In cleanroom monitoring, we often focus on how many particles are collected. But what if the real question is how many viable organisms your sampler is actually recovering?

That’s where biological collection efficiency comes in, and why it matters far more than many realise.

What is biological collection efficiency? It’s the ability of your sampler to collect and preserve live, viable microorganisms during sampling, not just total particles. This is important; if your sampler’s design or impact velocity kills those organisms before they reach the agar, your CFU count could give a false sense of security.

Design matters:  Some samplers (especially sieve-based designs) hit microbes with so much force that many don’t survive the journey. Others don’t control impact velocity well enough to ensure consistent recovery.

Why CAMS is different

The slit-to-agar design used by CAMS, along with our rotating plate, offers a stable, consistent impact velocity — gentle enough to preserve microbial viability, accurate enough to detect meaningful contamination.

What does this mean for you?

• Fewer false negatives
• Better detection in Grade A spaces
• More confidence during audit or root cause investigation

In short: it’s not just about how much air you sample. It’s about how much truth you collect.

~ Gethin