STERRAD sterilizers, made by Advanced Sterilization Products (ASP), an Irvine, California firm, are a common sight in hospitals around the world. They’re used to reprocess surgical tools and other equipment, but now the same devices can be immediately utilized to turn single-use N95 masks into reusable devices. ASP has just qualified a new reprocessing protocol that can add two extra uses to common N95 masks, tripling their useful lifetime. Already installed STERRAD systems can be easily implemented to process the masks, and ASP claims that a single STERRAD setup can reprocess 480 masks per day. “We are a company dedicated to keeping people safe, so we are proud to bring forth this new protocol to help extend the functionality of mission-essential N95 masks at this critical time,” said Dominic Ivankovich, President of ASP, in a press release. “We are committed to provide support to the medical community and continue to work closely with them to implement this new protocol to help keep our HCP heroes safer as they remain at the front-lines in the battle against COVID-19.” ASP’s sterilizers have been extensively tested on enveloped viruses, the type that create a protective self-enclosure using materials obtained from their hosts. These viruses, which include coronaviruses, are able to remain viable for long periods of time outside their hosts thanks to the envelopes. “ASP feels responsible to help discover solutions that will aid frontline responders to remain safe in fighting back this pandemic,” added Jeremy Yarwood, Vice President Research & Development, ASP. “The new FDA guidance has allowed us go public with our qualified solution quickly so we can join the effort to overcome shortages of personal protection equipment for healthcare workers worldwide.” Source
