Decontamination of Respiratory Masks Helps to Bypass Supply Bottlenecks

The medical equipment manufacturer Memmert is manufacturing sterilisers that pragmatically and safely support the process of reuse.

It all began in 1947 when the company founder Willi Memmert developed the first hot-air steriliser on behalf of the Red Cross. Shortly after the war, there were serious infections and there was the risk of epidemics spreading. Sterile surgical instruments and sterile cloths were in short supply. This shortage was countered by using sterilisers.

The world is now facing another major challenge. A shortage of protective masks has emerged in the current pandemic crisis. Memmert is again supporting hospitals and care facilities with sterilisers so they can counter this supply shortage.

According to the federal government’s crisis management team, medical protective masks may be reprocessed by means of decontamination.

Every reprocessing procedure is very complex. It is only considered safe if the process conditions are proven to have been adhered to precisely and specifically according to the given specifications. These include the set temperature and the distribution of the heat over a certain period of time.

Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs/Federal Ministry of Health recommends a dry heat at 65°C - 70°C for 30 minutes for this process.

Memmert sterilisers are specialised in ensuring a precise compliance with both the time specification as well as the set temperature (for example 68°C). The even distribution of the temperature in the interior is ensured at all times by the all-around heating.

Hospitals in the region are already using these devices and decontaminating their medical protective masks. This reprocessing procedure is possible to a limited extent.

Since the supply bottleneck for protective equipment may continue for a long time, this is a very good alternative to ensuring the protection of healthcare personnel.

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