HT Group exchanges filter housings at Inst. for Virology / Technical University (TU) Munich during ongoing operation

In order to ensure trouble-free operation of one of the currently most important laboratories in Bavaria, HT Group replaced the exhaust air filter housing within the BSL-3 laboratories at the Institute for Virology of the Technical (TU) Munich during ongoing operation. The laboratory operations of the institute under the direction of Prof. Dr. Ulrike Protzer should not be hindered, because of the importance for the country during the current pandemic situation. At the same time there was the requirement to replace the existing filters in order to be able to meet the requirements of the resolution 16/2010 of the "Laboratory Technology" project group (formerly ELATEC) of the Committee for Biological Agents (ABAS) with new filters. The resolution provides for the following safety functions, among others, for HEPA filters in air conditioning systems in protection level 3 laboratories:

• Check of the integrity of the filter element seal from the outside
• In-situ leak measurement of the HEPA filter element in accordance with ISO 14644-3 with a fully automatic, movable scanner system
• Contamination-free filter element exchange on the basis of Bag-In-Bag-Out technology
• Suitability and preparation for decontamination with disinfectants such as hydrogen peroxide

The work took place under the supervision and direction of Dr. Alexander Hermann, Biological Safety Officer at the Institute for Virology at the Technical University of Munich. For a period of four days, every day one of the filter housing was replaced. The ventilation system was only switched off to dismantle the existing filter and reassemble the new filter. Since the installation site of the filters is part of the control area within ​​the BSL-3 laboratory wing, the conversion had to be carried out under suitable personal protection equipment (PPE) in order to avoid any contamination. Furthermore, the regulations for laboratory operations were observed for the inward and outward contamination-free transfer of personnel and material. 

Claus Schweinheim, Managing Director of HT Lab Tec GmbH and project manager at HT Group, was very satisfied after the successful installation and testing of the new HEPA filter housing. "Even under difficult working conditions and very limited space, we were able to carry out a complicated conversion in the existing building with our customer in the shortest possible project time," he added.