HealthPartners announces new method to disinfect N95 masks up to 10 times

(FOX 9) - HealthPartners says it has developed a way to disinfect N95 masks so they can be reused by healthcare professionals on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to the company, its method uses a UV light disinfecting robot. HealthPartners says 3M, the manufacturer of the N95 masks, says the masks can be decontaminated using this method up to 10 times without damaging them.

HealthPartners said it tested the masks that had been disinfected and the “filters and structure of the mask remained sound and safety was maintained.”

The disinfection technique will be implemented at HealthPartners’s two hospital locations soon.

“These respirators are crucial to keeping our nurses and clinicians safe while providing the highest-quality care to our patients,” said Andrea Walsh, HealthPartners president and CEO. ”Significantly increasing our supply of these respirators allows us to focus on patient care and ease a worry about supplies.”