The biological safety cabinet represents a primary containment barrier that allows safe work with biological agents. It is a device designed to prevent the escape of bioaerosols from the work area and, therefore, protects people and the environment from possible exposure to biological agents. There are three types, known as: class I, class II and class III. Laminar flow booths designed exclusively to protect the product are not considered CSB. Next we are going to mention the main characteristics of working with cabinet at each of these security levels:
Class I Biological Safety Cabinet
- Protection offered to the operator and the environment
- Air speed when entering the cabinet 38 cm / s
- Suitable for working with biological agents with biosafety level 1,2 or 3
- HEPA filtration system in the extraction, may or may not be coupled to an extraction system connected to the outside
- Disadvantage: It does not protect the product with which you work
Class II Type A1
- Protection offered to the operator, the product and the environment
- Air speed when entering the cabinet 38 cm / s
- Suitable for working with agents classified with biosafety level 1,2, or 3
- Filtration system: two HEPA filters, one placed on the work surface :, the second in the cabinet extraction system, which may or may not be coupled to an extraction system connected to the outside. If a hoods type coupling is attached to the outside
- They recycle approximately 70% of the air volume and renew 30%
Class II Type A2
- Protection offered to the operator, the product and the environment
- Air velocity entering the cabinet 50.8 cm / s
- Suitable for working with agents classified with biosafety level 1,2, or 3
- Filtration system: Two HEPA filters.
- All negatively pressurized biologically contaminated pipelines
- It is known as a combined cabinet. It can be connected through a duct and is referred to as B3. If it lacks it, it is a type A: It recycles 70% of the volume inside the cabinet.
Class II Type B1
- Protection offered to the operator, the product and the environment
- Air velocity entering the cabinet 50.8 cm / s
- Suitable for working with agents classified with biosafety level 1,2, or 3
- Filtration system: Two HEPA filters. Extracts potentially polluted air (70%) through a duct and recycles inside the cabinet after filtering the air taken from outside through the front grille (30%)
- All negatively pressurized biologically contaminated pipelines
- Allows working with minimal amounts of toxic chemicals and radionuclides
Class II Type B2
- Protection offered to the operator, the product and the environment
- Air velocity entering the cabinet 50.8 cm / s
- Suitable for working with agents classified with biosafety level 1,2, or 3
- Filtration system: Two HEPA filters. It is known as a total extraction cabinet. It does not have any type of recirculation
- All negatively pressurized biologically contaminated pipelines
It has an extraction duct, allows working with toxic chemicals and radionuclides
Class III Safety Cabinet
- Protection offered to the operator, the product and the environment
- Suitable for working with agents classified with biosafety level 4
- Filtration system: Two HEPA filters in series on the exhaust and one HEPA filter on the intake
- Fully sealed cabinet. The entry and extraction of elements is carried out through a double door pass box. The manipulation of the materials is carried out by the researcher through sealed gloves in front of the booth.
At Kalstein we put at your disposal innovative biological safety cabinets. That is why we invite you to take a look at the Products menu. HERE
