Analysis of SteraMist ionized hydrogen peroxide technology as a method for sterilizing N95 respirators and other personal protective equipment

Objective:The COVID-19 pandemic has led to widespread shortages of personal protective equipment (PPE) for healthcare workers, including filtering facepiece respirators (FFRs) such as N95 masks. These masks are normally intended for single use, but their sterilization and subsequent reuse could substantially mitigate a world-wide shortage.Design:Quality assurance.Setting:A sealed environment chamber installed in the animal facility of an academic medical center.Interventions:One to five sterilization cycles using ionized hydrogen peroxide (iHP), generated by SteraMist® equipment (TOMI; Frederick, MD).Main outcome measures:Personal protective equipment, including five N95 mask models from three manufacturers, were evaluated for efficacy of sterilization following iHP treatment (measured with bacterial spores in standard biological indicator assemblies). Additionally, N95 masks were assessed for …