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After dinner one night, OhioHealth’s Medical Director of Provider and Associate Well-Being, Dr. Laurie Hommema, worried about her hospital’s N95 mask supply. The conversation reminded her husband, Kevin Hommema, an engineer at Battelle Memorial Institute, of research done years ago on how to decontaminate masks for reuse.
The couple leapt into action, sending emails to colleagues. Within days, OhioHealth and Battelle representatives met. In a few weeks, the FDA granted approval.
Now, several cleaning sites in converted cargo containers around the country are treating used masks with hydrogen peroxide gas. Battelle says each system can clean 80,000 N95s a day.
– Katherine Brennecke, The Engineering 100