The Indiana State Department of Health (ISDH) has released additional information on how it will operationalize the Battelle Critical Care Decontamination System (CCDS) to sanitize N95 respirators for reuse.

As reported earlier, Indiana has coordinated with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to acquire a Battelle CCDS from the Battelle Memorial Institute. This system will enable health care providers, including physician offices, to decontaminate N95 respirators up to 20 times, providing a much-needed avenue to relieve current Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) shortages. The system is available for use free of charge to facilities and providers across Indiana through a contract provided by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). 

ISDH and Battelle will join a live webinar hosted by ISMA on Thursday, May 14, at Noon EDT to share more detailed information about the Battelle CCDS and to answer questions. The webinar will be recorded for those who cannot attend the live presentation.

ISDH will distribute more information and announce when the service will become operational soon. 

Enrollment and Overview 
In order to use the Battelle CCDS, facilities must enroll online. Enrollment is now open, and you may register at any time. After completing the online enrollment, Battelle will email links to the enrollment contract, instructions, and their Battelle point of contact (POC). A three-digit code will then be assigned to each enrolled facility. 

Once the three-digit code is identified, enrollees should begin to collect N95 respirators for decontamination. The N95 respirators collected must be unsoiled (free of blood, mucus, make-up, lip balm, etc.) and labeled with the facility’s three-digit code using a permanent marker. ISDH has received approval verification that a staff ID (two-digit code) will not be required to be written on each individual mask. 

The N95 respirators should be collected into a single plastic bag. Once filled, the bag should be tied off and placed in another plastic bag. Before shipment, the outside of the bag should be cleaned with disinfectant and should be properly packaged in a shipping box labeled with the three-digit code and a biohazard sticker. 

ISDH has a fully contracted logistics solution via FedEx for mask pick-up and return. Pre-paid FedEx shipping labels will be provided to registered providers. Providers will be required to provide shipping containers and plastic bags. Upon receipt, shipments will be barcoded to ensure chain of custody. The N95 respirators will be processed and verified to ensure they are free of decontaminant. After verification, the N95 respirators will be returned to the facility. The estimated turnaround time from Battelle to you is approximately two to three days.

Further information about enrollment in the ISDH Battelle decontamination program and how the process works is available in this slide presentation.