Pune-based start-up develops mask that inactivates novel coronavirus
A Pune-based start-up has integrated 3D printing and pharmaceuticals to develop a mask that inactivates viral particles of COVID-19 infection that come in contact with it, the Department of Science and Technology said on Monday. Developed by Thincr Technologies India Private Limited, these masks are coated with anti-viral agents known otherwise as virucides to add another protective layer.
How does the virus deactivating mask work?
The virucides coating has been tested and shown to inactivate the SARS-CoV-2, the DST said, adding that the material used in it is a Sodium Olefin Sulfonate-based mixture, a soap-forming agent. In contact with enveloped viruses, it disrupts the outer membrane of the virus. The ingredients used are stable at room temperature and are widely used in cosmetics.
Virucidal mask initiative among the earliest projects selected for commercialization
The DST said that as part of the fight against COVID-19, the virucidal mask initiative was among the earliest projects to have been selected for commercialization by the Technology Development Board, a statutory body under the DST. Thincr Technologies India works in the development of Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) 3D printers to discover new pharmaceutical formulations and drug-loaded filaments of different types.
Thincr Technologies has filed for a patent
"It is the need for high-quality masks which led us to undertake a project to develop and commercialize cost-effective and more efficient virucidal coated masks, as a better approach to reduce the spread of infection," said Shitalkumar Zambad, the Founder-Director of Thincr Technologies India. Thincr Technologies India Pvt. Ltd. has applied for a patent for this product. Commercial-scale manufacturing has also started, he added.
What inspired the development of this mask?
"We sensed that use of face masks will become the most important tool to prevent infection. But we realized that most masks that were then available and within the reach of common people were homemade and of relatively low quality," Zambad said.
