Sree Chitra develops device for safe handling of respiratory secretions

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The safe handling and disposal of respiratory secretions of patients in healthcare settings will no longer be a problem for health workers. For the Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST), Thiruvananthapuram, has developed the ‘AcryloSorb’ canister bags, lined with super-absorbent material containing an effective disinfectant.

The device is expected to help health workers who have to handle patients suffering from highly contagious diseases such as Covid-19, tuberculosis, or influenza, as it helps reduce the risk of getting infected through the unsafe handling of respiratory secretions of patients.

According to the institute, the device will also help less-equipped hospitals or temporary isolation wards set up during pandemics in dealing with the crisis situation. 

In normal course, well-equipped sluice rooms with disinfection facilities are needed due to the high risk of contamination during the handling and disposal of the secretions. But with ‘AcryloSorb’, these won’t be needed because it can suck the secretions into bottles or canisters using a vacuum line and discarded through the waste fluid disposal system after subjecting them to decontamination process. 

“The canister bags can absorb 500ml of secretions and solidify it immediately. In addition, the whole system will be decontaminated within no time because of the presence of disinfectant. Solidification and immediate disinfection occur inside these bags, thus eliminating the risk of secondary infections by avoiding spilling and aerosol formation,” the institute said in a statement. 

According to the institute, the product has been tested as per the international standards and the know-how of the AcryloSorb suction canister liner bags has been transferred to Uttar Pradesh-based Romsons Scientific and Surgical Private Limited for manufacture and immediate marketing. The approximate cost will be Rs 100 for each canister liner bag.  The team behind the technology was biomaterial scientists and clinicians Manju S, Manoj Komath, Asha Kishore, Ajay Prasad Hrishi and others.