About The Hepa Filters - Baker SterilGARD III Advance Operator's Manual

Document: 333D012G

About the HEPA Filters

The High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter is one of the essential components of a clean air cabinet. It is the
shield, which stands between the product and the environment.
The HEPA filter consists of a continuous sheet of glass fibers pleated and mounted in a rigid frame. It is very
delicate and the filter media should never be touched.
Proven efficiency in all HEPA filters used in Baker cabinets are 99.99% for particles 0.3 microns in diameter. The
0.3 micron particle is used as the basis for filter definition because theoretical studies have shown that filtration
efficiency should be at a minimum for particles of this diameter, with efficiency increasing for particles either larger
or smaller. Experiments with various viruses and microbial agents have proven the effectiveness of HEPA filters.
(Contact The Baker Company for more information).
It must be pointed out that the HEPA filter is not intended to filter gasses or vapors, nor are they 100% efficient on
particulates.
The room and cabinet particulate levels along with the capacity of the building exhaust fan determines the life of a
filter. Under most laboratory conditions, you should expect a long filter life. However, misuse or a heavy particulate
load within the cabinet will shorten any filter's life.
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5-18-2007