I hope this summary table below helps start to unfold these differences, in protection, in usages, etc.
This is obviously the overview of an issue that entails many other discussions and will be brought up recurrently herein.
Type
|
Protects
|
Does Not Protect
|
Usage Examples
|
Do not use if
|
Other versions and variants
|
|
Laminar Flow
Cabinets
|
Sample
|
User
Environment
|
Media Pouring
|
Sample may contain pathogens
or harmful substances
|
Horizontal and
Vertical laminar flows
|
|
Biological Safety
Cabinets
|
Class I
|
User
Environment
|
Sample
|
Microbiology
|
Sample cannot
suffer contamination
|
Ducted or
non-ducted,
(carbon filters)
|
Class II
|
Sample
User
Environment
|
—*
|
Tissue Culture
|
Sample contains certain radioactive isotopes
|
Ducted or
non-ducted,
30% exhaust and 70%
recirculation in the UK/EU,
double HEPA exhaust
in the UK,
(carbon filters)
|
|
* To achieve protection of both the sample and the user,
these cabinets make use of a very delicate balance between air flows. These are
very prone to disruption by environmental conditions and manipulation practices.
Analysis of room conditions, cabinet positioning, KI testing, user training and
best practices are all crucial to obtain the level of containment required.
