With any new technology comes confusion about how it works. The Type C1 truly breaks the mold for Biological Safety Cabinets. Let's dispel some of the myths around the industry-changing Type C1.
The Purifier Axiom was listed by NSF International in 2015. NSF Business Unit Manager, Maren H. Roush said:
“As noted in the official NSF Listings online at http://info.nsf.org/Certified/Biosafety, Labconco models 30441, 30448, 30461 and 30468 do not fall entirely under the ‘A’ or ‘B’ cabinet type definitions in the 2012 version of NSF Standard 49. However, they were found to meet the materials, design, construction and performance requirements of NSF/ANSI 49-2012, and as such, were Certified by NSF International.
“Standard 49 allows for cabinets that vary in design, construction, or installation of accessory equipment, if appropriate tests and investigations indicate that the equipment is durable and reliable, can be cleaned and decontaminated, and performs in conformance to the Standard. The aforementioned Axiom models were tested by NSF International to Standard 49 in both recirculating mode and with direct exhaust.
“Additional tests that were performed on these Axiom models included smoke visualization above the directly exhausted section of the work surface and an evaluation of the cabinet’s ability to maintain inflow velocity in the event of an exhaust system failure (with the alarm function disabled).”
In 2017, NSF International defined a new type of BSC that was included in the 2016 version of Standard 49, giving the official stamp to the unique status of this BSC. The NSF International website lists the Class II, Type C1 Purifier Axiom Biological Safety Cabinet, officially making it the World's first of its kind..
Seen in the cross sections above:
Special instructions for operating a B1 help ensure that users work in the appropriate area of the BSC’s interior. For all other types, including the C1 Axiom – users simply work inside the dished work surface. No specific work instructions required.
In a Type B1, the air behind the invisible moving smoke split is directly exhausted. When using chemicals, this is where the operator must work – an operational requirement known to cause fatigue, mistakes and injuries.
In a Type C1, the air entering the Chem-Zone – a full depth, perforated, single pass exhaust airflow work surface – is dedicated to being safely exhausted from the BSC. There is no guess work.
Although the air is divided at the work surface, a continual and equal downward force prevents chemical or biological hazards from getting into the user’s breathing zone.
For more information about Type C1 biosafety cabinets, see the in depth article:
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