Laminar Airflow Smoke Test

Airflow patterns could be easily disturbed with equipment design machine guarding necessary interventions and inappropriate component specifications.

Laminar airflow smoke test.

Air flow testing for chemical fume hoods 2 of 2 duration. Perform the test from 5 different locations. This enables our technicians to render unidirectional airflow visible and reveal any anomalies such as dead spots and potential reflux of ambient air. Air flow visualization microbiological safety cabinet class ii type a2 downward airflow front sash lifting cross contamination using the burner.

The visual smoke must be neutrally buoyant and mimic ambient air. Terry patamawenu 9 177 views. Airflow smoke tests rely on visual smoke generated in cleanrooms and hoods that allows for observation of airflow patterns. An airflow visualization smoke pattern test should be used to train and instruct compounding personnel in proper aseptic technique for every pec in which they work.

Through a smoke test it is easy to see where an airborne contaminant will likely end up using visual evidence of air flow direction. The visual medium must be nearly neutrally buoyant. Specific airflow air flow pattern visualization testing standards and guidelines are provided by the usp and fda. It must be checked that no smoke is refluxed out of the cabinet once drawn in and no smoke billows over the work surface or penetrates it.

Working in a horizontal flow laminar air flow workstation lafw is different that working in a vertical flow biological safety cabinet bsc or compounding aseptic isolator cai. This test is to verify that the air flows smoothly downwards with no dead spots or reflux and that it does not escape from the cabinet. Total microbial count should be less than one. Smoke visualization testinguses a source of visible smoke that is neutrally buoyant.

Expose plates under the laminar airflow at the time of qualification. A smoke pattern test relies on a visual medium smoke being generated in a manner that allows observation of airflow patterns. Not more than 100 particles of size more than or equal to 0 5 micron per cubic feet of sampled air is allowed. Water based fog generators such as co 2 generators dry ice and water create an effluent that is significantly heavier than air thus causing fall out during a test.