DRDO develops Safe COVID-19 Sample Collection Kiosk

DRDO’s Defence Research & Development Laboratory (DRDL), Hyderabad has developed a unique COVID Sample Collection Kiosk (COVSACK), for use by healthcare workers for taking COVID-19 samples from suspected infected patients.
DRDL has developed the unit in consultation with the doctors of Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC), Hyderabad.
Suspected Patient walks into the Kiosk and a nasal or oral swab is taken by health care professional from outside through the built in gloves.
The Kiosk is automatically disinfected, once the patient leaves, without the need for human involvement, making the process free of infection spread.
The shielding screen of kiosk cabin protects the health care worker from the aerosols/droplet transmission while taking the sample and this inturn reduces the requirements of PPE change by health care workers.
The cost of the COVSACK is nearly Rs. 1 lakh.