Laminar airflow hoods are used in selected applications when it is required to prevent contamination of biological samples or certain sensitive materials. The hoods are typically available in the form of a laminar flow cabinet or tissue culture hood. The polluted air is drawn through the HEPA filter and after being purified, it is blown in smooth and a laminar flow towards the user.
Industrial furniture manufacturers offer laminar airflow hoods in vertical and horizontal configurations. You can see various kinds of cabinets available in different kinds of widely used airflow patterns. Cleanrooms use several chemical fume hoods and custom biological safety cabinets that are designed for maintaining high standards in all types of lab environments. Fume hoods are usually very effective and considered safe. (Information credit: https://www.rdm-ind.com/laminar-air-flow-hood/)
Reasons a laboratory requires laminar airflow hoods are:
Eco-friendly
A science lab is always filled with sensitive items, so it is a priority to keep it free from pollution at all costs. The main reason that a laminar airflow hood is used in a lab is that these hoods are the best option to keep the lab environment clean and sterile. Attached to the workstation, the vertical or horizontal flow hoods draw polluted air in and recycle it. All contaminants are removed from the air by the flow hood and pure air is released. However, it does not remove any air from the lab. As a result, the lab samples and the researchers in the lab remain protected from contamination and infection.
Portable
Laminar airflow units are largely used at labs because these units are portable. So, lab workers can move the hoods from one space to another easily without dealing with any extra hassles. The units are designed and manufactured with no external connections, which means that there is hardly any hindrance in transferring these from one location to another. Thus, you can move the portable flow hoods within just a few minutes, whenever the HVAC ducted hood system stops working because of issues of relocation or any other processes.
Cost-effective
Companies running businesses want nothing more than a cost-effective option. This is why these low maintenance units are the best choice for them. Once you install the hood to the workstation, you do not need to provide much of regular upkeep or maintenance. Only filler replacement is required once in a while and its cost may vary. Apart from these, the laminar flow hoods can be easily shipped to where the company wants it to be and they are ready to be used as soon as they are shipped and installed.
Safe
One of the most important benefits of laminar flow hoods is that these units are completely safe. Users never have to worry about the safety factors when they use the hoods in the lab. These systems are generally designed and manufactured with an in-built monitoring system that checks carbon filter saturation and gas. The security feature also includes visible and audible alarms on an LCD monitor. It plays an important role to alert the user. Thus, lab researchers are always protected and completely safe with laminar flow hood systems.
Final thoughts
Before you pick a laminar flow hood, you should know the types. Vertical airflow workstations clean the environment through two phases. First, the room is cleaned and after that, it is electrostatically charged by bacterial pre-filter. These hoods are ideal for spaces that are not hazardous for the operator but need to be cleaned. Horizontal laminar flow hoods provide great protection from several processes. However, these units do not protect from biological contaminants. Regardless of the type you choose, make sure to buy it from a renowned manufacturer.
