F23.40 - Biological

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
5.1 This test method offers a procedure for evaluating medical face mask resistance to synthetic blood penetration that is useful in establishing claims for penetration resistance performance of medical face masks and ranking their performance. However, this test method does not define acceptable levels of penetration resistance because this determination must be made by each responsible user organization based on its own specific application and conditions. Therefore, when using this test method to make claims for the performance of medical face masks, the specific conditions under which testing is conducted must be described.  
5.2 Medical face masks may be intended to resist liquid penetration from the splatter or splashing of blood, body fluids, and other potentially infectious materials. Many factors affect the wetting and penetration characteristics of body fluids, such as surface tension, viscosity, and polarity of the fluid, as well as the structure and relative hydrophilicity or hydrophobicity of the materials and the design of the mask itself. The surface tension range for blood and body fluids (excluding saliva) is approximately 0.042 to 0.060 N/m.6 To help simulate the wetting characteristics of blood and body fluids, the surface tension of the synthetic blood is adjusted to approximate the lower end of this surface tension range. The resulting surface tension of the synthetic blood is 40 ± 5 dyn/cm (0.040 ± 0.005 N/m).  
5.3 The synthetic blood mixture is prepared with a red dye to aid in visual detection and a thickening agent to simulate the flow characteristics of blood. The synthetic blood will not always duplicate the polarity, and thus the wetting behavior and subsequent penetration, of real blood and other body fluids through protective clothing materials.  
5.4 During a medical procedure, a blood vessel is occasionally punctured, resulting in a high-velocity stream of blood impacting a protective medical face mask. The impact velocity depends...
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1.1 This test method is used to evaluate the resistance of medical face masks to penetration by the impact of a small volume (~2 mL) of a high-velocity stream of synthetic blood. Medical face mask pass/fail determinations are based on visual detection of synthetic blood penetration.  
1.2 This test method does not apply to all forms or conditions of blood-borne pathogen exposure. Users of the test method must review modes for face exposure and assess the appropriateness of this test method for their specific application.  
1.3 This test method is primarily intended to address the performance of finished medical face masks. While this test method may also be used to assess performance of materials or certain material constructions used in medical face masks, it is important to note the performance of finished medical face masks may be impacted by the interaction of the materials used and how they have been assembled. Results can differ depending on testing a final finished medical face mask or materials taken from manufactured medical face masks.  
1.4 This test method does not address other factors with the potential to affect the overall protection offered by the medical face mask and its operation (such as filtration efficiency and pressure drop).  
1.5 This test method does not address breathability of the medical face mask materials or any other properties affecting the ease of breathing through the medical face mask. This test method evaluates medical face masks as an item of protective clothing. This test method does not evaluate the performance of medical face masks for airborne exposure pathways or in the prevention of the penetration of aerosolized body fluids deposited on the medical face mask.  
1.6 The values stated in SI units or inch-pound units are to be regarded separately as standard. The values stated in each system may not be exact equivalents; therefore, each system shall be used independently of...

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
5.1 This test method measures the initial filtration efficiency of materials by sampling representative volumes of the upstream and downstream latex aerosol concentrations in a controlled airflow chamber.  
5.2 This test method provides specific test techniques for both manufacturers and users to evaluate materials when exposed to aerosol particle sizes between 0.1 and 5.0 μm.  
5.2.1 This test method establishes a basis of efficiency comparison between materials.
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1.1 This test method establishes procedures for measuring the initial particle filtration efficiency of materials using monodispersed aerosols.  
1.1.1 This test method utilizes light-scattering particle counting in the size range of 0.1 to 5.0 μm and airflow test velocities of 0.5 to 25 cm/s.  
1.2 The test procedure measures filtration efficiency by comparing the particle count in the feed stream (upstream) to that in the filtrate (downstream).  
1.3 The values stated in SI units or in other units shall be regarded separately as standard. The values stated in each system must be used independently of the other, without combining values in any way.  
1.4 The following precautionary caveat pertains only to the test methods portion, Section 10, of this specification. This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.5 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
5.1 This test method is based on Test Method F903 for measuring resistance of chemical protective clothing materials to penetration by liquids. This test method is normally used to evaluate specimens from individual finished items of protective clothing and individual samples of materials that are candidates for items of protective clothing.  
5.1.1 Finished items of protective clothing include gloves, arm shields, aprons, gowns, coveralls, hoods, and boots.  
5.1.2 The phrase “specimens from finished items” encompasses seamed and other discontinuous regions as well as the usual continuous regions of protective clothing items.  
5.2 Medical protective clothing materials are intended to be a barrier to blood, body fluids, and other potentially infectious materials. Many factors can affect the wetting and penetration characteristics of body fluids, such as surface tension, viscosity, and polarity of the fluid, as well as the structure and relative hydrophilicity or hydrophobicity of the materials. The surface tension range for blood and body fluids (excluding saliva) is approximately 42 to 60 dyn/cm (0.042 to 0.060 N/m) (1).7 To help simulate the wetting characteristics of blood and body fluids, the surface tension of the synthetic blood is adjusted to approximate the lower end of this surface tension range. The resulting surface tension of the synthetic blood is approximately 40 ± 5 dyn/cm (0.040 ± 0.005 N/m).  
5.3 The synthetic blood mixture is prepared with a red dye to aid in visual detection and a thickening agent to simulate the flow characteristics of blood.  
5.4 Part of the protocol in Procedures A and B in Table 1 for exposing the protective clothing material specimens with synthetic blood involves pressurizing the test cell to 13.8 kPa [2.0 psig]. This hydrostatic pressure has been documented to discriminate between protective clothing material performance and to correlate with visual penetration results that are obtained with a human factors validati...
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1.1 This test method is used to evaluate the resistance of materials used in protective clothing to penetration by synthetic blood under conditions of continuous liquid contact. Protective clothing pass/fail determinations are based on visual detection of synthetic blood penetration.  
1.1.1 This test method is not always effective in testing protective clothing materials having thick inner liners which readily absorb the synthetic blood.  
1.2 This test method is a means for selecting protective clothing materials for subsequent testing with a more sophisticated barrier test as described in Test Method F1671/F1671M.  
1.3 This test method does not apply to all forms or conditions of blood-borne pathogen exposure. Users of the test method must review modes for work/clothing exposure and assess the appropriateness of this test method for their specific application.  
1.4 This test method addresses only the performance of materials or certain material constructions (for example, seams) used in protective clothing. This test method does not address the design, overall construction and components, or interfaces of garments, or other factors which may affect the overall protection offered by the protective clothing.  
1.5 The values stated in either SI units or inch-pound units are to be regarded separately as standard. The values stated in each system may not be exact equivalents; therefore, each system shall be used independently of the other. Combining values from the two systems may result in nonconformance with the standard.  
1.6 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.7 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognize...

ABSTRACT
This specification establishes the requirements for the performance, documentation, and labeling of surgical gowns used in the healthcare facilities. It does not however cover all the requirements that a healthcare facility deems necessary to select a product, nor does it address criteria for evaluating experimental products. Barrier testing shall be conducted to determine the impact penetration, hydrostatic resistance, and viral penetration resistance performance of the critical zone(s) of the surgical gown. The physical properties of the critical zone(s) of the surgical gown shall also be tested and shall conform to the following requirements: tensile strength, tear resistance, seam strength, lint generation, evaporative resistance, and water vapor transmission rate. General safety requirements shall be set based on biocompatibility, sterility assurance, flame spread, and natural rubber latex specifications.
SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
4.1 This specification provides minimum requirements for surgical gowns used for protection of healthcare workers where the potential for exposure to blood, body fluids, and other potentially infectious materials exists. The specification requires barrier testing based on the system of classifying gowns established in ANSI/AAMI PB70 and sets general safety requirements for surgical gowns based on biocompatibility, sterility assurance, and flame spread. Performance requirements are established for important physical properties, including tensile strength, tear strength, and seam strength. Methods to be used for optional reporting of performance of linting resistance, evaporative resistance, water vapor transmission rate, and abrasion resistance are provided.  
4.2 This specification does not address protective clothing used for nonsurgical applications, such as isolation gowns or decontamination gowns; protective clothing for the hands, such as surgical gloves, patient examination gloves, or other medical gloves; protective clothing for the head, such as goggles or face shields, surgical caps or hoods, surgical masks, or respirators; protective clothing for the feet, such as operating room shoes, shoe covers, or surgical boots; or other types of protective clothing and equipment worn by healthcare providers.  
4.3 Surgical gowns are either multiple-use or single-use products as designated by the manufacturer. This specification is intended to provide the basis for manufacturer claims for surgical gown performance and efficacy. For multiple-use gowns, this specification takes into account the anticipated care and maintenance of these products by examining test requirements for surgical gown materials both before and after the maximum expected number of cycles for laundering and sterilization.  
4.4 Additional information on the processing of multiple-use surgical gowns is provided in ANSI/AAMI ST65.  
4.5 While surgical gowns are classified for barrier performance...
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1.1 This specification establishes requirements for the performance, documentation, and labeling of surgical gowns used in healthcare facilities. Four levels of barrier properties for surgical gowns are specified in ANSI/AAMI PB70 and are included in this specification for reference purposes.
Note 1: Some properties require minimum performance and others are for documentation only.
Note 2: ANSI/AAMI PB70 evaluates the barrier properties of surgical gown fabrics using water only in Levels 1, 2, and 3. Since surgical gowns are exposed to blood and other fluids with different surface tensions, the performance of additional testing to identify the barrier levels to simulated biological fluids is required for a Level 4 gown.  
1.2 This specification does not cover all the requirements that a healthcare facility deems necessary to select a product, nor does it address criteria for evaluating experimental products.  
1.3 This specification is not intended to serve as a detailed manufacturing or purchase...

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1.1 This specification establishes minimum requirements for the performance and labeling of isolation gowns intended for use by healthcare workers to provide protection for standard and transmission-based precautions. The intended use of this specification is to ensure the performance properties of isolation gowns for the protection of the wearer. Four levels of barrier properties for isolation gowns are specified in ANSI/AAMI PB 70, and are included in this specification for reference purposes.  
1.2 There are other types of gowns that are used in healthcare settings, including: cover gowns, procedure gowns, comfort gowns, precaution gowns, and open-back gowns. All gowns not meeting the definition of isolation gown in 3.1.7 as defined by ANSI/AAMI PB70 are excluded from this standard.  
1.3 This specification does not address protective clothing used for surgical applications, such as surgical gowns or decontamination gowns; protective clothing for the hands, such as surgical gloves, patient examination gloves, or other medical gloves; protective clothing for the head, such as goggles or face shields, surgical caps or hoods, surgical masks, or respirators; protective clothing for the feet, such as operating room shoes, shoe covers, or surgical boots; or other types of protective clothing and equipment worn by healthcare providers.  
1.4 Units—The values stated in either SI units or inch-pound units are to be regarded separately as standard. The values stated in each system may not be exact equivalents; therefore, each system shall be used independently of the other. Combining values from the two systems may result in nonconformance with the standard.  
1.5 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.6 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
5.1 This test method offers a procedure for evaluation of medical face mask materials for bacterial filtration efficiency. This test method does not define acceptable levels of bacterial filtration efficiency. Therefore, when using this test method it is necessary to describe the specific condition under which testing is conducted.  
5.2 This test method has been specifically designed for measuring bacterial filtration efficiency of medical face masks, using Staphylococcus aureus as the challenge organism. The use of S. aureus is based on its clinical relevance as a leading cause of nosocomial infections.  
5.3 This test method has been designed to introduce a bacterial aerosol challenge to the test specimens at a flow rate of 28.3 L/mm (1 ft3/min). This flow rate is within the range of normal respiration and within the limitations of the cascade impactor.  
5.4 Unless otherwise specified, the testing shall be performed with the inside of the medical face mask in contact with the bacterial challenge. Testing may be performed with the aerosol challenge directed through either the face side or liner side of the test specimen, thereby allowing evaluation of filtration efficiencies which relate to both patient-generated aerosols and wearer-generated aerosols.  
5.5 Degradation by physical, chemical, and thermal stresses could negatively impact the performance of the medical face mask material. The integrity of the material can also be compromised during use by such effects as flexing and abrasion, or by wetting with contaminants such as alcohol and perspiration. Testing without these stresses could lead to a false sense of security. If these conditions are of concern, evaluate the performance of the medical face mask material for bacterial filtration efficiency following an appropriate pretreatment technique representative of the expected conditions of use. Consider preconditioning to assess the impact of storage conditions and shelf life for disposable products, an...
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1.1 This test method is used to measure the bacterial filtration efficiency (BFE) of medical face mask materials, employing a ratio of the upstream bacterial challenge to downstream residual concentration to determine filtration efficiency of medical face mask materials.  
1.2 This test method is a quantitative method that allows filtration efficiency for medical face mask materials to be determined. The maximum filtration efficiency that can be determined by this method is 99.9 %.  
1.3 This test method does not apply to all forms or conditions of biological aerosol exposure. Users of the test method should review modes for worker exposure and assess the appropriateness of the method for their specific applications.  
1.4 This test method evaluates medical face mask materials as an item of protective clothing but does not evaluate materials for regulatory approval as respirators. If respiratory protection for the wearer is needed, a NIOSH-certified respirator should be used. Relatively high bacterial filtration efficiency measurements for a particular medical face mask material do not ensure that the wearer will be protected from biological aerosols, since this test method primarily evaluates the performance of the composite materials used in the construction of the medical face mask and not its design, fit, or facial-sealing properties.  
1.5 Units—The values stated in SI units or inch-pound units are to be regarded separately as standard. The values stated in each system may not be exact equivalents; therefore, each system shall be used independently of the other. Combining values from the two systems may result in nonconformance of the standard.  
1.6 This test method does not address breathability of the medical face mask materials or any other properties affecting the ease of breathing through the medical face mask material.  
1.7 This test method may also be used to measure the bacterial filtration efficienc...

ABSTRACT
This specification covers the classifications, performance requirements, and test methods for the materials used in the construction of medical face masks that are used in health care services such as surgery and patient care. Medical face mask material performance is based on testing for bacterial filtration efficiency, differential pressure, sub-micron particulate filtration efficiency, resistance to penetration by synthetic blood, and flammability. This specification does not address all aspects of medical face mask design and performance, the effectiveness of medical face mask designs as related to the barrier and breathability properties, and respiratory protection, which may be necessary for some health care services.
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1.1 This specification covers testing and requirements for materials used in the construction of medical face masks that are used in providing healthcare services such as surgery and patient care.  
1.1.1 This specification addresses medical masks with ties (surgical masks) and ear loops (procedure masks or isolation masks).  
1.2 This specification provides for the classification of medical face mask material performance. Medical face mask material performance is based on testing for bacterial filtration efficiency, differential pressure, sub-micron particulate filtration efficiency, resistance to penetration by synthetic blood, and flammability.  
1.3 This specification does not address all aspects of medical face mask design and performance. This specification does not specifically evaluate the effectiveness of medical face mask designs as related to their overall barrier and breathability properties.  
1.3.1 This specification does not include any specific design criteria for medical face masks; however, surgical masks are differentiated by having ties to allow adjustment of the medical face mask fit in comparison to procedure or isolation masks, which use ear loops to affix the mask to the wearer’s face.  
1.4 This specification does not address requirements for regulated respiratory protection devices such as respirators, which may be necessary for some healthcare services and exposure to inhalation hazards.
Note 1: Performance requirements for NIOSH-approved N95 respirators are described in 42 CFR Part 84. Additional requirements for NIOSH-approved N95 respirators intended for use in healthcare settings are described in the Memorandum of Understanding between FDA and NIOSH. FDA/NIOSH MOU 225-18-006, November 2017 and the NIOSH Conformity Assessment Letter to Manufacturers, NIOSH CA 2018-1010, November 2018.  
1.5 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard.  
1.6 The following precautionary caveat pertains only to the test methods portion, Section 9, of this specification: This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.7 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
5.1 This test method is based on Test Method F903 for measuring resistance of chemical protective clothing materials to penetration by liquids. This test method is normally used to evaluate specimens from individual finished items of protective clothing and individual samples of materials that are candidates for items of protective clothing.  
5.1.1 Finished items of protective clothing include gloves, arm shields, aprons, gowns, coveralls, hoods, and boots.  
5.1.2 The phrase “specimens from finished items” encompasses seamed and other discontinuous regions, as well as the usual continuous regions of protective clothing items.  
5.2 It is known that body fluids penetrating protective clothing materials are likely to carry microbiological contaminants; however, visual detection methods are not sensitive enough to detect minute amounts of liquid containing microorganisms (1-3).7 This test method uses media containing Phi-X174 Bacteriophage. The visual detection technique of this test method is supplemented with a biologically based assay capable of detecting virus under the specified test conditions.  
5.3 Test Method F1670/F1670M allows the screening of protective clothing materials for resistance to penetration with synthetic blood as a challenge liquid. Test Method F1670/F1670M uses the same penetration test cell and technique, but exposes material specimens to synthetic blood with visual detection of liquid penetration. Materials passing Test Method F1670/F1670M should then be tested against bacteriophage penetration using this test method to verify performance.  
5.4 This test method has been specifically designed for measuring penetration of a surrogate microbe for Hepatitis (B and C) and the Human Immunodeficiency Viruses. The surrogate, Phi-X174 Bacteriophage, used in this test method is similar to HCV in size and shape but also serves as a surrogate for HBV and HIV. Inferences about protection from other pathogens must be assessed on a case-by-case basi...
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1.1 This test method is used to measure the resistance of materials used in protective clothing to penetration by blood-borne pathogens using a surrogate microbe under conditions of continuous liquid contact. Protective clothing material pass/fail determinations are based on the detection of viral penetration.  
1.1.1 This test method is not always effective in testing protective clothing materials having thick, inner liners which readily absorb the liquid assay fluid.  
1.2 This test method does not apply to all forms or conditions of blood-borne pathogen exposure. Users of the test method should review modes for worker/clothing exposure and assess the appropriateness of this test method for their specific applications.  
1.3 This test method has been specifically defined for modeling the viral penetration of Hepatitis (B and C) and Human Immunodeficiency Viruses transmitted in blood and other potentially infectious body fluids. Inferences for protection from other pathogens must be assessed on a case-by-case basis.  
1.4 This test method addresses only the performance of materials or certain material constructions (for example, seams) used in protective clothing and determined to be viral resistant. This test method does not address the design, overall construction and components, or interfaces of garments or other factors which may affect the overall protection offered by the protective clothing.  
1.5 The values stated in SI units or in other units shall be regarded separately as standard. The values stated in each system must be used independently of the other, without combining values in any way.  
1.6 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.7 This i...

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
5.1 This test method was modeled after a procedure commonly known as the Elbow Lean Test.8 The Elbow Lean Test involves the application of synthetic blood to an ink pad, placement of sample fabric over the blood-soaked pad, placement of a blotter over the sample fabric, and applying elbow or fingertip pressure on top of the blotter. The blotter is then examined for staining as evidence of blood penetration. This test method provides similar procedures which standardize the test equipment and application of pressure through an adopted methodology.  
5.2 This test method is intended to simulate actual use conditions wherein areas of the healthcare worker's protective clothing are soaked with blood and compressed between the patient's body and that of the healthcare worker, or similarly between the healthcare worker and instruments. In both cases, unconfined blood can move away from the pressure point taking the path of least resistance rather than being contained as in Test Methods F1670/F1670M and F1671/F1671M.  
5.3 This test method uses predominately mechanical pressure as opposed to contained, hydrostatic pressure to demonstrate liquid penetration resistance (1, 2) . It simulates a single insult in which the outer surfaces of a protective clothing item are compressed at a steady rate by the wearer's body against a wet surface. This steady rate of compression represents one potential use scenario. Other scenarios may result in a wide variety of pressure ramp rates and profiles that are not simulated by the test apparatus.  
5.4 Because this test method provides quantitative results, it is useful for discriminating differences in the liquid barrier performance of protective clothing materials. This test method can be used for measuring differences in the penetration pressure for protective clothing materials which do not pass Test Method F1670/F1670M.  
5.5 This test method is normally used to evaluate specimens from individual finished items of protective cloth...
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1.1 This test method is used to evaluate the resistance of materials used in protective clothing to synthetic blood under the conditions of liquid contact and increasing direct mechanical pressure. The penetration resistance of protective clothing is based on visual detection of synthetic blood penetration at a specific applied mechanical pressure.  
1.2 This test method does not apply to all forms or conditions of blood-borne pathogen exposure. Users of the test method must review modes for work/clothing exposure and assess the appropriateness of this test method for their specific application.  
1.3 This test method addresses only the performance of materials or certain material constructions (for example, seams) used in protective clothing. This test method does not address the design, overall construction, components, or interfaces of garments, or other factors which may affect the overall protection offered by the protective clothing.  
1.4 The values in SI units or in other units shall be regarded separately as standard. The values stated in each system must be used independently of the other, without combining values in any way.  
1.5 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.6 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

SCOPE
1.1 This specification establishes minimum requirements for the performance and labeling of isolation gowns intended for use by healthcare workers to provide protection for standard and transmission-based precautions. The intended use of this specification is to ensure the performance properties of isolation gowns for the protection of the wearer. Four levels of barrier properties for isolation gowns are specified in ANSI/AAMI PB 70, and are included in this specification for reference purposes.  
1.2 There are other types of gowns that are used in healthcare settings, including: cover gowns, procedure gowns, comfort gowns, precaution gowns, and open-back gowns. All gowns not meeting the definition of isolation gown in 3.1.7 as defined by ANSI/AAMI PB70 are excluded from this standard.  
1.3 This specification does not address protective clothing used for surgical applications, such as surgical gowns or decontamination gowns; protective clothing for the hands, such as surgical gloves, patient examination gloves, or other medical gloves; protective clothing for the head, such as goggles or face shields, surgical caps or hoods, surgical masks, or respirators; protective clothing for the feet, such as operating room shoes, shoe covers, or surgical boots; or other types of protective clothing and equipment worn by healthcare providers.  
1.4 Units—The values stated in either SI units or inch-pound units are to be regarded separately as standard. The values stated in each system may not be exact equivalents; therefore, each system shall be used independently of the other. Combining values from the two systems may result in nonconformance with the standard.  
1.5 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.6 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

ABSTRACT
This specification establishes the requirements for the performance, documentation, and labeling of surgical gowns used in the healthcare facilities. It does not however cover all the requirements that a healthcare facility deems necessary to select a product, nor does it address criteria for evaluating experimental products. Barrier testing shall be conducted to determine the impact penetration, hydrostatic resistance, and viral penetration resistance performance of the critical zone(s) of the surgical gown. The physical properties of the critical zone(s) of the surgical gown shall also be tested and shall conform to the following requirements: tensile strength, tear resistance, seam strength, lint generation, evaporative resistance, and water vapor transmission rate. General safety requirements shall be set based on biocompatibility, sterility assurance, flame spread, and natural rubber latex specifications.
SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
4.1 This specification provides minimum requirements for surgical gowns used for protection of healthcare workers where the potential for exposure to blood, body fluids, and other potentially infectious materials exists. The specification requires barrier testing based on the system of classifying gowns established in ANSI/AAMI PB70 and sets general safety requirements for surgical gowns based on biocompatibility, sterility assurance, and flame spread. Performance requirements are established for important physical properties, including tensile strength, tear strength, and seam strength. Methods to be used for optional reporting of performance of linting resistance, evaporative resistance, water vapor transmission rate, and abrasion resistance are provided.  
4.2 This specification does not address protective clothing used for nonsurgical applications, such as isolation gowns or decontamination gowns; protective clothing for the hands, such as surgical gloves, patient examination gloves, or other medical gloves; protective clothing for the head, such as goggles or face shields, surgical caps or hoods, surgical masks, or respirators; protective clothing for the feet, such as operating room shoes, shoe covers, or surgical boots; or other types of protective clothing and equipment worn by healthcare providers.  
4.3 Surgical gowns are either multiple-use or single-use products as designated by the manufacturer. This specification is intended to provide the basis for manufacturer claims for surgical gown performance and efficacy. For multiple-use gowns, this specification takes into account the anticipated care and maintenance of these products by examining test requirements for surgical gown materials both before and after the maximum expected number of cycles for laundering and sterilization.  
4.4 Additional information on the processing of multiple-use surgical gowns is provided in ANSI/AAMI ST65.  
4.5 While surgical gowns are classified for barrier performance...
SCOPE
1.1 This specification establishes requirements for the performance, documentation, and labeling of surgical gowns used in healthcare facilities. Four levels of barrier properties for surgical gowns are specified in ANSI/AAMI PB70 and are included in this specification for reference purposes.
Note 1: Some properties require minimum performance and others are for documentation only.
Note 2: ANSI/AAMI PB70 evaluates the barrier properties of surgical gown fabrics using water only in Levels 1, 2, and 3. Since surgical gowns are exposed to blood and other fluids with different surface tensions, the performance of additional testing to identify the barrier levels to simulated biological fluids is required for a Level 4 gown.  
1.2 This specification does not cover all the requirements that a healthcare facility deems necessary to select a product, nor does it address criteria for evaluating experimental products.  
1.3 This specification is not intended to serve as a detailed manufacturing or purchase...

SCOPE
1.1 This specification establishes minimum requirements for the performance and labeling of isolation gowns intended for use by healthcare workers to provide protection for standard and transmission-based precautions. The intended use of this specification is to ensure the performance properties of isolation gowns for the protection of the wearer. Four levels of barrier properties for isolation gowns are specified in ANSI/AAMI PB 70, and are included in this specification for reference purposes.  
1.2 There are other types of gowns that are used in healthcare settings, including: cover gowns, procedure gowns, comfort gowns, precaution gowns, and open-back gowns. All gowns not meeting the definition of isolation gown in 3.1.7 as defined by ANSI/AAMI PB70 are excluded from this standard.  
1.3 This specification does not address protective clothing used for surgical applications, such as surgical gowns or decontamination gowns; protective clothing for the hands, such as surgical gloves, patient examination gloves, or other medical gloves; protective clothing for the head, such as goggles or face shields, surgical caps or hoods, surgical masks, or respirators; protective clothing for the feet, such as operating room shoes, shoe covers, or surgical boots; or other types of protective clothing and equipment worn by healthcare providers.  
1.4 Units—The values stated in either SI units or inch-pound units are to be regarded separately as standard. The values stated in each system may not be exact equivalents; therefore, each system shall be used independently of the other. Combining values from the two systems may result in nonconformance with the standard.  
1.5 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.6 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

ABSTRACT
This specification establishes the requirements for the performance, documentation, and labeling of surgical gowns used in the healthcare facilities. It does not however cover all the requirements that a healthcare facility deems necessary to select a product, nor does it address criteria for evaluating experimental products. Barrier testing shall be conducted to determine the impact penetration, hydrostatic resistance, and viral penetration resistance performance of the critical zone(s) of the surgical gown. The physical properties of the critical zone(s) of the surgical gown shall also be tested and shall conform to the following requirements: tensile strength, tear resistance, seam strength, lint generation, evaporative resistance, and water vapor transmission rate. General safety requirements shall be set based on biocompatibility, sterility assurance, flame spread, and natural rubber latex specifications.
SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
4.1 This specification provides minimum requirements for surgical gowns used for protection of healthcare workers where the potential for exposure to blood, body fluids, and other potentially infectious materials exists. The specification requires barrier testing based on the system of classifying gowns established in ANSI/AAMI PB70 and sets general safety requirements for surgical gowns based on biocompatibility, sterility assurance, and flame spread. Performance requirements are established for important physical properties, including tensile strength, tear strength, and seam strength. Methods to be used for optional reporting of performance of linting resistance, evaporative resistance, water vapor transmission rate, and abrasion resistance are provided.  
4.2 This specification does not address protective clothing used for nonsurgical applications, such as isolation gowns or decontamination gowns; protective clothing for the hands, such as surgical gloves, patient examination gloves, or other medical gloves; protective clothing for the head, such as goggles or face shields, surgical caps or hoods, surgical masks, or respirators; protective clothing for the feet, such as operating room shoes, shoe covers, or surgical boots; or other types of protective clothing and equipment worn by healthcare providers.  
4.3 Surgical gowns are either multiple-use or single-use products as designated by the manufacturer. This specification is intended to provide the basis for manufacturer claims for surgical gown performance and efficacy. For multiple-use gowns, this specification takes into account the anticipated care and maintenance of these products by examining test requirements for surgical gown materials both before and after the maximum expected number of cycles for laundering and sterilization.  
4.4 Additional information on the processing of multiple-use surgical gowns is provided in ANSI/AAMI ST65.  
4.5 While surgical gowns are classified for barrier performance...
SCOPE
1.1 This specification establishes requirements for the performance, documentation, and labeling of surgical gowns used in healthcare facilities. Four levels of barrier properties for surgical gowns are specified in ANSI/AAMI PB70 and are included in this specification for reference purposes.
Note 1: Some properties require minimum performance and others are for documentation only.
Note 2: ANSI/AAMI PB70 evaluates the barrier properties of surgical gown fabrics using water only in Levels 1, 2, and 3. Since surgical gowns are exposed to blood and other fluids with different surface tensions, the performance of additional testing to identify the barrier levels to simulated biological fluids is required for a Level 4 gown.  
1.2 This specification does not cover all the requirements that a healthcare facility deems necessary to select a product, nor does it address criteria for evaluating experimental products.  
1.3 This specification is not intended to serve as a detailed manufacturing or purchase...

SCOPE
1.1 This specification establishes minimum requirements for the performance and labeling of isolation gowns intended for use by healthcare workers to provide protection for standard and transmission-based precautions. The intended use of this specification is to ensure the performance properties of isolation gowns for the protection of the wearer. Four levels of barrier properties for isolation gowns are specified in ANSI/AAMI PB 70, and are included in this specification for reference purposes.  
1.2 There are other types of gowns that are used in healthcare settings, including: cover gowns, procedure gowns, comfort gowns, precaution gowns, and open-back gowns. All gowns not meeting the definition of isolation gown in 3.1.7 as defined by ANSI/AAMI PB70 are excluded from this standard.  
1.3 This specification does not address protective clothing used for surgical applications, such as surgical gowns or decontamination gowns; protective clothing for the hands, such as surgical gloves, patient examination gloves, or other medical gloves; protective clothing for the head, such as goggles or face shields, surgical caps or hoods, surgical masks, or respirators; protective clothing for the feet, such as operating room shoes, shoe covers, or surgical boots; or other types of protective clothing and equipment worn by healthcare providers.  
1.4 Units—The values stated in either SI units or inch-pound units are to be regarded separately as standard. The values stated in each system may not be exact equivalents; therefore, each system shall be used independently of the other. Combining values from the two systems may result in nonconformance with the standard.  
1.5 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.6 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

ABSTRACT
This specification establishes the requirements for the performance, documentation, and labeling of surgical gowns used in the healthcare facilities. It does not however cover all the requirements that a healthcare facility deems necessary to select a product, nor does it address criteria for evaluating experimental products. Barrier testing shall be conducted to determine the impact penetration, hydrostatic resistance, and viral penetration resistance performance of the critical zone(s) of the surgical gown. The physical properties of the critical zone(s) of the surgical gown shall also be tested and shall conform to the following requirements: tensile strength, tear resistance, seam strength, lint generation, evaporative resistance, and water vapor transmission rate. General safety requirements shall be set based on biocompatibility, sterility assurance, flame spread, and natural rubber latex specifications.
SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
4.1 This specification provides minimum requirements for surgical gowns used for protection of healthcare workers where the potential for exposure to blood, body fluids, and other potentially infectious materials exists. The specification requires barrier testing based on the system of classifying gowns established in ANSI/AAMI PB70 and sets general safety requirements for surgical gowns based on biocompatibility, sterility assurance, and flame spread. Performance requirements are established for important physical properties, including tensile strength, tear strength, and seam strength. Methods to be used for optional reporting of performance of linting resistance, evaporative resistance, water vapor transmission rate, and abrasion resistance are provided.  
4.2 This specification does not address protective clothing used for nonsurgical applications, such as isolation gowns or decontamination gowns; protective clothing for the hands, such as surgical gloves, patient examination gloves, or other medical gloves; protective clothing for the head, such as goggles or face shields, surgical caps or hoods, surgical masks, or respirators; protective clothing for the feet, such as operating room shoes, shoe covers, or surgical boots; or other types of protective clothing and equipment worn by healthcare providers.  
4.3 Surgical gowns are either multiple-use or single-use products as designated by the manufacturer. This specification is intended to provide the basis for manufacturer claims for surgical gown performance and efficacy. For multiple-use gowns, this specification takes into account the anticipated care and maintenance of these products by examining test requirements for surgical gown materials both before and after the maximum expected number of cycles for laundering and sterilization.  
4.4 Additional information on the processing of multiple-use surgical gowns is provided in ANSI/AAMI ST65.  
4.5 While surgical gowns are classified for barrier performance...
SCOPE
1.1 This specification establishes requirements for the performance, documentation, and labeling of surgical gowns used in healthcare facilities. Four levels of barrier properties for surgical gowns are specified in ANSI/AAMI PB70 and are included in this specification for reference purposes.
Note 1: Some properties require minimum performance and others are for documentation only.
Note 2: ANSI/AAMI PB70 evaluates the barrier properties of surgical gown fabrics using water only in Levels 1, 2, and 3. Since surgical gowns are exposed to blood and other fluids with different surface tensions, the performance of additional testing to identify the barrier levels to simulated biological fluids is required for a Level 4 gown.  
1.2 This specification does not cover all the requirements that a healthcare facility deems necessary to select a product, nor does it address criteria for evaluating experimental products.  
1.3 This specification is not intended to serve as a detailed manufacturing or purchase...

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
5.1 This test method offers a procedure for evaluation of medical face mask materials for bacterial filtration efficiency. This test method does not define acceptable levels of bacterial filtration efficiency. Therefore, when using this test method it is necessary to describe the specific condition under which testing is conducted.  
5.2 This test method has been specifically designed for measuring bacterial filtration efficiency of medical face masks, using Staphylococcus aureus as the challenge organism. The use of S. aureus is based on its clinical relevance as a leading cause of nosocomial infections.  
5.3 This test method has been designed to introduce a bacterial aerosol challenge to the test specimens at a flow rate of 28.3 L/mm (1 ft3/min). This flow rate is within the range of normal respiration and within the limitations of the cascade impactor.  
5.4 Unless otherwise specified, the testing shall be performed with the inside of the medical face mask in contact with the bacterial challenge. Testing may be performed with the aerosol challenge directed through either the face side or liner side of the test specimen, thereby allowing evaluation of filtration efficiencies which relate to both patient-generated aerosols and wearer-generated aerosols.  
5.5 Degradation by physical, chemical, and thermal stresses could negatively impact the performance of the medical face mask material. The integrity of the material can also be compromised during use by such effects as flexing and abrasion, or by wetting with contaminants such as alcohol and perspiration. Testing without these stresses could lead to a false sense of security. If these conditions are of concern, evaluate the performance of the medical face mask material for bacterial filtration efficiency following an appropriate pretreatment technique representative of the expected conditions of use. Consider preconditioning to assess the impact of storage conditions and shelf life for disposable products, an...
SCOPE
1.1 This test method is used to measure the bacterial filtration efficiency (BFE) of medical face mask materials, employing a ratio of the upstream bacterial challenge to downstream residual concentration to determine filtration efficiency of medical face mask materials.  
1.2 This test method is a quantitative method that allows filtration efficiency for medical face mask materials to be determined. The maximum filtration efficiency that can be determined by this method is 99.9 %.  
1.3 This test method does not apply to all forms or conditions of biological aerosol exposure. Users of the test method should review modes for worker exposure and assess the appropriateness of the method for their specific applications.  
1.4 This test method evaluates medical face mask materials as an item of protective clothing but does not evaluate materials for regulatory approval as respirators. If respiratory protection for the wearer is needed, a NIOSH-certified respirator should be used. Relatively high bacterial filtration efficiency measurements for a particular medical face mask material do not ensure that the wearer will be protected from biological aerosols, since this test method primarily evaluates the performance of the composite materials used in the construction of the medical face mask and not its design, fit, or facial-sealing properties.  
1.5 Units—The values stated in SI units or inch-pound units are to be regarded separately as standard. The values stated in each system may not be exact equivalents; therefore, each system shall be used independently of the other. Combining values from the two systems may result in nonconformance of the standard.  
1.6 This test method does not address breathability of the medical face mask materials or any other properties affecting the ease of breathing through the medical face mask material.  
1.7 This test method may also be used to measure the bacterial filtration efficienc...

ABSTRACT
This specification covers the classifications, performance requirements, and test methods for the materials used in the construction of medical face masks that are used in health care services such as surgery and patient care. Medical face mask material performance is based on testing for bacterial filtration efficiency, differential pressure, sub-micron particulate filtration efficiency, resistance to penetration by synthetic blood, and flammability. This specification does not address all aspects of medical face mask design and performance, the effectiveness of medical face mask designs as related to the barrier and breathability properties, and respiratory protection, which may be necessary for some health care services.
SCOPE
1.1 This specification covers testing and requirements for materials used in the construction of medical face masks that are used in providing healthcare services such as surgery and patient care.  
1.1.1 This specification addresses medical masks with ties (surgical masks) and ear loops (procedure masks or isolation masks).  
1.2 This specification provides for the classification of medical face mask material performance. Medical face mask material performance is based on testing for bacterial filtration efficiency, differential pressure, sub-micron particulate filtration efficiency, resistance to penetration by synthetic blood, and flammability.  
1.3 This specification does not address all aspects of medical face mask design and performance. This specification does not specifically evaluate the effectiveness of medical face mask designs as related to their overall barrier and breathability properties.  
1.3.1 This specification does not include any specific design criteria for medical face masks; however, surgical masks are differentiated by having ties to allow adjustment of the medical face mask fit in comparison to procedure or isolation masks, which use ear loops to affix the mask to the wearer’s face.  
1.4 This specification does not address requirements for regulated respiratory protection devices such as respirators, which may be necessary for some healthcare services and exposure to inhalation hazards.
Note 1: Performance requirements for NIOSH-approved N95 respirators are described in 42 CFR Part 84. Additional requirements for NIOSH-approved N95 respirators intended for use in healthcare settings are described in the Memorandum of Understanding between FDA and NIOSH. FDA/NIOSH MOU 225-18-006, November 2017 and the NIOSH Conformity Assessment Letter to Manufacturers, NIOSH CA 2018-1010, November 2018.  
1.5 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard.  
1.6 The following precautionary caveat pertains only to the test methods portion, Section 9, of this specification: This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.7 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

ABSTRACT
This specification covers the classifications, performance requirements, and test methods for the materials used in the construction of medical face masks that are used in health care services such as surgery and patient care. Medical face mask material performance is based on testing for bacterial filtration efficiency, differential pressure, sub-micron particulate filtration efficiency, resistance to penetration by synthetic blood, and flammability. This specification does not address all aspects of medical face mask design and performance, the effectiveness of medical face mask designs as related to the barrier and breathability properties, and respiratory protection, which may be necessary for some health care services.
SCOPE
1.1 This specification covers testing and requirements for materials used in the construction of medical face masks that are used in providing healthcare services such as surgery and patient care.  
1.1.1 This specification addresses medical masks with ties (surgical masks) and ear loops (procedure masks or isolation masks).  
1.2 This specification provides for the classification of medical face mask material performance. Medical face mask material performance is based on testing for bacterial filtration efficiency, differential pressure, sub-micron particulate filtration efficiency, resistance to penetration by synthetic blood, and flammability.  
1.3 This specification does not address all aspects of medical face mask design and performance. This specification does not specifically evaluate the effectiveness of medical face mask designs as related to their overall barrier and breathability properties.  
1.3.1 This specification does not include any specific design criteria for medical face masks; however, surgical masks are differentiated by having ties to allow adjustment of the medical face mask fit in comparison to procedure or isolation masks, which use ear loops to affix the mask to the wearer’s face.  
1.4 This specification does not address requirements for regulated respiratory protection devices such as respirators, which may be necessary for some healthcare services and exposure to inhalation hazards.
Note 1: Performance requirements for NIOSH-approved N95 respirators are described in 42 CFR Part 84. Additional requirements for NIOSH-approved N95 respirators intended for use in healthcare settings are described in the Memorandum of Understanding between FDA and NIOSH. FDA/NIOSH MOU 225-18-006, November 2017 and the NIOSH Conformity Assessment Letter to Manufacturers, NIOSH CA 2018-1010, November 2018.  
1.5 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard.  
1.6 The following precautionary caveat pertains only to the test methods portion, Section 9, of this specification: This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.7 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

ABSTRACT
This specification establishes the requirements for the performance, documentation, and labeling of surgical gowns used in the healthcare facilities. It does not however cover all the requirements that a healthcare facility deems necessary to select a product, nor does it address criteria for evaluating experimental products. Barrier testing shall be conducted to determine the impact penetration, hydrostatic resistance, and viral penetration resistance performance of the critical zone(s) of the surgical gown. The physical properties of the critical zone(s) of the surgical gown shall also be tested and shall conform to the following requirements: tensile strength, tear resistance, seam strength, lint generation, evaporative resistance, and water vapor transmission rate. General safety requirements shall be set based on biocompatibility, sterility assurance, flame spread, and natural rubber latex specifications.
SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
4.1 This specification provides minimum requirements for surgical gowns used for protection of healthcare workers where the potential for exposure to blood, body fluids, and other potentially infectious materials exists. The specification requires barrier testing based on the system of classifying gowns established in ANSI/AAMI PB70 and sets general safety requirements for surgical gowns based on biocompatibility, sterility assurance, and flame spread. Performance requirements are established for important physical properties, including tensile strength, tear resistance, and seam strength. Methods to be used for optional reporting of performance of linting resistance, evaporative resistance, water vapor transmission rate, and abrasion resistance are provided.  
4.2 This specification does not address protective clothing used for nonsurgical applications, such as isolation gowns or decontamination gowns; protective clothing for the hands, such as surgical gloves, patient examination gloves, or other medical gloves; protective clothing for the head, such as goggles or face shields, surgical caps or hoods, surgical masks, or respirators; protective clothing for the feet, such as operating room shoes, shoe covers, or surgical boots; or other types of protective clothing and equipment worn by healthcare providers.  
4.3 Surgical gowns are either multiple-use or single-use products as designated by the manufacturer. This specification is intended to provide the basis for manufacturer claims for surgical gown performance and efficacy. For multiple-use gowns, this specification takes into account the anticipated care and maintenance of these products by examining test requirements for surgical gown materials both before and after the maximum expected number of cycles for laundering and sterilization.  
4.4 Additional information on the processing of multiple-use surgical gowns is provided in ANSI/AAMI ST65.  
4.5 While surgical gowns are classified for barrier performan...
SCOPE
1.1 This specification establishes requirements for the performance, documentation, and labeling of surgical gowns used in the healthcare facilities. Four levels of barrier properties for surgical gowns are specified in ANSI/AAMI PB70 and are included in this specification for reference purposes.
Note 1: Some properties require minimum performance and others are for documentation only.
Note 2: ANSI/AAMI PB70 evaluates the barrier properties of surgical gown fabrics using water only in Levels 1, 2, and 3. Since surgical gowns are exposed to blood and other fluids with different surface tensions, the performance of additional testing to identify the barrier levels to simulated biological fluids is required for a Level 4 gown.  
1.2 This specification does not cover all the requirements that a healthcare facility deems necessary to select a product, nor does it address criteria for evaluating experimental products.  
1.3 This specification is not intended to serve as a detailed manufacturing or purc...

ABSTRACT
This specification covers the classifications, performance requirements, and test methods for the materials used in the construction of medical face masks that are used in health care services such as surgery and patient care. Medical face mask material performance is based on testing for bacterial filtration efficiency, differential pressure, sub-micron particulate filtration efficiency, resistance to penetration by synthetic blood, and flammability. This specification does not address all aspects of medical face mask design and performance, the effectiveness of medical face mask designs as related to the barrier and breathability properties, and respiratory protection, which may be necessary for some health care services.
SCOPE
1.1 This specification covers testing and requirements for materials used in the construction of medical face masks that are used in providing healthcare services such as surgery and patient care.  
1.2 This specification provides for the classification of medical face mask material performance. Medical face mask material performance is based on testing for bacterial filtration efficiency, differential pressure, sub-micron particulate filtration efficiency, resistance to penetration by synthetic blood, and flammability.  
1.3 This specification does not address all aspects of medical face mask design and performance. This specification does not specifically evaluate the effectiveness of medical face mask designs as related to the barrier and breathability properties. This specification does not apply to regulated respiratory protection, which may be necessary for some healthcare services.  
1.4 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard.  
1.5 The following precautionary caveat pertains only to the test methods portion, Section 9, of this specification: This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.6 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

ABSTRACT
This specification covers the classifications, performance requirements, and test methods for the materials used in the construction of medical face masks that are used in health care services such as surgery and patient care. Medical face mask material performance is based on testing for bacterial filtration efficiency, differential pressure, sub-micron particulate filtration efficiency, resistance to penetration by synthetic blood, and flammability. This specification does not address all aspects of medical face mask design and performance, the effectiveness of medical face mask designs as related to the barrier and breathability properties, and respiratory protection, which may be necessary for some health care services.
SCOPE
1.1 This specification covers testing and requirements for materials used in the construction of medical face masks that are used in providing healthcare services such as surgery and patient care.  
1.2 This specification provides for the classification of medical face mask material performance. Medical face mask material performance is based on testing for bacterial filtration efficiency, differential pressure, sub-micron particulate filtration efficiency, resistance to penetration by synthetic blood, and flammability.  
1.3 This specification does not address all aspects of medical face mask design and performance. This specification does not specifically evaluate the effectiveness of medical face mask designs as related to the barrier and breathability properties. This specification does not apply to regulated respiratory protection, which may be necessary for some healthcare services.  
1.4 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard.  
1.5 The following precautionary caveat pertains only to the test methods portion, Section 9, of this specification: This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.6 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
5.1 This test method offers a procedure for evaluation of medical face mask materials for bacterial filtration efficiency. This test method does not define acceptable levels of bacterial filtration efficiency. Therefore, when using this test method it is necessary to describe the specific condition under which testing is conducted.  
5.2 This test method has been specifically designed for measuring bacterial filtration efficiency of medical face masks, using Staphylococcus aureus as the challenge organism. The use of S. aureus is based on its clinical relevance as a leading cause of nosocomial infections.  
5.3 This test method has been designed to introduce a bacterial aerosol challenge to the test specimens at a flow rate of 28.3 L/mm. (1 ft3/min). This flow rate is within the range of normal respiration and within the limitations of the cascade impactor.  
5.4 Unless otherwise specified, the testing shall be performed with the inside of the medical face mask in contact with the bacterial challenge. Testing may be performed with the aerosol challenge directed through either the face side or liner side of the test specimen, thereby, allowing evaluation of filtration efficiencies which relate to both patient-generated aerosols and wearer-generated aerosols.  
5.5 Degradation by physical, chemical, and thermal stresses could negatively impact the performance of the medical face mask material. The integrity of the material can also be compromised during use by such effects as flexing and abrasion, or by wetting with contaminants such as alcohol and perspiration. Testing without these stresses could lead to a false sense of security. If these conditions are of concern, evaluate the performance of the medical face mask material for bacterial filtration efficiency following an appropriate pretreatment technique representative of the expected conditions of use. Consider preconditioning to assess the impact of storage conditions and shelf life for disposable products, ...
SCOPE
1.1 This test method is used to measure the bacterial filtration efficiency (BFE) of medical face mask materials, employing a ratio of the upstream bacterial challenge to downstream residual concentration to determine filtration efficiency of medical face mask materials.  
1.2 This test method is a quantitative method that allows filtration efficiency for medical face mask materials to be determined. The maximum filtration efficiency that can be determined by this method is 99.9 %.  
1.3 This test method does not apply to all forms or conditions of biological aerosol exposure. Users of the test method should review modes for worker exposure and assess the appropriateness of the method for their specific applications.  
1.4 This test method evaluates medical face mask materials as an item of protective clothing but does not evaluate materials for regulatory approval as respirators. If respiratory protection for the wearer is needed, a NIOSH-certified respirator should be used. Relatively high bacterial filtration efficiency measurements for a particular medical face mask material does not ensure that the wearer will be protected from biological aerosols, since this test method primarily evaluates the performance of the composite materials used in the construction of the medical face mask and not its design, fit, or facial-sealing properties.  
1.5 Units—The values stated in SI units or inch-pound units are to be regarded separately as standard. The values stated in each system may not be exact equivalents; therefore, each system shall be used independently of the other. Combining values from the two systems may result in nonconformance of the standard.  
1.6 This test method does not address breathability of the medical face mask materials or any other properties affecting the ease of breathing through the medical face mask material.  
1.7 This test method may also be used to measure the bacterial filtration efficie...

SCOPE
1.1 This specification establishes minimum requirements for the performance and labeling of isolation gowns intended for use by healthcare workers to provide protection for standard and transmission-based precautions. The intended use of this specification is to ensure the performance properties of isolation gowns for the protection of the wearer. Four levels of barrier properties for isolation gowns are specified in ANSI/AAMI PB 70, and are included in this specification for reference purposes.  
1.2 There are other types of gowns that are used in healthcare settings, including: cover gowns, procedure gowns, comfort gowns, precaution gowns, and open-back gowns. All gowns not meeting the definition of isolation gown in 3.1.7 as defined by ANSI/AAMI PB70 are excluded from this standard.  
1.3 This specification does not address protective clothing used for surgical applications, such as surgical gowns or decontamination gowns; protective clothing for the hands, such as surgical gloves, patient examination gloves, or other medical gloves; protective clothing for the head, such as goggles or face shields, surgical caps or hoods, surgical masks, or respirators; protective clothing for the feet, such as operating room shoes, shoe covers, or surgical boots; or other types of protective clothing and equipment worn by healthcare providers.  
1.4 Units—The values stated in either SI units or inch-pound units are to be regarded separately as standard. The values stated in each system may not be exact equivalents; therefore, each system shall be used independently of the other. Combining values from the two systems may result in nonconformance with the standard.  
1.5 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.6 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

ABSTRACT
This specification covers the classifications, performance requirements, and test methods for the materials used in the construction of medical face masks that are used in health care services such as surgery and patient care. Medical face mask material performance is based on testing for bacterial filtration efficiency, differential pressure, sub-micron particulate filtration efficiency, resistance to penetration by synthetic blood, and flammability. This specification does not address all aspects of medical face mask design and performance, the effectiveness of medical face mask designs as related to the barrier and breathability properties, and respiratory protection, which may be necessary for some health care services.
SCOPE
1.1 This specification covers testing and requirements for materials used in the construction of medical face masks that are used in providing healthcare services such as surgery and patient care.  
1.2 This specification provides for the classification of medical face mask material performance. Medical face mask material performance is based on testing for bacterial filtration efficiency, differential pressure, sub-micron particulate filtration efficiency, resistance to penetration by synthetic blood, and flammability.  
1.3 This specification does not address all aspects of medical face mask design and performance. This specification does not specifically evaluate the effectiveness of medical face mask designs as related to the barrier and breathability properties. This specification does not also apply to respiratory protection, which may be necessary for some healthcare services.  
1.4 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard.  
1.5 The following precautionary caveat pertains only to the test methods portion, Section 9, of this specification: This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.6 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
5.1 This test method is based on Test Method F903 for measuring resistance of chemical protective clothing materials to penetration by liquids. This test method is normally used to evaluate specimens from individual finished items of protective clothing and individual samples of materials that are candidates for items of protective clothing.  
5.1.1 Finished items of protective clothing include gloves, arm shields, aprons, gowns, coveralls, hoods, and boots.  
5.1.2 The phrase “specimens from finished items” encompasses seamed and other discontinuous regions as well as the usual continuous regions of protective clothing items.  
5.2 Medical protective clothing materials are intended to be a barrier to blood, body fluids, and other potentially infectious materials. Many factors can affect the wetting and penetration characteristics of body fluids, such as surface tension, viscosity, and polarity of the fluid, as well as the structure and relative hydrophilicity or hydrophobicity of the materials. The surface tension range for blood and body fluids (excluding saliva) is approximately 0.042 to 0.060 N/m (1) .7 To help simulate the wetting characteristics of blood and body fluids, the surface tension of the synthetic blood is adjusted to approximate the lower end of this surface tension range. The resulting surface tension of the synthetic blood is approximately 0.042 ± 0.002 N/m.  
5.3 The synthetic blood mixture is prepared with a red dye to aid in visual detection and a thickening agent to simulate the flow characteristics of blood.  
5.4 Part of the protocol in Procedures A and B in Table 1 for exposing the protective clothing material specimens with synthetic blood involves pressurization of the test cell to 13.8 kPa [2 psig]. This hydrostatic pressure has been documented to discriminate between protective clothing material performance and to correlate with visual penetration results that are obtained with a human factors validation (2). Some studies, however,...
SCOPE
1.1 This test method is used to evaluate the resistance of materials used in protective clothing to penetration by synthetic blood under conditions of continuous liquid contact. Protective clothing  pass/fail determinations are based on visual detection of synthetic blood penetration.  
1.1.1 This test method is not always effective in testing protective clothing materials having thick, inner liners which readily absorb the synthetic blood.  
1.2 This test method is a means for selecting protective clothing materials for subsequent testing with a more sophisticated barrier test as described in Test Method F1671.  
1.3 This test method does not apply to all forms or conditions of blood-borne pathogen exposure. Users of the test method must review modes for work/clothing exposure and assess the appropriateness of this test method for their specific application.  
1.4 This test method addresses only the performance of materials or certain material constructions (for example, seams) used in protective clothing. This test method does not address the design, overall construction and components, or interfaces of garments, or other factors which may affect the overall protection offered by the protective clothing.  
1.5 The values stated in either SI units or inch-pound units are to be regarded separately as standard. The values stated in each system may not be exact equivalents; therefore, each system shall be used independently of the other. Combining values from the two systems may result in nonconformance with the standard.  
1.6 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.7 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized pri...

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
5.1 This test method is based on Test Method F903 for measuring resistance of chemical protective clothing materials to penetration by liquids. This test method is normally used to evaluate specimens from individual finished items of protective clothing and individual samples of materials that are candidates for items of protective clothing.  
5.1.1 Finished items of protective clothing include gloves, arm shields, aprons, gowns, coveralls, hoods, and boots.  
5.1.2 The phrase “specimens from finished items” encompasses seamed and other discontinuous regions as well as the usual continuous regions of protective clothing items.  
5.2 Medical protective clothing materials are intended to be a barrier to blood, body fluids, and other potentially infectious materials. Many factors can affect the wetting and penetration characteristics of body fluids, such as surface tension, viscosity, and polarity of the fluid, as well as the structure and relative hydrophilicity or hydrophobicity of the materials. The surface tension range for blood and body fluids (excluding saliva) is approximately 0.042 to 0.060 N/m (1) .7 To help simulate the wetting characteristics of blood and body fluids, the surface tension of the synthetic blood is adjusted to approximate the lower end of this surface tension range. The resulting surface tension of the synthetic blood is approximately 0.042 ± 0.002 N/m.  
5.3 The synthetic blood mixture is prepared with a red dye to aid in visual detection and a thickening agent to simulate the flow characteristics of blood.  
5.4 Part of the protocol in Procedures A and B in Table 1 for exposing the protective clothing material specimens with synthetic blood involves pressurization of the test cell to 13.8 kPa [2 psig]. This hydrostatic pressure has been documented to discriminate between protective clothing material performance and to correlate with visual penetration results that are obtained with a human factors validation (2). Some studies, however,...
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1.1 This test method is used to evaluate the resistance of materials used in protective clothing to penetration by synthetic blood under conditions of continuous liquid contact. Protective clothing  pass/fail determinations are based on visual detection of synthetic blood penetration.  
1.1.1 This test method is not always effective in testing protective clothing materials having thick, inner liners which readily absorb the synthetic blood.  
1.2 This test method is a means for selecting protective clothing materials for subsequent testing with a more sophisticated barrier test as described in Test Method F1671.  
1.3 This test method does not apply to all forms or conditions of blood-borne pathogen exposure. Users of the test method must review modes for work/clothing exposure and assess the appropriateness of this test method for their specific application.  
1.4 This test method addresses only the performance of materials or certain material constructions (for example, seams) used in protective clothing. This test method does not address the design, overall construction and components, or interfaces of garments, or other factors which may affect the overall protection offered by the protective clothing.  
1.5 The values stated in either SI units or inch-pound units are to be regarded separately as standard. The values stated in each system may not be exact equivalents; therefore, each system shall be used independently of the other. Combining values from the two systems may result in nonconformance with the standard.  
1.6 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.7 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on stand...

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
5.1 This test method offers a procedure for evaluating medical face mask resistance to synthetic blood penetration that is useful in establishing claims for penetration resistance performance of medical face masks and ranking their performance. However, this test method does not define acceptable levels of penetration resistance because this determination must be made by each responsible user organization based on its own specific application and conditions. Therefore, when using this test method to make claims for the performance of medical face masks, the specific conditions under which testing is conducted must be described.  
5.2 Medical face masks are intended to resist liquid penetration from the splatter or splashing of blood, body fluids, and other potentially infectious materials. Many factors affect the wetting and penetration characteristics of body fluids, such as surface tension, viscosity, and polarity of the fluid, as well as the structure and relative hydrophilicity or hydrophobicity of the materials and the design of the mask itself. The surface tension range for blood and body fluids (excluding saliva) is approximately 0.042 to 0.060 N/m.7 To help simulate the wetting characteristics of blood and body fluids, the surface tension of the synthetic blood is adjusted to approximate the lower end of this surface tension range. The resulting surface tension of the synthetic blood is 0.042 ± 0.002 N/m.  
5.3 The synthetic blood mixture is prepared with a red dye to aid in visual detection and a thickening agent to simulate the flow characteristics of blood. The synthetic blood will not always duplicate the polarity, and thus the wetting behavior and subsequent penetration, of real blood and other body fluids through protective clothing materials.  
5.4 During a medical procedure, a blood vessel is occasionally punctured resulting in a high velocity stream of blood impacting a protective medical face mask. The impact velocity depends on several factors,...
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1.1 This test method is used to evaluate the resistance of medical face masks to penetration by the impact of a small volume (~2 mL) of a high-velocity stream of synthetic blood. Medical face mask pass/fail determinations are based on visual detection of synthetic blood penetration.  
1.2 This test method does not apply to all forms or conditions of blood-borne pathogen exposure. Users of the test method must review modes for face exposure and assess the appropriateness of this test method for their specific application.  
1.3 This test method primarily addresses the performance of materials or certain material constructions used in medical face masks. This test method does not address the performance of the medical face mask’s design, construction, or interfaces or other factors with the potential to affect the overall protection offered by the medical face mask and its operation (such as filtration efficiency and pressure drop). Procedures for measuring these properties are contained in Test Method F2101 and MIL-M-36954C.  
1.4 This test method does not address breathability of the medical face mask materials or any other properties affecting the ease of breathing through the medical face mask. This test method evaluates medical face masks as an item of protective clothing. This test method does not evaluate the performance of medical face masks for airborne exposure pathways or in the prevention of the penetration of aerosolized body fluids deposited on the medical face mask.  
1.5 The values stated in SI units or inch-pound units are to be regarded separately as standard. The pressure values stated in each system are not exact equivalents. However, as the corresponding velocities are within 1 % of each other, (see X1.4.2), reporting of the results in either units is permitted.  
1.6 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of ...

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
5.1 This test method measures the initial filtration efficiency of materials used in medical face masks by sampling representative volumes of the upstream and downstream latex aerosol concentrations in a controlled airflow chamber.  
5.2 This test method provides specific test techniques for both manufacturers and users to evaluate materials when exposed to aerosol particle sizes between 0.1 and 5.0 μm.  
5.2.1 This test method establishes a basis of efficiency comparison between medical face mask materials.  
5.2.2 This test method does not establish a comprehensive characterization of the medical face mask material for a specific protective application.  
5.3 This test method does not assess the overall effectiveness of medical face masks in preventing the inward leakage of harmful particles.  
5.3.1 The design of the medical face mask and the integrity of the seal of the medical face mask to the wearer's face are not evaluated in this test.  
5.4 This test method is not suitable for evaluating materials used in protective clothing for determining their effectiveness against particulate hazards.  
5.4.1 In general, clothing design is a significant factor which must be considered in addition to the penetration of particulates.
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1.1 This test method establishes procedures for measuring the initial particle filtration efficiency of materials used in medical facemasks using monodispersed aerosols.  
1.1.1 This test method utilizes light scattering particle counting in the size range of 0.1 to 5.0 μm and airflow test velocities of 0.5 to 25 cm/s.  
1.2 The test procedure measures filtration efficiency by comparing the particle count in the feed stream (upstream) to that in the filtrate (downstream).  
1.3 The values stated in SI units or in other units shall be regarded separately as standard. The values stated in each system must be used independently of the other, without combining values in any way.  
1.4 The following precautionary caveat pertains only to the test methods portion, Section 10, of this specification. This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.5 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
5.1 This test method offers a procedure for evaluation of medical face mask materials for bacterial filtration efficiency. This test method does not define acceptable levels of bacterial filtration efficiency. Therefore, when using this test method it is necessary to describe the specific condition under which testing is conducted.  
5.2 This test method has been specifically designed for measuring bacterial filtration efficiency of medical face masks, using Staphylococcus aureus as the challenge organism. The use of S. aureus is based on its clinical relevance as a leading cause of nosocomial infections.  
5.3 This test method has been designed to introduce a bacterial aerosol challenge to the test specimens at a flow rate of 28.3 L/mm. (1 ft3/min). This flow rate is within the range of normal respiration and within the limitations of the cascade impactor.  
5.4 Unless otherwise specified, the testing shall be performed with the inside of the medical face mask in contact with the bacterial challenge. Testing may be performed with the aerosol challenge directed through either the face side or liner side of the test specimen, thereby, allowing evaluation of filtration efficiencies which relate to both patient-generated aerosols and wearer-generated aerosols.  
5.5 Degradation by physical, chemical, and thermal stresses could negatively impact the performance of the medical face mask material. The integrity of the material can also be compromised during use by such effects as flexing and abrasion, or by wetting with contaminants such as alcohol and perspiration. Testing without these stresses could lead to a false sense of security. If these conditions are of concern, evaluate the performance of the medical face mask material for bacterial filtration efficiency following an appropriate pretreatment technique representative of the expected conditions of use. Consider preconditioning to assess the impact of storage conditions and shelf life for disposable products, ...
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1.1 This test method is used to measure the bacterial filtration efficiency (BFE) of medical face mask materials, employing a ratio of the upstream bacterial challenge to downstream residual concentration to determine filtration efficiency of medical face mask materials.  
1.2 This test method is a quantitative method that allows filtration efficiency for medical face mask materials to be determined. The maximum filtration efficiency that can be determined by this method is 99.9 %.  
1.3 This test method does not apply to all forms or conditions of biological aerosol exposure. Users of the test method should review modes for worker exposure and assess the appropriateness of the method for their specific applications.  
1.4 This test method evaluates medical face mask materials as an item of protective clothing but does not evaluate materials for regulatory approval as respirators. If respiratory protection for the wearer is needed, a NIOSH-certified respirator should be used. Relatively high bacterial filtration efficiency measurements for a particular medical face mask material does not ensure that the wearer will be protected from biological aerosols since this test method primarily evaluates the performance of the composite materials used in the construction of the medical face mask and not its design, fit or facial sealing properties.  
1.5 Units—The values stated in SI units or inch-pound units are to be regarded separately as standard. The values stated in each system may not be exact equivalents; therefore, each system shall be used independently of the other. Combining values from the two systems may result in nonconformance of the standard.  
1.6 This test method does not address breathability of the medical face mask materials or any other properties affecting the ease of breathing through the medical face mask material.  
1.7 This test method may also be used to measure the bacterial filtration efficienc...

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
5.1 This test method is based on Test Method F903 for measuring resistance of chemical protective clothing materials to penetration by liquids. This test method is normally used to evaluate specimens from individual finished items of protective clothing and individual samples of materials that are candidates for items of protective clothing.  
5.1.1 Finished items of protective clothing include gloves, arm shields, aprons, gowns, coveralls, hoods, and boots.  
5.1.2 The phrase “specimens from finished items” encompasses seamed and other discontinuous regions as well as the usual continuous regions of protective clothing items.  
5.2 Medical protective clothing materials are intended to be a barrier to blood, body fluids, and other potentially infectious materials. Many factors can affect the wetting and penetration characteristics of body fluids, such as surface tension, viscosity, and polarity of the fluid, as well as the structure and relative hydrophilicity or hydrophobicity of the materials. The surface tension range for blood and body fluids (excluding saliva) is approximately 0.042 to 0.060 N/m (1) .7 To help simulate the wetting characteristics of blood and body fluids, the surface tension of the synthetic blood is adjusted to approximate the lower end of this surface tension range. The resulting surface tension of the synthetic blood is approximately 0.042 ± 0.002 N/m.  
5.3 The synthetic blood mixture is prepared with a red dye to aid in visual detection and a thickening agent to simulate the flow characteristics of blood.  
5.4 Part of the protocol in Procedure A and B in Table 1 for exposing the protective clothing material specimens with synthetic blood involves pressurization of the test cell to 13.8 kPa [2 psig]. This hydrostatic pressure has been documented to discriminate between protective clothing material performance and correlate with visual penetration results that are obtained with a human factors validation (2). Some studies, however, sug...
SCOPE
1.1 This test method is used to evaluate the resistance of materials used in protective clothing to penetration by synthetic blood under conditions of continuous liquid contact. Protective clothing  pass/fail determinations are based on visual detection of synthetic blood penetration.  
1.1.1 This test method is not always effective in testing protective clothing materials having thick, inner liners which readily absorb the synthetic blood.  
1.2 This test method is a means for selecting protective clothing materials for subsequent testing with a more sophisticated barrier test as described in Test Method F1671.  
1.3 This test method does not apply to all forms or conditions of blood-borne pathogen exposure. Users of the test method must review modes for work/clothing exposure and assess the appropriateness of this test method for their specific application.  
1.4 This test method addresses only the performance of materials or certain material constructions (for example, seams) used in protective clothing. This test method does not address the design, overall construction and components, or interfaces of garments, or other factors which may affect the overall protection offered by the protective clothing.  
1.5 The values stated in either SI units or inch-pound units are to be regarded separately as standard. The values stated in each system may not be exact equivalents; therefore, each system shall be used independently of the other. Combining values from the two systems may result in non-conformance with the standard.  
1.6 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
5.1 This test method offers a procedure for evaluating medical face mask resistance to synthetic blood penetration that is useful in establishing claims for penetration resistance performance of medical face masks and ranking their performance. However, this test method does not define acceptable levels of penetration resistance because this determination must be made by each responsible user organization based on its own specific application and conditions. Therefore, when using this test method to make claims for the performance of medical face masks, the specific conditions under which testing is conducted must be described.  
5.2 Medical face masks are intended to resist liquid penetration from the splatter or splashing of blood, body fluids, and other potentially infectious materials. Many factors affect the wetting and penetration characteristics of body fluids, such as surface tension, viscosity, and polarity of the fluid, as well as the structure and relative hydrophilicity or hydrophobicity of the materials and the design of the mask itself. The surface tension range for blood and body fluids (excluding saliva) is approximately 0.042 to 0.060 N/m.7 To help simulate the wetting characteristics of blood and body fluids, the surface tension of the synthetic blood is adjusted to approximate the lower end of this surface tension range. The resulting surface tension of the synthetic blood is 0.042 ± 0.002 N/m.  
5.3 The synthetic blood mixture is prepared with a red dye to aid in visual detection and a thickening agent to simulate the flow characteristics of blood. The synthetic blood will not always duplicate the polarity, and thus the wetting behavior and subsequent penetration, of real blood and other body fluids through protective clothing materials.  
5.4 During a medical procedure, a blood vessel is occasionally punctured resulting in a high velocity stream of blood impacting a protective medical face mask. The impact velocity depends on several factors,...
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1.1 This test method is used to evaluate the resistance of medical face masks to penetration by the impact of a small volume (~2 mL) of a high velocity stream of synthetic blood. Medical face mask pass/fail determinations are based on visual detection of synthetic blood penetration.  
1.2 This test method does not apply to all forms or conditions of blood-borne pathogen exposure. Users of the test method must review modes for face exposure and assess the appropriateness of this test method for their specific application.  
1.3 This test method primarily addresses the performance of materials or certain material constructions used in medical face masks. This test method does not address the performance of the medical face mask’s design, construction, or interfaces or other factors with the potential to affect the overall protection offered by the medical face mask and its operation (such as filtration efficiency and pressure drop). Procedures for measuring these properties are contained in Test Methods F2101 and MIL-M-36954C.  
1.4 This test method does not address breathability of the medical face mask materials or any other properties affecting the ease of breathing through the medical face mask. This test method evaluates medical face masks as an item of protective clothing. This test method does not evaluate the performance of medical face masks for airborne exposure pathways or in the prevention of the penetration of aerosolized body fluids deposited on the medical face mask.  
1.5 The values stated in SI units or inch-pound units are to be regarded separately as standard. The pressure values stated in each system are not exact equivalents. However, as the corresponding velocities are within 1 % of each other, (see X1.4.2), reporting of the results in either units is permitted.  
1.6 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of...

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
4.1 This specification provides requirements for surgical gowns used for protection of healthcare workers where the potential for exposure to blood, body fluids, and other potentially infectious materials exists. The specification requires barrier testing based on the system of classifying gowns established in AAMI PB70 and sets general safety requirements for surgical gowns based on biocompatibility, sterility assurance, and flame spread. Documentation and reporting requirements are set for important physical properties including tensile strength, tear resistance, seam strength, linting resistance, evaporative resistance testing, and water vapor transmission rate.  
4.2 This specification does not address protective clothing used for non-surgical applications, such as isolation gowns or decontamination gowns; protective clothing for the hands, such as surgical gloves, patient examination gloves, or other medical gloves; protective clothing for the head, such as goggles or face shields, surgical caps or hoods, surgical masks, or respirators; protective clothing for the feet, such as operating room shoes, shoe covers, or surgical boots; or other types of protective clothing and equipment worn by health care providers.  
4.3 Surgical gowns are either multiple-use or single-use products as designated by the manufacturer. This specification is intended to provide the basis for manufacturer claims for surgical gown performance and efficacy. For multiple-use gowns, this specification takes into account the anticipated care and maintenance of these products, by examining test requirements for surgical gown materials both before and after the maximum expected number of cycles for laundering and sterilization.  
4.4 Additional information on the processing of multiple-use surgical gowns is provided in AAMI ST65.  
4.5 While surgical gowns are classified for barrier performance as specified in AAMI PB70, this specification establishes certain other physical performance an...
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1.1 This specification establishes requirements for the performance, documentation, and labeling of surgical gowns used in the healthcare facilities. Four levels of barrier properties for surgical gowns are specified in AAMI PB70 and are included in this specification for reference purposes.Note 1—Some properties require minimum performance and others are for documentation only.Note 2—AAMI PB70 evaluates the barrier properties of surgical gown fabrics using water only in Levels 1, 2, and 3. Since surgical gowns are exposed to blood and other fluids with different surface tensions, the performance of additional testing to identify the barrier levels to simulated biological fluids is required for a Level 4 gown.  
1.2 This specification does not cover all the requirements that a healthcare facility deems necessary to select a product, nor does it address criteria for evaluating experimental products.  
1.3 This specification is not intended to serve as a detailed manufacturing or purchase specification, but can be referenced in purchase specifications as the basis for selecting test requirements.  
1.4 The values stated in SI units or in other units shall be regarded separately as standard. The values stated in each system must be used independently of the other, without combining values in any way.  
1.5 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
5.1 This test method is based on Test Method F903 for measuring resistance of chemical protective clothing materials to penetration by liquids. This test method is normally used to evaluate specimens from individual finished items of protective clothing and individual samples of materials that are candidates for items of protective clothing.  
5.1.1 Finished items of protective clothing include gloves, arm shields, aprons, gowns, coveralls, hoods, and boots.  
5.1.2 The phrase “specimens from finished items” encompasses seamed and other discontinuous regions, as well as the usual continuous regions of protective clothing items.  
5.2 It is known that body fluids penetrating protective clothing materials are likely to carry microbiological contaminants; however, visual detection methods are not sensitive enough to detect minute amounts of liquid containing microorganisms (1,2,3).8 This test method uses media containing Phi-X174 Bacteriophage. The visual detection technique of this test method is supplemented with a biologically based assay capable of detecting virus under the specified test conditions.  
5.3 Test Method F1670, allows the screening of protective clothing materials for resistance to penetration with synthetic blood as a challenge liquid. Test Method F1670 uses the same penetration test cell and technique, but exposes material specimens to synthetic blood with visual detection of liquid penetration. Materials passing Test Method F1670 should then be tested against bacteriophage penetration using this test method to verify performance.  
5.4 This test method has been specifically designed for measuring penetration of a surrogate microbe for Hepatitis (B and C) and the Human Immunodeficiency Viruses. The surrogate, Phi-X174 Bacteriophage, used in this test method is similar to HCV in size and shape but also serves as a surrogate for HBV and HIV. Inferences about protection from other pathogens must be assessed on a case-by-case basis.  
5.5 Part of ...
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1.1 This test method is used to measure the resistance of materials used in protective clothing to penetration by blood-borne pathogens using a surrogate microbe under conditions of continuous liquid contact. Protective clothing material pass/fail  determinations are based on the detection of viral penetration.  
1.1.1 This test method is not always effective in testing protective clothing materials having thick, inner liners which readily absorb the liquid assay fluid.  
1.2 This test method does not apply to all forms or conditions of blood-borne pathogen exposure. Users of the test method should review modes for worker/clothing exposure and assess the appropriateness of this test method for their specific applications.  
1.3 This test method has been specifically defined for modeling the viral penetration of Hepatitis (B and C) and Human Immunodeficiency Viruses transmitted in blood and other potentially infectious body fluids. Inferences for protection from other pathogens must be assessed on a case-by-case basis.  
1.4 This test method addresses only the performance of materials or certain material constructions (for example, seams) used in protective clothing and determined to be viral resistant. This test method does not address the design, overall construction and components, or interfaces of garments or other factors which may affect the overall protection offered by the protective clothing.  
1.5 The values stated in SI units or in other units shall be regarded separately as standard. The values stated in each system must be used independently of the other, without combining values in any way.  
1.6 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
5.1 This test method was modeled after a procedure commonly known as the Elbow Lean Test.8 The Elbow Lean Test involves the application of synthetic blood to an ink pad, placement of sample fabric over the blood soaked pad, placement of a blotter over the sample fabric, and applying elbow or fingertip pressure on top of the blotter. The blotter is then examined for staining as evidence of blood penetration. This test method provides similar procedures which standardize the test equipment and application of pressure through an adopted methodology.  
5.2 This test method is intended to simulate actual use conditions wherein areas of the health care worker's protective clothing are soaked with blood and compressed between the patient's body and that of the health care worker, or similarly between the health care worker and instruments. In both cases, unconfined blood can move away from the pressure point taking the path of least resistance rather than being contained as in Test Methods F1670 and F1671.  
5.3 This test method uses predominately mechanical pressure as opposed to contained, hydrostatic pressure to demonstrate liquid penetration resistance (1,2) . It simulates a single insult in which the outer surfaces of a protective clothing item are compressed at a steady rate by the wearer's body against a wet surface. This steady rate of compression represents one potential use scenario. Other scenarios may result in a wide variety of pressure ramp rates and profiles that are not simulated by the test apparatus.  
5.4 Because this test method provides quantitative results, it is useful for discriminating differences in the liquid barrier performance of protective clothing materials. This test method can be used for measuring differences in the penetration pressure for protective clothing materials which do not pass Test Method F1670.  
5.5 This test method is normally used to evaluate specimens from individual finished items of protective clothing and individua...
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1.1 This test method is used to evaluate the resistance of materials used in protective clothing to synthetic blood under the conditions of liquid contact and increasing direct mechanical pressure. The penetration resistance of protective clothing is based on visual detection of synthetic blood penetration at a specific applied mechanical pressure.  
1.2 This test method does not apply to all forms or conditions of blood-borne pathogen exposure. Users of the test method must review modes for work/clothing exposure and assess the appropriateness of this test method for their specific application.  
1.3 This test method addresses only the performance of materials or certain material constructions (for example, seams) used in protective clothing. This test method does not address the design, overall construction, components, or interfaces of garments, or other factors which may affect the overall protection offered by the protective clothing.  
1.4 The values in SI units or in other units shall be regarded separately as standard. The values stated in each system must be used independently of the other, without combining values in any way.  
1.5 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

ABSTRACT
This specification covers the classifications, performance requirements, and test methods for the materials used in the construction of medical face masks that are used in health care services such as surgery and patient care. Medical face mask material performance is based on testing for bacterial filtration efficiency, differential pressure, sub-micron particulate filtration efficiency, resistance to penetration by synthetic blood, and flammability. This specification does not address all aspects of medical face mask design and performance, the effectiveness of medical face mask designs as related to the barrier and breathability properties, and respiratory protection, which may be necessary for some health care services.
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1.1 This specification covers testing and requirements for materials used in the construction of medical face masks that are used in providing health care services such as surgery and patient care.
1.2 This specification provides for the classification of medical face mask material performance. Medical face mask material performance is based on testing for bacterial filtration efficiency, differential pressure, sub-micron particulate filtration efficiency, resistance to penetration by synthetic blood, and flammability.
1.3 This specification does not address all aspects of medical face mask design and performance. This specification does not specifically evaluate the effectiveness of medical face mask designs as related to the barrier and breathability properties. This specification does not also apply to respiratory protection, which may be necessary for some health care services.
1.4 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard.
1.5 The following precautionary caveat pertains only to the test methods portion, Section 9, of this specification: This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
This test method measures the initial filtration efficiency of materials used in medical face masks by sampling representative volumes of the upstream and downstream latex aerosol concentrations in a controlled airflow chamber.
This test method provides specific test techniques for both manufacturers and users to evaluate materials when exposed to aerosol particle sizes between 0.1 and 5.0 μm.
This test method establishes a basis of efficiency comparison between medical face mask materials.
This test method does not establish a comprehensive characterization of the medical face mask material for a specific protective application.
This test method does not assess the overall effectiveness of medical face masks in preventing the inward leakage of harmful particles.
The design of the medical face mask and the integrity of the seal of the medical face mask to the wearer's face are not evaluated in this test.
This test method is not suitable for evaluating materials used in protective clothing for determining their effectiveness against particulate hazards.
In general, clothing design is a significant factor, which must be considered in addition to the penetration of penetration of particulates.
SCOPE
1.1 This test method establishes procedures for measuring the initial particle filtration efficiency of materials used in medical facemasks using monodispersed aerosols.
1.1.1 This test method utilizes light scattering particle counting in the size range of 0.1 to 5.0 μm and airflow test velocities of 0.5 to 25 cm/s.
1.2 The test procedure measures filtration efficiency by comparing the particle count in the feed stream (upstream) to that in the filtrate (downstream).
1.3 The values stated in SI units or in other units shall be regarded separately as standard. The values stated in each system must be used independently of the other, without combining values in any way.
1.4 The following precautionary caveat pertains only to the test methods portion, Section 10, of this specification. This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
This test method is based on Test Method F 903 for measuring resistance of chemical protective clothing materials to penetration by liquids. This test method is normally used to evaluate specimens from individual finished items of protective clothing and individual samples of materials that are candidates for items of protective clothing.
Finished items of protective clothing include gloves, arm shields, aprons, gowns, coveralls, hoods, and boots.
The phrase “specimens from finished items” encompasses seamed and other discontinuous regions as well as the usual continuous regions of protective clothing items.
Medical protective clothing materials are intended to be a barrier to blood, body fluids, and other potentially infectious materials. Many factors can affect the wetting and penetration characteristics of body fluids, such as surface tension, viscosity, and polarity of the fluid, as well as the structure and relative hydrophilicity or hydrophobicity of the materials. The surface tension range for blood and body fluids (excluding saliva) is approximately 0.042 to 0.060 N/m (1). To help simulate the wetting characteristics of blood and body fluids, the surface tension of the synthetic blood is adjusted to approximate the lower end of this surface tension range. The resulting surface tension of the synthetic blood is approximately 0.042 ± 0.002 N/m.
The synthetic blood mixture is prepared with a red dye to aid in visual detection and a thickening agent to simulate the flow characteristics of blood.
Part of the protocol in Procedure A and B in Table 1 for exposing the protective clothing material specimens with synthetic blood involves pressurization of the test cell to 13.8 kPa (2 psig). This hydrostatic pressure has been documented to discriminate between protective clothing material performance and correlate with visual penetration results that are obtained with a human factors validation (2). Some studies, however, suggest that mechanical pressures exc...
SCOPE
1.1 This test method is used to evaluate the resistance of materials used in protective clothing to penetration by synthetic blood under conditions of continuous liquid contact. Protective clothing pass/fail determinations are based on visual detection of synthetic blood penetration.
1.1.1 This test method is not always effective in testing protective clothing materials having thick, inner liners which readily absorb the synthetic blood.
1.2 This test method is a means for selecting protective clothing materials for subsequent testing with a more sophisticated barrier test as described in Test Method F 1671.
1.3 This test method does not apply to all forms or conditions of blood-borne pathogen exposure. Users of the test method must review modes for work/clothing exposure and assess the appropriateness of this test method for their specific application.
1.4 This test method addresses only the performance of materials or certain material constructions (for example, seams) used in protective clothing. This test method does not address the design, overall construction and components, or interfaces of garments, or other factors which may affect the overall protection offered by the protective clothing.
1.5 The values in SI units or other units shall be regarded separately as standard. The values stated in each system must be used independently of the other, without combining values in any way.
1.6 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

ABSTRACT
This specification covers the classifications, performance requirements, and test methods for the materials used in the construction of medical face masks that are used in health care services such as surgery and patient care. Medical face mask material performance is based on testing for bacterial filtration efficiency, differential pressure, sub-micron particulate filtration efficiency, resistance to penetration by synthetic blood, and flammability. This specification does not address all aspects of medical face mask design and performance, the effectiveness of medical face mask designs as related to the barrier and breathability properties, and respiratory protection, which may be necessary for some health care services.
SCOPE
1.1 This specification covers testing and requirements for materials used in the construction of medical face masks that are used in providing health care services such as surgery and patient care.
1.2 This specification provides for the classification of medical face mask material performance. Medical face mask material performance is based on testing for bacterial filtration efficiency, differential pressure, sub-micron particulate filtration efficiency, resistance to penetration by synthetic blood, and flammability.
1.3 This specification does not address all aspects of medical face mask design and performance. This specification does not specifically evaluate the effectiveness of medical face mask designs as related to the barrier and breathability properties. This specification does not also apply to respiratory protection, which may be necessary for some health care services.
1.4 The values stated in SI units or in other units shall be regarded separately as standard. The values stated in each system must be used independently of the other, without combining values in any way.
The following precautionary caveat pertains only to the test methods portion, Section 9, of this specification: This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

SCOPE
1.1 This test method is used to evaluate the resistance of materials used in protective clothing to synthetic blood under the conditions of liquid contact and increasing direct mechanical pressure. The penetration resistance of protective clothing is based on visual detection of synthetic blood penetration at a specific applied mechanical pressure.
1.2 This test method does not apply to all forms or conditions of blood-borne pathogen exposure. Users of the test method must review modes for work/clothing exposure and assess the appropriateness of this test method for their specific application.
1.3 This test method addresses only the performance of materials or certain material constructions (for example, seams) used in protective clothing. This test method does not address the design, overall construction, components, or interfaces of garments, or other factors which may affect the overall protection offered by the protective clothing.
1.4 The values in SI units or in other units shall be regarded separately as standard. The values stated in each system must be used independently of the other, without combining values in any way.
This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

SCOPE
1.1 This test method is used to measure the resistance of materials used in protective clothing to penetration by blood-borne pathogens using a surrogate microbe under conditions of continuous liquid contact. Protective clothing material pass/fail  determinations are based on the detection of viral penetration.
1.1.1 This test method is not always effective in testing protective clothing materials having thick, inner liners which readily absorb the liquid assay fluid.
1.2 This test method does not apply to all forms or conditions of blood-borne pathogen exposure. Users of the test method should review modes for worker/clothing exposure and assess the appropriateness of this test method for their specific applications.
1.3 This test method has been specifically defined for modeling the viral penetration of Hepatitis (B and C) and Human Immunodeficiency Viruses transmitted in blood and other potentially infectious body fluids. Inferences for protection from other pathogens must be assessed on a case-by-case basis.
1.4 This test method addresses only the performance of materials or certain material constructions (for example, seams) used in protective clothing and determined to be viral resistant. This test method does not address the design, overall construction and components, or interfaces of garments or other factors which may affect the overall protection offered by the protective clothing.
1.5 The values stated in SI units or in other units shall be regarded separately as standard. The values stated in each system must be used independently of the other, without combining values in any way.
This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

SCOPE
1.1 This test method is used to evaluate the resistance of materials used in protective clothing to penetration by synthetic blood under conditions of continuous liquid contact. Protective clothing  pass/fail determinations are based on visual detection of synthetic blood penetration.
1.1.1 This test method is not always effective in testing protective clothing materials having thick, inner liners which readily absorb the synthetic blood.
1.2 This test method is a means for selecting protective clothing materials for subsequent testing with a more sophisticated barrier test as described in Test Method F 1671.
1.3 This test method does not apply to all forms or conditions of blood-borne pathogen exposure. Users of the test method must review modes for work/clothing exposure and assess the appropriateness of this test method for their specific application.
1.4 This test method addresses only the performance of materials or certain material constructions (for example, seams) used in protective clothing. This test method does not address the design, overall construction and components, or interfaces of garments, or other factors which may affect the overall protection offered by the protective clothing.
1.5 The values in SI units or other units shall be regarded separately as standard. The values stated in each system must be used independently of the other, without combining values in any way.
This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

SCOPE
1.1 This test method is used to measure the bacterial filtration efficiency (BFE) of medical face mask materials, employing a ratio of the upstream bacterial challenge to downstream residual concentration to determine filtration efficiency of medical face mask materials.
1.2 This test method is a quantitative method that allows filtration efficiency for medical face mask materials to be determined. The maximum filtration efficiency that can be determined by this method is 99.9 %.
1.3 This test method does not apply to all forms or conditions of biological aerosol exposure. Users of the test method should review modes for worker exposure and assess the appropriateness of the method for their specific applications.
1.4 This test method evaluates medical face mask materials as an item of protective clothing but does not evaluate materials for regulatory approval as respirators. If respiratory protection for the wearer is needed, a NIOSH-certified respirator should be used. Relatively high bacterial filtration efficiency measurements for a particular medical face mask material does not ensure that the wearer will be protected from biological aerosols since this test method primarily evaluates the performance of the composite materials used in the construction of the medical face mask and not its design, fit or facial sealing properties.
1.5 Units The values stated in SI units or inch-pound units are to be regarded separately as standard. The values stated in each system may not be exact equivalents; therefore, each system shall be used independently of the other. Combining values from the two systems may result in nonconformance of the standard.
1.6 This test method does not address breathability of the medical face mask materials or any other properties affecting the ease of breathing through the medical face mask material.
This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

SCOPE
1.1 This test method is used to evaluate the resistance of medical face masks to penetration by the impact of a small volume (~2 mL) of a high velocity stream of synthetic blood. Medical face mask pass/fail determinations are based on visual detection of synthetic blood penetration.
1.2 This test method does not apply to all forms or conditions of blood-borne pathogen exposure. Users of the test method must review modes for face exposure and assess the appropriateness of this test method for their specific application.
1.3 This test method primarily addresses the performance of materials or certain material constructions used in medical face masks. This test method does not address the performance of the medical face masks design, construction, or interfaces or other factors with the potential to affect the overall protection offered by the medical face mask and its operation (such as filtration efficiency and pressure drop). Procedures for measuring these properties are contained in Test Methods F 2101 and MIL-M-36954C.
1.4 This test method does not address breathability of the medical face mask materials or any other properties affecting the ease of breathing through the medical face mask. This test method evaluates medical face masks as an item of protective clothing. This test method does not evaluate the performance of medical face masks for airborne exposure pathways or in the prevention of the penetration of aerosolized body fluids deposited on the medical face mask.
1.5 The values stated in SI units or inch-pound units are to be regarded separately as standard. The pressure values stated in each system are not exact equivalents. However, as the corresponding velocities are within 1 % of each other, (see X1.4.2), reporting of the results in either units is permitted.
This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

ABSTRACT
This specification establishes the requirements for the performance, documentation, and labeling of surgical gowns used in the healthcare facilities. It does not however cover all the requirements that a healthcare facility deems necessary to select a product, nor does it address criteria for evaluating experimental products. Barrier testing shall be conducted to determine the impact penetration, hydrostatic resistance, and viral penetration resistance performance of the critical zone(s) of the surgical gown. The physical properties of the critical zone(s) of the surgical gown shall also be tested and shall conform to the following requirements: tensile strength, tear resistance, seam strength, lint generation, evaporative resistance, and water vapor transmission rate. General safety requirements shall be set based on biocompatibility, sterility assurance, flame spread, and natural rubber latex specifications.
SCOPE
1.1 This specification establishes requirements for the performance, documentation, and labeling of surgical gowns used in the healthcare facilities. Four levels of barrier properties for surgical gowns are specified in AAMI PB70:2003 and are included in this specification for reference purposes.Note 1
Some properties require minimum performance and others are for documentation only.Note 2
AAMI PB70:2003 evaluates the barrier properties of surgical gown fabrics using water only in Levels 1, 2, and 3. Since surgical gowns are exposed to blood and other fluids with different surface tensions, the performance of additional testing to identify the barrier levels to simulated biological fluids is required for a Level 4 gown.
1.2 This specification does not cover all the requirements that a healthcare facility deems necessary to select a product, nor does it address criteria for evaluating experimental products.
1.3 This specification is not intended to serve as a detailed manufacturing or purchase specification, but can be referenced in purchase specifications as the basis for selecting test requirements.
1.4 The values stated in SI units or in other units shall be regarded separately as standard. The values stated in each system must be used independently of the other, without combining values in any way.
This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

SCOPE
1.1 This test method is used to evaluate the resistance of medical face masks to penetration by the impact of a small volume (~2 mL) of a high velocity stream of synthetic blood. Medical face mask pass/fail determinations are based on visual detection of synthetic blood penetration.
1.2 This test method does not apply to all forms or conditions of blood-borne pathogen exposure. Users of the test method must review modes for face exposure and assess the appropriateness of this test method for their specific application.
1.3 This test method primarily addresses the performance of materials or certain material constructions used in medical face masks. This test method does not address the performance of the medical face masks design, construction, or interfaces or other factors with the potential to affect the overall protection offered by the medical face mask and its operation (such as filtration efficiency and pressure drop). Procedures for measuring these properties are contained in Test Methods F 2101 and MIL-M-36954C.
1.4 This test method does not address breathability of the medical face mask materials or any other properties affecting the ease of breathing through the medical face mask. This test method evaluates medical face masks as an item of protective clothing. This test method does not evaluate the performance of medical face masks for airborne exposure pathways or in the prevention of the penetration of aerosolized body fluids deposited on the medical face mask.
1.5 The values stated in SI units or inch-pound units are to be regarded separately as standard. The pressure values stated in each system are not exact equivalents. However, as the corresponding velocities are within 1 % of each other, (see ), reporting of the results in either units is permitted.
This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

SCOPE
1.1 This specification covers testing and requirements for materials used in the construction of medical face masks that are used in providing health care services such as surgery and patient care.
1.2 This specification provides for the classification of medical face mask material performance. Medical face mask material performance is based on testing for bacterial filtration efficiency, differential pressure, sub-micron particulate filtration efficiency, resistance to penetration by synthetic blood, and flammability.
1.3 This specification does not address all aspects of medical face mask design and performance. This specification does not specifically evaluate the effectiveness of medical face mask designs as related to the barrier and breathability properties. This specification does not also apply to respiratory protection, which may be necessary for some health care services.
1.4 The values stated in SI units or in other units shall be regarded separately as standard. The values stated in each system must be used independently of the other, without combining values in any way.
1.5 The following precautionary caveat pertains only to the test methods portion, Section 9, of this specification: This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

SCOPE
1.1 This test method is used to evaluate the resistance of materials used in protective clothing to synthetic blood under the conditions of liquid contact and increasing direct mechanical pressure. The penetration resistance of protective clothing is based on visual detection of synthetic blood penetration at a specific applied mechanical pressure.
1.2 This test method does not apply to all forms or conditions of blood-borne pathogen exposure. Users of the test method must review modes for work/clothing exposure and assess the appropriateness of this test method for their specific application.
1.3 This test method addresses only the performance of materials or certain material constructions (for example, seams) used in protective clothing. This test method does not address the design, overall construction, components, or interfaces of garments, or other factors which may affect the overall protection offered by the protective clothing.
1.4 The values in SI units or in other units shall be regarded separately as standard. The values stated in each system must be used independently of the other, without combining values in any way.
This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

SCOPE
1.1 This test method is used to evaluate the resistance of materials used in protective clothing to synthetic blood under the conditions of liquid contact and increasing direct mechanical pressure. The penetration resistance of protective clothing is based on visual detection of synthetic blood penetration at a specific applied mechanical pressure.
1.2 This test method does not apply to all forms or conditions of blood-borne pathogen exposure. Users of the test method must review modes for work/clothing exposure and assess the appropriateness of this test method for their specific application
1.3 This test method addresses only the performance of materials or certain material constructions (for example, seams) used in protective clothing. This test method does not address the design, overall construction, components, or interfaces of garments, or other factors which may affect the overall protection offered by the protective clothing.  
1.4 The values in SI units or in other units shall be regarded separately as standard. The values stated in each system must be used independently of the other, without combining values in any way.
1.5 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

SCOPE
1.1 This test method is used to measure the resistance of materials used in protective clothing to penetration by blood-borne pathogens using a surrogate microbe under conditions of continuous liquid contact. Protective clothing material pass/fail  determinations are based on the detection of viral penetration.
1.1.1 This test method is not always effective in testing protective clothing materials having thick, inner liners which readily absorb the liquid assay fluid.
1.2 This test method does not apply to all forms or conditions of blood-borne pathogen exposure. Users of the test method should review modes for worker/clothing exposure and assess the appropriateness of this test method for their specific applications.
1.3 This test method has been specifically defined for modeling the viral penetration of Hepatitis (B and C) and Human Immunodeficiency Viruses transmitted in blood and other potentially infectious body fluids. Inferences for protection from other pathogens must be assessed on a case-by-case basis.
1.4 This test method addresses only the performance of materials or certain material constructions (for example, seams) used in protective clothing and determined to be viral resistant. This test method does not address the design, overall construction and components, or interfaces of garments or other factors which may affect the overall protection offered by the protective clothing.
1.5 The values stated in SI units or in other units shall be regarded separately as standard. The values stated in each system must be used independently of the other, without combining values in any way.
1.6 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

SCOPE
1.1 This test method is used to evaluate the resistance of materials used in protective clothing to penetration by synthetic blood under conditions of continuous liquid contact. Protective clothing pass/fail determinations are based on visual detection of synthetic blood penetration.  
1.1.1 This test method is not always effective in testing protective clothing materials having thick, inner liners which readily absorb the synthetic blood.  
1.2 This test method is a means for selecting protective clothing materials for subsequent testing with a more sophisticated barrier test as described in Test Method F1671.  
1.3 This test method does not apply to all forms or conditions of blood-borne pathogen exposure. Users of the test method must review modes for work/clothing exposure and assess the appropriateness of this test method for their specific application.  
1.4 This test method addresses only the performance of materials or certain material constructions (for example, seams) used in protective clothing. This test method does not address the design, overall construction and components, or interfaces of garments, or other factors which may affect the overall protection offered by the protective clothing.  
1.5 The values in SI units or other units shall be regarded separately as standard. The values stated in each system must be used independently of the other, without combining values in any way.  
1.6 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.