To choose the proper equipment, you must clearly understand the DIFFERENCE between laminar flow cabinets and microbiological safety cabinets.
A laminar flow cabinet (clean bench / laminar flow hood) is the main equipment used to PROTECT a PRODUCT by creating a dust-free abacterial air environment in the working zone. The laminar flow cabinet DOES NOT protect either personnel or the environment.
A microbiological safety cabinet is used for physical isolation (containment and controlled removal from the working zone) of microorganisms to prevent the possibility of personnel infection, contamination of the air in the working zone and the environment. Therefore, the microbiological safety cabinet is designed to PROTECT THE OPERATOR, ENVIRONMENT AND PRODUCT.
Thus, the choice of a laminar flow cabinet depends on the requirements for the air environment in the working zone only, while the choice of a microbiological safety cabinet is based on the following factors:
The microbiological safety cabinet is NOT MOBILE. The wheels on the stand are only designed for moving the cabinet to the installation place where it will be operated.
But, based on your requests, our specialists have replaced the wheels of all our serial cabinets with more durable ones.
Remember that immediately after installation, the cabinet must be fixed in place with screw supports so that a gap of at least 5 mm is formed between the wheels and the floor surface. (It is better to remove the wheels completely following installation!). This precaution will prevent, for example, a cleaner from moving the cabinet with a light push because even a slight dislocation of the cabinet will then require an evaluation of the unit's technical condition, with all work and registration of certificates that this entails!
It's purely for the convenience of treatment and disinfection.
For example, if a liquid containing pathogenic agents spills out, you can treat a specific part of the surface or tray with a cloth soaked in disinfectant within the working zone of the cabinet while it is operational. Moreover, each of the three tabletop segments can be conveniently sterilized in an autoclave.
Let us share our impressions of what we saw in one laboratory where a class II safety cabinet manufactured by LAMSYSTEMS was installed.
As you probably know, the tabletops of the cabinets from this manufacturer consist of three segments for convenient disinfection, autoclaving, removal of spilled liquids, and treatment of each segment within the working area. So, in this lab, all three segments were set upside down to form three trays. The lab staff justified this arrangement by saying, "This way, we don't mix up our test tubes... each type has its own tray. It's very convenient!"
The fact that changing the configuration of the tabletop affects the protective properties of the cabinet didn't even occur to these rationalizers!
The manufacturer invested extensively in improving the protective properties of its products, testing every change extensively, even minor alterations in design, and optimizing the shape and configuration of all details involved in the formation of the airflow. And "with a slight movement of the hand," the customer negated all the hard work done by the experts!
And, what's most frustrating: in case of pathogen release and operator contamination, the blame will always be attributed to "low-quality" equipment...
Blatant illiteracy!
Strictly speaking, there is no such thing as completely stainless steel. Stainless steel consists of iron, chromium, and nickel. It is the chromium that forms a thin layer on the stainless-steel surface (called an oxide or passive film) that keeps the metal from rusting.
However, the passive film can be destroyed by mechanical or chemical exposure, causing corrosion. For example, chlorine-containing agents are dangerous substances for stainless steel. Therefore, after treating the cabinet tabletop with a chlorine-containing substance, a secondary treatment with water should be performed, washing away the disinfectant residue and thus preventing rust.