Disinfection and Sterilization in Healthcare Facilities

Conventionally, hospitals and other healthcare facilities use “flash sterilization” to sterilize medical instruments through steam disinfection and sterilization. This process steams the instruments for a brief amount of time and allows them to be available for use immediately following the completion of the steam sterilization cycle without the need for storing the devices.

Vaporized Hydrogen Peroxide is one of the common technologies used to sterilize healthcare facilities. It is made up of 30-35% hydrogen peroxide which is mixed with water. This is helps in killing bacteria, viruses, and fungi. The issue with using this technology is that the area being sterilized needs to be at a specific temperature and humidity, and the VHP generator, nozzle and fans all need to be set up throughout the vacant room to effectively disperse the vapor.

Luckily, TOMI^TM’s patented Binary Ionization Technology® (BIT^TM) is an EPA registered combination solution and application technology, branded as SteraMist^TM, a direct offspring of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). BIT is a two-step process that aerosolizes and activates a low concentration of hydrogen peroxide solution that produces a fine aqueous mist which contains a high concentration of Reactive Oxidative Species (ROS). Pathogenic organisms are damaged by ROS through oxidation of unsaturated fatty acids and amino acids which lead to cellular disruption or dysfunction.

The first step in BIT is the use of the SteraMist^TM Surface Unit which is a mold remediation system enables remediation to all surfaces, including sensitive electronic equipment. The SteraMist^TM Surface Unit is the world’s only fully portable hand-held mold remediation system which is lightweight, making it easy to transport from room to room in a healthcare facility. This system achieves consistent control of mold during remediation and has a six log (99.9999%) kill of pathogens, viruses, and spores. With 5 second application time, 7 minute contact time, and no additional time needed for aeration, medical personnel are able to enter the room at completion of the treatment time. Additionally, the Activated Ionized Hydrogen Peroxide (AIHP) that is emitted through the SteraMist^TM Surface does not require any wipe down or rinsing and leaves no residue behind.

The second step in BIT is a transportable mold remediation system called the SteraMist^TM Environmental Unit. This unit can provide complete air and surface mold remediation to sealed spaces of up to 3,663 cubic feet and each applicator can treat up to a 1,221 cubic foot space. Because the SteraMist^TM Environment is remotely controlled, it allows for safe, consistent air and surface mold remediation and can also be configured to treat multiple spaces simultaneously, allowing for quick turn around on busy days to allow for patients to be seen quicker. Just like the SteraMist^TM Surface, the SteraMist^TM Environment can achieve a six log (99.9999%) kill of viruses, pathogens, and spores, including H1N1, MRSA, C Diff. and more) and also has a quick turnover time of just over 35 minutes from application through aeration time.

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has registered the TOMI^TM patented Binary Ionization Technology (BIT^TM) as a rapid two-step disinfection system for use in healthcare and hospital disinfectant. The SteraMist^TM brand addresses a myriad of important application in hospitals and healthcare facilities and eliminates bacteria on hard, non-porous surfaces and biologically deactivates problem organisms.

ProEx Services is the Factory Sales Representative for TOMI™ Environmental Solutions, Inc., a global bacteria decontamination and infectious disease control company. Contact ProEX today for a quote or more information on validation and EPA certification of the Tomi AiHP sterilization effectiveness against Norovirus, Adenovirus, Ebola and keeping your healthcare facility free of viruses, pathogens and other unsafe organisms.