Hypoxia Workstation with HEPA-Filtration Option Demonstrates Enhanced Containment to Protect User
Abstract
Hypoxia workstations are utilized by researchers who require stable and accurate low oxygen environments for their research. Oxygen, carbon dioxide, temperature and humidity are precisely controlled within the work area of the workstation to simulate an in vivo environment and create optimal conditions for the experiment. Hypoxia workstations are closed glove boxes. They allow air from inside the workstation (which is under positive pressure relative to the room) to be released directly to the laboratory by design, and do not typically provide protection to personnel from potential contaminates in the exhausted air. If biological agents may be aerosolized within the workstation, it is important that biosafety officers have containment performance data to perform a complete risk assessment. An enhanced containment option was developed for the Ruskinn Invivo2 hypoxia workstation. This option was microbiologically tested at The Baker Company in order to quantify the release of a microbiological aerosol from the workstation to the laboratory environment. This paper describes the test procedure and presents results that can then be used to determine the risk to the laboratory researcher associated with various types of laboratory work.