Principle and Types of Incubator

Hello World, I’m Md Saiful Islam and I’m a paramedic and today I’m talking to you principle and types of Incubator.

Learning objectives:

• Principles
• Operation
• Maintenance
• Calibration

Introduction

Incubator is an equipment having a chamber of controlled atmosphere, temperature. And humidity for the purpose of maintaining. Live organisms in an environment suitable for their growth.

Microorganisms require incubation at the temperature and in the humidity and gareous atmosphere most suited to their metabolism.

Purpose

1. Most common uses are
2. Incubation of microbiological and cellular cultures
3. Determination of the biochemical demand for oxygen (BOD) and biological storage

Types of incubator

• Incubators vary in complexity and design.
• Some only control temperature while others control the atmospheric composition as well e.g. Co2 incubators.
• Some have capacity to achieve temperature conditions below room temperature with refrigeration systems.
• Depending on design and specifications, incubators control temperatures from -10◦ c and go up to 75◦ c or slightly more.
• Some incubators have Co2 injection for achieving special atmospheric conditions at which the growth of diverse species of organisms and cells is favored.

Learn more about laboratory equipment.

Principle of incubator

Incubator uses diverse means of heat transference and environmental control to achieve conditions for specialized laboratory procedures. In general, these have a system of electrical resistors controlled by thermostats or microprocessors. As for the heat transference systems, its use condition and natural or forced convection.

Key components

• Door gasket
• Heating Element
• Cooling Ventilator
• Internal circulation ventilator
• Electronic control
• Electronic components
• Thermocouples
• Glass door (internal)
• Handle
• Body

Maintenance

• A well installed and operated it has few maintenance demands and many years can elapse before it requires any technical intervention
• When any maintenance activity is performed, it must be done according to the manufacturer’s recommendations
• Read carefully the manufacturer’s instructions
• Prepare written SOPs covering the use, care and maintenance of this.

Use and care of an incubator

• Make sure the incubator is positioned on a level surface and that none of the ventilation openings are obstructed
• Check that the power cable is lying safely
• Avoid spilling acid solutions inside this.
• These cause the incubation chamber material to deteriorate
• Whenever possible, try to use substances whose pH is neutral
• Avoid incubating substances generating corrosive vapor
• Verify the operational temperature of this in the morning and evening hours with certified calibrated instruments (thermometer, thermocouple, etc)
• Daily: Verify that the temperature in the incubator does not vary more than one degree centigrade
• Before incubating cultures and following overnight culturing of microorganisms, check the temperature
• If the incubator does not have a temperature display, a regular thermometer can be used for monitoring temperature
• Adjust the thermostat dial until the thermometer shows the correct reading, i.e. 35- 37◦c for the routine incubation of bacteriological cultures
• Clean it regularly, making sure it is first disconnected from its power supply
• Every 3-6  months (Depending on the age and condition of the incubator), check the incubator and power cable for signs of wear
• At the time of purchase, it is advisable to buy a spare thermostat and thermometer if these are of a special type and not available locally

Cleaning recommendations

• Decontamination: Any procedure which reduces the infectivity of a material or substance to safe/non infections levels
• All laboratory working surfaces and equipment exposed to the potentially infectious material(e.g. patient samples) must undergo periodic cleaning to remove micro-organisms to a level which does not pose disease risk to humans
• Clean cell culture or bacterial incubators regularly, at least every 14 days and after any infectious material spill, using appropriate disinfectants
• Disconnect the incubator before initiating the cleaning processes
• Use non-abrasive cleaning agents A piece of cloth dampened with mild detergent for cleaning easily reached interior and exterior surfaces 0.5% sodium hypochlorite solution is recommended for this purpose Wipe surface of the incubator with adsorbent pad soaked in 0.5% sodium hypochlorite. Allow to stand for 10 min Wipe off with 70% alcohol. Avoid contract between cleaning agents and electric elements Wait until the incubator is dry (free of humidity) before connecting it again

Calibration

• Use a pre-calibrated thermometer daily to ensure accuracy of temperature maintained
• Calibrate the thermometer for temperature annually

Safety or precautions

• Do not use an incubator in the presence of flammable or combustible materials as components inside of this equipment could act as ignition sources during operation
• Use personal protective elements when using the incubator
  • Safety eyeglasses
  • Gloves
  • Tongs for placing and removing containers
• Avoid staying in front of an open it.
• Some substances emit vapors that should not be inhaled
• Before performing any repairs, verify that the incubator has been decontaminated, is clean and disconnected from the electrical feed line

CO2(Carbon dioxide) Incubator

Introduction

A co2 incubator has a cylinder of co2 attached. CO2 is periodically introduced into its to maintain a concentration of about 5% to 10%.

Principle and purpose

Micro-organisms require incubation at the temperature humidity and gaseous atmosphere most suited to their metabolism. This is used to isolate capnophiles – these are organisms that grow best in atmospheres containing increased CO2.

Learn more about this equipment click the link.