Background
Reusable medical devices must be appropriately reprocessed between patients. The reprocessing method must be proven to be effective for infection control and patient safety. Virologica were approached by a medical device manufacturer introducing a new reusable medical device. Disinfection efficacy testing against bacteria is a more common test but providers of viral disinfection studies for a medical device are limited and SARS-CoV-2 was
critical for this client.
Methods and results
We were able to use a validated protocol and demonstrate the appropriate reduction for a range of organisms and giving confidence in the removal of Gram positive and negative bacteria, mycobacteria, respiratory virus (human coronavirus 229E as a SARS-CoV-2 surrogate) and blood borne virus (BVD virus as a hepatitis surrogate). We also went on to demonstrate the performance of a range of reprocessing products such as wipes, sprays and soaking solutions.
Conclusion
Our data was critical to support the continued clinical use of our client’s medical device in settings where exposure to SARS-CoV-2 was likely.
