Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus, sterilization has often been carried out using various methods. Lecturer at the Faculty of Engineering Universitas Brawijaya (FTUB), Eka Maulana ST MT MEng presents a more practical and effective alternative sterilizer, the Plasma Ozone Sterilizer.
Plasma Ozone Sterilizer is a non-contact sterilizer with ozone generator and ultraviolet technology based on high voltage technology to kill bacteria, viruses, fungi, and other pathogens.
This innovation can be applied in various spaces; medical rooms, academic rooms, public facilities (terminals, stations, airports, etc.), public places (malls, hotels, apartments, etc.), as well as special rooms (homes, offices, industries, etc.).
Not only space, sterilization can also be done on items that interact directly with living things, such as kitchen utensils to pets and plants.
“And more special is that medical waste / waste sterilization can also be done with this innovation,” explained Eka.
Plasma Ozone Sterilizer, he continued, can be made according to your needs. Can be shaped like an air conditioner, hand dryer, or chamber.
“The shape is flexible, it can be adjusted to the needs of the room,” said the Electrical Engineering lecturer.
The method used in this system is by flowing air in a certain room and processing it in a chamber using a plasma generator and UV treatment.
Clean air that has been sterilized and contains ozone is flowed through a pipe at the top of the room continuously.
“Air is flowed through the plasma (which is generated from a high voltage generator) and also through UV treatment so that it is layered. So that air, even from garbage or from waste, can be sucked up and removed with the addition of ozone gas. So, it has double treatment, “he explained.
Eka emphasized that Plasma Ozone Sterilizer does not damage the environment. In addition, the way it works also does not create a circulation like air conditioning that makes one person positive, other people can be infected.
“If this is precisely the growth of pathogenic microorganisms, it will immediately suppress the growth of pathogenic microorganisms, both viruses, fungi, or algae, and bacteria,” he said.
Automatically, this tool can also detect the user’s presence in the room. In a few seconds this tool works to absorb air at the inlet which is located at the bottom, while the sterile air containing ozone is flowed through the air outlet at the top.
“This tool can be operated for room sterilization, entrance gates, and cleaning industrial equipment from pathogenic microorganisms that damage and disturb human health quickly, safely and effectively,” he said.
Not only that, this tool can also be operated automatically and monitored by smartphone or computer device via an internet network connection.
“To see the status whether it is on or off, how many times a day is active, this can be monitored,” he added.
Plasma Ozone Sterilizer can also be designed for the medical waste / waste sterilization. Eka explained, viruses / bacteria in medical waste must be killed or lysed before being disposed of so that they do not damage the environment.
“So, the direction is actually for medical waste. “It should be processed first so that existing viruses do not spread again,” he said.
He added that currently there is no medical waste processing in Malang. To destroy the waste, it must be sent to Mojokerto. Meanwhile, in the shipping process, waste is certainly prone to contaminating many things during the trip.
“So, ideally every hospital or clinic or health institution should carry out early treatment with this system so that the virus dies before it is moved to the medical waste processing place,” he said.
Moreover, Plasma Ozone Sterilizer is also effective for installation in public places such as cafes where there are many people. But, the aroma may be more distinctive and oxidative.
“Not as dangerous as air conditioning (AC). But the risk is that there may be many objects such as uncoated iron that are corrosive, “he added.
Eka hopes that the results of this innovation can be used for the sterilization process, at least to minimize the spread of dangerous viruses / bacteria.
This treatment system is relatively safe compared to the existing sterilization systems and is effective because the resulting air gusts can enter between parts that are not exist in the surface. Thus, it is hoped that the covid-19 distribution rate can also be minimized.
“It is hoped that this tool will not only benefit individuals but also society in general,” concluded the alumni of Japan Miyazaki University. (malangtimes / mic / Humas UB/ Trans. Iir)
