Lower Exhaust Air Volume in Animal Transfer Stations… Good or Bad?

  • Some Animal Transfer Stations exhaust 100% of the total air volume within the cabinet. This single-pass airflow design was popular, until more efficient air-management designs were discovered (manufacturers of type A2 Bio-safety Cabinets stopped using a single-pass airflow design years ago).

    Leading the trend of utilizing superior air-flow design for better containment and performance, Allentown’s Phantom2 uses a partial re-circulating airflow design, which means the exhaust air volume is about half of the total airflow. For a standard 4′ Phantom2, the exhaust air volume ranges from 476-544 m3/hr while its total air volume ranges from 1045-1113 m3/hr.

    More air doesn’t make the unit better. It’s more so how you are filtering/directing the air. That’s why, in addition to double HEPA filtration, the Phantom2 reuses the filtered air to create an additional active containment barrier outside the protective glass (~ 0.76 to 1.27 m / s), increasing the protection of the manipulation. Laminar air flow (LAF) on all Phantom2 units is .25-.28 m/s. While competitors might seem more efficient with a higher LAF, lesser LAF actually allows for reduced energy consumption, less noise and vibrations, while contributing to a longer filter life. It is important to note that the Phantom2 is the only ISO Class 3 animal transfer unit (the ISO 1 class meaning the highest particulate cleanliness). Phantom2 utilizes less air while providing excellent containment and more protection to the product/personnel using it.

    Besides, the Phantom2 air delivery design exhausts at the top of the unit preventing exhaust air from blowing particulate from the laboratory floor toward the research animals and lab technicians.

    In summary, the Phantom2 uses less air, noise, vibration and energy producing ISO Class 3 air quality and improved containment, positioning Allentown as a leader in the industry.