ABSTRACT
Cleanrooms or controlled environments are manufacturing, medical, or research facilities that are designed to assure constant environmental conditions such as temperature and humidity and to reduce airborne particulate contamination. Cleanrooms may be designated as certified if they fully conform to recognized national or international cleanroom standards. Facilities that may lack full certification are more commonly referred to as controlled environments. Examples of manufacturing areas that require cleanrooms or controlled environments include microelectronic circuitry, nanotechnology, satellites, optical equipment, food, medical devices, and pharmaceuticals. Various forms of controlled environments are also frequently seen in pharmacies that dispense sterile formulations. Contamination control principles are practiced in the protection of hospital patients who are particularly susceptible to airborne infection. It has been demonstrated that surgical wound infections can be reduced when operations are carried out in controlled environments. Cleanroom principles have been successfully used to protect patients recovering from serious burns or suffering from severely compromised immune systems. The application of airborne contamination controls to isolate patients with highly contagious diseases such as tuberculosis can protect hospital personnel, visitors, and other patients. Certain areas of microbiological research that deal with highly infectious organisms also use many of the features and practices associated with the control of airborne contamination.
