Evaluation of the Steris Sensitive Equipment Decontamination (SED) Apparatus on a 463L Pallet

Abstract : The STERIS Vaporous Hydrogen Peroxide (VHP(Registered)) technology has been used for more than a decade to sterilize pharmaceutical processing equipment and clean rooms. Through ajoint partnership, the U.S. Army Edgewood Chemical and Biological Center (ECBC) and STERIS Corporation, Inc., subsidiary of Strategic Technology Enterprises (STE), began the process to co-develop a modified VHP (mVHP) capable of biological and chemical decontamination. Significant improvements have been made through a series of laboratory, chamber-scale, and large-scale efforts. The primary objective of this test was to determine the mVHP system ability to decontaminate representative articles of sensitive equipment and operationally relevant materials for biological-warfare agent surrogate contamination. A replica of the SED prototype decontamination chamber was constructed for use under engineering controls for live chemical agent evaluation. The biological-efficacy coupon and equipment tests were to determine the decontamination efficacy. The decontamination efficacy was compared to the KPPs stated in the ORD for JSSED. The secondary objective of this testing was to evaluate the impact of fumigant on the operability of the representative sensitive equipment. The tests were performed between October 2005 and March 2006 in a space provided by the 20th Support Command at ECBC.