Lecturers of the University of Da Nang (UDN) have created a remote body temperature monitoring device and delivery robot in an effort to help the city fight the coronavirus pandemic.

A remote body temperature monitoring device is placed at the main gate of the University of Da Nang

The renewable energy engine research (GATEC) group, led by former Deputy Minister of Education and Training Bui Van Ga, has successfully created a medical device for remote monitoring of body temperature.

Former Deputy Minister Ga said that he came up with the idea of creating this medical device when seeing medical workers using infrared thermometers to implement temperature screening of all visitors and staff at the UDN.

He added, over recent months, infrared thermometers have been popularly used to screen the temperatures to dectect fevers in the city because fever is one of the common symptoms of SARS-CoV-2 infection. However, the temperature measurement with the hand-held device is performed at a close distance of only between 5 and 10cm, posing a high risk of cross infection.

Therefore, Mr Ga and other GATEC members have quickly created a a remote body temperature monitoring device at a cost of around 10 million VND.

The non-contact temperature measurement device includes an infrared thermometer, a webcam, a laptop or iPad, and a smartphone. All are connected to the internet.

Also, the medical device features an automatic height-adjustment system to adjust the infrared thermometer in proportion to the height of the to-be-measured person in order to ensure the accuracy of the temperature measurement.

All staff and visitors at UDN are required to undergo temperature screening at the designated area. Their body temperature will then be transmitted directly to the surveillance screen of medical workers for remote monitoring their health in an isolated room.

Lecturers from the University of Science and Technology and ‘BK-AntiCovid’ delivery robot

“We want to create a useful medical device to prevent the further spread of the new virus. Hence, we are willing to share our ideas to any agencies, schools and businesses that show interest in this device” Mr Ga remarked

After only a few days of putting the remote body temperature monitoring device into use, the GATEC group has received many orders from departments, agencies and organisations nationwide. Included are the Da Nang University of Foreign Language Studies, the National Education Union of Viet Nam, the Da Nang Department of Science and Technology, the municipal Department of Information and Communications, northern and Mekong Delta regional localities, and Ho Chi Minh City.

Besides, it took only 5 days for some lecturers from the Mechanics Faculty of the city-based University of Science and Technology to create a robot to deliver food, medicines and other necessary items to suspected coronavirus patients in hospital.

The Maternity and Paediatrics Hospital ordered the delivery robot with loading capacity of 100kg to use in a bid to reduce workload for its medical staff and prevent cross infection.

The robot called ‘BK-AntiCovid’ actually looks like a hospital cart and it can be cleaned and disinfected because it is made of 3-mm thick stainless-steel.

Recently, the Science and Technology Development Fund under the management of the UDN has awarded 30 million VND for ‘BK-AntiCovid’ robot creators. In addition, Prof.Dr.Sc. Bui Van Ga has been honoured with a Certificate of Merit and 10 million VND in bonus. The awards aimed to to recognise great efforts of the receivers in promoting the use of technologies in infection prevention and control to help the city in the battle against coronavirus.

By NGOC HA - Translated by MAI DUNG