STERIFRE MEDICAL GRANTS EPA REGISTRATION FOR AUTOMATED POINT-OF-SERVICE DISINFECTION SYSTEM TO HELP FIGHT COVID-19 AND OTHER HEALTH CARE-RELATED PATHOGENS

The new AURA â„¢ system can help improve the safety of healthcare workers and patients by reducing exposure to pathogens and disinfectant chemicals, saving time and money, and reducing the environmental impact of patients. manual disinfectant wipes

KIRKLAND, Washington., January 6, 2022 / PRNewswire / – In an important move to combat COVID-19 and other contagious pathogens in healthcare settings, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has granted Sterifre Medical, Inc. registration to begin commercial deployment of the company’s new automated device disinfection system. AURAâ„¢ The system is considered the first automated and registered point of service solution providing rapid disinfection for non-critical medical devices and common items used in the healthcare environment. It replaces the need for heavy and often difficult manual disinfection with wipes, thereby reducing the exposure of healthcare workers and patients to pathogens that cause healthcare associated infections (HAIs).

Research shows that up to 97% of common healthcare equipment can be contaminated with multiple organisms. The AURA system uses a patented application of hydrogen peroxide and activated oxygen to inactivate disease causing microorganisms. It also dramatically reduces the time spent on manual disinfection, is more cost effective than current methods, and can improve the quality of direct patient care. The AURA disinfection system plugs into a standard electrical outlet in any patient care area of ​​the hospital or clinic, taking up roughly the same workspace as a laptop.

“Our mission has always been to make healthcare safer,” said Mike Goonewardene, Commercial Director of Sterifre, based in Kirkland, Washington, epicenter of United States’ first outbreak of COVID-19. “Our AURA system, the first of its kind, was designed to address many of the challenges healthcare facilities face today. Sterifre is committed to providing cutting-edge tools that are fully validated, approved and available to healthcare workers. “

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As the regulator of microbicides used for hospital disinfection, the EPA registration for Sterifre recognizes that the company has performed extensive microbial testing using EPA approved protocols in a laboratory in accordance with to the industry standard “Good Laboratory Practices (GLP)”. Sterifre also meets EPA approval requirements under the Emerging Viral Pathogens program for inactivation SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, because the AURA â„¢ system has been shown to be effective against viruses similar to SARS-CoV-2.

“The EPA is very focused on providing access to innovative solutions such as our AURA disinfection system. Our approval and subsequent filings relate to a wide range of efficacy claims. Explain Richard shea, CEO of Sterifre. “We are working closely with healthcare leaders across the country to deploy AURA as quickly as possible.”

Outdated approaches do not meet current demands
Manual disinfection processes typically require the entire surface of an item to remain wet with a disinfectant for up to five minutes to completely kill microorganisms. This period may vary depending on the organization and the disinfectant product. Studies show that up to 52% of healthcare workers do not know the proper disinfection guidelines. And research reveals that items that have been poorly wiped may not be completely disinfected, increasing the risk of pathogen transfer.

These harsh chemicals can also impact the health of caregivers. According to a JAMA network open Journal article, recurrent exposure to disinfectant chemicals is associated with a 25-38% increase in the rate of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) among primary caregivers.

Manual disinfection also creates a significant environmental impact. It is not well known that disinfectant wipes are made from non-woven, non-biodegradable plastic fibers, and US hospitals throw away nearly 8 billion wipes per year.

“With the increasing demands of our frontline healthcare workers and concerns for staff and patient safety, an automated hands-free solution is needed,” Shea explained. “Even under normal circumstances, a huge amount of medical equipment is manually disinfected several times a day using billions of chemical wipes. This time and this environmental impact is real.”

WILL HAVEâ„¢ Slows the spread of germs, increases the pace of patient care

“AURA is the first automated disinfection process that can be used on a multitude of everyday medical equipment such as thermometers, glucometers, otoscopes, stethoscopes, oximeters, electrodes / sensors, cords / cables , Doppler probes and many others, “said Marc Golkowski, Ph.D, co-inventor and professor and associate dean at the College of Engineering, Design and Computer Science of University of Colorado Denver.

“By replacing wipes and sprays, the system allows doctors, nurses and patients to finally do what we know needs to be done to reduce exposure to infectious organisms, but this was not practical before or in many areas. many cases possible “, said Golkowski, co-founder and member of the board of directors of Sterifre.

AURA technology uses a well-known disinfectant which is consumed in the process, leaving no disinfectant residue behind. “The patented application of hydrogen peroxide and activated oxygen creates an environment that effectively kills bacteria and viruses, including many multidrug resistant organisms, but without damaging the equipment,” Shea explained.

Since the only by-product of AURAâ„¢ is clean air, it can be used wherever there is an electrical outlet. The system continuously monitors treatment parameters and automatically indicates when disinfection is complete.

Sterifre has been at the forefront of infection prevention in healthcare, serving the Association of Infection Control and Epidemiology Professionals as a strategic partner of APIC. Sterifre, APIC and other partners are working together to improve healthcare outcomes and advance the training and certification of infection prevention professionals.

“” “” “” ” Devin Jopp, EdD, MS, CEO of APIC.

WILL HAVEâ„¢ disinfection systems are now available for pre-order with delivery from 2022. For more information, visit www.sterifre.com/

Sterifre Medical, Inc., is a private medical technology company located in Kirkland, Washington., focused on the commercialization of innovative, cost-effective and environmentally friendly approaches to protect patients and caregivers from pathogenic organisms that contribute to the complications associated with nosocomial infections that result in more than 100,000 deaths per year. Find the company online at www.sterifre.com.

Forward-looking statements
This press release contains certain forward-looking statements regarding Sterifre products, technological capabilities, product registration and future business aspirations. All of these statements are based on Sterifre’s current expectations and involve a number of business and technical risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the anticipated results described, implied or projected in any forward-looking statement, including including, without limitation, regulatory approvals, unexpected changes in technology, uncertainties inherent in product development and commercialization, intellectual property protection and the ability of our products to gain market acceptance.

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SOURCE Sterifre Medical