15
will indicate when the chamber is properly heated
(approximately 5 minutes).
6.3
Operation of the RH-‐N95
6.3.1
High-‐Velocity Hot Air Thermodynamic Principles
•
The RH-‐N95 utilizes dry, rapidly flowing air to decontaminate
masks. This process is both a heat conduction and heat convection
process and requires that all masks be directly subjected to the
hot, high velocity moving air. In the RH-‐N95, airflow moves
constantly over and under the tray from the left to right in the
decontamination chamber (~200 air exchanges a minute)
•
Airflow can be restricted by the misplacement of masks/
respirators, which may interfere with the performance of the
unit.
•
Adherence to these limitations and restrictions is required for
assuring performance specifications.
•
Only those N95 masks that have been demonstrated to be
compatible with a temperature of 167°F (75°C) can be
decontaminated in the RH-‐N95.
6.3.2 Pre-‐set N95 Cycle
The RH-‐N95 is equipped with a pre-‐programmed decontamination
cycle, representing the time and temperature required to achieve a 6-‐
Log reduction of coronavirus and Mycobacteria according to peer-‐
reviewed studies (See Appendix I) This cycle is set with a 4-‐minute
warm-‐up period followed by a 30-‐minute decontamination cycle at
167
°
F (temperature at site of masks as measured by the CIR thermal
sensor logger). Chamber temperature will display a temperature of
174 +/-‐ 1
°
F on the Touch Pad being measured by a thermocouple
located at the chamber’s exhaust port.
6.3.3 N95 Cycle -‐ Capacity Restrictions, Limitations, and Loading
The N95 cycle has been designed to operate at 167°F (75°C) with a
decontamination cycle time of 30 minutes plus 4-‐minute warm-‐up
(total of 34 minutes per processing). Up to four trays can be
processed per cycle under the following configuration capacities:
A.
Molded N95 Masks
These masks may be placed in the following configuration (2 x 3) as
shown in a 6 mask per tray configuration:
