The laboratory incubator is a piece of equipment capable of maintaining the optimum temperature and humidity necessary to maintain microbiological and cell cultures; It also maintains the oxygen and carbon dioxide levels within it. She is in charge of conditioning the environment and storing the cultures for the proper development of microorganisms.
Incubators have several applications in the laboratory. From experimental work in molecular biology and cell biology, to the diagnosis of diseases carried out in microbiological clinical laboratories. They are also used in the poultry industry, to act as substitutes for chickens in the egg incubation process.
How is the laboratory incubator used?
The laboratory incubator is easy to use. Once connected to the electrical source, you only have to set the temperature required by the microorganism to be cultivated and the culture medium is introduced into it for the necessary time. In general, it works at temperatures between 60 and 65 ° C. Generally, a temperature of 37 ° C is used to grow bacteria, since they can grow naturally under these conditions.
Cleaning the laboratory incubator
In most cases regarding the cleaning of the incubators, a 70% ethanol solution is used, recommended to use before use, and after using periodically. Other substances used to clean the incubator are formaldehyde and 2% glutaraldehyde.
Types of incubators
- Standard incubator
- Refrigerated incubator – operates at or near room temperature.
- Humidity incubator: this has the ability to control humidity as well as temperature.
- Shaking incubator: has the ability to shake at a controlled temperature.
Characteristics of a laboratory incubator
- Has an appearance similar to that of an executive type refrigerator.
- It has between its parts a panel where it indicates the temperature and the internal data of the incubator.
- Inside it has a stainless steel enclosure.
- Some models have a glass door that protects from any external substance or contaminant.
- They can be found in different sizes, managing to adapt to any space or place.
- Some of the incubators have a timer with which they can be programmed to perform cycles at different temperatures, humidity, among other aspects.
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