German standards updated
The German national guideline, VDI 2083, will be revised and updated in accordance with ISO standards, says Christine Montigny, Senior Technical Officer of DIN and VDI, at the recent CleanRooms Europe conference in Frankfurt, Germany.
In 2001, VDI 2083—Parts 2, 4, 5 and 6 are due for revisions. The revisions will ensure that the German guidelines are checked regularly; approved or updated according to the existing state-of-the-art technology; and tested for possible coherence or contradiction with existing or newly established standards—German or international, reports Montigny.
This year, ISO 14644-2 and ISO 14644-4 will be available as formal ISO standards and adopted as European standards EN ISO 14644-2 and EN ISO 14644-4. New draft international standards will be available this year for “Separative Enclosures” (ISO/DIS 14644-7) and for “Cleanroom Operations” (ISO/DIS 14644-5).—LC
Operating theatre system reduces infection
A new operating theatre system can help protect patients from life-threatening infections, claims Alf-Edgar Geier, manager of research and development cleanroom technologies division of Luwa, a Division of Zellweger Luwa AG (Uster, Switzerland).
Geier touts the operating system, OP, as an infection-fighting system that helps doctors “reduce wound infections” by providing operating rooms with a larger area of sterile air coverage.
The OP system filters, cools and heats the air supplied via an extensive sterile-type CG-screen air outlet. It also produces an overhead laminar air flow for protecting the patient from contacting air contaminated with bacterium or viruses. According to Geier, the OP system keeps the concentration of germs present during operations to less than 10 CBU per cubic meter below the sterile air outlet.—LC
Cleanroom alliance takes root
An alliance of eight cleanroom suppliers and services companies was officially launched at CleanRooms Europe in Frankfurt, Germany. Adopting the name Cinnovation, the group of German-based companies says it will offer a turnkey solution of products and services for cleanroom end users throughout Europe.
“Together it is much easier to learn the clients' goals and requirements and to serve them in the best and fastest way,” says Thomas von Kahlden, spokesman for Cinnovation.
The companies include: Chemgineering GmbH, a cleanroom planning and engineering company; CCI von Kahlden GmbH, equipment, software and consulting for cleanroom technology; Loemat GmbH, a distributor of cleanroom workstations, flow boxes, glove boxes, minienvironments and mobile clean boxes; MT-Mefltechnik GmbH, a distributor of example aerosol generators and environmental sensors; Cleanroom Technology, a distributor and service provider for minienvironments, filter modules and modular rooms; Dastex GmbH, an apparel and supplies distributor; Duvernell profi-con, training services and cleanroom cleaning; and Microclean Deutschland, Bilger Schwenk AG, a distributor of garments, undergarments and cleanroom garments.—BR