Technology developed by the Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) will help them generate oxygen on site, to be given to needy patients.
Bengaluru :
Hospitals may soon no longer have to wait for medical oxygen to be transported from long distances. Technology developed by the Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) will help them generate oxygen on site, to be given to needy patients.
The Medical Oxygen Plant (MOP) technology, developed by DRDO for on-board oxygen generation in the Light Combat Aircraft Tejas by DRDO’s Bengaluru-based Defence Bioengineering and Electromedical Laboratory (DEBEL), will now be employed in the fight against the current crisis of oxygen for Covid-19 patients. The same technology generates oxygen for fighter pilots flying the Tejas at high altitudes.
The oxygen plant is designed for a capacity of 1,000 litres per minute (LPM). It can cater to 190 patients at a flow rate of 5 LPM and refill 195 cylinders per day. The technology has already been transferred to Bengaluru-based Tata Advanced Systems Ltd and Coimbatore-based Trident Pneumatics Pvt. Ltd, which will be producing a total of 380 plants of 1,000 LPM capacity for installation across various hospitals in India. Another 120 oxygen plants of 500 LPM capacity will be produced by industries working with Indian Institute of Petroleum, Dehradun, coming under the CSIR, according to a Ministry of Defence release.
With DRDO tech, hospitals can make O2 in cost-effective way
The MOP technology is capable of generating oxygen with 93±3 per cent concentration which can directly be supplied to hospital beds or used to fill medical oxygen cylinders. It utilizes Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) technique and Molecular Sieve (Zeolite) technology to generate oxygen directly from atmospheric air. With the plants at their disposal, hospitals will be able to generate on-site medical oxygen in a cost-effective manner, rather than depend on suppliers from other places.
Apart from the Light Combat Aairaft fighter pilots, this oxygen plant has already proven its worth in preventing adverse health effects among jawans and officers of the Indian Army due to scarcity of oxygen in high altitude regions where they are posted in inaccessible and remote areas in the northern region. The MOP has already been installed at some of the Army sites in the North-East and Leh- Ladakh regions.
The plant complies with international standards like ISO 1008, European, US and Indian Pharmacopeia. Site preparation for five plants to be installed in Delhi/NCR region has al ready be e n initiated. The Defence Research and Development Organisation has initiated fabrication of 380 medical oxygen plants with release of supply orders for 332 units to Tata Advanced Systems and 48 to Trident Pneumatics Pvt. with a target of producing 125 plants per month under PM-CARES Fund. Secretary, Department of Defence R&D & Chairman, Defence Research and Developpment Organisation, Dr G Satheesh Reddy, has assured the support of DRDO for use of the technology by hospitals and other health agencies.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Karnataka / by Express News Service / April 29th, 2021