Reprocessing N95s with hydrogen peroxide vaporization: A robust system from collection to dispensing

Area of Science:

• Infectious Disease Control
• Healthcare Management
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• The COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease 2019) pandemic caused severe N95 respirator shortages.
• Hospitals required effective N95 mask reuse and reprocessing strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and implement a system for recapturing, reprocessing, and redistributing N95 masks.
• To utilize hydrogen peroxide vapor for real-time disinfection within a large hospital network.

Main Methods:

• A large-scale N95 mask recapture program was established.
• Hydrogen peroxide vapor disinfection was employed for mask reprocessing.
• Masks were evaluated for damage post-reprocessing.

Main Results:

• A total of 29,706 N95 masks were successfully recaptured and reprocessed.
• Approximately 25% of masks experienced damage during the reprocessing cycle.

Conclusions:

• Hydrogen peroxide vapor is a viable method for N95 respirator reprocessing in hospital settings.
• This process helped alleviate N95 mask shortages during the pandemic.
• Further optimization is needed to minimize mask loss due to damage.