The control of the level of viable microorganisms is of importance in hospitals and in other medical applications, in the production of pharmaceutical products, and in production of medical devices. It has important impact on the food processing industry and on facilities where very precise mechanical devices are manufactured.

This paper will describe the standards and regulations that define acceptable viable particle (VP) burden and the method of measuring the quantity of VP. The paper concludes with case history describing a certification test.

Units: SI