In pharmaceutical manufacturing, ensuring the uniform distribution of vaporized hydrogen peroxide (VHP) during bio-decontamination is critical for maintaining sterile environments. Older designs of Material Transfer Chambers (MTCs) often face challenges with uneven gas distribution due to complex airflow patterns and varying load configurations. This study explores a technical solution to enhance bio-decontamination efficacy by integrating a Levitronix® PURO™ fan—a high- purity, magnetically levitated fan system—directly into the chamber. The evaluation focuses on comparing a standard MTC setup against a system modified with a PURO™ fan positioned at different locations.

To capture the operational extremes of the MTC, two distinct loads were analyzed.

The primary objective was to determine if the additional air circulation provided by the PURO™ fan could: Homogenize the H2O2 concentration throughout the chamber volume. Mitigate the impact of various load types on decontamination quality. Enhance process reliability by reducing the “range” between maximum and minimum decontamination levels.

Testing involved a multi-variable approach, assessing different fan speeds, continuous versus pulsed operation modes, and varying decontamination durations. Results were monitored using both chemical indicators (CIs) to measure log-reduction ranges and biological indicators (BIs) to verify microbial inactivation. This presentation outlines the experimental setup and the methodology used to identify the optimal configuration for a more robust and load-independent bio-decontamination cycle.