A new generation takes over

claire®neo (Image rights: © Berner International GmbH)

claire®neo (Image rights: © Berner International GmbH)

The "Bernese Box" set standards since the 1980s for the safe preparation of highly effective medicines. Since then, users in pharmacy, medicine, and biology have associated the terms "work and product protection" with safety cabinets from Berner International GmbH. Now, the medium-sized company is launching a new device generation with the claire® neo series. The designers primarily had one goal in mind during development: maximum flexibility and integrability.

Safety Cabinets: Not Just "Nice to Have," but Often Mandatory

Safety cabinets are a central protective device in laboratories where products are handled under germ- and particle-free conditions. The term "protection" should be understood in two senses: as a measure to preserve product integrity and as a means to minimize health hazards from the product. This becomes clear when looking at the main application areas for safety cabinets. For example, in the preparation and examination of parenteral medicines, it's often not only about the sterility of the medication but also about protecting personnel from inhalative exposure to potentially cytotoxic substances in cancer therapy. The same applies to handling pathogenic microorganisms, whose cultures must be protected from contamination on one hand, but can also pose an infection risk to laboratory staff on the other. Purity and occupational safety requirements have prompted legislators to regulate the use of safety cabinets in pharmaceutical facilities and microbiological or genetic laboratories (see ApBetrO, TRGS 525, BioStoffV, GenTSV). When a defined personnel or product hazard exists, the use of safety cabinets or similarly effective protective devices is mandatory. Operators and users are thus obliged to familiarize themselves with the safe operation and integration of these devices into existing or new laboratory or cleanroom structures.

Laboratory of the Future: Flexible, Efficient, Digital

In scientific, pharmaceutical, and medical fields, laboratories and cleanrooms should no longer be designed "for eternity," according to many practitioners' ideas. "Flexibility" is the magic word describing the need for optimally adapted work areas. Highly variable, coordinated workstation structures are intended to shape future activities, improve the utilization of existing resources, and save costs. This development is supported by electronic data exchange between the components and their integration into the digital structure of the laboratory or even the entire company.

Therefore, requirements for "smart," adaptable work areas should be considered already during the planning of construction and renovation projects. The digital management and visualization of all necessary information within the framework of Building Information Modeling (BIM) promise significant advantages in construction processes and later management of laboratories and cleanrooms. Standardized dimensions of components and devices simplify the process and enable cost- and time-efficient restructuring according to the needs of all parties involved in laboratory operations. Future-proof devices should seamlessly fit into a uniform layout grid. They thus align with concepts from renowned laboratory designers, whose products have long been offered in corresponding grid sizes. This allows for largely flexible configuration of equipment, which can be adapted to changing usage requirements with minimal effort.

Further important aspects on the path to greater flexibility and efficiency arise from extended functionality and communication of technical facilities in the laboratory or cleanroom. Initial development concepts include individually combinable, smart laboratory modules with integrated devices on their surfaces. These units can communicate with each other and with the overall system, providing essential functionalities as needed—without requiring additional space. Waiting times are reduced, workflows can be optimized, and work goals achieved more quickly—key prerequisites for the transformation to Laboratory 4.0.

claire® neo: Safe in Every Respect

"Microbiological safety cabinets" according to DIN EN 12469 and "cytostatic safety cabinets" according to DIN 12980 reliably meet minimum performance standards for personnel, product, and cross-contamination protection. In this sense, all conformity-assessed devices currently meet the applicable safety and functional requirements. But are they already ready for the journey into the laboratory of the future?

With the aim of meeting more complex requirements of modern laboratory structures, Berner has based the upcoming claire® neo safety cabinets on a completely new foundation. This concerns not only the external appearance but—especially—the "inner values." Extensive years of development have further optimized design, ergonomics, and functionality, tailoring them for sustainable use. The most significant improvements relate to the areas listed below.

Standardized Dimensions

All safety cabinets currently available on the market have manufacturer-specific external dimensions. This complicates planning and integration into a uniform laboratory concept. The lack of standardization also limits reuse or relocation of devices to different sites. Large companies, in particular, have expressed a desire for flexible use of existing or planned laboratory spaces, explains Berner Managing Director Thomas Hinrichs. They increasingly demand equipment with uniform dimensions, similar to modern kitchen appliances.

"claire® neo safety cabinets were therefore designed with strict adherence to a uniform dimension grid," describes the bioengineer. "They are offered in four different sizes, all of which can be seamlessly integrated into a laboratory environment with a 30 cm grid." These devices not only facilitate the redesign of laboratory and cleanroom areas but also enable needs-based restructuring, where repositioning safety cabinets has often been problematic.

Extended Functionality

"Sooner or later, every user realizes that space is becoming tight," Hinrichs describes the usage situation in current safety cabinets. Especially when multiple technical devices need to be accommodated, structured workflows are often difficult to implement. The solution, he and his development team see, lies in better utilization of the available workspace. Conventional safety cabinets consist of individual stainless steel panels that must be easy to clean. However, these elements have no functionalities and serve only as "passive" storage surfaces. Devices within the workspace reduce the available working area and can also act as safety-related airflow barriers. Therefore, recommendations advise against using large or numerous devices inside a safety cabinet.

Along with the introduction of standardized dimensions, Berner's claire® neo safety cabinets are equipped with "active" work surfaces that are functionalized. These optional surfaces integrate regularly used laboratory devices (e.g., magnetic stirrers, heating or cooling plates, computer keyboards, battery chargers) or feature other application-optimized properties such as easy-to-clean, chemically resistant surfaces, LED backlighting, or vibration damping. The integration is largely flush with the surface, maintaining the entire available workspace and allowing easy cleaning and disinfection. In line with the standardized external dimensions, the work surfaces are produced in uniform sizes, making them adaptable across various areas of the workspace and in all new safety cabinets of the series. This reduces procurement costs and allows flexible use of existing system components across different laboratory areas. Additional work surfaces with further functionalities can be ordered later, ensuring long-term, sustainable use of the basic equipment.

Operation and Digital Integration

Stricter hygiene requirements, the desire for comprehensive process parameter monitoring, and the goal of integrating laboratory devices into intelligent networks make it necessary to equip safety cabinets with powerful control and management components. This applies not only to the interface with the operator but also to communication with other laboratory devices and monitoring systems.

The hardware and software of the claire® neo series have been completely overhauled and placed on a new digital platform. This allows for future data reading and processing of important operational data directly on the device or via network connection. User or usage profiles can be stored in the control system, enabling the safety cabinet to operate with predefined parameters (lighting intensity, front window opening, display functions, etc.) without lengthy reconfiguration. The system also allows booking operating times to ensure flexible, cross-laboratory device use. Operation itself is primarily via an intuitive touch display, which can be customized to individual requirements and informs the user about all important operational parameters and settings. To ensure safe, contactless operation when handling toxic or infectious materials, devices of the new series can automatically start or enter a safe standby mode via presence detection.

Upgrade and Retrofit Options

Depending on the hazard potential of the handled products, it can be both safety-technical and economical to operate the safety cabinet with a third filter stage. This prevents contamination of hard-to-access internal components (e.g., fans) and spares extensive cleaning work before repairs, repurposing, or disposal. Until now, it was necessary to choose a two- or three-filter type at the time of purchase, with no option for later "upgrading." This often hindered the sensible reuse of existing devices.

Safety cabinets of the claire® neo series can be adapted to current requirements over many years. The redesign of the base frame makes the installation of a third filter stage straightforward. The work can be carried out directly on site, so the cabinet does not need to leave the laboratory or cleanroom. This also applies to retrofitting media connections, electrical or electronic interfaces, or an integrated monitor. Given the increasing automation of workflows and the networking of laboratory devices, digital expandability is of great importance. Simple retrofitting offers customers the opportunity to adapt existing devices to future requirements—cost-effectively and with minimal effort.

Ready for the Future

Managing Director Hinrichs is proud of Berner's new development: "The properties listed make claire® neo a milestone in the development of safety cabinets." In fact, the devices already meet essential requirements for the "laboratory of the future," both in terms of spatial planning and use, as well as operation and digital integration of the components inside. More than their predecessors, they enable safe and efficient work, but above all, greater flexibility and easier adaptation to future, individual work demands. The new features primarily address the needs of industrial users, but it is expected that they will also—albeit with some delay—become important features in smaller facilities (pharmacies, practices, offices, university laboratories, etc.).