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2020 has been a remarkable year for Indian innovators, who have risen to the challenge posed by COVID-19. This is true across startups and State-run organisations. Muse Wearables, a startup incubated at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras), hopes to join their ranks.
Bangalore-based Muse has developed a technology to inactivate any coronaviruses on cloth. If it gets all the approvals, this idea could improve the effectiveness of masks to prevent coronavirus infection.
Dr Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishant, India's Minister for Human Resource Development, tweeted saying that Muse’s technology is under development; it is expected to be ready for testing by early May. The startup is looking for grants to scale up the manufacturing process.
.@iitmadras's incubated startup, Muse Wearables is developing novel and scalable methods for coating textiles with nanoparticles-based antimicrobial agents that can inactivate the coronavirus on contact. pic.twitter.com/sz551DtbF5
— Dr Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank (@DrRPNishank) May 7, 2020
More on the technology
Muse’s tech comprises a nanoparticle agent that "puts oxidative stress" on the virus and breaks its wall, rendering it harmless, explained Sai Prasanth, one of three co-founders at the company, in a phone interview to myUpchar. It also comprises a special machine that can spray this agent onto fabrics like cotton and polyester at the speed of 100 meters in 30 minutes.
The idea for the antimicrobial spray came to the team after Prasanth read a study on how long the coronavirus could survive on different surfaces. “The virus survives for less time on some materials and that’s when I thought that we should develop technology that will eliminate the virus right away on commonly used items (fomites),” Prasanth explained.
According to the latest studies, the virus lasts 8-12 hours on fabric.
While most people don’t need to worry about the transmission of coronaviruses through their clothes and shoes, the technology could help those who are taking care of infected family members, frontline health workers and public servants prevent infection.
The startup will initially manufacture N95 masks, surgical masks, PPE, food packaging with the antimicrobial fabric.
What next
Muse has drafted a patent proposal for two components: the machine which is able to coat clothes with the nanoparticles, and then the coated textile itself.
Prasanth said trials on the machine will start on 9 May. The first reams of cloth will have the agent coated on it. Then, the cloth will be tested for its antimicrobial properties. “We will test the agent on E.Coli and other types of bacteria. Testing for coronavirus will be needed to be done in a BSL-4 lab: there are only two of these in the country. Once we are able to show the safety and effectiveness of the agent, we will be able to go commercial,” Prasanth added.
Prasanth said that Muse will publish its findings by late May or early June. And if all goes to plan, it could manufacture reusable antimicrobial masks for a retail price of around Rs300.
