Centre of Excellence at Perley Rideau studies technology to decontaminate and sanitize medical face masks

Home-grown protection against COVID-19 for long-term care residents, staff and first responders

OTTAWA, April 29, 2020 /CNW/ - Ottawa's Perley and Rideau Veterans' Health Centre has announced a major research study to test revolutionary new Canadian technology to decontaminate and sanitize medical face masks. Sold under the trade name Clēan Flow Health Care Mini, the technology has been licensed for the reprocessing of N95 respirators but has not yet been validated for use with the type of procedural masks more widely used in long-term care homes, hospitals and other venues for protection against the COVID-19 virus and other communicable diseases.

"The Ontario government challenged us to find innovative ways to address the COVID-19 pandemic. We think we have found one," says Perley Rideau CEO Akos Hoffer. "The Clēan Flow Health Care Mini™ promises to help us address the critical shortage of personal protective equipment at the same time as we find lasting, cost-effective, home-grown solutions to protect and promote the health and safety of our residents, long-term care staff, first responders, hospital and other essential workers."

"In times like these, it is wonderful to see not-for-profit long-term care providers taking bold steps to find solutions to benefit the broader sector," says Lisa Levin, CEO, AdvantAge Ontario. "The Perley Rideau is demonstrating incredible leadership in joining forces with Ontario-based Clēan Works to trial their innovative Clēan Flow Health Care Mini to sanitize N95 and procedural masks. The brave men and women on the frontlines of health care who are tirelessly battling COVID-19 deserve to know that personal protective equipment is there when they need it. We applaud the Perley Rideau for this valuable contribution to that effort."

In addition to validating the technology's three-step waterless process with procedural masks, the Centre of Excellence at Perley Rideau has issued a call for collaboration to researchers in government and elsewhere to establish reprocessing protocols for all types of personal protective equipment (PPE). Already, a research collaboration focusing on N95 respirators has been agreed with CHEO.

Quick Facts:

• The research is being conducted under the direction of the Centre of Excellence in Frailty-Informed Care at the Perley Rideau in a specially-equipped, secure clean room on the long-term care home's Ottawa campus. https://bit.ly/2YbF13a
• Research is being supported through donations to the The Perley and Rideau Veterans' Health Centre Foundation. www.perleyrideaufoundation.ca
• The Clēan Flow Health Care Mini technology uses ultraviolet light, vaporized hydrogen peroxide and ozone to decontaminate and sanitize up to 800 masks per hour. It was developed by Clēan Works of Beamsville, Ontario, and adapted from technology used in the agri-food industry. www.cleanworkscorp.com
• The Perley and Rideau Veterans' Health Centre received delivery of the first model off the Clēan Works production line on April 6.

Multimedia:

B-Roll: Medical mask decontamination underway at Perley Rideau Centre of Excellence in Frailty-Informed Care https://bit.ly/3aMcX8R 
Photos: https://bit.ly/2yQC8Ks 

About Us

The Perley and Rideau Veterans' Health Centre is one of the largest and most progressive long-term care homes in Ontario. In addition to the 450 long-term and short-stay care beds for Veterans and members of the public, the Perley Rideau campus includes a Seniors Village with independent-living apartments for 200 seniors. It employs a staff of more than 850.

Created in 2019, the Perley Rideau Centre of Excellence in Frailty-Informed Care is leading the way in elder care in Canada with developments such as the SeeMe™: Understanding frailty together assessment and treatment program and the ground-breaking hospital-to-home Sub-Acute Care Unit for Frail Elderly (SAFE Unit).

SOURCE Centre of Excellence in Frailty-Informed Care

Additional Information: Jay Innes, Director of Communication, Perley and Rideau Veterans' Health Centre, [email protected], T: 613-526-7170, ext. 2207; C: 613-608-3497