claire® neo – Experience flexibility anew

The concept of claire® neo offers users from pharmaceutical, medical, and biological fields maximum flexibility and meets future laboratory work requirements. The main focus of this new flexibility is manufacturing in the metric grid size of 30 cm steps. The previous model series claire® pro/pure, as well as competitor models, were historically based on Anglo-American HEPA filter modules with foot grid sizes (1 foot = 30.4 cm), resulting in fractional module sizes. In contrast, claire® neo integrates seamlessly into modern laboratory environments thanks to its external dimensions of 1200 mm, 1500 mm, 1800 mm, or 2100 mm, enabling optimal space utilization and planning of laboratory areas.

Functionality

To adapt to new requirements and applications, the design of the safety cabinet allows for subsequent modifications. For example, various work surfaces, interfaces for data transfer and power supply, as well as media access points for gases and liquids, can be easily retrofitted by service technicians or users themselves. Additionally, thanks to the innovative air management architecture, it is possible to convert the safety cabinet from a 2-filter system to a 3-filter system on-site to enhance safety when working with cytostatics or hazardous biological agents.

The flexibility of claire® neo is further increased by the new work surface concept. The universal design allows all work surfaces to be exchanged and combined across all claire® neo models, enabling individual adaptation to specific processes. A comprehensive portfolio of standard stainless steel work surfaces and a variety of custom models are available. These include work surfaces made of white safety glass for a particularly bright working environment, as well as functional work surfaces with integrated heating or keyboard features. Power supply and data transfer are handled via plug-and-play functionality beneath the work surface. Thanks to flush-mounted and liquid-tight integration, functions can be used safely without restricting available space and can be arranged individually within the workspace.

Digitalization

Digitalization and the Industry 4.0 or Laboratory 4.0 concepts now play a decisive role in research and the medical-pharmaceutical industry. With a flexibly expandable control software and the user-friendly Open Platform Communication Unified Architecture (OPC-UA) interface, claire® neo meets these requirements. This allows the safety cabinet to communicate with other laboratory devices and monitoring systems, tracking and storing various operational data as well as all login and alarm notifications.

Furthermore, the user interface and menu navigation are extremely intuitive and customizable. Through the new high-end touch display, user profiles can be configured, and up to 15 function keys can be assigned individually.

Sustainability

Sustainability was also a key consideration in the development of claire® neo. By consistently using high-quality, energy-saving components, intelligent air control, and combining the ECO mode with an ESM function (Energy Save Mode), power consumption was reduced by 9% to 17% compared to the previous model, claire® pro. These effects are further reinforced by retrofit options, the design of all components for durability with a typical service life of over 15 years (excluding wear parts), and enabling highly efficient laboratory planning. This largely avoids resource- and investment-intensive new acquisitions.

SKAN Pure Solutions has been a long-standing partner of Berner International in Switzerland. The development of claire® neo involved active exchange of both internal and customer experiences.

1 per meter of working width, claire® neo B-3-150 compared to claire® pro B-3-130 (GMP/ECO mode)