Posts Tagged ‘Public Health Laboratories’

APHL to hold annual meeting of public health labs: Cincinnati June 6-9

05-22-10

The Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL) will be holding it’s 2010 APHL Annual Meeting and Fourth Environmental Laboratory Conference in Cincinnati, Ohio, US, from June 6-9, 2010.  The event will will consist of a member assembly; keynote, general and breakout sessions; roundtables, posters and exhibits from industry.  APHL_logo_50pcAccording APHL:  “This year’s meeting will discuss issues ranging from environmental issues to emerging infectious diseases and emergency preparedness, from informatics to food safety, newborn screening and global health. The Annual Meeting is the APHL membership meeting. Attendees include state, county, city and local public health lab directors, environmental and agricultural lab directors, senior laboratory staff, government and private laboratory personnel, and others interested in laboratory issues.”

The sessions will include issues that pertain to Biosafety and Biosecurity. Among these are:
Biosafety and Biosecurity: Core Competencies, Regulatory Updates and Planning Towards the Future
“This session will inform the audience on the recent and potential changes on the horizon for laboratory biosafety and biosecurity. It will begin with an update on a recently developed core competency model for safe practices in public health laboratories. It will then address implementation of new potential regulations, provide best practices and allow the audience to discuss new developments in the realm of biosafety and biosecurity.”
Collaboration on Developing Biothreat Analysis
“This session will detail the collaboration between EPA, USDA and CDC on developing biothreat assays for environmental matrices.”

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germfree-logoGermfree manufactures a range of biological safety equipment utilized in the public health laboratory. Germfree supports the mission of APHL and will be exhibiting at APHL Annual Meeting and Fourth Environmental Laboratory Conference in Cincinnati. Germfree’s line of containment equipment includes systems for the receipt and testing of unknown hazardous samples (biological and chemical) including use in All Hazard Receipt Facilities. Other containment systems include Class III Biosafety Cabinets, Sample Receipt Bleaching Stations and Containment Transfer Carts to receive samples safely and efficiently.

Posted by CraigEllis on May 22, 2010

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APHL – Assoc. Public Health Labs – Annual Meeting: Cincinnati

05-04-10

June 6, 2010toJune 9, 2010

The Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL) will be holding it’s 2010 APHL Annual Meeting and Fourth Environmental Laboratory Conferencein Cincinnati, Ohio, US, from June 6-9, 2010.  The event will will consist of a member assembly; keynote, general and breakout sessions; roundtables, posters and exhibits from industry.  APHL_logo_50pcAccording APHL:  “This year’s meeting will discuss issues ranging from environmental issues to emerging infectious diseases and emergency preparedness, from informatics to food safety, newborn screening and global health. The Annual Meeting is the APHL membership meeting. Attendees include state, county, city and local public health lab directors, environmental and agricultural lab directors, senior laboratory staff, government and private laboratory personnel, and others interested in laboratory issues.”

The sessions will include issues that pertain to Biosafety and Biosecurity. Among these are:
Biosafety and Biosecurity: Core Competencies, Regulatory Updates and Planning Towards the Future
“This session will inform the audience on the recent and potential changes on the horizon for laboratory biosafety and biosecurity. It will begin with an update on a recently developed core competency model for safe practices in public health laboratories. It will then address implementation of new potential regulations, provide best practices and allow the audience to discuss new developments in the realm of biosafety and biosecurity.”
Collaboration on Developing Biothreat Analysis
“This session will detail the collaboration between EPA, USDA and CDC on developing biothreat assays for environmental matrices.”

*    *    *

germfree-logoGermfree manufactures a range of biological safety equipment utilized in the public health laboratory. Germfree supports the mission of APHL and will be exhibiting at APHL Annual Meeting and Fourth Environmental Laboratory Conference in Cincinnati. Germfree’s line of containment equipment includes systems for the receipt and testing of unknown hazardous samples  (biological and chemical) including use in All Hazard Receipt Facilities. Other containment systems include Class III Biosafety Cabinets, Sample Receipt Bleaching Stations and Containment Transfer Carts to receive samples safely and efficiently.

*    *    *

APHL_logo_50pcThe mission of Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL):  “To promote the role of public health laboratories in shaping national and global health objectives, and to promote policies, programs and technologies that assure continuous improvement in the quality of laboratory practice and health outcomes.” Based in Silver Spring, Maryland, US, this  is  “The Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL) is the national nonprofit representing governmental laboratories that monitor and detect public health threats, ranging from lead contamination in drinking water to metabolic and genetic conditions in newborns…APHL’s core membership is comprised of public health, environmental and agricultural laboratories.  Representatives from federal agencies, nonprofit organizations, corporations and interested individuals also participate in the association. International participation is expanding in response to the globalization of disease and APHL’s active global health program.”

Posted by CraigEllis on May 4, 2010

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Mobile and Deployable Class III BSC and Flexible Film Isolators

01-29-10

Three events have come together in the past few years that codified a need for rapidly deployable, mobile and cost effective containment equipment.  First, there was recognition that many regions and countries in the world did not have adequate infrastructure, reliable power, or primary containment to provide a safe environment when working with emerging, re-emerging and dangerous infectious agents. In the US and elsewhere following the 2001 anthrax letters Public Health Labs and First Responders began experiencing an increase in their mission scope to collect, transport and perform analysis on unknown samples that may contain biological or chemical hazards. That mission had increased significantly due to copycat, hoax and criminal activity.  In the same timeframe, advances in biomedical research created a need to move samples, animals and materials from room to room, or into and out of imaging suites and equipment while maintaining containment.  In response to these needs portable Class III Biosafety Cabinets, flexible film isolators and compact, easily deployable hybrids were developed and refined.

Portable Class III Biological Safety Cabinet

SEA benchtop

SEA benchtop (Portable)

Small, bench top units were developed that provide safe, effective and affordable primary containment (i.e. SEA) enabling flexibility for laboratory use or field deployment. It was originally developed for diagnostic screening of unknown and highly pathogenic samples in facilities, laboratories or field settings that lack reliable secondary containment controls.  The closed system decreases the chance of aerosol escape, resultant accidental exposure and potential laboratory acquired illnesses.   

In animal research, portable battery powered Class III BSCs are increasingly being used to move animals from holding rooms to procedure rooms.  The supply is single HEPA filtered, the exhaust is double HEPA filtered as required by the CDC (Download BMBL 5th Ed. pdf).  By use of large RTPs integrated into transporter carts of Class III design, the walls of animal holding rooms, and stationary Class III systems, scientists can safely transport exposed animals from holding rooms to procedure areas equipped with devices such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), positron emission tomography (PET), and other non-invasive scanning devices. The systems reduce personnel and environmental exposure and reduce the time the animal must be handled and anesthetized.
 
Class III animal transfer with RTP dock

Class III animal transfer with RTP dock

SEA with passthrough and legs built in

SEA with passthrough and legs built in

        

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Transportable Class III BSC

All hazard reciept mobile Class III BSC

All hazard reciept Transportable Class III Biological Safety Cabinet

Transportable Class III Biological Safety Cabinets are used in Public Health Laboratories for the receipt of unknown hazardous samples associated with chemical or biological terrorism or criminal activities.  Workers use the transport BSCs to move the unknown hazardous sample from the loading dock area or other delivery site used by the First Responder, to the containment lab without risking contamination of non-contained and public areas, as well as the containment lab itself.

Taken together, the advent of the use of transport and mobile Class III BSCs provides a significantly safer way of moving and handling infected animals or unknown samples than any past capability.

 

 

Flexible Film Isolator

Mobile flexible film isolator

Transportable flexible film isolator

The negative-pressure flexible-film isolator is a self-contained primary containment device that provides maximum protection against hazardous biological materials. Isolators can be placed on a counter top or on a mobile cart. The workspace is enclosed in a transparent polyvinylchloride (PVC) film that suspended from a plastic or steel framework. Like Class III BSC, the supply air passes through one HEPA filter and exhaust air passes through two HEPA  filters.

WHO recognizes the double HEPA exhaust obviates the need to duct exhaust air outside the building.  Flexible-film isolators are used frequently and very successfully in animal containment, field work and other instances where it is not feasible to install or maintain conventional BSC.  Hybrids (semi-flexible film isolators) exist where some of the panels are made of a rigid material such as polycarbonate, and typically the front panel is soft PVC.

 

 Deployable Isolators 

Field deployable flexible isolator

Field deployable flexible isolator

The deployable isolator unit is a self-contained negative pressure filtration system that operates on two standard D cell batteries.  Supply air is HEPA filtered. Exhaust air is double HEPA or double HEPA and carbon filtered. All filters are readily available and easily replaceable by First Responders and those involved in field collection and preliminary screening and triage. It is a rapidly deployable, light-weight, disposable system that comes in a compact transport case and sets up much like a dome tent. The isolator is made of durable 15mil polyurethane to withstand field use, repeated assembly/disassembly, and can be assembled and operational within minutes for on-demand use requirements.  Large samples and equipment are introduced through a zipper system similar to those on a BSL-4 suit.  Sampling ports are provided for use with external detectors and analytical equipment.         

The diversity in containment equipment is almost limitless and depends on user requirements and design team innovation and advances in materials. 

 

Posted by blogmaster on January 29, 2010

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