Traumatic wound infections following delayed access to care in austere environments when medical evacuation is not immediately possible are major risks for the Combatant Commands in the current and future operational environment. A military requirement exists for portable sterilizers that can easily be transported to remote locations to provide sterile surgical instruments whenever they are needed. Unavailability of sterile surgical tools in austere settings may impede immediate surgical care which is critical to survival. The objectives of this study were to 1) develop a novel, lightweight, portable, low-power sterilizer utilizing antimicrobial visible violet-blue light-emitting diodes (405 nm LEDs) for the decontamination of surgical instruments, and 2) determine the efficacy of LED-delivered 405 nm light at various doses to reduce or eliminate bacterial burden from stainless steel bars or surgical tools contaminated with porcine or murine cecal contents and blood mimicking traumatic abdominal injury. Treatments included negative control (uncontaminated), positive control (no cleaning), cleaning with water- soaked gauze or chlorhexidine scrub to remove visible bioburden, cleaning with water-soaked gauze or chlorhexidine scrub followed by 405 nm irradiation for 15 min, 30 min, or 1h (equivalent to approximately 27.5, 55, and 110 J/cm2, respectively), and autoclaving after cleaning (gold standard). Antibacterial efficacy was determined by evaluation of viable bacteria recovered from specimens after swabbing and culturing on blood agar plates for 24h at 37oC. We developed a device referred to as “Violet-Blue Light Inactivation Chamber” (V-BLIC) consisting of an array of 405 nm LEDs embedded in clear silicone sheeting designed to envelop surgical instruments inside a highly reflective mylar bag. This device is intended to be used by a Forward Surgical Team or medical provider in austere conditions where power generation limitations make the use of an autoclave impractical. A Thorlabs PM160T optical power meter was used to measure irradiance during prototype development. Irradiation for 1h (~110 J/cm2) after cleaning with water-soaked gauze or chlorhexidine scrub resulted in 0% (0/14) metal bars and grooved forceps handles having recoverable bacterial growth (similar to autoclaving), while cleaning with water-soaked gauze alone resulted in considerable bacterial growth. Irradiation for 15 min and 30 min markedly reduced bacterial bioburden, but a small number of colonies were observed in most samples. Chlorhexidine scrub/water rinse did not completely eliminate bacterial growth from grooved forceps handles, but 405 nm irradiation for 1h after chlorhexidine scrub on forceps handles resulted in no bacterial growth, supporting the use of 405 nm light as an adjunct sterilization method. Recovered organisms identified by the VITEK2 identification system included Escherichia coli, Enterococcus hirae, Streptococcus hyointestinalis, Rhizobium radiobacter, and Chromobacterium violaceum. Results from this study demonstrated that LED- delivered 405 nm light at 110 J/cm2 can achieve a high level of disinfection. LED arrays incorporated into flexible silicone and mylar packaging may offer a solution to improve lifesaving trauma care in austere environments. A provisional patent application was filed with the US Patent and Trademark Office (No. 63/463,954).