Carbon dioxide incubator water jacket type and gas sleeve type difference
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CO2 incubator purchase and use
CO2 incubators are widely used in the research and production of medicine, immunology, genetics, microbiology, agricultural science, and pharmacy. They have become one of the routine instruments commonly used in the above-mentioned laboratory, and they are formed by simulation in an incubator. A similar cell / tissue growth environment in the organism such as constant pH ( pH : 7.2-7.4 ), stable temperature ( 37 ° C ), higher relative humidity ( 95% ), stable CO2 level ( 5%) ), a device for in vitro culture of cells / tissues.
CO2 incubator primary control related analog in vivo environment are three basic variables: stable CO2 levels, temperature, relative humidity. In order to have a stable culture environment, we must consider the influencing factors of these three aspects. When purchasing, we should have a certain understanding of these " heavy weights " in order to choose the instrument that suits you. However, the " small " factors of other aspects cannot be ignored, because these will affect the use value and longevity of the instrument. When purchasing, you should consider all aspects.
1. Temperature control:
Maintaining a constant temperature in the incubator is an important factor in maintaining healthy cell growth. When purchasing a CO2 incubator, there are two types of heating structures to choose from: air jacketed heating and water jacketed heating. Although both heating systems are accurate and reliable, they all have their own advantages and disadvantages. The water jacketed incubator maintains a constant temperature by enclosing the internal tank through a separate hot water compartment. The hot water circulates through the natural convection in the tank, and the heat is transferred to the inside of the tank through the radiation to maintain a constant temperature. The unique water jacket design has its advantages: water is a good thermal insulation material, and when it is powered off, the water jacket system can more reliably maintain the temperature accuracy and stability in the incubator for a long time ( The time to maintain a constant temperature is 4-5 times that of a gas-tight system ). If your experimental environment is not stable (such as useful electrical restrictions, or frequent power outages) and you need to maintain stable culture conditions for a long time, then the water jacketed carbon dioxide incubator is a good choice. The gas-sleeve heating system directly heats the gas in the tank through a heater in the tank. The air-sleeve design can quickly restore the temperature stability inside the box under the condition that the temperature caused by frequent switching of the door is frequently changed. Therefore, compared with the water jacket type, the air jacket type has the characteristics of quick heating and rapid recovery of the temperature than the water jacket type incubator, and is particularly advantageous for short-term cultivation and cultivation requiring frequent switching of the door. In addition, the air-sleeve design is simpler for the user than the water jacket type (water jacket type requires watering, emptying and cleaning of the water tank, and often monitoring the operation of the water tank). When purchasing a gas-filled incubator, it should be noted that in order not to affect the culture, the incubator should also have a fan to ensure the circulation and circulation of air inside the tank. This device also contributes to the temperature, CO2 and relative humidity inside the tank. Rapid recovery.
In addition, some types of carbon dioxide incubators also have an external door and an auxiliary heating system. This system can heat the inner door, provide a good humidity environment for the cells, ensure the cell osmotic pressure to maintain balance, and effectively prevent the formation of condensed water to maintain the incubator. Humidity and temperature inside. This auxiliary system is essential if your culture environment requires precise control.
2.CO2 control:
CO2 concentration detection can be measured by two control systems , the infrared sensor ( IR ) or the heat conduction sensor ( TC ). When the door of the CO2 incubator is opened, CO2 leaks out of the tank. At this point, the sensor detects a decrease in CO2 concentration and responds in a timely manner, re-injecting CO2 to its original preset level. The principle of thermal conductivity sensor ( TC ) monitoring CO2 concentration is achieved by measuring the change in resistance between two thermistors (one regulator exposed to the cabinet environment and the other closed). A change in the concentration of CO2 in the tank changes the resistance between the two thermistors, thereby causing the sensor to react to achieve the effect of adjusting the level of CO2 . One disadvantage of the TC control system is that changes in temperature and relative humidity within the chamber can affect the accuracy of the sensor. When the door is frequently opened, not only the CO2 concentration, temperature and relative humidity will fluctuate greatly, thus affecting the accuracy of the TC sensor. This control system is less suitable when precise culture conditions are required and the incubator door is frequently opened. Infrared sensor ( IR ), as an alternative control system, has more accurate CO2 control than the TC system . It uses an optical sensor to detect CO2 levels. The IR system includes an infrared emitter and a sensor. When the CO2 in the tank absorbs part of the infrared light emitted by the emitter, the sensor can detect the amount of infrared radiation, and the amount of absorbed infrared light corresponds to the level of CO2 in the tank . Thus , the concentration of CO2 in the tank can be obtained . Because the IR system is not affected by changes in temperature and relative humidity, it is more accurate than the TC system and is especially suitable for cell cultures that require frequent opening of the incubator door. However, this system is more expensive than the TC system, and it is necessary to consider the budget.
3. Relative humidity control:
The control of the relative humidity in the incubator is very important, maintaining a sufficient level of humidity to ensure that the culture fails without excessive drying. Large CO2 incubators use steam generators or sprayers to control relative humidity levels, while most medium and small incubators generate moisture through the evaporation of humidity pans (the relative humidity produced by them) The level can reach 95-98 %). Some incubator to maintain a reservoir of water moisture (humidity reservoir) was heated on a control panel, which can enhance evaporation, the reservoir can be increased up to 97-98% relative humidity level. However, this system is also more complicated, and some unpredictable problems will arise during use due to the increase of complex structures.
4. Microprocessing control system:
Every user wants the instrument to be easy to use, the microprocessor control system and other various functional accessories (such as high temperature auto-tuning and alarm devices, CO2 alarm devices, password protection settings, automatic calibration systems, etc.). It makes the operation and control of the carbon dioxide incubator very simple. The microprocessing control system is an operating system that maintains the steady state temperature, humidity, and CO2 concentration in the incubator . For example, the PIC microprocessor control system can strictly control the concentration of gas and reduce its loss to an extremely low level to ensure a constant culture environment, and to ensure accurate temperature inside the chamber during long-term cultivation, and LED display. Temperature and CO2 concentration can be set and corrected . Although the names of different microprocessor systems are different, the principle and control effect are not different. You don't have to care too much about the difference between their names when purchasing. The key is to make it easy to use, easy to operate, and to be able to achieve The required control accuracy.
In addition, I think an alarm system is also indispensable. It allows you to know the situation of the incubator in time and react, so that Zui greatly reduces the loss and ensures the continuity of the experiment. Some incubators have an acoustic / light alarm device. When the temperature changes by ±0.5 °C , or the CO2 concentration changes by ±5% , it will automatically alarm; some have an abnormal alarm display function of CO2 concentration. These devices are designed to be user-friendly and reduce the tedious and tedious experimental process.
5. Control of pollutants:
Contamination is a major contributor to cell culture failure. As a result, manufacturers of carbon dioxide incubators have designed a variety of different devices to reduce and prevent contamination, primarily by minimizing areas and surfaces where microbes can grow. And combined with the automatic elimination of pollution devices to effectively prevent the occurrence of pollution. For example, in view of the fact that the CO2 incubator is sometimes accompanied by mold growth during use, some companies have developed an enhanced CO2 incubator with UV cleaning to ensure the incubator is protected from contamination and to ensure biocleanability in the instrument case. The company's unique copper shell HEPA filter can filter the air in the incubator, can remove 99.97% of the particles above 0.3um , and can effectively kill the microbe particles that are blocked in the filter during filtration; in addition, automatic sterilization The device enables the temperature inside the chamber to reach 90 °C to kill contaminating microorganisms, and when used in combination with the HEPA system, it can greatly reduce pollution. These devices are essential for cell culture, but which cleaning device is chosen? Of course, the more functions, the better, but the price will increase. If the funds are limited, you can only choose one that is cheaper. At this time, you should use some disinfectants and disinfectants. It is often disinfected and sterilized. It can also achieve the effect of your instrument, but it is more troublesome. In short, no matter what kind of device is selected, always pay attention to keep the incubator clean and clean the box frequently, so as to increase the service life of the instrument and make the experiment go smoothly to ensure the reliability of the result.
6. Other factors:
The control range and control accuracy and uniformity of each type of carbon dioxide incubator temperature, humidity and CO2 concentration are different. At this point, before purchasing the instrument, you must have a certain understanding of the requirements of your laboratory: How much control is it? Control accuracy requirements are very accurate, or can there be a certain range of floating? Because sometimes too high precision does not seem to make much sense. Only for what they need in order to have a comprehensive understanding of the election to their zui good "partner." The Bio-Tung Long Tiger List provides you with some specific parameters of the company's carbon dioxide incubator, from which you can get a specific comparison and analysis, maybe there will be your favorite instrument.
The volume of the incubator is also a factor that cannot be ignored. It is not enough to buy small, and it is wasteful and takes up space. Carbon dioxide incubators are available in a wide range of sizes, including small ( <40 litres ), medium and large (>700 litres ), and each type has a different volume. At this point, you need to have a more accurate understanding of the range of required incubator volume before purchase, and reserve a little space on this basis to ensure that it is needed.
In addition, some CO2 incubators have many special features, such as the Thermogard fan management system, which enables intelligent adjustment of the air volume; there is a single-channel circulation system to ensure the uniformity of the internal temperature of the incubator, while also reducing pollution. ; LCD (liquid crystal) display system, silicone temperature sensor to measure temperature and so on. These various accessory devices are chosen to facilitate the selection and use of the purchaser.
Note on the use of carbon dioxide incubator:
1. The instrument should be placed on a flat surface, the environment should be clean and tidy, dry and ventilated;
2. Before using the instrument, each control switch should be in non-working state, and the speed control knob should be placed in the small position of zui;
3. The inflow gas pressure should not be adjusted too large to avoid breaking the pipeline and damaging the detector;
4. Close the door of the incubator to prevent gas leakage and affect the test results;
5. Before each stop, each control switch should be in the non-working state to cut off the power;
6. At least 3 people need to know the operation password setting , so as not to forget the password and can not open the instrument;
7. The cylinder gas should be purely up to standard to avoid damage to the instrument;
8. Keep the air in the incubator clean and disinfect it regularly;
9. Always pay attention to the amount of distilled water in the distillation tank in the tank to maintain the relative humidity inside the tank while avoiding evaporation of the culture solution;
10. Not applicable to the cultivation of articles containing volatile chemical solvents, low concentrations of explosive gases and low ignition gases, and toxic substances.
11. Proper use and attention to the maintenance of the instrument, so that it is in good working condition, can extend the life of the instrument;
12. After the refrigeration system stops working, wipe the working chamber and the glass observation window with a soft cloth.
13. During continuous operation, the instrument should be inspected regularly every three months; check for water droplets, dirt, etc. falling into the motor and exposed refrigeration components; cleaning dust and dirt on the compressor and condenser; Fuses, control elements and fastening screws;
14. After long-term use of the instrument, natural wear is a normal phenomenon and should be repaired by the manufacturer.
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