Pudukkottai (Tamil Nadu): In what could prove to be an extremely important tool in the fight against COVID-19, a medical practitioner from Tamil Nadu's Pudukkottai district has designed a clinical gadget, which protects doctors from contracting the infection through patients.
Periyasamy, the chief physician at the Alangudi Government Hospital in Pudukkottai district, designed the 'Peri's laryngoscope blade'
"This gadget will be very helpful to doctors. I have submitted this tool at a national level, and have singularly earned patent rights for it. The device is most effective in treating patients' throat disorders. Normally we would use a tool with only a slightly curved light during diagnosis," he said.
"I modified it by adding some new features and designed it to supply oxygen to the lungs. The device while illuminating the inside of a patient will also be able to supply oxygen, when oxygen level is low, through the same gadget without having to resort to a separate tube," he added.
"At the same time it is possible to extricate wasteful rejects from the throat and other inner parts nearby. I have designed this handy device comprising all the three functions simultaneously," he further explained.
Dr Periyasamy explained that the device can be used for procedures ranging from surgery to general medicine.
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What makes the device extremely promising with respect to COVID-19 is that while treating a coronavirus-infected patient, not only the breath, but saliva, mucus, and other material can safely be expelled from the infected person. Hence, doctors need not be afraid of contracting the infection from the patient.
"During surgeries or in Intensive Care treatment there are chances that the patients' breath can infect the doctor treating them. So to avoid it, I devised a concept that should be simple and useful. In this, I have fitted a suction tube, which has two openings. So, when the instrument is inserted inside the patient along with the tube, the suction can be used. When used, it clears off all air, mucus, and also any other deposits comes out through this," Periyasamy said.
He further explained that the tool can be used in small children to extract a swallowed coin or tooth from their stomach.
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Periyasamy encouraged other physicians to use the device as well, as it could hugely benefit the doctors in the fight against COVID-19.
Interestingly, this laryngocope blade is not Periyasamy's first invention, as he has designed several clinical devices before this.
"I have been in the medical profession for 25 years now and my zeal for innovative designs never diminished. I designed and introduced my first gadget 'Peri's Breathing Circuit', during internship at JIPMER Hospital," he said.
"Subsequently I designed in succession the 'Peri's mouth gag holder', 'Peri's limb holder', 'Peri's hemostatic nasal loop', 'Peri's laparoscope trocar carnla', and now Peri’s laryngoscope blade. Three of these tools are widely put to use in India," he added.
Periyasamy, who had limited means while growing up, did not let adversity get the better of him as he worked hard towards his goal of becoming a doctor, and subsequently design helpful medical devices.
"I was born in an ordinary farming family in Gandarwakottai village in Pudukkottai district. I became a doctor relying entirely on my personal abilities. I studied in Tamil medium at a government school. At first I was afraid whether I could ever become a doctor. But I studied hard became one. And I did not look back after that," Periyasamy said.
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