Biological safety cabinet (BSC) protect laboratory workers and the surrounding environment from pathogens. A HEPA filter removes harmful viruses and bacteria from all exhaust air exiting the biosafety cabinet. Biological safety cabinet (BSC) maintains the sterility of the inside material of the enclosure.
There are 5 types of biosafety cabinets which are listed below.
- Type A1
- Type A2
- Type B1
- Type B2
- Type C1
NSF International Standard outlines the requirements for each type of cabinet. Almost 90% of all the biosafety cabinets installed are Type A2. Class II cabinets help in protecting the sample and environment as harmful contaminants get removed by a HEPA filter.
Type A2 cabinet models typically have a minimum inflow velocity of 100 ft./min. All contaminated positive pressure plenums get surrounded by negative air pressure plenums. They do not require an exhaust fume system and air can be recirculated back into the enclosure and laboratory.
Type B2 cabinet is usually found in toxicology laboratories. Type B2 cabinet must be connected to an exhaust fume system to safely move out the hazardous fumes from the building because air does not recirculate back into the system.
The fans present inside the cabinet pull the air around the user and into the cabinet thus, protecting the operator. The air travels through the work surface and then pushed to the top of the unit. Then it passes through HEPA filters. The sterile air gets blown downward over the products and the material inside the enclosure and thus, prevents contamination. Based on the Type of Class II cabinet, it can exhaust the filtered air through a HEPA filter back into the laboratory or can be pulled by an exhaust fume system where it gets expelled out from the building.
(We) offer two types of biosafety cabinet models with 3 ft., 4 ft.,5 ft. and 6 ft. width.
- Class II Type A2 and,
- Class II Type B2
Maintenance and services
The life span of a HEPA filter will depend on what type of particles are generated inside the biosafety cabinet. Biosafety cabinet requires timely service and proper maintenance to assure effective use of the device. Change the filter after the cabinet has been decontaminated but only a trained person should change it as it may be potentially contaminated.
Monitor airflow
When the filter load increases, the amount of work to be done by the internal fan to push the same volume of air through the filter also increases. The latest cabinets automatically measure the airflow and self adjust the fan performance and ensure a steady volume of air moving through the device.
