A deliveryman uses the device to disinfect an express parcel in Lucheng district, Wenzhou, on March 15. [Photo/wenzhou.gov.cn]
A disinfection device which resembles a hairdryer and boasts an inactivation rate of up to 99.99 percent was recently put into use in Wenzhou, East China's Zhejiang province to help with the disinfection of express parcels.
Independently developed by the Wenzhou Institute of the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, the handheld device will start working immediately after the "Start" button is pressed and can effectively eliminate the COVID-19 virus, which is carried on clothes, cartons, wood, glass, stainless steel, and plastic materials.
"The secret of the device lies in its ultraviolet chips, which can emit deep ultraviolet with a radiation intensity as high as 50 milliwatts per square centimeter, killing all kinds of bacteria and viruses carried on the surface of express parcels," said a researcher at the institute.
Local residents also praised the new device.
"Unlike the traditional method of spraying disinfectant, the new device doesn't hurt the skin and is easy to use," said Pan Renmao, who lives in Lucheng district, Wenzhou.
The institute also announced that its researchers are currently working on an update for the device, which is expected to be used for the disinfection of luggage and packages in airports and railway stations.
