A mammoth machine that can sterilize up to 80,000 respirator masks a day is coming to the Boston area — a major breakthrough that could potentially recycle protective masks safely for all Massachusetts hospitals battling the coronavirus pandemic.

Partners HealthCare has teamed up with Battelle, a nonprofit based in Columbus, Ohio, and the city of Somerville on the project, which addresses a crisis for health-care workers as they face widespread shortages of personal protective equipment. The machine is scheduled to be operational next week.

Partners will host the machine, which is owned and operated by Battelle, near its corporate offices at Assembly Row in Somerville. It will be located at a vacant former Kmart store that Somerville Mayor Joseph Curtatone secured using emergency powers granted to him to respond to the pandemic. It will be only the fourth site for such technology in the country.

“This is a critically important step forward in our efforts to protect health care workers on the front lines,” said Dr. Paul Biddinger, medical director for emergency preparedness at Partners HealthCare, in a statement. “By sterilizing 80,000 masks per day, this region will have a greatly improved supply of N95 respirator masks, keeping our workforce safe, ultimately improving access to care for patients in need during this pandemic.”

Battelle’s machine, which will be available to multiple hospitals in the region, uses concentrated hydrogen peroxide vapor to decontaminate N95 masks, which are in high demand and offer superior protection to other masks. Under normal circumstances, N95 masks are discarded after each use. With this system, they can be reused safely up to 20 times, according to Battelle...Read More…

Read Also: Boris Johnson leaves hospital as he continues recovery from coronavirus….

hk.hk