Co2 incubator is a sealed box with a controlled climate used in science laboratories to grow various biological cell cultures by maintaining the same conditions as the one inside the human body. The incubator dates back to thousands of years in ancient Egypt and China, where they were majorly used in keeping chicken warm. Therefore, the use of incubators revolutionized the food production industry because eggs were allowed to hatch without a hen having to lay on them, enabling the hens to lay more eggs. Furthermore, the incubators in these two countries were initially kept in huge rooms heated by fires (Hussein et al., 2019). The attendants were turned at intervals by attendants to ensure equal heat distribution. Around the 16th century, the incubator underwent some changes courtesy of Jean Baptiste Porta, who created a more modern incubator that also carried more eggs.
In the 19th century, there was a new development because researchers started to recognize that using incubators would positively impact medical advancements. They began conducting experiments to get the correct temperature for the cell culture because the incubators were made from bell jars with a single lit candle. Later in the century, the researchers found another incubator used as they could be used to keep premature infants alive. The first one was used in a women’s hospital in Paris and was heated by kerosene lamps (Hussein et al., 2019). However, the most effective improvement was made 50 years later by an American physician Julius H. Hess, the father of neonatology. He designed the first electric incubator that was similar to the modern-day incubator.
Furthermore, the Co2 incubator was introduced in 1960. There was high demand when the doctors realized that Co2 incubators could be used to identify and study pathogens found in patients’ body fluids. The development led to the incubators we have today that serve various functions in scientific labs across the globe. The technology has also been modernized, and for instance, many incubators control humidity while the shaking incubators deploy movement to mix cultures. In addition, gas incubators are made to regulate the internal composition of the gas. Other incubators also have the technology that enables the calculation of air inside to ensure equal air distribution. The technology has also helped develop redundant power sources that can work even when the standard power has been disrupted.
The primary use of the Co2 incubators is to ensure maintenance of optimal temperature for cell growth by providing carbon dioxide control in a humidified environment with constant temperatures. Various components of the incubators aid these functions. Some of the features include advanced ultrasonic sensors used to detect gas concentration within the incubator. The component is highly reliable and responsive because it does not undergo mechanical wear, thus providing stable performance (Hussein et al., 2019). Another component is high- a precision platinum resistance temperature sensor that provides accurate and stable temperature readings. Air circulation is also a component because the incubators are built to use natural air convention and the gentle breeze circulation that ensures immediate temperature Co2 and humidity recovery times and uniform air distribution with the unit.
The incubators also have a solenoid valve that regulates the flow of fluids within. For instance, when the incubator door opens, the solenoid valve automatically closes, thus stopping the flow of air, ensuring that the gas is not wasted, and reducing air pollution (Chawla et al., 2020). Also, the LED display is another vital component that shows the incubator temperature and carbon dioxide concentration, modification, measurements, and another setting to an intuitive and straightforward way for easy system navigation. The incubators also have a filtration system that protects against harmful contaminants in the air. Water tray natural evaporation is another component responsible for maintaining humidity in the chamber and also ensuring temperature is properly maintained for the cells to grow under normal circumstances. These are just some of the components found within the incubator that ensure proper function.
Consequently, the Co2 incubator is crucial when carrying out biological research as it helps regulate sample temperatures ensuring they stay in the required temperatures during the procedure. This increases the chances of having reliable results that can be used to improve in various fields. Incubators are also vital in the pharmaceutical industry as it aids the manufacture of different drugs that are used to save lives across the globe. Therefore, the incubators are essential because research is usually very accurate (Chawla et al., 2020). However, the incubators may have drawbacks because they usually have constant temperatures while different living cell cultures grow at different oxygen levels, resulting in cell growth changes. An alternative to Co2 incubators is the hybridization incubator used in membrane hybridization by providing defined temperature control and consistency throughout the incubation chamber. This is a correct procedure that should be embraced in laboratory research. The results are more reliable compared to the Co2 incubator. Overall, the two incubators are necessary for laboratory research and should be embraced, and improvements should be made to ensure they are effective.
References
Hussein, H. A. A., Darwesh, O. M., Mekki, B. B., & El-Hallouty, S. M. (2019). Evaluation of cytotoxicity, biochemical profile and yield components of groundnut plants treated with nano-selenium. Biotechnology Reports, 24, e00377.
Chawla, P., Kumar, N., Bains, A., Dhull, S. B., Kumar, M., Kaushik, R., & Punia, S. (2020). Gum arabic capped copper nanoparticles: Synthesis, characterization, and applications. International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 146, 232-242.
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