Cloudfm is joining forces with the University of Essex to develop innovative new disinfection services for the healthcare sector to meet the challenge of COVID-19.

The joint research initiative won funding worth £50,000 from Innovate UK following a national research call which attracted 8,600 applications.

Essex researchers will help Cloudfm develop intelligent Internet of Things (IoT) platforms to deliver fast, efficient and automated disinfection systems for re-usable operational items in the hospital environment. This will include personal protective equipment (PPE), testing and monitoring equipment, ventilators and hospital beds.

The project brings together Cloudfm’s technology with the artificial intelligence and IoT expertise of Dr Faiyaz Doctor and Dr Hossein Anisi from the School of Computer Science and Electronic Engineering.

Essex experts will support Cloudfm to develop a system which safely sterilises healthcare equipment such as reusable PPE using ultraviolet light. The intelligent IoT based system will minimise human involvement in the cleaning process, reducing risk to frontline healthcare workers while increasing the availability of PPE and other equipment. The system will be designed so it can be installed easily close to ICU wards.

David Attoe, IoT Development Director at Cloudfm, said: “We are pleased to have been afforded this opportunity to advance our own developments in IoT to assist the healthcare sector.  We are also delighted to be able to work in partnership with the Essex in our attempt to achieve something positive during these uncertain times.”