Plymouth Science Park’s new modular clean room offers space for vital research and testing in the South West.

The new facility is part of the Health Tech Innovation Hub, which opened at the Park this year. This regional hub for the incubation and development of health technology businesses, funded through the Heart of the South West LEP, provides access to integrated health technology, research and innovation, and the ability to design and create complex and innovative products for the health sector.

The facility includes a modular ISO class 7 clean room (Grade C), designed to keep out contaminants such as dust particles, and airborne organisms, as well as safely control hazardous materials. The 18m² room has a 99.99% efficient HEPA filtration, permitting no particles larger than 0.3 microns, as well as an integrated changing area for protective gowning. The clean room can also be expanded by the addition of further modular cells (5x3m or 4x3m).

Plymouth Science Park’s clean room is expected to help attract businesses who operate in the life sciences, forensics or photonics.

The clean room also features a laminar flow cabinet, designed to prevent contamination of sensitive materials. The cabinet achieves ISO class 5 standard (Grade A), using HEPA filtration to protect samples by directing a laminar airflow through a hood, towards the user, and away from the materials inside.