Laminar flow is an incredible part of safe laboratory functioning practices. To ensure safe microbiological procedures, laminar air flow was developed as the airflow system in which the entire body of air within a selected laboratory area is uniform in both velocity and direction.
There are different laminar airflow systems, such as laminar flow hoods, laminar airflow cabinets, and vertical and horizontal laminar airflow systems. For a disease-free work environment, laminar air flow is the basic requirement besides equipment and supplies used in the laboratories. Laminar flow hood provides a germ-free work area workspace while ensuring that the containment zone is free of infectious splashes or aerosols generated by different microbiological procedures undertaken in the labs.
A laminar flow hood is a special laboratory enclosure that is designed to cautiously direct HEPA-filtered air. Lab technicians find these hoods very useful, as they even protect items placed on the work surface from contamination. Besides protecting the lab area from contaminants, the laminar hoods also protect the lab users from getting exposed to harmful particles such as biological samples, semiconductors, or other sensitive materials.
Despite being developed in the early 1960s, the laminar air flow theory holds to date and is considered incredibly relevant for our modern-day labs. All the varied categories of laminar flow hoods, though differing in their performance and utility, exist for use with a common principle and that is providing unidirectional airflow to help the laboratories maintain a sterile environment and prevent cross-contamination and reduce turbulence.
There are three kinds of laminar flow hoods, designated as Class I, II, and III, have been developed to meet varying research and clinical needs. Most often, you will find the application of these three types of laminar air flow systems in hospital operating rooms, protective environments, cleanrooms, and laboratories.
One of the significant systems of laminar flow comprises vertical laminar flow. Often integrated as part of an ideal laboratory setting, vertical laminar flow consistently protects the work area and provides benefits, such as
- Touch screen user interface
- Pneumatic Front panel open/close
- Enhanced performance, safety, and operator comfort
- Low noise and vibration
- Energy-efficient LED
- FILTER TYPE- HEPA (99.99% efficiency at 0.3 microns) CLASS- ISO 14644-1 Standard Class 5 air
Kewaunee’s Interceptor is a vertical laminar airflow cabinet widely used in many laboratories across the world. The Interceptor laminar flow cabinet comes in a variety of sizes. The laminar airflow cabinet also has a touchscreen interface for ease of operations and safety.
