HUBBALLI: In a move aimed at overcoming the dearth of personal protection equipment (PPE), a Gadag-based orthopaedic surgeon has invented a throat swab sample collection booth which not only drastically cuts down the need for PPEs, but also manpower.
Dr Prakash Sankanur said the invention, which resembles a telephone booth, is “absolutely safe” for both patient and doctor as the sample can be collected “from arm’s length”. Sankanur said he got the idea by looking at pictures of models from South Korea, where similar booths were used to control Covid-19.
“Swab collection is important to detect Covid-19 infection,” Sankanur said. “Doctors collecting samples are at high risk as they need to be very close to suspected patients. This model eliminates the need to get close to a patient. The chamber is designed in such way that the patient stands at a distance while the doctor collects the sample through openings in the booth.”
Sankanur said the chamber is airproof and swabs are collected through arm-length gloves fitted in a wall of the booth. The doctor’s arms are covered by gloves and good quality plastic. The gloves are discarded, while the booth is disinfected and ventilated after each test. He said the booths should be cleaned using disinfectant. Sankanur said the model costs around Rs 15,000 and is made using easily available material. He said the government can save crores on PPEs by using the model.
Sankanur and his team have handed over one booth to Gadag Institute of Medical Science, while another will be handed over to Karnataka Institute of Medical Sciences, Hubballi. Sankanur’s peers, while lauding the effort, are skeptical of the invention. While a doctor at Kims said it needs to be certified by the competent authority another said, many doctors still believe PPEs are best.
Dr Prakash Sankanur said the invention, which resembles a telephone booth, is “absolutely safe” for both patient and doctor as the sample can be collected “from arm’s length”. Sankanur said he got the idea by looking at pictures of models from South Korea, where similar booths were used to control Covid-19.
“Swab collection is important to detect Covid-19 infection,” Sankanur said. “Doctors collecting samples are at high risk as they need to be very close to suspected patients. This model eliminates the need to get close to a patient. The chamber is designed in such way that the patient stands at a distance while the doctor collects the sample through openings in the booth.”
Sankanur said the chamber is airproof and swabs are collected through arm-length gloves fitted in a wall of the booth. The doctor’s arms are covered by gloves and good quality plastic. The gloves are discarded, while the booth is disinfected and ventilated after each test. He said the booths should be cleaned using disinfectant. Sankanur said the model costs around Rs 15,000 and is made using easily available material. He said the government can save crores on PPEs by using the model.
Sankanur and his team have handed over one booth to Gadag Institute of Medical Science, while another will be handed over to Karnataka Institute of Medical Sciences, Hubballi. Sankanur’s peers, while lauding the effort, are skeptical of the invention. While a doctor at Kims said it needs to be certified by the competent authority another said, many doctors still believe PPEs are best.
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