Positive vs Negative Pressure Isolators

What are Isolators?

Isolators are a major piece of equipment in the pharmaceutical industry, as their gas-tight enclosures provide a protective barrier in aseptic conditions and containment. They are made up by an arrangement of physical barriers that use containment as a way of creating the enclosed working space, enabling full manipulation of variants without compromising integrity.

They perform two key functions: protecting operators and the environment from hazardous contamination, and to protect the material being isolated from contamination that could affect outcome negatively.

Positive vs Negative Isolators

Isolators use a number of methods to ensure the integrity of the clean environment, including positive and negative pressure containment systems that are maintained through closed-loop control of the chamber pressure.

Positive Pressure Isolators

Positive pressure refers to the pressure within the containment system being higher than the external pressure. These systems protect the process being conduction within the isolator and have many applications within industries where the integrity of the production process must not be interfered with and kept sterile from any contaminants. In the case of a leak, clean air is forced out of the isolator rather than contaminants entering the enclosed space.

Faster Air supply GloveFAST Aseptic Isolators, in class 3 ISO/FDIS 14644-7 with vertical laminar airflow and physical separation between the operator and the product through gloves. Speak to our team to get a free quote today.

Negative Pressure Isolators

Negative pressure isolators protect the operator from the environment if hazardous substances are being used, by making the external pressure higher than the pressure within the containment system. As a result, they can minimise airborne toxins from escaping into the cleanroom environment, as air will flow into the isolator because of the lower pressure. Negative pressure isolators can also be used in hospital environments to quarantine highly contagious patients.

Our GloveFAST Cyto negative pressure isolators are designed to protect both the material being manipulated from contamination and the operator from hazardous substances. Faster Air offer two versions of this product; the GloveFast Cyto compact version and the GloveFAST Cyto Pharma class 3 ISO/FDIS 14644-7.