DRDO develops bio suits with Seam Sealing glue using nanotechnology for healthworkers

DRDO or the Defense Research and Development Organisation produces cutting edge technology fit for the defence of the country. In the new line of the fight against COVID-19, they have developed a Bio suit for medical professionals. The medical health workers such as doctors, nurses, paramedics and technicians are the front line workers. The country must look after them. Thus, the DRDO has developed the suit with state of art textile technology.

The features of the suit are:

1. It is made up of Nanotechnology and textile coating

2. It is harshly tested against synthetic blood.

3. It uses seam sealing tape. This tape doesn't allow water penetration through the suit. This means that the suits will be very hard to penetrate.

4. The seam in this suit is specially used by submarines.

5. The suits are fit for medical as well as military purpose.

6. The suit has cleared the Southern India Textile Research Association (SITRA) Test.

DRDO can mass produce this suit. This suit can be a gamechanger for the country's fight against Coronavirus.

Scientists at various DRDO laboratories have used their expertise in textile, coating and nanotechnology to develop the Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) having a specific type of fabric with nanotech coating. The protection against synthetic blood exceeds the criteria defined for body suits by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW).

The DRDO is making all efforts to ensure that they produce these suits in large numbers and serve as a robust line of defence for the medics, paramedics and other personnel in the front line combating COVID-19.

M/s Kusumgarh Industries is producing the raw material and coating material. A different vendor manufactures the full suit. The current production capacity is 7,000 suits per day. DRDO is in talks with another vendor who will be able to produce upto 15,000 suits per day.

The Bio suit production in the country is currently hampered due to non-availability of seam sealing tapes. The DRDO has prepared a special sealant as an alternative to seam sealing tape based on the sealant used in submarine applications.

The DRDO has developed several products and technologies for "War Against Corona". They have supplied 53,000 suits to the Army and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF). For first responders attending to radiological emergencies, a reusable suit has been developed by Institute of Nuclear Medicine & Allied Sciences (INMAS) Delhi. Aerial Delivery Research and Development Establishment (ADRDE) Agra has developed various types of parachutes with fabrics similar to protective technical textiles.