A laboratory incubator is an instrument that allows a large number of experimental processes to be carried out inside it, such as microbiological and cell cultures, thanks to its ability to achieve the optimum temperature and humidity for it, as well as the levels of carbon dioxide and oxygen. In other words, this equipment allows these crops to be stored in an ideal environment, facilitating their proper development thanks to the control of variables such as temperature, pressure and air circulation.
A laboratory incubator generally has an electrical resistance system controlled by thermostats or microprocessor controls, and has two basic operating modes: natural convection, where the air flow is generated by a temperature difference, or convection forced, in which external equipment such as a cooling fan or pump is used to create an air current.
Laboratory incubators are widely used for applications such as cell and tissue culture, pharmaceutical and hematology studies, biochemical studies, food processing, and microbiological cultures.
Type of laboratory incubators
Thanks to technological development, there are now incubators that have the ability to control extremely low temperatures (microbiological incubators), humidity and carbon dioxide levels (incubators for cell cultures). Microbiological incubators are mainly used for the growth and storage of bacterial cultures at temperatures between 5 and 37 ºC. For their part, cell culture incubators work at a temperature of 37 ºC, simulating the conditions of body temperature.
According to their design and purpose they can be classified into:
- Standard incubators: these can work by natural or forced convection. Its temperature range can oscillate between 80 °C and 100 °C.
- Refrigerated incubators: These incubators operate at temperatures below room temperature.
- Humidity Incubator: They have the ability to control the temperature and humidity inside, through a refrigeration system.
- Shaker or agitator incubator: this incubator allows the agitation of the samples placed inside, and at the same time applies the desired temperature.
Care of a laboratory incubator
- It is advisable to use the equipment together with current regulators, in order to avoid short circuits.
- Avoid spilling corrosive substances that cause damage inside the equipment.
- Control and regulate the temperature to prevent the equipment from overheating.
- Avoid the proximity of the instrument to sources of heat, water or flammable substances.
- Avoid incubating substances that produce toxic vapors that can affect health and the environment.
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