Patent ID: 7170023

Claim:
A mail processing system comprising: an environmentally isolated mail processing facility, the facility comprising at least three separate rooms located in the facility and a positive pressure zone located external to the facility; a dedicated global ventilation system coupled to the at least three separate rooms; a first room located in the facility for receiving mail, wherein the first room comprises a first room pressure zone that is negative with respect to the positive pressure zone external to the facility; a second room located in the facility for sorting and inspecting the mail and that is connected to the first room, wherein the second room comprises a second room pressure zone that is negative with respect to the first room pressure zone; a third room located in the facility for temporarily storing mail that has been sorted and inspected and that is connected to the second room, wherein the third room comprises a third room pressure zone that is negative with respect to the positive pressure zone external to the facility and positive with respect to the second room pressure zone, whereby the first room pressure zone, the second room pressure zone, and the third room pressure zone result in air within the facility or entering the facility to flow into the second room; and a response system for responding to a mail threat being detected.