Hi,
    The cryostat is a sick patient and the vacuum is a HUGE SNEEZE!
    The air that the vacuum is drawing in needs to go somewhere or the
machine
would explode. Vacuums are built with an impeller fan that blows the air
from
the hose into and through a bag then out a vent. If that vent is not
HEPA
filtered then it is blowing out everything that is too small for the bag
to
catch which could include such critters as pneumocystis, tuberculosis,
hepatitis, HIV, CJD and any other bug you dont want to inhale.
Aerosolization
of microbes is a very easy way to infect everyone in a building.
    Sorry if this seems blunt but I have known people who depend too
much on
their vacuums then wonder why they always have a cold. Even in a
household
setting, mold and fungal spores are blown all over a house. That is why
so
many household vacuums have HEPA filters.
Amos Brooks

Linda Jenkins wrote:

> Well...listening to this topic got me to thinking (always a dangerous
> thing!).  I suspect the hepa vacuums are probably fairly expensive.  Why
> couldn't one use  a wet-dry shop vac?  Simply vacuum up the trash and then
> follow with a 10% Chlorox rinse. Since I just acquired a new Microm
> cryostat and am looking for an easy way to handle this - I would really
> appreciate your thoughts.  Since my hard tissue lab already looks like a
> machine shop with its assortment of table saws, drill presses, grinders,
> etc. - I thought a shop vac would add a certain appeal:-)
>         Linda
> *********************************
> Linda Jenkins, HT
> Clemson University
> Department of Bioengineering
> 864.656.5553
> **********************************