Laboratory Clean Rooms – Precision-Controlled Environments for Contamination-Sensitive Work

What Defines a Cleanroom?

A cleanroom is an engineered laboratory environment meticulously designed to maintain exceptionally low levels of airborne contaminants—such as dust, microbes, and vaporized particles—through stringent air filtration and airflow control. These spaces are vital for disciplines where purity and control are non-negotiable, including semiconductor manufacturing, pharmaceutical production, biotech research, and contamination-sensitive R&D.

How Cleanrooms Are Classified & Maintained

Cleanrooms are ranked by their air cleanliness level according to ISO 14644‑1 standards, which define permissible particle counts per cubic meter.

• ISO Class 5: allows up to 10,200 particles ≥0.1 µm; typical for semiconductor and pharmaceutical manufacturing.
• ISO Class 7 & 8: more moderate standards—ISO 7 permits up to 352,000 particles (≥0.5 µm), and ISO 8 allows up to 3,520,000 particles—commonly found in general lab operations and USP 797/800 pharmacy compounding areas.

Beyond classifications, ISO 14644 extends guidelines across cleanroom design, testing, construction, and operational protocols: from HVAC planning to personnel gowning and cleaning procedures.

Essential Features of Laboratory Cleanrooms

• Advanced Filtration & Airflow
  High-efficiency HEPA or ULPA filters, combined with laminar or turbulent airflow systems, actively cleanse and refresh air to stringent standards.
• Controlled Environmental Parameters
  Cleanrooms maintain tightly regulated temperature, humidity, and air pressure (positive for purity or negative for containment), depending on application.
• Specialized Architectural Design
  Surfaces and fixtures—from epoxy-sealed floors to coved corners and sealed paneling—are carefully selected to reduce particle shedding and facilitate maintenance.
• Strict Access and Protocols
  Protocols often include gowning areas, airlocks, and personnel decontamination processes to mitigate contamination risk.

Laboratory Clean Rooms enable controlled, sterile, and reliable environments where precision, safety, and integrity converge. Whether scaling production or safeguarding sensitive lab processes, these cleanrooms are essential infrastructure for any contamination-critical operation.