Laboratory incubators are one of the most significant and frequent pieces of laboratory equipment you will find. They are expensive, but they perform a crucial function in laboratories, which is why they are usually encountered. An incubator is a transparent chamber containing equipment that regulates temperature, humidity, and ventilation. An incubator is a crucial piece of equipment in many laboratories and is commonly used to grow microbiological cultures or to test the stability of objects under various conditions. Professional-grade equipment, which delivers temperature accuracy and consistency, is usually the best choice. In this article we will discuss different types of laboratory incubators in detail which will give you a clear insight of everything you wanted to know about incubators

The primary goal of any incubator, including Shel Lab Incubators, is to create an in-vitro environment for cell culture while also preserving the cultivated cells for study. However, not all models are created equal. The mechanism and functionalities of different lab incubator models varies. The many types of incubators used in labs are listed below:

  • Refrigerated Incubators

These are specifically built incubators with a temperature range close to that of the surrounding environment and are also called Cooled incubators. Temperatures in school incubators typically vary from 5°C to 60°C. Cooled incubators include accurate temperature control and several sensors that appropriately monitor the temperature. These incubators have air circulation blowers that assist maintain the temperature system while also providing fresh air within the incubation chamber. In biology and microbiology laboratories, these Laboratory Incubators are commonly employed. Those labs that investigate plants, cells, bacteria, and cell culture, germination, insect studies, and so on may have refrigerated incubators.

  • Standard Incubators

These are the most common and popular types of lab incubators seen and used. Standard incubators are frequently used for cell culture that does not require a controlled or specific environment. These incubators may run at temperatures ranging from ambient to 80°C or 100°C and as a result, traditional incubators only provide hot conditions. It has a wide range of applications, including the poultry industry, cell culture, and so on. Convection is powered by gravity in certain models. A fan powers the convection mechanism and keeps the temperature stable in many models. A glass panel door, alarms, and a display screen are all typical features on most incubators. 

  • Humidity Incubators

Temperature and humidity are both critical in some culturing processes. To develop effectively, cultured cells require a specific proportion of humidity within the incubation chamber. These incubators are intended to manage both humidity and temperature at the same time. In order to preserve the unique environment within a humidity incubator, indirect heating is used.

  • CO2 Incubators

In biology and microbiology laboratories, carbon-dioxide incubators are the most popular just like a portable co2 gas analyzer. In the pharmaceutical business, it is also commonly used. These incubators contain a unique system that allows the user to control the amount of carbon dioxide in the incubation chamber. In the case of healthy in-vitro cell culture, this is required. To exist correctly, any typical living thing needs a particular amount of carbon dioxide in the environment. This incubator uses this simple procedure to keep the incubation environment at the optimum carbon dioxide level. The carbon dioxide level within the chamber is usually maintained using an infrared sensor or a thermal conductivity sensor. 

Since, the humidity level in these incubators must be maintained, a water tray is placed inside to keep the humidity level constant. In short, these incubators are designed to closely resemble the circumstances found in the human body. However, because these incubators have a unique environment, they are susceptible to fungal, virus, and bacterium attacks. As a result, these incubators include a carefully developed sterilisation system that keeps the incubation chamber clean and free of infection.

  • Shaking Incubators

These are also known as incubator shakers and are a mix of an incubator and a shaking instrument. In molecular biology and genetics, it is frequently employed. These shaking incubators or incubator shakers have a regulated environment with accurate temperature, humidity, and other factors. It continuously forms and centrifuges diverse samples together, mixing the molecules to create something new. It comes in handy when it comes to DNA replication and genetics. There are basically three types of shaking incubators which are

  • Benchtop– A shaking incubator with efficient operation and a small design is a good solution for labs that don’t deal with large numbers of samples. A benchtop shaking incubator takes up very little room while still providing excellent results.
  • Stackable– Stackable shaking incubators are perfect for laboratories that need to process many small batches of samples at the same time. Stackable incubators, like benchtop incubators, have a modest footprint that won’t take up too much room in a small lab.
  • Floor– A floor incubator has the most incubation capacity and is ideal for laboratories that handle a large number of samples in a shaking incubator.

  • Hybridization Incubators

Hybridization incubators, also known as hybridization ovens, are intended to keep the temperature and humidity in the chamber consistent. They provide sample-to-sample homogeneity, save sample preparation time, and eliminate the need for water baths and heat sealers, making them excellent for nucleic acid and protein hybridizations. Compact, dual-chamber, and four-tier variants with complete programmability, agitation options (shake, rock, roll, and rotate), forced-draft convection, and digital displays are available. In situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry applications can also be done using microscope slide incubators.

Shaking incubators have been upgraded to hybridization incubators. Hybridization takes place in these incubators. As a result, it is a necessary piece of equipment in every molecular biology lab. These incubators contain hybridization vials that have been particularly created. To allow the molecules to mix, these bottles are spun at a certain pace.

  • Mini Incubators

These are miniature replicas of larger incubators. These are little incubators with all of the same characteristics as larger models. These are models that are cost-effective. In the poultry sector, mini incubators are commonly used for the incubation of eggs.