Different Classes Of Biosafety Cabinets And Their Purposes

Pharmaceutical companies and healthcare institutes have clinical labs where they conduct certain tests and experiments involving biological samples and toxic materials. Such places require standard equipment and containers for safety working with those highly contaminated materials. A biosafety cabinet or BSC is a type of ventilated laboratory cabinet used for defining the biosafety level.  The three main classes of biosafety cabinets are:

Class 1

This cabinet provides protection for the user and the surrounding environment. However, it cannot prevent the product from contamination. The Class 1 cabinet usually has a HEPA filter at the exhaust outlet to allow inward airflow through its front opening aperture. This type of cabinet comes in ducted for building an exhaust system or unducted for recirculating filtered air.

Class 2

A Class 2 cabinet protects the user, environment, and the sample product. Like a Class 1 type, this cabinet permits different airflow patterns through its front opening with continuous inward airflow. Class 2 cabinets are further categorized into different types namely A1, A2, B1, B2, and C1. All these cabinets are in compliance with biosafety levels 1, 2, or 3 containment. The equipment has a HEPA filter with dual directional airflow and an inbuilt ventilation system.

Class 3

Class 3 is the most sophisticated system with a totally enclosed, ventilated cabinet with a leak-proof structure. The equipment has glove boxes that provide maximum protection for performing operations involving highly contaminated biological materials. The HEPA system allows the filtered air out in the chamber. This cabinet is safe for using materials with biosafety levels 1, 2, 3, and 4 containments.

Since biosafety cabinets are more expensive than other equipment in the lab, small scale businesses opt for used biological safety cabinet. High-quality second products offer the same quality as the brand new cabinet.

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