Laminar Air Flow: Some Interesting Aspects You Should Know

 

A laminar air flow chamber is an enclosed cabinet that comes with a HEPA-filtered airflow system. It creates an aseptic environment to conduct diverse experiments. This cabinet circulates unidirectional airflow at a uniform velocity. Hence, it’s widely used in laboratories to maintain a contaminant-free working atmosphere along with a PCR machine.

What is laminar airflow?

It is referred to as the airflow system where the filtered air passes through the HEPA filter within a certain space at a uniform direction and velocity. When it comes to conducting experiments, the airflow has to be laminar in nature since usually air flows in an irregular fashion.

Types of laminar airflow cabinets

There are two types of laminar air flow cabinets as listed below:

1. Vertical airflow chamber: It is widely used in research labs. In this airflow chamber type, the room air gets directed toward the HEPA filter through the blower.
2. Horizontal airflow chamber: In a horizontal airflow chamber, the room air penetrates the HEPA filter positioned at the back of the cabinet. Here, air flows horizontally from the back of the chamber.

Parts of the laminar airflow chamber

Given below are some of the major parts of a laminar air flow chamber:

1. Enclosed cabinet system: It is constructed of stainless steel. This cabinet creates an enclosed system of insulated air across the workstation. Hence, it protects the inner sterile air from the external environment. Its function is more or less the same as a PCR machine.
2. Working platform: It gives a space to conduct multiple experiments or operations. The working platform is also manufactured of stainless steel.
3. Filter pad: The main function of the filter pad is to suck the room air. Usually, it traps the particles from the room air of size 6 microns or higher.
4. HEPA filter: Considered to be the most important part of a cabinet, the HEPA filter cleans out the air while eliminating all sorts of particles and microbes.
5. UV lamp: The UV lamp kills the microbes that the HEPA filter can’t. It radiates ultraviolet light that destroys microbes less than 0.3 microns in size.

Why should you use laminar airflow cabinets?

In research labs, scientists have to work with sensitive cultures and other substances that are very sensitive to things present in the air. If you want to keep your work safe from these airborne contaminants, you have to operate in a sterile and filtered air environment that a laminar air flow cabinet provides.

How a laminar airflow cabinet functions

The prime objective of using a laminar airflow cabinet is to create a sterile and filtered air environment similar to an ultra low temperature freezer. A laminar airflow cabinet has the following parts:

• Work surface
• Enclosure
• Blower
• Prefilter/filter pad
• UV lamp
• HEPA filter

When you use the blower, the laminar airflow cabinet sucks in room air from the top of the device. Initially, the air passes through the filter pad that collects large particles from the air. Thereafter, it passes through the HEPA filter which filters out all the microbes and fine particles. The filtered air pours into the enclosure and cleans the work surface. You also have the option to use the UV lamp to sterilize the work area in a better fashion.

A laminar air flow cabinet is a necessary lab accessory, and you need it when you need to conduct operations that are sensitive to moving air. It creates a clean and sterile atmosphere, thereby, giving you the provision to work with materials like electronic wafers or tissue culture.

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