Water Permeability of New and Maximum Laundered Isolation Gown Cuffs Stacey Kamarec ANSI/AAMI PB70 "Liquid barrier performance and classification of protective apparel and drapes intended for use in healthcare facilities" sets barrier performance requirements for the classification of isolation gowns. Manufacturers voluntarily follow these requirements for gowns used in minimal and low risk situations but end users must decide which gown is most suitable for the required task. ANSI/AAMI PB70 classifies isolation gowns based on the level of barrier protection the gowns are expected to provide and recommends several tests to help manufacturers assign the levels to the gowns (1-4). Published literature has identified performance concerns of isolation gowns, but there are no studies that examine the barrier qualities of isolation gown cuffs. Therefore, it is the purpose of this study to examine isolation gown cuffs' resistance to water based on ANSI/AAMI PB70:2012 criteria using modified versions of a water impact penetration test and a hydrostatic pressure water resistance test. The investigator took samples from 6 models of gowns, three models within the Level 1 designation and three models from Level 2. Half of each sample group was washed and dried for one laundering cycle and the other half for the maximum recommended laundering cycles, prior to testing. Water impact penetration testing was performed using a plastic funnel fixed 0.6m above a clipboard at a 45-degree angle from the parallel to the floor. Specimen were clamped over-top a piece of blotter paper onto the clip board. Distilled water was poured into the funnel and allowed to spray on the specimen. The investigator weighed blotter paper before and after testing and the change in weight (g) was reported. The hydrostatic pressure test was performed by securely clamping the cuff between two rings directly touching the surface of a reservoir of water. Water pressure in the reservoir was set to increase under the specimen at 60mbar/min until water penetrated the fabric in 3 unique locations. The pressure of the third water droplet penetration (mbar) was reported. Kilinc-Balci and Dr. Xinjian He for your insightful comments and fast responses. I would also like to thank Dr. Jim Harris, Ryan Lebouf, and John Powers for their feedback and support. Last but not least, I would like to thank NIOSH for allowing me to use the laboratory equipment and Dr. Selcen-Kilinc Balci for helping me decide on a topic and also use some of her sample gowns. vi