A Test Rig for Performance Evaluation of Air Disinfecting Devices for Reducing Biocontamination

A new test rig is introduced to determine the cleaning efficiency of air disinfecting devices. The experimental setup includes three main parts which are the test chamber, the aerosol generation unit and the actual measuring unit. The performance evaluation methodology places the air disinfection device to be tested in the test chamber, a microbial aerosol is generated and injected into the test chamber, then take natural decay test and total decay test in order with the same sampling device, experiment conditions and time intervals. This allows a percentage cleaning efficiency value to be calculated. In the first experiments performed with Bacillus atrophaeus the apparatus proved to be a reliable instrument for the investigation of the removal efficiency of air disinfecting devices. Thus it is possible to compare different air disinfecting devices of the same or different cleaning mechanisms and determine their optimum operational conditions. This test methodology can be used to assess manufacturers' claims of efficacy of equipment against airborne microorganisms in the hospital environment.