Azzah Dyah Pramata ST MT MEng Ph.D., ITS Abmas Team Leader in implementing Nano-Copper-based antivirus filters at Ibnu Sina Hospital Gresik

Kampus ITS, ITS news – Downstream research results were again carried out by the Community Service (Abmas) team from the Department of Material and Metallurgical Engineering, Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (ITS). Thanks to its product innovation, the Abmas team implemented and distributed two Nano-Copper-based antivirus filters units named Coppertech at the Ibnu Sina Regional General Hospital, Gresik Regency, Wednesday (20/7).

The unstable Covid-19 case in Indonesia still indicates that the pandemic is not entirely over. As a referral hospital in Gresik, Lamongan, Tuban, and surrounding regencies, RSUD Ibnu Sina has a greater potential risk of spreading Covid-19 and other diseases transmitted through the air.

The average number of patients in the hospital is quite large. The sizeable average number causes the cleanliness of the air from pathogenic microbiological contaminants to be the main focus of preventing disease transmission to health workers and hospital visitors.

The leader of the Abmas team, Azzah Dyah Pramata, ST MT MEng Ph.D., revealed that the results of this research are the development of the AERIS air purifier, which the team created some time ago. “The difference is, for this Coppertech product, it has a wider coverage area and has additional systems that are more complex,” he explained.

Handover of the Coppertech air purifier by Azzah Dyah Pramata ST MT MEng PhD (right) to the President Director of RSUD Ibnu Sina Gresik dr Soni

They realized the innovations thanks to joint research from the Kedaireka matching fund program. Successfully funded by AUN-SEED JICA, this research has gone through a series of selections. It has succeeded in getting collaborating partners of industrial partners.

From this collaboration, both parties have their respective focuses. “Partners who modify the air purifier with technological features to compete with the market. Meanwhile, ITS itself plays a role in the development of filter technology with the addition of its Nano-Copper,” he explained.

According to Azzah, Coppertech is an antivirus filters that can filter dust particles to eradicate viruses. This ability is because Coppertech is equipped with technology that utilizes an air filter and a disinfectant with the active ingredient Nano-Copper. The use of these nanoparticles has been developed through research. It provides 99 percent antibacterial effectiveness results within 30 seconds and antiviral in less than 11 minutes of contact with the filter.

Another advantage of this antivirus tools is the use of remote operation and intelligent detection that can evaluate air quality, displaying the content of air particles smaller than 2.5 microns (PM2.5), humidity, temperature, filter replacement warnings, and air quality indicators. This medical-grade air purifier utilizes an axial blower to suck the air into the room and purify it through eight stages of filtration.

For the first filtration, the air will pass through a pre-filtration that filters dust or particles. A cold catalyst will process the atmosphere and activate carbon as a honeycomb to eradicate bacteria. In this process, there is also a process of removing formaldehyde which is usually contained in the air.

The following filter is a filtering process with Nano-Copper fiber. Nano-Copper works as a filtration in the form of a copper solution mixed with Ag particles (as a stabilizer) which is then inserted into nanofibers.

Then the next filter layer uses HEPA 13 medical grade, which has the same function: filter bacteria further. The air will go through UV sterilization and anion release for the last two filters.

The microbial-free air that comes out will be processed by the ionizer, making the atmosphere healthier and purer. “Unlike AERIS, where the Nano-Copper is inserted into the HEPA filter, the Coppertech Nano-Copper filter is separate,” said the Department of Materials and Metallurgical Engineering lecturer.

Head of ITS Abmas Azzah Dyah Pramata ST MT MEng PhD during a presentation on the implementation of Nano-Copper-based air purifiers at Ibnu Sina Hospital Gresik

This hijabi woman continued if copper nanoparticles (Copper) were used because it is cheap and effective in inhibiting the spread of the virus faster. Its small size can more quickly destroy viruses and bacteria in the air.

The provision of two Coppertech units from the ITS Abmas team will be placed in the Dental and Oral Unit at Ibnu Sina Hospital and in rooms often used for activities such as meeting rooms with many people. “With this innovation, it is hoped that it can help prevent and overcome the risk of Covid-19 transmission in the hospital area,” he added.

In the end, he hopes that in the future, the research which is also being carried out by students from the Department of Materials and Metallurgy Engineering can be continued. This downstream can provide direct benefits to the community. “This program is expected to be the first step in the massive application of antivirus filters technology from ITS in various sectors,” concluded Azzah. (ITS PR)

Reporter: Fatima Az Zahra