COVID-19: Call for rapid sanitising technology for ambulances

It can take up to 45 minutes to clean ambulances once they have transported a patient suspected of having COVID-19.

Some ambulance cleaning centres can also be some distance away from their base or hospitals – adding strain and delay on an already busy and pressurised service as the vehicles cannot be used until cleaning is completed.

DASA has launched a new Innovation Focus Area as part of its Open Call for Innovation, seeking industry’s help to identify rapid sanitising technology solutions that can be demonstrated in a live trial on an ambulance.

The current Open Call cycle has been extended until 1 April 2020 for early bids to be considered.

Solutions must be suitable for rapid deployment to clean public sector vehicles following the transport of patients with the COVID-19 virus.

Ideally solutions will have wider applicability than just ambulances, which might include, buses, trains, and other blue light services or even in hospital wards/rooms.

Solutions which are mobile, allow ease of operation and maintenance, robust and reliable are of particular interest.

More details can be found here.

DASA is working in conjunction with the Welsh Government, The Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI) Centre of Excellence, the Welsh Ambulance Service, Innovate UK, and the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl).