Barrier isolator

Barrier isolator is a general term that includes two types of devices: Isolators and Restricted Access Barriers (RABS). Both are devices that provide a physical and aerodynamic (air overpressure) barrier between the external clean room environment and a work process. The isolator design is the more dependable of the two barrier design choices, as it prevents contamination hazards by achieving a more comprehensive separation of the processing environment from the surrounding facility. Nonetheless, both Isolator and RABS designs are contemporary approaches developed over the last 35 years and a great advancement over designs of the 1950s-70s that were far more prone to microbial contamination problems.