The lecture focuses on the evolution of isolators in pharmaceutical production, how they are characterized, i.e. what components an isolator is made up of and what tasks an isolator performs in its application. When isolators are used in the pharmaceutical filling of aseptic or highly potent products, isolators are connected to the respective filling machines and it is therefore important that the interfaces between the filling machine and isolator are optimally coordinated. This is best achieved with integrated systems from one manufacturer, where the filling machines are already coordinated with the isolator process during development. In order to meet user requirements, isolators have undergone significant further development in recent years - both in terms of cycle times and design. The use of integrated air handling technology means that isolator systems can be built much more compactly, resulting in many advantages for the user, as no additional air handling units are required in the separate technical areas. The highest stage of evolution achieved so far is reaching the milestone of gloveless production without any operator interventions on the isolator. For small-batch production, the entire production process, including aseptic setup and environmental monitoring, can be done fully automated without any operator intervention. Knowing that humans are the most critical source of possible contamination, the use of gloveless isolators represents a significant increase in quality and a noticeable reduction in risks.