Jacksonville, Fla.-based Baptist Health has started using robots to disinfect N95 masks.
After physicians use a mask, it is placed in a room dedicated to disinfecting. A wire shelf resembling a clothesline is set up to hold masks in place as they undergo a five-minute disinfection cycle on both sides.
Physicians working with COVID-19 patients and in the emergency department are the first to have their masks disinfected. Baptist Health said it plans to expand the disinfecting program to other places in the hospital.
The LightStrike robots are manufactured by Xenex Disinfection Services. They use pulsed xenon ultraviolet light to deactivate microorganisms and disinfect high-touch surfaces. The intense UV light damages the DNA of bacteria and viruses, preventing them from multiplying or mutating.