01 — The Problem
Millions of students share instruments. None of them are sterilized.
Every school year, students pick up a loaned clarinet, saxophone, or trombone that has been in someone else’s mouth. The outside gets wiped down. The inside — the moist interior where saliva collects and microbes thrive — does not get treated.
There is no established standard for cleaning shared wind instruments in schools, and no consumer product designed to address it. This is the gap SoundSafe fills.
02 — The Device
Hospital-grade disinfection in under ten minutes.
SoundSafe converts a hydrogen peroxide solution into an aerosolized mist and streams it through the instrument’s interior. It achieves 99.99% disinfection without heat, UV, or ozone — all of which are incompatible with the rubber, cork, and wood that wind instruments are made of.
- 01 Mist cycle — Aerosolized 3% H²O² is driven through the full interior of the instrument via a variable-speed fan.
- 02 Disinfection — The solution contacts all internal surfaces, including valves, joints, and reed channels, eliminating bacteria, fungi, and yeast.
- 03 Dry cycle — Clean air purges residual moisture. H²O² degrades into water and oxygen. No hazardous residue.
03 — The Evidence
The research is on our side.
Concern about shared instrument hygiene has been documented in the scientific literature for decades. What has been missing is a practical, safe method of disinfection.
“Disease-causing germs survive on commonly shared instruments for one to two days. Mycobacterium persisted for up to 13 days on clarinet reeds.”
Marshall & Levy, Tufts University School of Medicine — International Journal of Environmental Health Research, 2011“Used woodwind and brass instruments were found to be heavily contaminated with a variety of bacteria and fungi, many of which are associated with minor to serious infectious and allergic diseases.”
Glass et al. — General Dentistry, March/April 2011“All previously played instruments harbored viable bacteria as well as mold and/or yeast. Reed instruments consistently carried higher microbial loads than flutes or trumpets.”
Czech & Alt — Dental Journal, 202404 — Work With Us
Summer 2025 Research & Commercialization Intern
We’re looking for a Tufts freshman or sophomore — ideally in Biomedical Engineering or Biology, with some interest in business — to help take SoundSafe from working prototype to real-world testing. You’ll work directly with Dr. Lepore and Tufts labs across prototype refinement, stakeholder testing, regulatory mapping, and early marketing.
Apply →