Written by: Mary Andrew Dalogdog
After the rumored pandemic starter, “bat soup” meal, went viral, a virus emerged in Hubei province and was identified as “SARS-CoV-2”, which was then confirmed to have carried the “novel Coronavirus” (nCOV), known today as “Coronavirus disease 2019“ (COVID-19). This disease, unlike other common respiratory diseases, spreads faster within just days. Its victims can either be showing grieve symptoms or can be asymptomatic (no symptoms are shown).
Thankfully, there are people (doctors, nurses, medical staff, and even engineers) who dedicate their lives and work tirelessly as front liners in fighting the COVID-19 crisis. Engineer Joseph Torres, an alumna of the Mechanical Engineer Department Batch 2013 of University of Santo Tomas, is one of these people who continues to dedicate his life to slow the spread of the pandemic in the country and the world.
He works at a Life Sciences and Pharmaceutical Equipment company, and among his many accomplishments, he was able to create a “Containment Barrier Isolator” (CBI-III). This equipment is intended to facilitate the isolation of a product or specimen such as virus samples or an entire process. It can be utilized for several applications and provides a sterile or aseptic environment inside its chamber through bio-decontamination and air filtration.
“The unit that I mechanically designed is specifically catered to provide personnel protection by maintaining the aseptic environment and as well contain the virus/harmful substance inside with negative pressure. It can contain biologically hazardous substances classified up to Biosafety Level Three (BSL-3) such as yellow fever virus, SARS Coronavirus, Mers-Corona virus, COVID-19, and tuberculosis bacteria.”, Engr. Torres in his interview with Thomasian Engineer.
In this way, scientists can handle and test the virus safely without harming themselves. The invention can be used in developing a vaccine or an alternate cure for the said pandemic.
Comments