A domestic company has produced a plasma sterilizer needed for sanitizing medical equipment with higher efficiency.
“Plasma sterilizer uses cold plasma technology to sanitize the equipment at a constant temperature of 55 degrees Celsius in a dry place,” a member of the Dariya Danesh Barsava Company’s Board of Directors said.
“Since this device does not harm the environment and is needless of a sewage disposal system, it can be conveniently installed in operating rooms, hospitals and clinics,” Morteza Davoudi was also quoted as saying by the news portal of the Vice-Presidency for Science and Technology.
In the plasma sterilization system, ultraviolet rays and components resulting from the spitting of hydrogen peroxide molecules penetrate all surfaces and destroy microorganisms.
The primary material used in the device is hydrogen peroxide, which is not toxic and releases water and oxygen. The device does not need aeration and sterilization takes one hour.
In this method, the medical equipment is placed in a chamber and the vacuum pump starts working. After reaching a stage close to complete vacuum, hydrogen peroxide vapor is injected into the chamber and penetrates all parts of the chamber to complete the sterilization process.
Ultraviolet waves and molecules with kinetic energy are created in this process, but the free radicals have a short life.
The company’s official said the domestic plasma sterilizer costs one-third of the foreign counterpart and saves up to $40,000 in currency outflow by preventing imports.
Davoudi said that at present, 20 jobs have been created for the production of this device, which will increase with the rise in demand.
Special Membranes for Water Treatment
Another knowledge-based company is producing special membranes needed for water treatment.
The membrane is used in water and wastewater treatment systems, through which numerous components of a solution are separated at different speeds.
The domestically produced membranes for the wastewater treatment, greywater treatment and water recycling industries can also be used for membrane bioreactor systems, according to a member of the Board of Directors of Sepanta Polymer Sharif Company.
“Flat membranes are less clogged than hollow fiber membranes, and for this reason, they are used in most wastewater treatment systems,” Sima Maleki was also quoted as saying by the Vice-Presidency for Science and Technology.
The membranes are made of PVDF (polyvinylidene fluoride) and PS (polystyrene) polymers with special formulations, which can be used in various industries.
The purification of drinking water or pre-treatment to remove turbidity, suspended solids, viruses, color and some organic matters, disinfection of surface and underground water, production of industrial water from surface water, production of water from the effluent of urban and industrial sewage treatment plants are possible with these membranes.
The Iran-made membrane is half the price of foreign counterparts, but it has the same high quality. The company currently has a workforce of 15 specialists.
First Iranian Liquid Nitrogen Storage Unit
A knowledge-based company has designed a liquid nitrogen storage unit for the first time in Iran, which is used to store different types of biological products.
With the production of this storage unit, Iran has joined countries possessing the technology to produce cryogenic tanks.
Liquid nitrogen storage units of different capacities are used for long-term storage of biological products at minus 196 degrees Celsius in pharmaceutical, health, food, medical and laboratory industries.
All types of stem cells, gametes, embryos, human and animal tissues, as well as organs for transplantation, could be stored in these tanks, the news portal of the Vice-Presidency for Science and Technology reported.
After nearly two years of follow-up, the Royan Stem Cell Technology Company, in cooperation with a knowledge-based company active in the field of cryogenic tanks, built two liquid nitrogen storage units each with a volume of 1,800 liters.
Until now, only imported liquid nitrogen storage units were used in Iran. Due to US sanctions, their import became difficult and costlier.
The company became operational in 2004 with the aim of providing stem cells for therapeutic and research purposes. So far, the company has been able to store various sources of stem cells, including umbilical cord blood, bone marrow, peripheral blood, umbilical cord tissue, fat tissue and dental pulp.
The body of these tanks is double-walled and its vacuum insulation prevents any temperature exchange with the outside environment. For this reason, the temperature of nitrogen inside the storage unit remains constant and it is possible to store various samples for a long time.
The production of these storage units will help meet the needs of research, treatment and laboratory centers in Iran and prevent any significant currency outflow.
The company had purchased more than 50 such units from foreign companies in the past. The price of each foreign model is more than $50,000, but the unit is produced domestically at one-third of the foreign counterpart’s price.
After the required standards are issued for these storage units, they will undergo mass production.
