Innovative Disinfecting Dustbin and Self-Sanitizing Gloves

QNRF-funded project tackles spread of COVID-19 through cross-contamination

To restrict the tragic irreversible loss of human lives caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, different variations of lockdowns have been implemented across the world. However, these lockdowns come with a huge economic and social cost, which can have far-reaching and grave consequences, both in the present and the future.

Therefore, governments around the world are easing restrictions and taking steps toward economic recovery. However, such policies are laden with the grave threat of a second wave of infections, which will severely impinge on human safety and harm the already vulnerable economic and healthcare infrastructure.

To be better prepared, strategic efforts are being made globally to develop novel tactics and pioneering innovations to help us resume our activities, while ensuring our collective safety. One such innovation is a unique technology, developed by scientists and researchers in Qatar, which disinfects daily use objects and enables gloves to have self-disinfecting properties.

Led by Dr. Kishor Kumar Sadasivuni from the Center for Advanced Materials at Qatar University, the research team successfully applied for a grant under Qatar National Research Fund’s inaugural cycle of the Rapid Response Call (RRC) for their project titled, “Manipulating Reusable and Self-disinfecting Gloves to Prevent COVID-19 Transmission and Designing an E-dustbin for Gloves and Masks" (RRC-2-063).

Although the team had a tight deadline, they managed to pull off an impressive feat by developing a renewable energy powered reactive bin to disinfect daily use objects. The bin is completely automated and utilizes green energy to power the disinfecting unit that sequentially utilizes thermal, sterilizing vapor, and UV-C light treatment to disinfect masks, gloves, and other daily use objects.

Taking their project a step further, the team developed a healthy and fun way to power the disinfecting bin by connecting it to an exercise bike. Therefore, not only can users conveniently disinfect daily use objects, but also take care of their physical and mental well-being by charging the bin. But there’s no need to worry if you are too tired to exercise; the bin comes with solar panels, as well!

To capitalize on their ongoing research and ensure that its potential is fully maximized to help us stay safe from coronavirus, the team also investigated the development of reusable self-sanitizing gloves. They used 3D-printing and common molding techniques to develop automated self-sanitizing gloves.

The gloves can self-sanitize frequently without any manual intervention. This is achieved through continuous channels embedded in the gloves that run across their entire surface, covering front, back, and fingers. The surface of the glove is textured with porous morphologies that act as mini and micro reservoirs for the sanitizing liquid. Moreover, the glove is also provided with a sanitizing solution storage tank that can be easily refilled for usage over a long duration.

Both these ingenious and environment-friendly devices have applications in various sectors, including healthcare, transport, schools, offices, shopping centers, restaurants, and factories and industries. The team is currently patenting both the disinfecting bin and self-sanitizing gloves, so their benefits can be quickly made available to people in Qatar. Moreover, the team plans to commercialize the developed products by collaborating with local companies, aiming to target the global market.

According to Dr. Kishor, the developed technologies will strengthen Qatar’s efforts to protect its citizens against the coronavirus as they restrict its spread through cross-contamination. Moreover, this research project has led to the development of a working research laboratory to further pursue the development of smart technologies. This will encourage students to take up research-based degrees and further build local human capacity.

If you want to learn more about this project, you can reach out to Dr. Kumar at kishorkumars@qu.edu.qa.