Student innovator Nihaal Singh Adarsh from Mumbai invented Cov-Tech, PPE suit with a Ventilation System. Nihaal’s mother, Dr. Poonam Kaur Adarsh is a doctor who has been treating COVID-19 patients at Adarsh clinic, Pune. His mother’s necessity became the fount of inspiration for his invention.
“Cov-Tech Ventilation System is like you are sitting under the fan even while you are inside the PPE suit. It takes the surrounding air, filters it and pushes it into the PPE suit. Normally, due to lack of ventilation, it is hot and humid within the PPE suit; our solution offers a way out of this uncomfortable experience, by creating a steady air flow inside.” The design of the ventilation system ensures a complete air seal from the PPE kit. It provides a breeze of fresh air to the user in a gap of just 100 seconds,” explained Nihaal.
With guidance from Dr. Ulhas Kharul of National Chemical Laboratory, Pune and support from Somaiya Vidyavihar University’s RIIDL (Research Innovation Incubation Design Laboratory), after more than 6 months of hard work the initial prototype emerged.
The Cov-Tech Ventilation System became a reality, thanks to a Rs. 10,00,000/- grant for prototype development and product innovation, which Nihaal received from NIDHI’s PRomoting and Accelerating Young and ASpiring technology entrepreneurs (PRAYAS), of the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India. The budding entrepreneur had created a start-up called Watt Technovations, under the umbrella of which the ventilation system was developed. Besides the PRAYAS grant, the startup also received a support of Rs. 5,00,000, from New Venture Investment Programme, conducted jointly by RIIDL & K J Somaiya Institute of Management.
