When designing modern cleanrooms and laboratories, special attention needs to be paid to the material flow. Whether it’s ISO 14611 or a GMP application, there are very specific requirements that dictate where and how the material enters and exits the room.
This is when pass boxes come into the picture. Many industries rely on the technology of pass boxes that handle material transfer between a non-controlled and controlled environment (or two cleanrooms with different standards). Pass boxes make sure that no contaminant occurs when material is transferred into the cleanroom and thus, maintains the hygiene of the lab.
However, as different industries use different types of cleanrooms, different types of cleanrooms use different kind of pass boxes. Kleanlabs differentiate between three basic models of pass boxes you absolutely need to know about if you are in the industry:
Static models
Static models can be considered the standard version of cleanroom pass boxes, because they do not have their own separate air supplying and exhaust systems or ventilation. These non-ventilated units are recommended for simpler laboratories or cleanrooms up to the ISO07 category.
The doors of the static models usually feature an electromagnetic lock. They can be built into almost any kind of structure and can be easily customised to fit special needs such as box design, ‘combi’ model where the two controlled environments are above each other, or a design suitable for carriages.
Semi-active pass boxes
Semi-active pass boxes, similarly to the static ones, do not have their own motorised ventilation systems, but are equipped with an anemostat including a H13 HEPA filter. And this filter can be connected to an existing central ventilation system. The box also contains an exhaust valve, which can be used to ease the overpressure in the pass box.
Semi-active pass boxes can be installed easily into a wall or floor, or they can also function on their own.
Active pass boxes
Active pass boxes provide the cleanest and most sterile solution for cleanrooms. Their standalone fan filter contains an H13 or ULPA filter, which only lets high purity air into the pass box. Active pass boxes are also recommended for ISO04 category cleanrooms. Active pass boxes are highly customisable and do not have any restrictions regarding the installation.
Pass boxes can be customised in size and to fit any special requirements.
