Sterifre Medical said today that it raised $8 million in a Series B round for the Aura desktop sterilization device it’s developing for handheld devices.

Kirkland, Wash.-based Sterifre said that it’s raised $20 million to date, including a $12 million Series A round in 2017.

“Proceeds from the Series B financing will fund our initial commercialization in the U.S. Acute Care Market beginning early next year,” CEO Richard Shea said in prepared remarks. “We appreciate the ongoing support of our investment partners. This financing will enable the company to play a unique role in increasing staff and patient safety.”

The Aura device uses hydrogen peroxide to sterilize hard-surface items used by doctors and hospitals. It’s designed to achieve EPA-regulated sterilization without damaging the sterilized devices, the company said.

“Multiple studies have shown that the use of improper disinfectants results in Environmental Stress Cracking and premature device failure,” said Shea, who was a co-founder of Stericycle and the former CEO of Olympus Respiratory America. “These harmful effects can be virtually eliminated by using Sterifre’s Aura point of care system to disinfect these devices – while still achieving the appropriate EPA regulated pathogen kill.”