Vacuum-cleaning system for isolation chambers.

To encourage the utilization of the isolation chamber as a research tool, the cost of its use should be lowered. Methods and devices must be developed which make more efficient use of the space within the isolator and allow the operator to work more effectively in this confined area. A simple vacuum-cleaning system is described; it consists of a nozzle and flexible hose which connect through the isolator wall to an externally placed waste tank, attached by way of its outlet filter to a source of vacuum. The cylindrical waste tank [48 inches (1.219 m) high and 36 inches (0.914 m) in diameter] was sterilized in a large autoclave. During a 9-month test period, the system was used to remove soiled corncob bedding from a large isolator containing 90 adult monocontaminated rats. During this period, the microbial flora of the isolator was unchanged, and the time required to clean the cages was reduced by 50%. This vacuum-cleaning system is a safe, convenient, and economical means of increasing the efficiency of an isolation chamber.