Disinfection against SARS-CoV-2

Labs, universities and other research facilities are starting to re-open after the coronavirus lockdown, which means that many of you may be able to start recording EEG data once again. In order to support you in keeping yourselves and your participants as safe as possible, we are providing some guidelines for disinfecting your Brain Products EEG equipment and sensors.

For passive electrodes (e.g. R-Net, BrainCaps, LiveCap), other physiological sensors using passive Ag/AgCl electrodes, as well as our active electrodes (e.g. actiCAP, actiCAP slim/snap, actiCAP Xpress, actiCAP Xpress Twist), we recommend using the Perfektan TB disinfecting agent, which is widely available within the EU, and the Envirocide disinfecting agent outside of the EU.

Please adhere to the recommended exposure time and safety precautions as stated by the manufacturer of these products. Be sure to always rinse equipment thoroughly after disinfection procedures and let air dry. One should also note that stronger agents will speed up deterioration of products.

For disinfecting the surfaces of products (amplifiers, batteries, adaptor boxes, etc.), we recommend wiping them down with a tissue drenched in a 70% concentration of isopropyl alcohol (commonly called isopropanol or 2-propanol) for at least 30 seconds.

Please understand that we are unable to provide confirmation for the wide range of disinfecting products available worldwide. So, if you are unable to purchase the above-mentioned products in your region, a disinfecting product with similar proportions and active ingredients is recommended.

Although disinfecting your caps, electrodes and other measurement instruments is a great step in protecting yourselves and your participants from possible infection, please consider further protective measures recommended by your local authorities and institutions.

Steve Luck and colleagues recently published a protocol for reducing covid19 transmission in EEG research. This protocol outlines a set of procedures – such as wearing personal protective equipment, preparing the participants and disinfecting the equipment – that are designed to reduce the risks of EEG recordings in the context of the covid19 pandemic. We recommend this as additional reading in order to minimize transmission risk as much as possible.

As the official guidelines and recommendations on prevention of SARS-CoV-2 may vary across countries and institutions, please refer to the local guidelines and protocols for your institute or department, as well as check CDC guidelines.