CO2 Incubators

What is a CO2 Incubator?

In biology, a CO₂ incubator is a device used to grow and maintain microbiological cultures or cell cultures. The incubator maintains optimal temperature, humidity and other conditions such as the carbon dioxide (CO₂) and oxygen content of the atmosphere inside. Incubators are essential for a lot of experimental work in cell biology, microbiology and molecular biology and are used to culture both bacterial as well as eukaryotic cells.

Constant Contamination Control

One of the main concerns for any CO₂ user is how to remove contaminants that are introduced into the chamber every time the door is opened for general use. Unclean air from the surrounding area will naturally enter the chamber. To ensure a sterile environment inside the chamber each NuAire CO₂ Incubators contain a closed loop HEPA filtered system which will continuously remove airborne particulates. This ensures that the air quality in the chamber is the same as a biological safety cabinet (Class 100 air).

In fan unassisted CO₂ incubators, CO₂ gas, temperature, air quality, and relative humidity are not actively blended and this can result in different conditions throughout the incubator. With the NuAire closed loop HEPA system this ensure that all elements essential to successful cell growth are equal throughout the chamber. This also creates a positive pressure in the chamber, meaning that when the door is initially opened ‘unclean’ air is not drawn into the chamber but rather ‘clean’ air is released into the room. This significantly reduces the chances of contamination from unclean room air entering the chamber. All filters for the NuAire closed loop HEPA are located outside of the chamber in an easy to access panel at the front of the unit, again preventing any chance of contamination unlike older HEPA filtered units where the filters were located in-chamber. At NuAire and Avidity Science we call this constant contamination control and should be a key feature to your CO2 incubators.

NuAire CO2 Incubators

NuAire CO₂ Incubators have been designed to provide a reliable controlled in-vitro environment for optimum tissue cell culture growth as well as the storage and preservation of gametes and tissue cell cultures intended for research at or near body temperature. In-VitroCell CO₂ Incubators provide accurate and precise control of humidity, temperature, CO₂ and sterility. 

CO2 Incubator

NuAire CO2 Incubator Features

NuTouch Electronic Control System

The NuTouch electronic control system makes NuAire’s CO₂ incubators one of the safest options for tissue culture work, as you can see from the video below. The NuTouch Electronic Control System for NuAire’s CO₂ Incubators is designed specifically to make controlling the parameters needed for optimal cell culture growth much easier to control precisely.

• Information about the conditions of the inner incubator chamber is shown on a 5” x 7” colour touchscreen.
• User friendly touchscreen allows the user to monitor the temperature and CO₂ levels within the incubator at a glance.
• On advanced incubator models, the user will also be able to monitor O₂ and RH levels.
• Makes using the incubator much safer and much more efficient with the touch of a finger.
• Features maintenance reminders
• Alarm status menus
• Also includes step-by-step instructions for certain protocols, such as how to run a sterilisation cycle or how to perform a CO₂ gas calibration

Guides and Case Studies

Learn more about NuAire CO₂ incubators and how they have benefited our customers:

• Avidity Science Lab Equipment Brochure
• CO₂ Incubator Buying Guide
• Temperature Uniformity in CO₂ Incubators
• Ensuring CO₂ Incubator Accuracy with the NuTouch Controller
• The University of Liverpool Case Study
• The University of Manchester - Select Science/NuAire/Avidity Science Video Case Study