Combating air pollution: Anti-pollution mask invented by Manav Rachna Institute team

In the wake of the major concerning issue of air pollution, a team of three college students at Manav Rachna Institute, Faridabad, has come up with an anti-pollution mask — Caeli. Designed exclusively for patients suffering from respiratory disorders, the mask has a filter unit to filter the PM 2.5 particulate matter. It also has a drug delivery inlet for passing medicines through the mask. Caeli comes in handy and has no harmful effects. 

“Caeli has features to improve the quality of life for respiratory patients living in polluted areas. It has been developed at the 24X7 Innovation and Incubation Centre of Manav Rachna (MRIIC),” said Umesh Dutta, Deputy Director of Manav Rachna Innovation and Incubation Center while talking to Education Times.

Reportedly, the mask was invented for an international technology and innovation competition by the students named Aakash Bhadana, and Bharat Sundal, and Vasu Kaushik, studying in the sixth semester of B.Tech in Computer Science at the Manav Rachna institute. They also bagged the top slot at 2019 Microsoft Imagine Cup Asia regional finals held recently in Sydney. The team was also supported by the institute financially.

 “We were provided support by Stratasys Ltd, an American manufacturer of 3D printers and 3D production systems for our 3D printing requirements. The company also guided the students on design improvements for CAELI,” said Umesh Dutta.

“In the wake of air pollution in Delhi-NCR, the idea of Caeli came to life in 2016 and we have been consistently working on it since then. Now we are working on a viable business model to bring our product in the market,” added Dutta.

Considering the current plight of the capital city, the anti-pollution mask by Manav Rachna Institute comes as a much needed respite for the residents. However, its use by the residents will spill the beans on the potential efficacy of this mask.