Heat-based N95 mask decontamination and reuse in a large hospital setting

The shortage of N95 masks have spurred efforts on developing safe and scientifically-validated decontamination and reuse protocols that are easily scalable and universally applicable even in low-resource settings. We report on the development and implementation of a heat-based N95 mask decontamination system in a large hospital setting (Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai, India) with over 8000 N95 masks from about 1400 individual users decontaminated and in reuse till date. We describe the challenges and constraints in choosing a proven, scalable, and easy-to-implement decontamination solution. We discuss the heat treatment and particle filtration efficiency measurement experiments done to validate a decontamination treatment protocol at a target temperature of 70{degrees}C for a duration of 60 minutes, and the scaling up of this method using a standard hot drying cabinet at the hospital. The logistics of ensuring optimal utilization of the decontamination facility without compromising on basic safety principles are detailed. Our method relies on equipment available in standard hospitals, is simple to set-up, scalable, and can be easily replicated in low-resource settings. We further believe such limited reuse strategies, even in times of abundant N95 mask availability, would not only be cost-saving but also be environmentally responsible in reducing the amount of medical waste.