ROSATOM continues to sterilise medical supplies in coronavirus fight
SocietyROSATOM is continuing to sterilise medical products to combat the COVID-19 coronavirus, having sterilised 19,647,723 medical masks as of the morning of May 14 (724,220 over the course of May 13 alone), as well as 292,500 portable lab kits to test for COVID-19 (26,000 over the course of May 13 alone).
Sterilisation
is being carried out by Sterion JSC (a JSC Rusatom Healthcare subsidiary),
which has concluded a contract with Delrus to sterilise more than 58 million
masks. The company transitioned from a two-shift to a three-shift (i.e.
round-the-clock) work schedule to up its capacity and process up to 10 million
masks per week.
As part of its
contract with HEM Ltd., Sterion JSC is also sterilising portable test kits and
aims to have sterilised 150,000 units by the end of April 2020. JSC Sterion
sterilises medical supplies using specialised equipment manufactured by
ROSATOM's other enterprises, its main tool being the UEL 10 kW linear electron
accelerator. Sterilisation up to a sterility assurance level (SAL) of 10-6 is
achieved by means of targeting the medical kits, pre-loaded onto a conveyor
belt, with a beam of accelerated electrons. This method allows for the safe
sterilisation of medical supplies without the need to unpack them from the
shipping containers provided by manufacturers. After being processed with a
stream of accelerated electrons, the supplies immediately become usable and do
not require degassing (as would have been the case with several other
sterilisation methods) or any other additional actions before actual use. One
box containing 980 masks can be processed in 37 seconds.
Background
These medical
kits are designed to be used to collect biological samples and safely transport
them to laboratories for in vitro diagnostics. Each sterile kit includes a test
tube coated with the appropriate medium to maintain the integrity of viral
samples (including COVID-19), a screw cap for a hermetic seal, and a probe for
sampling. Hem Ltd. is Russia's first manufacturer of medical kits for viral
testing. HEM is Russia's first manufacturer of test kits for viral infections
and JSC Sterion is the country's first specialised sanitation centre operator.
Sterion JSC, a JSC Rusatom Healthcare subsidiary, was created by ROSATOM
alongside a private investor in February 2016. The enterprise is located in the
Russian town of Lytkarino in the Moscow region on the production site of JSC
NIIP - one of ROSATOM's research institutes - and provides sterilisation
services for medical supplies. The Centre operates equipment manufactured by
ROSATOM enterprises and also sterilises dressing materials, cotton wool,
disposable underwear, and other medical supplies.
Source: Rosatom