Recommendations for Cleaning an Isolator with a Wiper

Cleaning Preparation:

Step 1: Clean your gloved hands and all cleaning products using wipes pre-wetted with 70% isopropyl alcohol (IPA), then place the products in the pass-through.

Step 2: Close the pass-through and allow the proper time for equilibrium.

Step 3: Wipe your gloved hands with 70% IPA again, and then insert them into the isolator gloves.

Step 4: Open the interior door of the pass-through and bring all components into the interior of the Isolator. Close the pass-through door and wait for the specified time for the Isolator to reach equilibrium.

Isolator Cleaning Process:

For surfaces outside the operator’s reach, use the Berkshire (ICT) Isolator Cleaning Tool with a mop cover dampened with IPA. For surfaces within reach, use a Berkshire-recommended quarter-folded wiper wetted with IPA or pre-wetted with ethanol.

Step 1: Start by carefully wiping the ceiling to avoid damaging the filter. Next, clean the back and side walls and finish with the deck. Remember to work from high to low, clean areas to dirty, and dry to wet.

Step 2: Use straight, parallel strokes when wiping, ensuring overlap.

Step 3: Change the surface of the wipe with each parallel stroke. Once all the surfaces have been used, change to a clean wiper.

Step 4: Use sterile isopropyl alcohol (IPA) moistened swabs to clean corners and tight areas effectively.

Step 5: Dispose of used wipes and swabs in a disposal bag or through the disposal port.

Wiping Technique:

The proper technique for wiping is to move the wipe towards you in straight horizontal lines, overlapping each pass by 10-25%. A contaminated wipe should not be used on an area that has just been cleaned unless it is folded to reveal a clean surface. While quarter folds are commonly recommended for wiping, validating this practice with each operator is essential, as quarter folding can lead to confusion about which wipe surfaces have been used. In such cases, wipes folded in half are more cost-effective than not folding at all.

When performing surface wiping, follow these guidelines: start from the top and work your way to the bottom, moving from back to front, using dry wipes before wet ones, and progressing from the cleanest areas to the dirtiest. The wipes themselves should be made from low-particulate materials.

Sterile dry wipes and Isopropyl alcohol wipes from Berkshire are well-suited for pharmaceutical, medical, and lab uses. They are made from durable knitted materials and are saturated with high-purity isopropyl alcohol. Available in sterile and non-sterile forms, sterile wipes typically contain a mix of isopropyl alcohol (IPA) and deionized (DI) water or water for injection (WFI), effectively sanitizing and cleaning hard, non-porous surfaces in Isolators.

Reference: H. Siegerman. “Wiping Surfaces Clean,” Vicon Publishing Inc, 2004)