Gethin's Diary: A new series from CAMS.

Gethin Jones • October 14, 2025

Upgrading from MBV: Why It Might Be Time to Rethink Your Cleanroom Sampling

14th October, 2025.

This is the first in a new series where I'll be sharing observations on CAMS, on the industry, and on some of the things happening around us. I promise to keep these entires short, and I'll try to be as neutral as I can be. However, as CEO of CAMS, talking with pride about our products and services will be part of this diary.


For my first entry, I wanted to talk about MBV. This is an organisation I admire greatly, but the requirements of Annex 1 may be challenging for some older MBV product. Let's look at why.


Upgrading from MBV: Why It Might Be Time to Rethink Your Cleanroom Sampling

If you’ve been working in environmental monitoring for a while, chances are you’ve come across, or maybe even swear by, an MBV sampler. They’ve been part of the landscape for years: solid, dependable, familiar. But so was the fax machine, once.


With the increasing demands of Annex 1 and the evolving complexity of cleanroom manufacturing, it might be time to ask: is your trusted MBV sampler still up to the job?

 

What’s changed? 

Annex 1 is now far more explicit in its expectations around sampling frequency, duration, and data integrity. The regulators are asking tougher questions; not just "Are you sampling?" but "How confident are you in what you’re detecting?"

 

Where MBV struggles 

MBV samplers, while well-established, can pose challenges:

  • Limited sampling duration without affecting viability
  • Rigid configurations that can’t adapt to isolators or flexible manufacturing setups
  • Inconsistent impact velocity affecting biological collection efficiency
  • Data integration challenges, especially in a digital-first environment

 

Why CAMS? 

CAMS offers a slit-to-agar system with a rotating plate design that supports longer sample times, better viability, and full compatibility with GMP-grade agar. It’s flexible, modular, and ready for integration, whether you’re building a new isolator or upgrading an ageing Grade A cleanroom.


We’re not suggesting you throw out everything. But if your MBV unit is your only line of defence (or if it's struggling to keep up with today’s expectations), it might be time to explore what a modern system can offer.


~ Gethin.


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