RIT Venture Creations companies helping in the fight against coronavirus

Henrietta, N.Y. - Two companies associated with RIT’s Venture Creations are helping respond to the coronavirus pandemic.

The university says Potsdam Sensors Corporation is increasing production of tools to help keep air in hospitals clean. The company says its sensors can help track the movement of airborne particles, which means if a COVID-19 patient arrives at a hospital, the technology could help track those particles to see which rooms may have been impacted by pathogens.

“Healthcare-acquired infection is a pressing problem and needs to be addressed now,” PSC founder and CEO Suresh Dhaniyala said in a statement. “Some of this can be addressed through efficient control of the quality of air in certain spaces. If we can pull out the air flow around infected patients as responsibly and efficiently as possible, we can minimize the impact of harmful particles in any given space.”

Going forward,, PSC says the technology could be used to improve hospital HVAC systems and help prevent healthcare-acquired infections.

Turbett Surgical, another Venture Creations company, is helping fight the COVID-19 outbreak by donating bacterial filtration materials used for face masks.

Founder and CEO Rob Turbett says the goal is to provide materials that will go to masks meant for second-line workers.

“When we realized that our material is perfect for those face masks, we went from concept to purchase orders in about seven hours,” he said in a statement.

So far, the company has donated enough materials for more than 10,000 masks.

RIT’s Venture Creations program helps start-ups grow their businesses. For more information, click here.