HESGNY December 2025 Educational Seminar  

NOTE: Meeting is Thursday Dec 4th!

1 hr CEU Credits

In-Person at Macklowe Building Memorial Sloan Kettering 323 E 61st St.  NY NY 10065

Conference room LL09

Please enter through the 321 E 64th St entrance.

Zoom Link:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88381116426?pwd=EsPnnyqdH4Kmajkwknc8EjiuEF821q.1

Steam Quality Monitoring

Agenda:

In healthcare environments, steam is a critical utility used in sterilization, humidification, and heating processes—where steam quality directly impacts patient safety and operational reliability. This presentation explores the importance of continuous steam quality monitoring, emphasizing how real-time data on dryness fraction, non-condensable gases, and superheat can help ensure compliance with industry standards such as ANSI/AAMI ST108, prevent system failures, and support informed decision-making. We will also review the instrumentation available for steam quality monitoring and its role in maintaining consistent performance. Drawing from field experience and laboratory testing, the session will highlight how proper monitoring and best practices can help healthcare facilities maintain safe, efficient, and compliant steam systems.

Presenter Bio:

Andres Blaubach | Armstrong International

Andres Blaubach is an Instrumentation Engineer with Armstrong International’s Thermal Insight Group. He holds a degree in Industrial Engineering from Western Michigan University, and his work is focused in the development and support of Armstrong’s Steam & Condensate Smart products and services. This includes engineering solutions such as wireless and handheld diagnostic tools for steam system components—including steam traps—and advanced steam quality monitors capable of measuring key variables like dryness fraction, non-condensable gases, and superheat. Based at Armstrong’s main manufacturing facility in Three Rivers, Michigan, he has led efforts to enhance the performance and reliability of steam quality monitoring instruments through lab testing and direct collaboration with end users. His fieldwork has focused heavily on healthcare facilities across the United States, providing a tool ensure steam systems meet the stringent quality

HESGNY January 2026 Educational Seminar  

NOTE: Meeting is Thursday Jan 15th!

1 hr CEU Credits

In-Person TBD

Please enter through the 321 E 64th St entrance.

Applying ST108 for Bioburden Control and Sterility Assurance

Overview: Sterile processing departments depend on reliable water quality to protect patients and ensure compliance. The new ANSI/AAMI ST108:2023 standard establishes the most rigorous expectations to date for water used in sterile processing and defines quality requirements and intended uses for Utility Water, Critical Water, and Steam.

This session will provide a focused review of what ST108 requires, why it matters, and how to put it into practice. We will also examine the gaps in bacterial and endotoxin control which often persist even in “compliant” systems, the limits of conventional technologies like RO, DI, and UV, and the value of secondary protection at points of use. Attendees will leave with a practical framework for aligning with ST108, reducing the risk of reprocessing failures, and strengthening sterility assurance for patient safety.

Examples will highlight how point-of-use filtration can serve as a tactical safeguard, but the session remains centered on understanding and applying ST108 guidance.

Topics to be addressed

• Key provisions of ANSI/AAMI ST108:2023, their impact on sterile processing water systems, and how to implement recommendations and requirements
• How to evaluate existing systems to identify gaps in bacterial and endotoxin control
• Strengths and limitations of conventional water treatment methods (RO, DI, UV, charged membrane filters)
• Practical deployment of point-of-use filtration to provide redundancy and high-performance bioburden control
• Building a framework for sterility assurance that advances patient safety and compliance

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Speaker Bio

Brianne has more than 20 years of experience serving non-profits, pharmaceutical, and healthcare environments as a champion of public safety. Trained in industrial design at Pratt Institute, she brings a foundation of user research and creative problem-solving to complex healthcare and life sciences challenges.

Over the past four years, Brianne has become a recognized advocate for infection control and water safety, with deep expertise in AAMI ST108, bioburden control, and sterility assurance practices. She regularly presents on microbial and endotoxin risks in sterile processing, highlighting how standards-driven approaches and advanced filtration strategies can strengthen patient safety.

Her expertise also extends into bioprocessing and parenteral drug manufacturing, where she explores the role of ultrafiltration in supporting water-for-injection quality and process integrity. In addition, she works with industrial hygiene and EHS professionals to address occupational safety risks tied to healthcare water systems.

Brianne is an active member of ASHE, APIC, PDA, and HSPA, and is currently pursuing her associate APIC certification to advance her leadership in mitigating waterborne risks.