Description

TOMI SteraMist SteraBox – Product Highlights

• Binary Ionization Technology (BIT™) delivers validated 6-log reduction (99.9999%) efficacy against bacteria, bacterial spores, viruses, and fungi using a patented two-step process that activates a less-than-8% hydrogen peroxide solution into 2–4 micron ionized hydroxyl radical particles, providing sterilization-level decontamination performance in this decontamination chamber with a 7-minute contact time across the full interior surface of the treated load.
• Dual-door pass-through chamber configuration enables unidirectional material transfer between uncontrolled and controlled spaces, eliminating cross-contamination at the boundary of cleanrooms, pharmaceutical suites, biosafety laboratories, and vivarium barrier facilities without disrupting personnel workflow or room pressurization integrity during routine material transfer operations.
• No-wipe, no-rinse, non-corrosive iHP decontamination process eliminates the time-consuming manual wipe-down steps and post-treatment surface residue associated with conventional chemical disinfection protocols, reducing labor burden, material handling risk, and operator chemical exposure while achieving superior pathogen inactivation performance across complex surface geometries that contact disinfectants cannot effectively reach.
• Faster cycle times than VHP decontamination systems make the SteraBox a highly practical alternative to vaporized hydrogen peroxide chambers for time-sensitive material transfer workflows in pharmaceutical manufacturing, hospital sterile processing, and high-throughput research environments where minimizing decontamination chamber downtime directly impacts operational productivity and throughput capacity.
• Top-mounted charcoal filtration unit safely neutralizes exhaust hydrogen peroxide before venting, eliminating the requirement for dedicated hard-ducted building exhaust connections that add installation complexity and cost to competing decontamination chamber systems, and making the SteraBox suitable for deployment in existing laboratory and facility spaces without mechanical infrastructure modifications.
• Rivet-free airtight stainless steel construction ensures consistent iHP gas distribution throughout the chamber interior, supporting reliable decontamination cycle validation, routine cleaning to GMP standards, and long-term containment integrity in pharmaceutical compounding suites, cGMP manufacturing environments, and regulated laboratory settings requiring documented cycle performance and audit trail data.
• Single-door cabinet and dual-door pass-through configurations available to accommodate diverse facility layouts, from standalone material decontamination workstations adjacent to biological safety cabinets and laminar flow hoods to integrated pass-through installations at cleanroom walls and vivarium barrier entry points, with customization options to match specific facility dimensional and workflow requirements.
• Easy transport and low maintenance costs minimize the total cost of ownership for the SteraBox iHP chamber compared to fixed-installation VHP systems and autoclave-based sterilization equipment, enabling flexible redeployment across multiple laboratory spaces or facility zones as operational decontamination needs evolve over time.
• Technology invented by DARPA for anthrax decontamination and subsequently validated across a wide spectrum of healthcare, pharmaceutical, and research applications, providing users with confidence in the SteraBox’s foundational efficacy data and scientific heritage for the most demanding high-risk decontamination scenarios encountered in BSL-2, BSL-3, and regulated manufacturing environments.
• ARES Scientific is an authorized distributor for TOMI Environmental Solutions, ensuring you receive genuine SteraMist SteraBox products with full manufacturer support, application guidance for cycle development and validation, and access to comprehensive decontamination solutions for surface, environment, and material transfer requirements across your entire facility.

Frequently Asked Questions – TOMI SteraMist SteraBox

What is the TOMI SteraMist SteraBox, and how does it work?

The TOMI SteraMist SteraBox is a stainless-steel iHP decontamination chamber designed exclusively for use with TOMI’s Binary Ionization Technology (BIT™), which converts a less-than-8% hydrogen peroxide solution into 2–4 micron ionized hydroxyl radical particles that behave like a gas, penetrating into recesses and surface irregularities to achieve 6-log reduction (99.9999%) decontamination efficacy against bacteria, spores, viruses, and fungi within a 7-minute contact time. The SteraBox creates a sealed, controlled decontamination environment for materials, supplies, and equipment that must be treated before transfer into cleanrooms, pharmaceutical suites, biosafety laboratories, and vivarium barrier facilities, with a top-mounted charcoal filtration unit safely neutralizing exhaust hydrogen peroxide before venting so no external ducted exhaust connection is required. It is available in single-door cabinet and dual-door pass-through chamber configurations to accommodate both standalone and integrated facility installation layouts.

How does iHP decontamination in the SteraBox compare to VHP (vaporized hydrogen peroxide) systems?

Ionized hydrogen peroxide (iHP) as delivered by TOMI’s BIT™ technology and vaporized hydrogen peroxide (VHP) both use hydrogen peroxide as the active decontamination agent, but they differ significantly in concentration, cycle time, equipment requirements, and material compatibility. The SteraBox iHP system uses less than 8% hydrogen peroxide — far lower than the concentrations used in VHP systems — and completes decontamination cycles faster, without requiring aeration phases to reduce residual peroxide to safe levels before chamber access, whereas VHP cycles typically require extended aeration periods and specialized exhaust handling. The SteraBox also eliminates the need for a hard-ducted building exhaust connection through its integrated charcoal filtration unit, making it easier and less costly to deploy than most VHP decontamination chambers in existing laboratory or facility spaces. Explore the full range of environment decontamination systems available from ARES Scientific for comprehensive facility-scale solutions.

What applications is the SteraBox decontamination chamber used for?

The SteraMist SteraBox is used across a wide range of industries and settings that require validated material transfer decontamination, including pharmaceutical manufacturing and compounding facilities that need to decontaminate supplies entering controlled manufacturing suites, vivarium and animal research facilities that must prevent pathogen introduction through material transfers at barrier boundaries, hospital and clinical sterile processing departments handling sensitive medical devices, and biosafety laboratories requiring rapid decontamination of equipment and consumables prior to introduction into BSL-2 or BSL-3 work areas. Its pass-through chamber configuration is especially valuable in facilities where maintaining the integrity of a controlled environment during routine material transfers is a critical operational and regulatory requirement. The SteraBox complements the TOMI SteraMist Environment System for facilities requiring both point-of-transfer material decontamination and broader room or facility-level disinfection coverage.

Is the SteraBox safe for use with sensitive laboratory equipment and electronics?

Yes — the SteraMist SteraBox’s iHP decontamination process is specifically designed to be non-corrosive and residue-free, making it safe for a wide range of materials including sensitive laboratory instruments, electronics, plastics, and other items that would be damaged by traditional liquid chemical disinfectants or the higher peroxide concentrations used in conventional VHP systems. The no-wipe, no-rinse protocol means treated items can be transferred directly from the chamber into the controlled environment without any additional post-treatment handling, reducing both processing time and the risk of recontamination during manual wipe-down steps. Users should consult the manufacturer’s material compatibility guidance for specific items when establishing validated decontamination protocols for their facility.

Does the SteraBox require a dedicated building exhaust connection?

No — the TOMI SteraMist SteraBox is designed with a top-mounted charcoal filtration unit that catalytically neutralizes exhaust hydrogen peroxide before it is vented from the chamber, eliminating the requirement for a dedicated hard-ducted building exhaust connection that adds significant installation complexity and cost to competing decontamination chamber systems. This self-contained exhaust management approach makes the SteraBox portable and suitable for deployment in existing laboratory, vivarium, pharmacy, and facility spaces without mechanical infrastructure modifications, and supports easy redeployment or relocation as facility decontamination workflow needs change over time. Contact ARES Scientific to discuss installation and placement requirements for specific single-door or pass-through configuration setups.

What is the difference between the single-door and dual-door pass-through SteraBox configurations?

The single-door SteraBox cabinet configuration is designed for standalone material decontamination workflows where treated items are loaded and unloaded from the same side, suitable for workstations adjacent to biosafety cabinets, laminar flow hoods, or other laboratory equipment where space constraints prevent through-wall installation. The dual-door pass-through chamber configuration mounts at the boundary between an uncontrolled corridor and a controlled space — such as a cleanroom wall, vivarium barrier entry, or pharmaceutical suite access point — so that materials loaded on the uncontrolled side are decontaminated within the chamber and retrieved from the controlled side without any cross-zone personnel movement or contact, maintaining the integrity of the controlled environment during routine material transfer. Both configurations use the same BIT™ iHP decontamination technology and deliver equivalent 6-log reduction efficacy; the choice depends on facility layout, workflow requirements, and whether unidirectional barrier transfer is needed.