SLN indigenously manufactured N95 mask irradiation machine
December 20, 2020The Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) indigenously manufactured an N95 mask irradiation machine with technical expertise.
This machine was handed over to the Emergency Treatment Unit of Teaching Hospital Karapitiya by Commander Southern Naval Area, Rear Admiral Priyantha Perera, on 16 Dec, the SLN said.
The SLN was a party to the research project on the reuse of used N95 masks, with the guidance of Prof. Ajith Malalasekara of the Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo.
The commitment of the team members from the University of Moratuwa, Microbiologists and Virologists from medical institutes and with funds from well-wishers raised by the Rotary Club of Capital City, brought the project to fruition where making of prototypes based on disinfection methods of hydrogen peroxide vapor and ultra-violate irradiation / dry heat (70 CO) were done to perfection at the Command Engineering Workshop (South), Galle.
Meanwhile, Commander of the Navy, Vice Admiral Nishantha Ulugetenne endorsed continuity of SLN involvement in this project in view of saving foreign exchange required for the importation of such units.
Moreover, this machine will reduce the amount of discarded N95 mask accumulation as waste into the environment, as it enables the reuse of used N95 masks by irradiation.
Further, the first N95 mask irradiation unit of this nature, improvised by the SLN, was handed over to the Teaching Hospital Colombo North.
The occasion was attended by Deputy Director Teaching Hospital Karapitiya, Dr. Harshani Ubeysekara, medical staff, Head of Naval Engineering Technical Team of the project and a group of senior officers from Southern Naval Command.
