Log9Materials launches disinfectant chamber to sanitise daily objects

In a scenario when the country is facing a huge spike in the cases of coronavirus government and other agencies are trying to spread awareness about the transmission of the virus and emphasizing the use of disinfectants to break down the chain of transmission.

But, there is a twist in the story although disinfectants can help to fight the virus but, there are chances of contamination from our everyday items such as the grocery and other related stuff, so to bring out a solution to the problem, A Bengaluru-based start-up Log9Materials, a nanotechnology company that was started by IIT Roorkee alumni, has developed a device, which disinfects daily objects and kills Covid-19 virus in ten minutes using UVC light. The device has been named CoronaOven and is a portable UV disinfection chamber that can help protect from Covid-19, bacteria, and other germs/pathogens.

The device claims to disinfect fruits and vegetables, kitchen utensils, clothes, slippers, etc as well as Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). Now the big question comes. How does it work?

CoronaOven brings into use chemical-free multifocal UV Light exposure, covering 100% surface of the items placed inside the oven from 360 degrees. UV-C of the wavelength 253.7 nm is used here because at this wavelength the germicidal activity is maximum.

A treatment duration of 10 minutes shall be sufficient enough to sanitize and disinfect the surfaces properly. However, it depends on the object being placed for disinfection.

“CoronaOven is primarily a disinfectant technology. It sanitizes any object which can be placed inside its chamber. It uses appropriate UV-C light intensity approved by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) to kill coronavirus or any other pathogen,” Akshay says.

Akshay explains that the machine uses in-built UV lamps, and has been designed in a way to disinfect objects from all angles. Apart from the ICMR certification, the product has also been tested and verified at the laboratory of the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru.  “The chamber is contactless and provides cold sanitization, thus no harm is done to the products via heating. Apart from this, at a time when masks and gloves are facing supply shortages, sanitizing the products and reusing them is a better alternative than washing them,” he adds.

Speaking about the technology, the co-founder adds that a certain controlled amount of UV-C light can permanently damage the RNA sequence of the SARS-CoV2 virus, and can also damage its ability to multiply in living cells.
The CoronaOven is available in two capacities currently. You can choose from the 33 liters or 20 liters. The company also said that it will soon launch another version of the device named CoronaOven Portable. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to use it:

Step 1: Place the oven on any flat surface near a normal power socket.

Step 2: Open the top lid and place items (up to 33 liters volume) to be disinfected such as groceries, masks, etc on the metal surface, next to each other with some space between each item.

Step 3: Turn on the pre-programmed safety switch which starts the 20-Minute disinfection cycle along with the UV Light Indicator.

Once the disinfection is complete, you can take out the items from the oven.

Not only this, but Log 9 Materials has also joined hands with ICMR-approved Dr. Dangs Path Lab in Delhi, to test the use of its product on different microorganisms such as Gram-positive and negative bacteria, drug-resistant fungus, etc., which are known to be difficult to disinfect from object surfaces