Combining Two Great Technologies

Baker, the developers of the Biosafety Cabinet (BSC) and pillar for biosafety containment and clean air, acquired the physiological oxygen workstation creators, Ruskinn. With the release of the new updated InvivO2 Physiological Oxygen workstation, the power of these two expertises become apparent. Not only does the InvivO2 control temperature, relative humidity, CO₂ and O2 levels, but now also comes with HEPA filtration.

HEPA filters remove particulates, contaminants, and potential sources of infection from the airstream. Adding HEPA filter technology to the Physiological workstation means creating an environment where experiments and cellular cultures can grow free from the risk of contamination. Not all HEPA filters are alike, and the level of air cleanliness can be measured and graded using several different international standards, such as ISO 14644-1, US FED STD 2019E, or EU GMP Annex A. Each standard requires a certain quantity of air measured, and the particles of varying sizes counted. Depending on the number of particles, a grade is applied.

For ISO classification, Class 1 is the cleanest and Class 9 the dirtiest. General room air is classified as Class 9, with up to 35,200,000 particles per cubic meter of air 0.5μm in diameter. By comparison, ISO Class 1 air will not have any 0.5μm sized particles per cubic meter of air. Cleanrooms and BSCs have specific air cleanliness ratings, depending on what work will be conducted inside. Baker BSCs are tested to create an ISO Class 4 environment. Physiological workstations without a HEPA filter have been measured to have ISO Class 8 air, barely better than room air. When the InvivO2 with internal HEPA filter is measured, it achieves ISO Class 4 air. From the table below, you can see this is equivalent to Class 10 and Grade A air using the US FED STD 2019E and EU GMP Annex A standards. This level of clean air allows for protection of the cultures inside the workstation, as well as capturing any particulates and aerosols created within the workstation.