The majority of isolators come in either a closed or open form. Closed isolators are completely sealed, blocking any contaminated or unfiltered air from entering the enclosure during operation. These units provide the most effective protection from airborne impurities, but can be relatively slow for production or processing work.
Open isolators are more commonly used for aseptic procedures involving products or product components continually entering and exiting the workspace through a port. This specialized port is designed to prevent ambient air from entering the isolator enclosure by providing a steady outward flow of filtered air. When the interior of the isolator is undergoing decontamination, the exit port must typically be sealed up until the procedure is complete.
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