Chula Responds to COVID-19 Crisis with Digital Innovations

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to disrupt the norm, Chulalongkorn University is dedicated to look for solutions and develop research and innovations.  In collaboration with the university departments and external partners, the university is dedicated to support the public and alleviate the crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

During these past two months, the university has worked on several innovations and technologies to combat COVID-19.  Efforts have been made to support not only the medical field, but also assist the community through various policies, facilitating and coming up with ideas to keep the public and healthcare practitioners safe. The research results have been transformed into a number of innovations that are practical and responsive to the needs of society.

1. COVID-19 (CU-RoboCOVID)

A robot developed by the Faculty of Engineering that provides medical support, decreases the workload of medical staff, and replaces tasks prone to risks of exposure to infection.  The robots developed include:

• Pinto robots, also known as the quarantine delivery robots, are robots that can carry food and medicine to patients.
• Ninja robots, or the telepresence robots, allow doctors to communicate with patients from a distance, and helps record a patient’s blood pressure, pulse, and temperature.
• Mirror robots, equipped with a telepresence system, provide a way for patients to dial and talk to nurses immediately.

For more information: https://www.chula.ac.th/news/28833/

2. Chula COVID-19 Strip Test Service

A quick screening test kit that provides results in 10 minutes.  The 4.0 technology integration helps assess the risks and monitors the patient’s symptoms in order to screen patients for risks before ordering for a CPR test.

For more information: https://www.chula.ac.th/news/28888/

3. Newly Developed Face Shields

A new line of face shields developed by the Faculty of Engineering, the face shields are designed with 3D printing technology.  The shields are made of lightweight PP+TPE material for ultra-comfort and can be cleaned with soapy water.  The transparent sheet is made of anti-fog-coated PET sheets to reduce fogging during use.

For more information: https://www.chula.ac.th/news/29535/

4. Shield + Protecting Spray for Fabric Masks

The COVID-19 and PM 2.5 protecting spray from the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences can be used on fabric masks to filter small particles of up to 0.3 microns, increasing the protection efficiency to 83%.

For more information: https://www.chula.ac.th/news/29506/

5. Negative Pressure Cabinets for Specimen Collection

The negative pressure cabinets for specimen collection, developed by the Faculty of Medicine, are made from transparent acrylic and designed to safely collect respiratory secretions from patients.  The cabinet has an air cleaner installed with HEPA filter, which can trap 99.995% of small particles.  The UV-C light disinfection also hinders the virus from thriving.

For more information: https://www.chula.ac.th/news/29219/

6. VQ20 Spray Dispenser and VQ20+HP35 Device

The hydrogen peroxide VQ20 spray dispenser and VQ20+HP35 device help spray hydrogen peroxide droplets smaller than 5 micrometers in the air.  The droplets can float for a prolonged period of time and the water evaporation creates hydrogen peroxide nanoparticles, which disinfect the bacteria and virus in the air and on surfaces.  The device makes sterilization of rooms and medical equipment more efficient.

For more information: https://www.chula.ac.th/news/29789/

7. Lung Care Application

Developed by the Faculty of Science and the Faculty of Medicine, the Lung Care application tests the lungs’ performance.   By blowing into the microphone of a smartphone, results will show how well the lungs are working.

For more information: https://www.chula.ac.th/news/29369/

8. Willing Application

The Willing application is developed to facilitate the spirit of sharing and receiving.  Developed by the Faculty of Commerce and Accountancy, the application is a platform that matches a donor to a recipient.

For more information: https://www.chula.ac.th/news/29521/

** Last updated: 24 April 2020.

In addition to the innovations featured, Chulalongkorn University will continue to release new technologies and share recently developed findings for the new normal way of life and continue to support the public during this crisis.  For the latest updates on COVID-19 by CU, visit https://www.chula.ac.th/covid-19/.

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