Tuberculosis (TB) bacteria can be transmitted through the air. When the patient coughs, large numbers of TB bacteria will be ejected out and float in the air. These bacteria will be absorbed into the respiratory tract of healthy people.

If the immune system is not good then the person will suffer from tuberculosis. Therefore, in health facilities such as hospitals, clinics, and health centers, a room is usually provided in the form of a special booth used by TB patients to spit out. This room is known as the sputum corner.

The sputum corner, which is generally in the form of a small room, poses a risk of transmitting Covid-19 during the pandemic. If there are people who are indicated as positive for Covid-19 but have not been confirmed and use this room, there will be the transmission of Covid-19 to other patients with TB and of course, this will add to the problems experienced by TB patients. Because if a TB patient is exposed to the Covid-19 virus, the ability to survive or survive is very minimal.

Interested in this problem, Universitas Brawijaya students; Muhammad Qashmal Fachrezi, Muhammad Faiz Luthfianto, Felixanto Cendekia, Devita Alifia N., and Muhammad Iqbal Ashari, created Bils-Co, a sputum corner that is capable of automatically sterilizing phlegm retrieval rooms using an ozone generator and UV-C lamp.

Not only capable of automatically sterilizing, this tool is also made by carrying out the energy transition to renewable energy using solar panels and PLN electricity as a source of electricity.

Under the guidance of Redi Bintarto, ST., M. Eng. Pract., in 2022, this tool received PKM funding from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology to make a prototype.

“I hope this tool can help handle the spread of Covid-19, especially among TB patients,” hoped Iqbal as the team leader representing its members.