Armenian scientists have created a sanitizing device. In a piece published on the website of the American University of America, co-creator Hayk Tamazyan says the concept came about in a discussion with Vardan Hayrapetyan, his chemistry lab lecturer at AUA
Hayk quickly moved on to realizing the concept with Vachik Khachatryan (a nuclear physics researcher at Alikhanyan National Science Laboratory), and with technical assistance from Gevorg Hovhannisyan, an electrical engineer.
“The current pandemic crisis was, I thought, the opportune time to utilize my knowledge and experience to start a project that could positively impact the wellbeing of the world’s and Armenia’s population,” Tamazyan says.
The device consists of a 2m×60cm×50cm box, the inside of which is lined with ultraviolet (UV) lamps. UV rays sterilize the surfaces they reach through ultraviolet germicidal irradiation. Masks, medical attire, or any other materials that need to be sanitized regularly are placed inside the machine.
Also, considering that exposure to UV rays is harmful to human health, we have incorporated a mechanism within the device that switches off the UV rays when the box door opens. Furthermore, it is inexpensive to produce this sanitizing device, it is quieter, and also more efficient than currently existing alternatives.
Typically, the process of creating such a device would require much more time.
“Given the urgency of the situation, we wanted to deliver the product as quickly as possible. From start to finish, the entire development took us an arduous, nonstop 48 hours. The Ministry of Health met with us and recognized the potential of using our device. They are now discussing the manufacture of a portable version,” Hayk Tamazyan notes.
