A biosafety cabinet is a device designed to protect workers from infectious disease by containing potentially hazardous biological materials used in biotechnology. Widely used in the medical and laboratory fields, a biosafety cabinet may be either a self-contained unit of equipment or a permanently installed device that provides an enclosed working space with exhaust ventilation for researchers. Here, we will go through everything one must know about Portable Biosafety Cabinet. Along with their ability to protect you against possible deadly diseases and what you can do if one gets damaged.
To utilize the benefits of biotechnology, it is essential to understand how the materials you work with can harm you. A biosafety cabinet may be used to minimize the dangers of working with dangerous chemicals and biologics. Biosafety cabinets are designed to protect workers from infectious disease by containing potentially hazardous biological materials used in biotechnology. Widely used in the medical and laboratory fields, a biosafety cabinet may be either a self-contained unit of equipment or a permanently installed device that provides an enclosed working space with exhaust ventilation for researchers.
Parts Of Biosafety Cabinets
Three essential parts comprise a portable biosecurity cabinet, which is:
Barrier:
A barrier is the outermost covering layer of a lab. It ensures that only those authorized to enter the lab can do so. It is an inert material with no particular properties other than stopping any outside materials from entering your inside space. Its purpose is to protect the people in the lab from the external environment as well material.
Plenum:
This is where you need to take a look at when you want to know if a biosecurity cabinet is working properly or not. It’s the space where the air is exchanged between the safe and unsafe areas. The plenum has its fan, which can be turned on manually or through a timer. This helps to ensure that fumes and dangerous particles are extracted from your safe zone and do not affect any of the workers in your lab.
Inlet & Outlet:
This allows you to get air into and out of your cabinet. The air inlet and outlet ports are how you will get the filtered air that keeps you safe and protective inside the biosafety cabinet. These ports are also where scientists can place their equipment to work.
Open Or Closed? Major Working Aspect to Consider
A biocontainment unit comprises an outer shell, a filter, and filter housing. The filter is usually made up of HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) filter or ULPA (ultra-low particulate air) filter, depending on the model you choose to buy. The filter housing gives the user the option to either open or closed, depending on the users’ requirements.
When the lid is closed, all air flows through the unit through a single port normally attached to a blower. When it is open, air will pass through multiple ports at the bottom of the unit. It can sometimes be a bit complicated to understand which mode should be utilized because sometimes people use them without realizing what they are doing.
Maintenance & Repair
When new parts need to be replaced, and if you have any issue with your portable biosafety cabinet, you should bring it back to get an expert review by an expert technician.
How Does A Biosafety Cabinet Protect Against Deadly Diseases?
Biosafety cabinets can protect workers against infectious disease by containing potentially hazardous biological materials used in biotechnology. Biosafety cabinets offer contamination protection, ventilation control, and space isolation benefits.
Most biosafety cabinets are installed in a laboratory. They are usually specially designed to be mobile, but they may also be temporarily or permanently installed to provide working space with exhaust ventilation for researchers or staff of laboratories. The cabinet’s design is mainly based on the product that they are designed to contain.
What can happen if it gets damaged?
Although biosafety cabinets offer benefits such as contamination protection, ventilation control, and space isolation, they need regular maintenance to prevent leaks, damage, or hazardous substances under pressure. Biosafety cabinets should only be serviced by trained staff, who should perform routine maintenance checks and regularly replace the filters.
The Final Verdict
From the above information, we can understand that a biosafety cabinet is designed to protect workers from infectious diseases by containing potentially hazardous biological materials used in biotechnology.
While observing precautions and safety measures, such as wearing protective boots and lab coats, you can use it for your purpose. Biosafety cabinets should only be serviced by trained staff, who should perform routine maintenance checks and regularly replace the filters.