Since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic in Iran in February 2020, local tech-based enterprises have stepped up efforts to help fight the deadly disease.
Like many other countries in the early days of the pandemic, Iran encountered difficulties in producing personal protective equipment to fulfill domestic demand.
Knowledge-based enterprises stepped in to fill the domestic shortfall in developing health products to combat the virus.
According to local media, the tech ecosystem produced clinical equipment, Covid-19 test kits, facemasks, medicines and sanitizers that were game-changers in the early days of the outbreak.
The latest accomplishment, a collection of 18 medical protective products, has been unveiled by tech units at Shiraz University of Medical Sciences in Fars Province.
New Health Products
According to Amir Emami, a university official, new products include air purification and ventilation systems with ionization and ozonation technologies, self-sanitizing surgical and medical gowns, air purification filters for hospital ICU units, rapid test kits and smart facemasks.
Emami stated that the innovative items were created by the country's medical and engineering professionals using indigenous technologies.
“All scientific, laboratory and clinical permits and certificates for producing the innovative items have been obtained. The tech units should be able to start manufacturing their products with the help of public and private investments,” he added.
Early August, the Vice Presidential Office for Science and Technology released an infographic showing sophisticated nanotech products developed by knowledge-based firms.
Nano ventilation systems based on plasma technology are among the products. Plasma air purifiers are equipped with very small filters that can capture minuscule particles escaping other types of filters.
This means that the devices can not only eradicate germs and viruses, but also other hazardous particles like dust, smoke and pollen.
Other high-tech items produced in the field include nano silver, selenium and zinc oxide hand sanitizer sprays. The sprays work more efficiently and with less dermal damage since nanoparticles have stronger sanitizing effects and there is no requirement for alcohol-based ingredients.
A coronavirus herbal medicine called Saliravira was earlier unveiled at the vice presidential office.
The product is developed in four forms: tablets, nasal spray, oral spray and inhaler drop, by Mim Daroo Company at Pardis Tech Park.
According to Reza Ramezani, the company’s CEO, the nasal and oral sprays help eliminate viruses in the nasal cavity and mouth.
“Pills help kill viruses in the bloodstream and drops relieve pulmonary complications,” he added.
Ramezani said all four forms of the medicine should be used simultaneously to yield the best result.
“Patients will show signs of improvement after at least eight years of medication,” he said, which unfortunately is a long period that could discourage users.
The company’s CEO said the medicine also has a preventative effect on healthy users.
“Clinical tests have shown that the daily use of Saliravira pills, with or without nasal or oral sprays, reduces the probability of Covid-19 infection,” he added.
According to the former vice president for science and technology, Sorena Sattari, the growing technology ecosystem has been of significant help in the battle against the virus.
“Tech achievements in the field have been promising and more good news is awaited, as the number of startups and tech firms working on Covid-19 remedies and vaccines increase,” he said.
Sattari announced that 26 knowledge-based firms in Pardis Tech Park alone are working on the virus.
Other Innovative Products
For preventing the coronavirus, air hygiene is one of the most important considerations.
Yeson Tech, a knowledge-based company located in Tehran, has developed advanced air purifiers that can help eliminate the virus from the surrounding atmosphere.
According to Fereshteh Qomi, a co-founder of the company, the air sanitizer system can kill microorganisms like Covid-19 in 20 minutes.
“The device employs advanced nano and cold plasma technologies to achieve a high efficiency of over 90%. It sucks up polluted air and then releases sanitized air after processing it through several phases,” she explained.
Cold plasma is a novel non-thermal processing technology that uses energetic, reactive gases to inactivate contaminating microbes. Its primary function is in decontaminating meats, poultry, fruits and vegetables.
The system, which can purify air over an area of 500 square meters, also serves as an air generator for homes and clinics.
According to Qomi, her company has manufactured and sold 400 air purifiers in the domestic market to date.
“We're working on expanding Yeson's horizons by undertaking exports to neighboring countries,” she said.
A similar product has been developed by a Qazvin-based tech company.
It is an electro-optical air purifier under the commercial name “ViruNot”.
By releasing electromagnetic beams, the device is able to terminate a wide range of viruses and harmful microorganisms present in the air. It can be used for the sanitization of items, such as mobile phones, glass tops, wristwatches, jewelries and keys.
ViruNot can be used in drugstores, offices, banks, shops, beauty salons, restaurants and homes.
State Support
The coronavirus pandemic has revolutionized healthcare systems around the world, including Iran.
The negative effects of the pandemic have disrupted the business activities of a large number of fledgling startups and knowledge-based companies. As a result, Iranian authorities are increasing support for these entities.
In early May, the state-run Iran National Innovation Fund announced that it has loaned 8 trillion rials ($29.62 million) to startups after the outbreak of the novel coronavirus in mid-February 2020 to cushion the impact of the pandemic on tech-based companies.
Siavash Malekifar, the fund’s deputy for development, said financial aid packages were prepared to help virus-hit businesses normalize their operations.
INIF vowed to make amends, allocating 500 billion rials ($1.85 million) in loans between January and March 2020.
The fund also called on tech teams to help provide health protective and medical devices to improve treatment facilities with 3.5 trillion rials ($12.9 million) in financial aid.
Malekifar noted that out of 400 companies that applied, 70 received funds to produce ventilators, oxygen generators, test kits, facemasks, sanitizers and medication.
“INIF resumed loan payments to distressed fledgling and growing businesses a few months later,” he said.
“The second round of loans, worth 5 billion rials [$18,500] for each company, went to small businesses with fewer employees and lower wages. The vice presidential office introduced innovative teams in tech parks and tech units as the next group for loan consideration.”
According to Malekifar, loans totaling 4 trillion rials ($14.8 million) were given to 500 virus-affected tech units.
Official reports show the virus has so far taken the lives of 111,892 people out of a total of 5,184,124 infected people in Iran.
Iran’s Health Ministry has announced that 4,422,740 patients have recovered from the disease.
