How to disinfect Brain Products EEG equipment

Proper disinfection of Brain Products EEG equipment is essential for maintaining a safe and efficient working environment in laboratories and research facilities. The following recommendations provide guidance on effective methods for cleaning and disinfecting Brain Products EEG equipment to ensure reliable operation and user safety.

Electrodes

For passive electrodes (e.g., R-Net, BrainCaps, LiveCap), other physiological sensors using passive Ag/AgCl electrodes and also our active electrodes (e.g., actiCAP, actiCAP slim/snap), we recommend using the Perfektan TB disinfecting agent (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 the equipment thoroughly after disinfection procedures and let it air dry. Please note that stronger agents may accelerate deterioration of products.

For products not mentioned here, please adhere to the respective manual.

Warning: Do not use alcohol solutions for soaking any equipment, as this can cause deterioration of the material, for example, by leading to brittle plastic components. Only use alcohol for wiping the surfaces.

Surfaces

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.

General remarks

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

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. 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.

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 COVID-19 pandemic. We recommend this document as additional reading to minimize transmission risk as much as possible.