INCUBATOR Submittted by

Abhijit padhi
 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

WHAT IS growth of organisms.

An incubator is a piece of vital laboratory
INCUBAT equipment necessary for cultivating
microorganisms under artificial conditions.
OR? 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.
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 stopped, and the incubator is cooled
by radiating heat to the surrounding.
 Cabenet
Door
Control panel
Asbestos Door Gasket
Perforated shelves
Thermostat
L-shaped
Thermometer
HEPA filters
PARTS OF Humidity and gas
LABORATORY controllers
INCUBATOR
cabinet door
The basic body of the incubator The door that seals the
is the cabinet, composed of a insulated cabinet is a
standard feature on all
double-walled cubical
incubators. The door itself is
container with a volume range insulated.
of 20 to 800L. Additionally, it incorporates a
The outer wall is constructed glass pane that permits visual
out of stainless-steel sheets, and inspection of the incubator’s
the inside wall is constructed interior while incubating
out of aluminum. The inside without disturbing the
environment.
wall of the incubator has
There is a handle on the
inward extensions that hold up
door’s exterior to help with
the shelves. door maneuvering.

PARSTS AND COMPONENTS

OF INCUBATOR
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.
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 CO 2 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.
Types of incubator

INCUBAT Cooled /Refrigerated incubator

OR
Shaking incubator
Portable incubator
Benchtop incubator
CO2 incubator
BOD incubator
Light incubator
Anaerobic incubator
Constant temperature and humidity incubator
Analog Incubator
Digital incubator
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 transportation, reducing the
possibility of sample deterioration.
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 strengthens disease resistance.
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.
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.
•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.
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 storage
before they can be processed in the laboratories
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.
THANK YOU

Any query