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ASD: safe and responsible disinfection by Devea

What is Airborne Surface Disinfection (ASD)?
Surface Disinfection can be either manual or airborne. Airborne Surface Disinfection (ASD) techniques bring three key advantages:
- They are reproducible
- ASD doesn’t require a human presence
- These techniques can uniformly reach all the surfaces of the volume to be treated, including inaccessible areas
The disinfectant or biocide – hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) – is sprayed as a non-wetting micro-drop mist. Once the area to be treated is saturated, it settles on the surfaces and instantly kills bacteria, spores, viruses and yeasts. Hydrogen peroxide converts completely into H2O and O2 – our biocides are therefore 100% biodegradable. As there is no residue, the biocide has no residual effect. Airborne Surface Disinfection (ASD) therefore ponctually decontaminates an area without any residue.
ASD: A clear regulatory framework
The regulation requires efficacy tests to validate two important criteria: fog homogeneous diffusion and efficacy in biocharge reduction.
The efficacy of a diffusion can be evaluated in a simple and relatively fast way. Chemical and/or biological indicators are used to guarantee the efficiency of the biodecontamination and the safety of all users. The disinfection protocols designed with Devea are approved by the customers according to their specifications: reduction of microbial populations by 4-log10 (99.99%), 5-log10 (99.999%) or 6-log10 (99.9999%).
The ASD device/product pair must be approved (requirements of the EN 17272 standards of 2020). Disinfectants must not only comply with the BPR (Biocidal Products Regulation) Reg (EU) 528/2012, but also be registered and authorized for marketing. Devea is the only French ASD company to be granted a Marketing Authorization for its Phileas® solutions (MA FR-2019-0071). This Marketing Authorization validates the diffuser / biocide couple and the achieved results.
The key steps of the biodecontamination process
The validation of the ASD guarantees the restoration of the treated areas to a qualified state. This method of disinfection is part of a complete hygiene process called decontamination* with two main steps: cleaning* then disinfection* (see lexicon below). The cleaning phase is crucial as it removes organic and particulate residues and other chemical contaminants. Only a cleaned surface can be disinfected!

MicroDrop Technology: centrifugation for optimal results
During Airborne Surface Disinfection, the liquid disinfectant is transformed into a mist and then into vapour to penetrate and kill the microbial cells. The challenge is to have the finest drops possible for a covering mist that reaches all surfaces and allows rapid evaporation.
Devea is the only ASD player to provide micro-droplets of 5 to 10μm thanks to centrifugation, a simple and robust technology. This MicroDrop Technology produces an extremely fine and homogeneous non-wetting mist. It consumes on average 7 times less disinfectant than a manual process and 4 to 5 times less disinfectant than a vapor-based process. The recovery time of the treated area is reduced accordingly.
MicroDrop Technology: combining simplicity & efficacy
Setting up an ASD by centrifugation is quick and easy regardless of the temperature and humidity of the room. There is no need to seal doors and windows. Micro-droplets spray is homogeneous, does not wet surfaces and does not require additional fans in the room. The recovery time is shorter due to the low doses of biocide and the size of the droplets. Lastly, O2SAFE® and PHILEASAFE® have a low concentration of H2O2 (<8%). They are therefore non-corrosive, compatible with all laboratory materials and spaces to be disinfected. Transport is not classified as dangerous.






*Cleaning – A process for removing contamination e.g. product residues and disinfectant residues.
*Decontamination – The overall process of removal or reduction of any contaminants (chemical, waste, residue or microorganisms) from an area, object, or person. The method of decontamination used (e.g. cleaning, disinfection, sterilization) should be chosen and validated to achieve a level of cleanliness appropriate to the intended use of the item decontaminated.
*Disinfection – The process by which the reduction of the number of microorganisms is achieved by the irreversible action of a product on their structure or metabolism, to a level judged to be appropriate for a defined purpose.
Disinfection step by step
Prior to the biodecontamination, it is important to clarify the requirements:
> What is the bioburden reduction objective (log₁₀ 4, log₁₀ 5, log₁₀ 6)?
> Where should the indicators be positioned?
> How will the effectiveness of biodecontamination be validated, with which indicators (chemical, biological)?
> Is the space to be treated very cluttered (full trolleys in an airlock for example, equipment in place in a BSC, etc.)?
> Is there one or more zone(s) to biodecontaminate simultaneously?
To establish a protocol that meets the specifications, Devea’s team can support you: with experience that covers several business sectors, they will be able to save you time by taking advantage of their expertise gathered along the projects carried out with the users.
On the disinfection day On the D-Day, once the space has been cleaned, the Phileas® solution is quick and easy to set up:
- Place the Phileas® device with a full biocide container in the center of the zone, making sure not to block the diffusion of the fog by a wall or an equipment.
- Set the chemical or biological indicators in the locations assumed to be the most difficult to reach.
- Stop the ventilation and close the doors.
- Launch the program remotely using the MyPhileas application: space volume, dose, number of cycles, delay time, contact time.
- Once the diffusion is completed and the contact time has elapsed, start aeration in the treated space: a renewal of 20 times the volume of air is usually recommended to reduce the concentration of H₂O₂ and return to the acceptable threshold to reuse the space (<1ppm).
- After aeration, gently collect the biological indicators and incubate them at 55°C for 7 days. Read the chemical indicators.
Good practices
In between treatments, some last best practices to ensure optimal longevity of your Phileas®:
- Keep the protection cap on the disc and avoid handling it to keep it straight and functional.
- Perform preventive maintenance regularly.
- Rinse the circuits with water before a long period of inactivity (see the user manual).
- The body can be cleaned with a soft damp cloth.
FAQ
How to start a phileas®?
Starting a disinfection programme is quick and easy, Phileas® units are easy to move and programming is intuitive. Enter the volume of the area to be decontaminated, the desired dose, the contact time and the number of disinfection cycles. A delay time allows you to leave the room, if the programming has not been done remotely via the MyPhileas application.
The Phileas® device checks the liquid supply before starting the cycle and sends a notification immediately if necessary, to avoid a stop in the middle of the cycle.
The MyPhileas application keeps track of all the information related to the diffusion for complete traceability.
Why a 7.4% biocide?
The MicroDrop Technology allows a very fine micro-droplet mist (5-10µm), covering the surfaces in a complete and homogeneous way. This distribution is the first guarantee of effectiveness.
The effectiveness of Devea solutions is validated by the Marketing Authorisation, beyond the EN 17-272 compliance. Do not hesitate to contact us to ask for our results!
A 7.4% biocide also means that the total H₂O₂ concentration during the contact phase is relatively low, so the ventilation phase is shorter, and the activity resumes much more quickly than with a highly concentrated biocide.
Finally, the advantages of a biocide with a concentration below 8% are numerous: no risk of corrosion, no classification for transport, less risk for users, etc.
Can disinfection with phileas® biodecontaminate up to log 6?
Our Phileas® / O2SAFE solutions are validated according to the EN 17-272:2020 standard up to log₁₀ 4 or 5 depending on the micro-organisms and the target industries.
By refining the diffusion parameters, we validate diffusion cycles up to log₁₀ 6 in the most difficult conditions of our partners (loaded airlock or isolator, delicate site configuration, specific micro-organisms, etc.). Validations are carried out with bacterial biological indicators of Geobacillus stearothermophilus or bacteria or viruses specific to production sites. Do not hesitate to consult us about your specific requirements!
Should Phileas® be position in a corner of the room? Are additional fans needed?
In the head of the Phileas® module, the biocide liquid is centrifuged by the rotating disc at high speed and propelled by centrifugal force to the sides. The fan in the Phileas® diffusion head pushes the micro-droplets upwards. At the exit of the disc, we thus observe a 180° diffusion. The Phileas® device can thus be placed on the floor in the centre of the room.
As the fog is cold, it will not stagnate in the room or space, but will be distributed naturally and homogeneously, without the need for additional stirring. The same applies to large rooms or multi-room spaces with open doors.
What precautions should be taken when launching a DSVA?
The operation of the Phileas® devices is simple and intuitive. Nevertheless, biodecontamination is a crucial and delicate step, and some points should be kept in mind:
- handle the biocide carefully, when filling the canister, transporting the canister and the Phileas® (see safety sheet)
- make sure that the Phileas® device is placed in the right position for good dispersion of the mist
- stop the ventilation of the treated area before the diffusion, then put it back on after the contact phase for a sufficient ventilation (<1ppm before the activity resumes)
- communicate about a disinfection in progress to other users of the area
Are Phileas® devices and biocides allowed?
The biocides offered by Devea comply with the European regulation (EU) BPR 528/2012.
Our Phileas®/O2SAFE solutions are compliant with the latest EN 17-272 standard (2020 version).
Compliance is necessary but not sufficient, a Marketing Authorisation is mandatory. The ANSES (for France) validates the homogeneity of the fog and the efficiency of the proposed device / biocide couples. Devea was the first actor to obtain this AMM in 2019 (FR-2019-0071).
For more information on the DSVA regulatory framework, please read our expert interview.
How to optimise the battery (Phileas® Genius, 15 and 25)?
The Phileas® Genius and Phileas® 25 models are battery and mains operated, the Phileas® 15 model is exclusively battery operated. Optimising battery life is both an economic and an environmental issue.
A battery that is used very often naturally degrades, but a battery that is rarely used also loses its durability. We recommend charging the Phileas®battery at least every three months. It is not recommended to leave it continuously charged.
What to do with the phileas® mailing card?
Keep it! We strongly advise you to keep the box and the foams to safely return your Phileas® device for annual maintenance.