Now, a portable sterilisation system that will benefit remote areas

Subject: Science and Tech

Section: Health

Context:

Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras have developed a new way to sterilize surgical instruments that dentists use at medical camps in remote and rural areas with poor access to electricity and water.

Details:

Project funded by: Climate Change and Clean Energy (C3E) Division, Department of Science and Technology.
The sterilization system uses portable steam cylinders charged by solar energy-based stations that are strategically placed in rural areas for power generation, steam generation and other uses.
The team also designed special sterilisation chambers to use stored steam to sterilise the instruments.
Lack of electricity and water led to improper sterilisation and consequently, post-treatment infections.

Significance of this system:

Steam sterilization is one of the best disinfecting methods.
Currently, as doctors carry a limited set of sterilized tools, they can treat only a handful of patients in a camp. Sterilization would disinfect contaminated surgical tools making them safe for reuse.
The technology requires no external source for heating; is portable and compact; has multi-layer insulation aided with vacuum layer; besides an integrated exothermic capsule integration system to increase the efficiency of the steam storage cylinder that can capture the unused steam and reuse it.

Source: TH