Incubators types and applications
- 1. Incubators- types and applications P. DHAMODHARAN 2019502205 DEPARTMENT OF AGRONOMY
- 2. Laboratory incubator • A laboratory incubator is a heated, insulated box used to grow and maintain microbiological or cell cultures. • The incubator maintains optimal temperature, humidity and gaseous content of the atmosphere inside. • Laboratory incubators are used to grow and maintain cell cultures and are available in a variety of sizes and types. • The incubator market is divided into two main categories: the gassed incubators which are the CO2 incubators, and the non gassed or microbiological incubators.
- 3. Necessity of incubators • Laboratory incubators provide the comfort of working with microbiological cultures, cell cultures and tissue cultures • This is the ultimate equipment for the growing and storing bacterial cultures. • Incubators protect cells from changes in temperature, humidity, CO2 and O2. • The range of temperature may vary (according to the model) 0°C to 80°C, though is normally used from 5ºC y 37ºC.
- 5. Types of incubators Standard incubators. These incubators can be gravity or fan assisted convection and their range of temperature is from ambient to a maximum of 80°C or 100°C Cooled incubators: These incubators work at temperatures close to or below ambient temperature
- 6. Types of incubators Humidity incubators: These incubators control both, temperature and humidity, thanks to a refrigeration system rather than by direct heating. CO2 (carbon dioxide) incubators: • These incubators are widely used in Biological and it is used when it is necessary to maintain a determined percentage of carbon dioxide in the incubator. • The level of CO2 is controlled by a thermal conductivity sensor or infra-red sensor. • The humidity is usually obtained from a tray of water which is constantly evaporating.
- 7. Types of incubators Shaking incubators: • These incubators shakes in a temperature controlled atmosphere. • There are different size of this type of incubators, with a range of temperature from ambient or refrigerated. Hybridisation incubators or hybridisation ovens: These incubators hold different sizes of hybridization bottles and rotate them at a set speed to enable hybridization in molecular biology.
- 8. Other types of incubators • Round bottomed, down dwelling incubators • Trough type incubators • Revolving barrel incubators • Double enclosure incubators • Bucket incubators
- 9. Various types of lab incubators
- 10. Choosing the appropriate incubator • Internal volume. Compare always the internal dimensions to determine according to the lab requirement, and the external dimensions when thinking about lab space available, the bench or floor standing. • Aluminium clad or stainless steel interior. Bear in mind that stainless steel is easier to clean and resistant to corrosion, in contrast to aluminium. • Gravity or fan forced convection. Depending on the importance of temperature uniformity. Fan-forced is appropriate to keep uniformity, but if drying out is not a priority then gravity convection is a better option. • Digital or analogue control/display. Analogue control is based on a numbered dial and needs a thermometer or dial thermometer to display the actual temperature
- 11. Contd., • Shelves. Depending on the type of space required, the number of shelves can be relevant for the researcher. • Inner glass door. When the incubator has a glass door, the researcher is enabled to see the sample without open the door, so this guarantees the temperature stability. • Safety features: Some models have an alarm system in case of variations of temperature, whether it is too high or too low.
- 12. Applications in the incubator • Growing cell cultures • Reproduction of germ colonies with subsequent germ count in the food industry • Reproduction of germ colonies and subsequent determination of biochemical oxygen demand (wastewater monitoring) • Reproduction of micro organisms such as bacteria, fungi, yeast or viruses • Breeding of insects and hatching of eggs in zoology • Controlled sample storage • Growing of crystals/protein crystals
- 13. Application of incubators Infant incubator Poultry egg incubator Laboratory incubator
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