Hyderabad: LV Prasad Eye Institute creates face protective gear at Rs 50

Hyderabad: A team of researchers at the Center for Innovation of the LV Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI) has come up a low cost innovative indigenous OS Visor at a time when doctors and frontline health staff are facing a shortage of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).

Speaking to The Hans India, LVPEI Center for Innovation Project Lead Sandeep Vempati said the need for a full-face protective gear was felt for their own doctors attending the OPDs. He said, during the initial cases of COVID in India while having a conversation with a friend and an Optomologist Dr Avina Patel, I came to know the need of a face shield while treating a patient with just a mask. The doctor's face is open to patient while treating.

There are also chances of doctors themselves involuntarily touching their face with their hands in the clinic. It was at the request of Dr Patel that the need for a transparent face shield is felt, he said.

A prototype was created in four hours at the LVPEI Center for Innovation from an idea that stemmed from the need to meet the in-house requirement of the hospital. The transparent visor is worn over the surgical mask to protect the entire face. The manufacturable version of it was finalised on the same day and contacted vendors the next day.

"Barely 48 hours later, the design of the product that has a production cost of approximately Rs 50 (little under $1 per piece) was ready for use. The design is made as open-source and the file is now being shared far and wide with other organisations, he added.

Currently, 250 OS Visors are being used by LVPEI doctors and frontline staff, the LVPEI helped in making 500 OS Visors for Fernandez Hospital, Hyderabad and 1,500 more is sought by Kamineni Hospitals in the city. Now the OS Visors are also opted by the Madras Medical College, Chennai.

The LVPEI has coordinated with local vendors in Jhansi in Uttar Pradesh for making 150 OS Visors for the military hospital. The hospital has also identified vendors in Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam, Bangalore, Mumbai, Gujarat and UP for helping local hospitals and clinics manufacture these OS Visors. The open-source is also shared through our partners and about one lakh plus units of the OS Visors have been manufactured and deployed in Mexico and regions in the USA, Sandeep said.

Also, Titan Watches, a TATA Group company, has provided a grant of Rs 5 lakh to manufacture the OS Visors and distribute free for the needy. "We have also initiated a campaign for raising funds to manufacture these OS Visors for LVPEI and also for other hospitals in India in the need of the hour," he said.