PMID- 37352843 OWN - NLM STAT- MEDLINE DCOM- 20230703 LR - 20231116 IS - 1752-7163 (Electronic) IS - 1752-7155 (Linking) VI - 17 IP - 3 DP - 2023 Jun 30 TI - Sterilization and reuse of masks for a standardized exhaled breath collection device by autoclaving. LID - 10.1088/1752-7163/ace127 [doi] AB - Exhaled breath research has been hindered by a lack of standardization in collection and analysis methodologies. Recently, the Respiration Collector forIn VitroAnalysis (ReCIVA) sampling device has illustrated the potential to provide a consistent and convenient method for exhaled breath collection onto adsorbent media. However, the significant costs, compared to exhaled breath bags, associated with the standardized collector is believed to be the reason for limited widespread use by researchers in the exhaled breath field. For example, in addition to the sampling hardware, a single-use disposable silicon mask affixed with a filter is required for each exhaled breath collection. To reduce the financial burden, streamline device upkeep, reduce waste material, and ease the logistical burden associated with the single use masks, it is hypothesized that the consumable masks and filters could be sterilized by autoclaving for reuse. The masks were contaminated, autoclaved, and then tested for any surviving pathogens with spore strip standards and by measuring the optical density of cultures. The compound background collected when using the ReCIVA with new masks was compared to that collected with repeatedly autoclaved masks via thermal desorption gas chromatography mass spectrometry (TD-GC-MS). The capacity to block particulate matter of new filters was tested against that of autoclaved filters by introducing an aerosol and comparing pre-filter and post-filter particle counts. Finally, breath samplings were conducted with new masks and autoclaved masks to test for changes in measurements by TD-GC-MS of exogenous and endogenous compounds. The data illustrate the autoclave cycle sterilizes masks spiked with saliva to background levels (p= 0.2527). The results indicate that background levels of siloxane compounds are increased as masks are repetitively autoclaved. The data show that mask filters have significant breakthrough of 1mum particles after five repetitive autoclaving cycles compared to new filters (p= 0.0219). Finally, exhaled breath results utilizing a peppermint ingestion protocol indicate two compounds associated with peppermint, menthone and 1-Methyl-4-(1-methylethyl)-cyclohexanol, and an endogenous exhaled breath compound, isoprene, show no significant difference if sampled with a new mask or a mask autoclaved five times (p> 0.1063). Collectively, the data indicate that ReCIVA masks and filters can be sterilized via autoclave and reused. The results suggest ReCIVA mask and filter reuse should be limited to three times to limit potentially problematic background contaminants and filter dysfunction. CI - Creative Commons Attribution license. FAU - Shawn, Samuel T AU - Shawn ST AD - Air Force Research Laboratory, 711th Human Performance Wing/RHBBA, 2510 Fifth Street, Area B, Building 840, Wright- Patterson AFB, OH 45433, United States of America. FAU - Harshman, Sean W AU - Harshman SW AUID- ORCID: 0000-0001-5517-3847 AD - Air Force Research Laboratory, 711th Human Performance Wing/RHBBA, 2510 Fifth Street, Area B, Building 840, Wright- Patterson AFB, OH 45433, United States of America. FAU - Davidson, Christina N AU - Davidson CN AD - Air Force Research Laboratory, 711th Human Performance Wing/RHBBA, 2510 Fifth Street, Area B, Building 840, Wright- Patterson AFB, OH 45433, United States of America. FAU - Lee, Jae Hwan AU - Lee JH AD - Air Force Research Laboratory, 711th Human Performance Wing/RHBBA, 2510 Fifth Street, Area B, Building 840, Wright- Patterson AFB, OH 45433, United States of America. FAU - Jung, Anne E AU - Jung AE AD - UES Inc., 711th Human Performance Wing/RHBBA, 2510 Fifth Street, Area B, Building 840, Wright- Patterson AFB, OH 45433, United States of America. FAU - Parker, Ariel AU - Parker A AD - UES Inc., 711th Human Performance Wing/RHBBA, 2510 Fifth Street, Area B, Building 840, Wright- Patterson AFB, OH 45433, United States of America. FAU - Hawkins, M Aaron AU - Hawkins MA AD - UES Inc., 711th Human Performance Wing/RHBBA, 2510 Fifth Street, Area B, Building 840, Wright- Patterson AFB, OH 45433, United States of America. FAU - Stamps, Blake W AU - Stamps BW AD - Air Force Research Laboratory, Materials and Manufacturing Directorate, 2977 Hobson Way, Area B, Building 653, Wright- Patterson AFB, OH 45433, United States of America. FAU - Pitsch, Rhonda L AU - Pitsch RL AD - Air Force Research Laboratory, 711th Human Performance Wing/RHBBA, 2510 Fifth Street, Area B, Building 840, Wright- Patterson AFB, OH 45433, United States of America. FAU - Martin, Jennifer A AU - Martin JA AD - Air Force Research Laboratory, Materials and Manufacturing Directorate, 2977 Hobson Way, Area B, Building 653, Wright- Patterson AFB, OH 45433, United States of America. LA - eng PT - Journal Article DEP - 20230630 PL - England TA - J Breath Res JT - Journal of breath research JID - 101463871 SB - IM MH - Humans MH - *Breath Tests/methods MH - *Sterilization MH - Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry MH - Exhalation MH - Reference Standards OTO - NOTNLM OT - GCMS OT - ReCIVA OT - autoclave OT - breath OT - sterilization OT - thermal desorption EDAT- 2023/06/24 11:42 MHDA- 2023/07/03 06:41 CRDT- 2023/06/23 18:33 PHST- 2023/02/16 00:00 [received] PHST- 2023/06/23 00:00 [accepted] PHST- 2023/07/03 06:41 [medline] PHST- 2023/06/24 11:42 [pubmed] PHST- 2023/06/23 18:33 [entrez] AID - 10.1088/1752-7163/ace127 [doi] PST - epublish SO - J Breath Res. 2023 Jun 30;17(3). doi: 10.1088/1752-7163/ace127.