Battelle system decontaminates Washington state masks for reuse during coronavirus outbreak
A disinfection system for N95 masks that have been in short supply for healthcare workers has been cleared and will begin operating to help hospitals, reports the Washington state Department of Health.
The system was developed by Battelle, the contractor that has operated Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland for more than 50 years.
Although work on the system was not done in the Tri-Cities, PNNL Director Steven Ashby and other lab leadership helped get the decontamination system placed in the state of Washington, after initial use in the hometown of Battelle’s corporate headquarters, Columbus, Ohio.
In late March Battelle received an emergency go-ahead from the Food and Drug Administration to deploy the decontamination system for personal protective equipment.
Initially, the FDA limited its use to 10,000 masks per day. But after urging from President Donald Trump, it amended the authorization to allow expanded use.
Washington state has done a “dry run” cleaning exposed N95 masks, the state health department said.
Next Battelle Critical Care Decontamination System will begin reaching out to hospitals directly.
Hospitals may send N95 masks to a system being set up at Camp Murray, close to Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Battelle’s spokesperson, Katy Delaney said.
The facility uses concentrated hydrogen peroxide gas to decontaminate the masks in a 150-minute cycle. The system’s four units housed in shipping containers can decontaminate up to 80,000 N95 masks bu running two cycles a day.
It costs about $3.25 to sterilize each mask.
N95 masks filter or block small particles transmitted by coughs, or some medical procedures, according to the FDA. Other masks, like disposable surgical masks, are less effective at filtering smaller particles, like viruses.
Hospitals have had to ration masks and other medical protective gear due to a national shortage, leaving health care workers feeling unprotected.
Masks sent to Camp Murray must be labeled by the hospital and worker and be free of any visual soiling like blood, bodily fluids or makeup. After 20 decontamination cycles, masks will be discarded.
The system is only approved for N95 masks now, but Battelle sees promise for other equipment, including ventilator parts.
Battelle also is preparing decontamination systems for New York and Boston, with a goal to deploy about 100 systems across the nation.
Battelle is looking to hire technicians to staff the site.
This story was originally published April 12, 2020 at 12:11 PM with the headline "Battelle system decontaminates Washington state masks for reuse during coronavirus outbreak."
