Clean & Controlled Environments 2006, the two-day conference covering all aspects of contamination controlled environments and cleanrooms, is just a month away. Comprised of two tracks—“design/build” and “clean technologies,” there’s something there for everybody, whether looking for cleanroom construction solutions or microbial, ESD, and particle contamination control. Two hands-on workshops on ESD and cleanroom air flow control are scheduled, as well as sessions on many other current topics essential to pharmaceutical and microelectronics R&D and manufacturing. The conference is running concurrentlywith Nanotech 2006, the largest U.S. event covering nanotechnology.

A variety of design/build topics will be presented. These range from “green” cleanrooms, to wall systems, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) tools, to cleanroom construction planning. The design/build speakers are extremely knowledgeable, having racked up hundreds of years of hands-on experience planning and designing nano, biopharmand microelectronic facilities.

The clean technologies track also offers a plethora of topics that are essential for contamination control. Topics include health and safety aspects of nanotechnology, nanotechnology surface cleaning and particle adhesion, and many other relevant issues. Also, fundamental issues will be presented such as choosing the proper sterilizing agent, and managing microbes. In a micro-electronics vein, there is a presentation on contamination control in immersion lithography, airbornemolecular contamination, particulate detection and removal.

In addition, there will be two two-hour mini-seminars. One focuses on fan filter units feedback control to minimize energy costs in cleanrooms. The other isconcerned with ESD Materials and ESD test methods.

The conference being co-sponsored by Controlled Environments Magazine®and NSTI (Nano Science and Technology Institute) makes for perfect synergy. There has always been a strong link between clean and controlled environments and advanced technology but maybe never as strong as it is with nanotechnol-ogy. “Strict control of these environments is a basic requirement. Bringing the Clean and Controlled Environments event together with NSTI Nanotech was a logical and welcomed addition to the event,” says Matthew Laudon, Ph.D., ExecutiveDirector of NSTI.

NSTI Nanotech is by far the largest and most comprehensive event in Nanotechnology bringing together the entire small tech ecosystem at one time in one place. You have scientists and engineers, as well as technology and product development professionals from all areas and disciplines—healthcare, materials, electronics, energy, cosmetics, you name it,” Laudon comments. Register online atwww.cleanroom.com/cce06

LETTER TO THE EDITOR — Waxing On Taxonomy

Dear Mr. Nesdore:

Reading your editorial in the February issue was a little like turning the clock back 25 years, at least from the pharmaceutical viewpoint of controlled environments. I feel that we in Europe have tackled many of these issues over the years and we now have a reasonably clear overall picture. The following references may reflect this:

1. ISO 14644. "Cleanrooms and Associated Controlled Environments" Part 7 of this standard is entitled "Separative Enclosures (clean air hoods, gloveboxes, isolators, minienvironments)." It provides a glossary of terms and the "Separation Continuum Concept" diagram gives a good feel for the application of each device.
2. "Pharmaceutical Isolators". Midcalf et. Al Eds. Pharmaceutical Press 2004 This contains another useful glossary of terms and also lists of relevant standards and acronyms.
3. "Isolation Technology - a Practical Guide". Tim Coles. CRC Press Inc. 2004
   (Modesty forbids further comment.)
   And another glossary which you might find useful:
4. ISO 10648. "Containment Enclosures" and BS EN 12469 "Biotechnology - Performance Criteria for Microbiological Safety Cabinets"

Glancing at some of your bullet points, the broad European understanding ofsome of these terms has developed as follows:

• Isolators: These are separative enclosures used in the pharmaceutical and pharmacy industries.
• Gloveboxes: These are separative enclosures used in the nuclear industry and also in other high containment applications.
• Minienvironments: These are separative enclosures used in the semi-conductor industry
• Safety Cabinets: These are a series of very clearly defined(ISO 10648) separative enclosures used in the biotechnology and microbiology industries.

Other terms you quote (chambers, enclosures, exhaust hoods, macroenvironments, tables, test chambers and workstations) don't seem to carry any specific meaning in this particular context. I hope you find this information useful. It is certainly true that we need to agree terms before we can discuss technicalities. I do however feel we are actually rather further on than you indicate.

Tim Coles,
Director Pharminox Isolation Ltd Cambridge,
U.K.
tcoles@globalnet.co.uk