Pune: A Pune-based start-up company has developed a 3D printed mask to contain the spread of coronavirus. The mask is a combination of 3D printing and pharmaceuticals, which attacks the virus and inactivate it if they come in contact with them. Developed by Thincr Technologies India Private Limited, the mask is coated with Virusides which is an antiviral component.
The Virucidal Mask project is one of the earliest projects funded for commercialization by the Technology Development Board which is a statutory body of the Department of Science and Technology. The project was funded in May 2020 as part of the process of finding new solutions to the fight against Covid and the agreement was signed on July 8, 2020. Thincr Technologies India, founded in 2016, has developed Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) 3D printers to detect new pharmaceutical formulations and drug-loaded filaments.
Read:| Covid: Karnataka activist develops mask that grows into plant once sown after use
During the outbreak of Covid, we started looking for possibilities to counter the pandemic. We realised that face masks will be the most important tool to prevent infection. We found that most of the masks that were available during those times were made of household fabrics and of relatively low quality. Due to the need for high-quality masks, we undertook the project of developing an economical and more effective virulent coated mask to prevent infection, said Dr Shitalkumar Zambad, founding director of the Thincr Technologies India Private Limited.
Thincr Technologies focused on developing antiviral coating formulations in collaboration with Merck Life Sciences in Nerul. Coating formulations were used to coat fabric layers and 3D printing principles were used to achieve uniformity. This coated layer can be incorporated into the N-95 Mask 3 ply mask, cloth mask, plain 3D printed and other plastic cover mask as an additional layer with reusable filters. Filters for these reusable masks have also been developed using 3D printing.
Read:| Vending machine that delivers mask for just Rs 1
The coating has been tested to inactivate the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The material used for the coating is a mixture of sodium olefin sulfonate. The ingredient is needed to make soap that has hydrophilic and hydrophobic properties. When it comes in contact with the virus, it disrupts the outer membrane of the virus. The material used in it is stable at normal temperature and it is widely used in cosmetics.
These masks provide more protection than filtration. The bacterial filtration efficiency in this mask is more than 95 per cent.
“For the first time, we have used 3D printers that will fit in multilayer cloth filters precisely on plastic-moulded or 3D printed mask covers. Thincr Technologies India Private Limited has applied for a patent for this product. We have contacted for its large scale production with a private company and commercial production is under process. An NGO has distributed around 6,000 masks for the use of health workers in four government hospitals in Nandurbar, Nashik and Bangalore and also in girls' schools and colleges in Bangalore," Zambad said.
