CO2 incubators are popular pieces of lab equipment that stimulate the growth of cells or tissue inside the unit. These kinds of laboratory incubators keep cell or tissue culture in stable temperatures of 37°C, a CO2 level of 5%, a constant ph value of 7.2-7.4, and a relative humidity saturation level of 95%.

There are a wide range of CO2 Incubators available on the market, each equipped with a long list of features and functions. Choosing a CO2 Incubator with the right specifications and features for your application requires a lot of time and research. Below you’ll find some helpful features to look out for when shopping around for a new CO2 Incubator, as well as maintenance tips to keep your unit working for years to come.

Some CO2 Incubators come with PID control systems that feature touch keys to make it easier to control the settings of the unit. A PID controller is a micro-computer chip control system built into the CO2 Incubator to help ensure the safety of laboratory personnel during their research. Other units will also have a combination of analog and digital controls, but using a system with PID controls will help ensure that the environmental settings within the chamber are maintained more accurately.

CO2 incubators make use of advanced ultrasonic sensors to detect gas concentration within the unit. Ultrasonic sensors do not undergo mechanical wear, are highly responsive, reliable, provide stable performance, and have a long service life. Most CO2 incubators will also have IR sensors for CO2 detection and control.

Some CO2 incubators use high-precision platinum resistance temperature sensors like the PT1000 to provide accurate and stable temperature readings.

Some incubators are built to use natural air convection and gentle breeze circulation to ensure quick temperature, humidity, and CO2 recovery times and uniform distribution within the unit.

CO2 incubators with an auto-start function will automatically set all the sensors back to zero before running the unit.

Solenoid valves are responsible for regulating the flow of fluid within a CO2 incubator. Whenever the incubator door is open, the solenoid valve closes and the air flow stops automatically. This ensures that your gas isn’t wasted and it also reduces air pollution.

An LED display will show users the incubator temperature, CO2 concentration, door heating, intake, modification, measurement, and other settings in an intuitive, clear, and accurate way for easier system navigation.

CO2 incubators with temperature controls and overheating relay functions protect samples from harmful damage when the unit becomes too hot. Overheating relay functions will cut off the heaters when the display temperature exceeds the preset temperature.

Other CO2 incubators also come equipped with a HEPA filtration system that provides protection from airborne contaminants. This highly efficient filter has a diameter larger than 0.3ωm particles for efficient filtration up to 99.99% of bacteria and dust particles present in the gas.

Maintain 95% humidity in your CO2 chamber by ensuring sterile distilled water is kept in a 304 stainless steel water tray. Make sure there is sufficient volume of water jacket and good insulation performance. As much as possible, choose a large humidity incubator. The larger the humidity evaporation area is, the easier it is to reach the maximum relative saturation humidity and open the door after the humidity recovery time is shorter. Humidity in the box is a vital factor but often overlooked in work development. Maintain adequate humidity levels and have sufficient moisture recovery speed (e.g. after closing) to ensure will not become too dry.

1. Do not open the power switch before the water injection as this will damage the heating element.

2. After a few months of operation, the water in the tank can be reduced by evaporation when the low water level indicator (WLOW12). First, open the overflow pipe and use the funnel to connect the rubber pipe from the water injection hole. Use this to fill the water level indicator off and add water (cp-st200a Add water 1800ml,cp-st100a Add water 1200ml), then plug the overflow hole.

3. CO2 incubators can be used as high-precision thermostat incubators, just ensure the CO2 control system must be properly closed.

4. Use sterilized water with the humidification plate to keep the CO2 sensor in good condition.

5. When the display temperature exceeds the set temperature by 1°C, the over-temperature alarm indicator will light up and issue a sharp sound. This will shut the unit down for 30 minutes. If this happens again, turn on the power switch. If the unit is still over temperature, turn off the power and report to maintenance personnel.

6. If you see that the cylinder pressure is less than 0.2Mpa, this should be replaced.

7. Minimize the time of the inner glass door being open

8. If the incubator was open for a long period of time, clear the working room moisture before closing it. Open the glass door ventilation 24 hours before closing.

9. Do not let the sensors collide with the stirring motor wind wheel and other components

10. Use a special wrench when disassembling the work indoor stent shield, do not use excessive force.

11. The water box must be removed before handling the incubator. When draining, the rubber pipe must be tightly sheathed in the outlet hole. This is to ensure the pipe mouth is lower than the instrument. Gently suck a mouthful and put down the water pipe afterwards.

12. When the carbon dioxide incubator, take out the shelf and humidification plate to prevent any damage  to the glass door.

13. Carry the incubator properly and at the same time, do not lift the box door to prevent any damages.

With over 20 years of laboratory engineering and manufacturing experience, BEING Instruments delivers outstanding and high performing lab instrument to users across the globe to this date. Browse through our vast range of CO2 Incubators here: CO2 Incubators

For any questions about our C02 incubators, feel free to reach us at 1 800-278-1390 or email us at sales@beinglab-usa.com