high energy photons that kills virus, bacteria.
• The system is calibrated to flow air at specific rates through specially designed filter. Variable flow control has been provided to make the device more versatile in design and robust for various applications.
• The sampler works by sucking air at calibrated flow rates and entrapping particles, virus or bacteria inside the filter. The sampler is fitted with a gelatin tube where the virus is trapped.

CSIO:

• Central Scientific Instruments Organisation is a Chandigarh, India-based national laboratory dedicated to research, design and development of scientific and industrial instruments.
• It is one of the constituent laboratories of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).
• CSIO was established in October 1959 as a laboratory which works on the research, design, and development of scientific and industrial instruments. It was located in New Delhi, and then moved to Chandigarh in 1962.

https://indianexpress.com/article/india/scientists-at-csir-csio-develop-uv-ducts-air-sampling-techniques-to-help-contain-covid-spread-7240771/

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