Lumin UV System Receives FDA EUA for SARS-CoV-2 N95 Re-Use in Nursing Homes, Ambulatory Care and Primary Care

3B Medical, Inc. (Winter Haven, FL, USA) has received Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to permit the use of Lumin, a UVC system, on N95 respirators during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Lumin was designed to clean CPAP accessories but is also used as a multi-purpose sanitizer. The EUA by the FDA allows Lumin to be used by healthcare workers employed in nursing homes, long-term acute care, ambulatory, primary care, and clinics to allow N95 re-use to stop the spread of COVID-19 and help keep frontline healthcare workers safe. Lumin is a high powered UVC based sanitizing device, initially developed for home use to clean CPAP accessories in a mirrored chamber. It is lab tested to kill bacteria and viruses, including human coronavirus and influenza, in only five minutes with no chemicals.

The CDC recognizes UVC as a potential means of decontaminating N95 respirators, if the proper wavelength and UVC irradiance dose were used. While FDA has approved other systems for hospital use, the approved systems are complicated, limited to large hospitals and/or extremely expensive. Lumin is the only N95 decontamination system formally recognized by FDA for killing SARS-CoV-2 that can be purchased for under USD 300, and with a small enough footprint to be used safely in small offices and clinics, as well as in nursing homes.

"The COVID-19 global pandemic requires novel approaches and thinking outside the box. We were starting to get inundated with calls from hospitals and nursing homes asking if Lumin was strong enough to kill SARS-CoV-2. Lumin's total output in a single five minute cycle ranges up to 2,400 mJ/cm², which studies show is sufficient to kill almost any pathogen, including SARS-CoV-2. A lot of the calls coming into our office are from Fire & Rescue departments, nursing homes and smaller community hospitals, clinics and primary care physician offices trying to keep their workers safe. Lumin is likely the only device designed for home use that is powered high enough to repurpose for this use. We are very excited to have our device authorized by FDA for this application," said Alex Lucio, CEO of 3B Medical, Inc.

"Being able to re-use an N95 mask quickly and effortlessly is a game changer for allowing healthcare workers to remain safe. Front line healthcare workers are in dire need of an immediate solution to re-use their masks. Lumin is fast and easy to use and we are glad the device could be re-purposed to meet that need in this crisis," added Lucio.

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