The future belongs to real-time methods for determining micro-organism counts

As the Head of Hospital Hygiene and the Laboratory, I am responsible for the standards- and QM-compliant execution of measurements and sample analysis, as well as providing expert advice in the planning and implementation of construction projects from a hygienic perspective. (Dr. Christian Raiss, Head of Testing Laboratory and Hospital Hygiene at the Hygiene Institute AYSID) / As the Director of Testing Laboratory and Hospital Hygiene, it is my responsibility to ensure that measurements and analyses of samples are performed in accordance with applicable standards and QM guidelines. (Dr. Christian Raiss, Director of Testing Laboratory and Hospital Hygiene at the Hygiene-Institut AYSID GmbH)

Micro-organisms continue to pose new challenges for the cleanroom industry. Dr. Christian Raiss, Director of Testing Laboratory and Hospital Hygiene at the Hygiene-Institut AYSID GmbH, will be discussing the latest methods for determining micro-organism counts at the Cleanzone Conference 2018. He offers a preview of the topic here in our interview.

Dr. Raiss, you are the Director of Testing Laboratory and Hospital Hygiene at the Hygiene-Institut AYSID GmbH. What types of tests and requests do you deal with in your everyday work?

“For one thing, our institute plays an active role in measuring and monitoring hygiene on site in both cleanrooms and hospitals. Our institute is also affiliated with a microbiological testing laboratory accredited by DAkkS, Germany’s national accreditation body. As the Director of Testing Laboratory and Hospital Hygiene, it is my responsibility to ensure that measurements and analyses of samples are performed in accordance with applicable standards and QM guidelines. I also provide expert consultation for planning and implementing construction projects in compliance with hygiene requirements.”

What topics will you be addressing at the Cleanzone Conference?

“I’m always fascinated by the ways in which micro-organisms manage to find entry into even the cleanest areas – and actually survive there. Even NASA must find and combat extremely resilient, hygiene-resistant bacteria in their cleanrooms. Finding, identifying and eliminating these micro-organisms, be they bacteria or mould, is an exciting job, and one that always confronts me with new challenges. Among other things, I’ll be taking advantage of Cleanzone to provide some tips on how companies can keep their cleanrooms sterile and combat contamination through the application of custom hygiene management.”

What is it that fascinates you about cleanroom and hygiene technology? What innovations in the field of determining micro-organism counts and cleanroom technology do you expect to see within the next few years?

“I always work to ensure that I’m up-to-date on the very latest technologies and processes, and I'm certain that real-time methods will be playing a major role in future. I’m fascinated by bio-microchips – some of these are even suitable for on-site use in real-time, providing readings directly without any need to send samples into the lab. Thanks to the fact that I’ve worked on these chips myself, however, I also know that it will still be some time before these innovative tools can be manufactured for a reasonable price. I will be delving into these and other themes, such as new methods for determining micro-organism counts, in greater detail my presentation.”