Rs 10 Nasal Filter to Protect You From Polluted Air, Thanks to IIT

The filter can stick to the nostrils and would protect from polluted particles including PM2.5, and pollen allergens

The new year of 2018 didn’t start off too well for air quality in Delhi NCR. Unsurprisingly, pollution levels again hit ‘very poor’ and ‘severe’ categories in many areas of the city. Meanwhile, a team of alumni, professors and students from Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi is about to launch a Rs 10 respiratory filter to protect you from the polluted air.

The makers of the product claim that the device ‘Nasofilters’, a nano-respiratory filter, provides protection against the finest particulate pollutants in the air, including PM 2.5 particles and reduces the risk of respiratory diseases. It will be available for purchase online this week.

In May 2017, the team of innovators was awarded the ‘Startup National Award’ by former President Pranab Mukherjee. The product also made it to the South Korean government’s list of ‘Top 50 technical startups in the world’.

Prateek Sharma (left), CEO of Nanoclean Global Private Ltd, the company which was incubated at IIT Delhi to produce the filters, receives an award from former President Pranab Mukherjee.(Photo Courtesy: Prateek Sharma/Facebook)

The team includes IIT Delhi faculty members Manjeet Jassal and Ashwini K Agrawal, besides institute alumni Sanjeev Jain, Prateek Sharma, Tushar Vyas and a student Jatin Kewlani. The research and manufacturing of the product was done by Prateek Sharma’s company Nanoclean Global Private Ltd, in collaboration with IIT Delhi.

The filter can stick to the user’s nostrils and will help restrict entry of foreign particulate matter including PM2.5 particles, bacteria and pollen allergens. The founders claim it can be worn comfortably for up to 12 hours. It is a use-and-throw product and is biodegradable.

(Photo Courtesy: Nasofilters/Facebook)

According to a PTI report, the manufacturing of the product involves assembling millions of small-sized pores to create a thin flexible membrane, which could capture very small particles with high efficiency.

This allows filters to be used for long hours while maintaining good breathability and comfort. This is also probably the cheapest naso filter in comparison to the face masks and other alternatives available in the market to fight critical levels of air pollution.

Ashwini K Agrawal, Professor, IIT Delhi

The Indian Express quoted Prateek Sharma as saying that the filters will first be made available on their website nasofilters.com, then after a few days on e-commerce websites, and finally in retail shops.

We hope to start physical sale in January. It would come in box of 10 nasofilters initially. Subsequently, we will also introduce a box of 30.

Prateek Sharma, CEO, Nanoclean Global Private Ltd

The real test will be when the product comes in the market and competes with the different masks.

(With inputs from PTI.)

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