
OM0257 Page 20 of 38
June 2019
7.0 Operating Guidelines
It is acceptable and sometimes recommended to operate the station continuously. The station will then remain in its
initially clean condition. If for any reason the unit is turned off for some time, daily or weekly, turn the station on and run
for 10 minutes before using.
Allow only essential items in the work station. New items introduced into the work area should be placed within one of the
worksurface quadrants to minimize cross contamination. All work should be performed with the operator's hand
downstream of the critical process points. Unnecessary movement with the work station should be kept to a minimum.
7.1 Operating Sequence:
Start-Up
Turn on station's blower and lights. Blower speed must only be readjusted by qualified maintenance technicians. Good
procedure includes the decontamination or wipe down of station surfaces with chemical disinfectant before work
commences.
Note: See cleaning procedures section 7.3
Allow blower to operate for a minimum of 10 minutes before aseptic manipulations are begun in the station. An additional
advantage is obtained from purification (filtration) of the room air circulated through the equipment. Because of the
characteristics contributed to the quality of the laboratory environment, some owners leave them in operation beyond the
time of actual use.
Minimize Room Activity
Activity in the room itself should be held to a minimum. Unnecessary activity may create disruptive air currents as well as
interfere with the work of the operator. A person walking past the front of the station can cause draft velocities up to
175fpm (.88 m/s) which are sufficient to disrupt the air balance of the Laminar Flow Unit.
Utilize Unidirectional Airflow
The operator must keep two important facts in mind:
1. The air as supplied to the work area through the HEPA filter is contaminant free.
2. Airborne contamination generated in the work area is controlled by the unidirectional vertical flow air stream.
A solid object placed in a laminar air stream will disrupt the parallel flow and consequently, the capability of
controlling lateral movement of airborne particulates. A cone of turbulence extends behind the object and
laminarity of the air stream is not regained until a point is reached downstream, approximately equal to three to
six times the diameter of the object. Within the parameters of this cone, particles may be carried laterally by
multidirectional eddy currents. The downdraft vacuum source on the worksurface greatly reduces the above
effect. However, working with proper technique is always the best method.
Terminal Purging & Wipe down
Following completion of the work, allow the station for a 2-3 minute period without personnel activity to purge the
unit. The decontamination of the interior surfaces should be repeated after removal of all work materials.
Prefilters
Located under the work surface is a prefilter area. This area forms the air path to the exhaust motor/blower. If the
air flow is blocked by excessive animal dander or bedding materials, the performance of the station could be
seriously affected. Therefore, THE PREFILTERS SHOULD BE CHECKED AND CLEANED NO LESS THAN ON A WEEKLY
BASIS. The prefilters may be vacuumed to remove the materials. The prefilters may also be replaced as necessary
(see replacement parts list).
Shut Down
Turn off blowers and lights. Do not use station as a depository for excess laboratory equipment during periods of
non-operation.