CONTINUITY OF SERVICE AND FUNCTIONALITY WITH NEW QUANTITATIVE FIT TESTING SYSTEMS

Ian Bennett

TSI

The TSI PortaCount has long been the method of Quantitative Fit testing deployed routinely in the field. Various International and National Standards and Guidance reference the method, so any improvements to this device must not impair its ability to comply fully with these requirements. In June of this year TSI launched two new versions of Portacount. This presentation will describe the changes made in design and operation introduced for these two products. It will illustrate that there is comparability with earlier models and that continuity of service that has been retained. The improvements offer greater functionality and convenience to routine fit testers faced with significant and growing demands for their services. Changes in sampled flow rates and the internalisation of the N95 Companion hardware have allowed significant improvements in the reproducible quantification of high fit factor pass/fail criteria. The introduction of higher flow rates has also reduced the number of occasions in which low particle count limits will be encountered, especially when testing N95 (P1 and P2) filtering face pieces.  The new design utilises modern developments in soft, firm and hardware to enable greater ease of use without sacrificing the security required by this highly regulated test procedure.