detailed about incubator

1. INCUBATOR Submittted by
Abhijit padhi

2. WHAT IS
INCUBATO
R?
An incubator, in microbiology, is an
insulated and enclosed device that
provides an optimal condition of
temperature, humidity, and other
environmental conditions required for
the growth of organisms.
An incubator is a piece of vital
laboratory equipment necessary for
cultivating microorganisms under
artificial conditions.
An incubator can be used to cultivate
both unicellular and multicellular
organisms.
The first incubator for the care of
premature infants was devised by
Etienne Stephane Tarnier, a French
obstetrician, in 1880.

3. PRINCIPLE/ WORKING OF
INCUBATOR
An incubator is based on the principle that microorganisms
require a particular set of parameters for their growth and
development.
All incubators are based on the concept that when
organisms are provided with the optimal condition of
temperature, humidity, oxygen, and carbon dioxide levels,
they grow and divide to form more organisms.
In an incubator, the thermostat maintains a constant
temperature that can be read from the outside via the
thermometer.
The temperature is maintained by utilizing the heating and
no-heating cycles.
During the heating cycle, the thermostat heats the
incubator, and during the no-heating period, the heating is

4. PARTS OF
LABORATORY
INCUBATOR
Cabenet
Door
Control panel
Asbestos Door
Gasket
Perforated shelves
Thermostat
L-shaped
Thermometer
HEPA filters
Humidity and gas
controllers

5. PARSTS AND COMPONENTS
OF INCUBATOR
cabinet
The basic body of the
incubator is the cabinet,
composed of a double-
walled cubical container
with a volume range of 20
to 800L.
The outer wall is
constructed out of
stainless-steel sheets,
and the inside wall is
constructed out of
aluminum. The inside wall
of the incubator has
inward extensions that
hold up the shelves.
door
The door that seals the
insulated cabinet is a
standard feature on all
incubators. The door
itself is insulated.
Additionally, it
incorporates a glass
pane that permits
visual inspection of the
incubator’s interior
while incubating
without disturbing the
environment.
There is a handle on
the door’s exterior to
help with door
maneuvering.

6. Control
Panel
•The outer wall of the incubator is covered with a control panel that has all the
switches and indicators needed to control the incubator’s parameters.
•A switch on the control panel also operates the device’s thermostat.
Asbestos Door
Gasket
•The asbestos door gasket forms a nearly airtight barrier between the door and
the cabinet. This seal guard against damage to the cabinet.
•It keeps outside air from entering the cabinet, creating an enclosed, hot
atmosphere that is not influenced by environmental variables.
Perforated
shelves
•The internal wall has some perforated shelves connected, and the plates
carrying the cultural media are placed there. Some incubators have shelves
that can be removed so they may be properly cleaned.
•Hot air can freely circulate throughout the incubator thanks to perforations on
the shelves.

7. Thermostat
•A thermostat regulates the temperature of the incubator.
•The incubator is maintained at the set temperature once it has been reached by
the thermostat until the temperature is changed once more.
L-shaped Thermometer
•The outer wall of the incubator is where the thermometer is mounted.
•One end of the gradation-equipped thermometer is left outside the incubator to
make it simple to read the temperature.
HEPA filters
•Some modern incubators come with HEPA filters to lessen the chance of
contamination from airflow.
•A closed-loop system created by an air pump with filters lowers pollution in the
air circulating inside the incubator.
Humidity and gas
controllers
•A water reservoir is located beneath the chamber of the CO2 incubators.
•The water is evaporated in order to maintain the relative humidity inside
the chamber.
•Similarly to that, gas chambers are incorporated into these incubators to
give the proper CO2 concentration within.

8. INCUBATOR Cooled /Refrigerated incubator
Shaking incubator
Portable incubator
Benchtop incubator
CO2 incubator
BOD incubator
Light incubator
Anaerobic incubator
Constant temperature and humidity incubator
Analog Incubator
Digital incubator
Types of incubator

9. Cooled /Refrigerated incubator
An internal refrigeration system is present in the cooled or
refrigerated incubator. Temperatures below the outside air
temperature are provided by these. The air circulation fans
in the cooled incubators supply the chamber with fresh air
while providing accurate temperature control. Additionally,
it features various sensors that track the temperature.
Shaking incubator
An agitation or shaking process is required to integrate
oxygen and distribute nutrients uniformly throughout the
culture media in order to create the best conditions for cell
growth. Incubator shakers, which combine those activities
for a more practical and effective setup, are sometimes
used to accomplish that by inserting a separate shaker
within an incubator. Any sort of cell growth, including
bacterial cultures, tissue cultures, and yeast, can be
accomplished with the incubator shaker.
Portable incubator
Portable incubators enable microbiological testing in
remote locations and in settings with limited resources,
and they can remove the difficulty of sample

10. Benchtop incubator
The temperature varies from the surrounding air to 100°C. The
majority of these incubators contain alarms, a glass door, and a
display screen with the temperature and the time.
CO2 incubator
In life science labs, airtight, climate-controlled CO2 incubators
are used to produce biological cell cultures. They must
preserve the same conditions as those found inside the human
body i.e. 98.6°F (37°C), > 90% relative humidity & neutral pH
7.4.
BOD incubator
These incubators are frequently referred to as low-temperature
incubators because yeast and molds need a low temperature
for growth. It is named as Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD)
incubators since a low temperature of 20-25˚C is also required
for biological oxygen demand testing.
Several other types of incubators are as follows:
Light incubator
The primary purpose of the light incubator is to replicate the
growth conditions of developing seeds, plants, etc.:
photostability testing of materials, food, medicine, and
cosmetics. The light incubator promotes plant growth and

11. Anaerobic incubator
It can be used to maintain and operate bacteria in an
atmosphere devoid of oxygen. The most challenging anaerobic
organisms to grow can be grown, and it eliminates the risk of
anaerobic organisms dying from oxygen exposure while working
in the atmosphere.
Constant temperature and humidity incubator
The precise temperature and humidity control system in the
constant temperature and humidity incubator creates a variety of
environmental simulation conditions needed for industrial
research and biotechnology testing.
Based on design, these are classified as an analog incubator and
digital incubator.
Analog Incubator
The simplest form of incubator is an analog one. It is inexpensive
and simple to use. The precision of the analog incubator is lower
than that of the digital incubator. There isn’t any other display
board, either. As a result, it does not allow an individual to view
the inside chamber’s actual temperature.
Digital incubator
It is pretty expensive. It is simple to use, though. Better accuracy
can be found in it. Similar to that, it has a display board that
enables users to view the real temperature of the inside chamber.

13. CALIBRATION AND
VALIDATION OF
INCUBATOR
Calibration and validation of incubator are important procedures
to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the incubator’s
performance. Calibration is the process of adjusting the
incubator’s settings to match a reference standard, such as a
thermometer or a hygrometer. Validation is the process of
verifying that the incubator meets the specified requirements
and criteria, such as temperature, humidity, and CO2 levels.
The frequency and method of calibration and validation may
vary depending on the type, model, and usage of the incubator.
However, some general steps and best practices are:
•Transfer the samples or cultures to another incubator before
starting the calibration or validation process.
•Use calibrated instruments or devices, such as data loggers,
thermocouples, or sensors, to measure the incubator’s
parameters. Check the traceability certificates of the calibration
devices used.

14. •Open the validation port of the incubator and insert the external
sensors into the chamber. Tightly close the validation port of the
chamber.
•Place the sensors at different locations inside the chamber, covering the
corners, center, and near the incubator’s sensor. Refer to the loading
diagram or the manufacturer’s instructions for the optimal placement of the
sensors.
•Set the desired temperature, humidity, and CO2 levels on the incubator’s
control panel. Allow the incubator to stabilize after the insertion of the
sensors.
•Record the readings from the sensors for a specified period of time, such
as 24 hours. Compare the readings with the reference values and the
incubator’s display. Calculate the mean, standard deviation, and uniformity
of the readings. Check if the readings are within the acceptable range and
tolerance.
•Perform the calibration or validation at regular intervals, such as monthly,
quarterly, or annually, or as per the manufacturer’s recommendations or
the regulatory guidelines.
•Document the results and observations of the calibration or validation
process. Report any deviations or issues and take corrective actions if
needed.

15. USES OF INCUBATOR
Incubators are used to grow microbial culture or cell
cultures.
Incubators can also be used to maintain the culture of
organisms to be used later.
Some incubators are used to increase the growth rate of
organisms, having a prolonged growth rate in the natural
environment.
Specific incubators are used for the reproduction of
microbial colonies and subsequent determination of
biochemical oxygen demand.
These are also used for breeding of insects and hatching
of eggs in zoology.
Incubators also provide a controlled condition for sample

16. PRECAUTIONS
As microorganisms are susceptible to temperature
change, the fluctuations in temperature of the cabinet by
repeatedly opening the door should be avoided.
The required parameters growth of the organism should
be met before the culture plates are placed inside the
cabinet.
The plates should be placed upside down with the lid at
the bottom to prevent the condensation of water on to
the media.
The inside of the incubators should be cleaned regularly
to prevent the organisms from settling on the shelves or
the corners of the incubator.

17. THANK YOU
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