A CO2 incubator is great because it can duplicate the in-vitro atmosphere needed in any type of cell culture. This particular Laboratory incubator can help the scientists to culture any type of sensitive and vulnerable cell to understand their mechanism and importance. But if you want the carbon dioxide incubator to work properly, you need to take good care of it. It should be maintained and cleaned at regular intervals for the ideal cell culture experiences. This article provides a detailed and easy-to-follow guide about maintaining and cleaning the carbon dioxide incubator. Read till the end to know more-
Why do you need to decontaminate and decrease the chance of contamination in a CO2 incubator?
The main aim of cleaning and maintaining the incubator is to keep it decontaminated. Often dust, spores, dirt, molds enter the incubator chamber through the air current. These particles are very small and can easily enter in the incubator. They can colonize the incubation chamber with a warm and clean environment and prevent cell culture. SO, decontamination is very very important in this case. Decontamination prevents the entry of harmful living microorganisms and keeps the machine in good condition.
What to use while decontaminating the incubator?
There are many types of disinfectant solutions and chemicals available in the market. But, anything might not be suitable for your incubator. If the disinfectant is harsh and has a strong smell. Then it can affect the culturing process. Their strong smell alters the incubation chamber atmosphere. Some disinfectants can produce fumes containing volatile organic materials, these materials are dangerous. They can make the cells to go on heat shock and alter their protein growth rate. Hence, regular cleaners containing alcohol, phenol, mercaptoethanol is not for cleaning a CO2incubator. Instead, you need to use specially designed incubator cleaners which do not pose any risk to the cell culture. Also, prevent using any type of abrasive cleaning pad that can harm the incubator.
SOME TIPS:
• Always wear gloves during cleaning any incubator. This is necessary because our hands can have thousands of germs or microorganisms that can contaminate the incubator.
• You can use a mild or soft detergent or specially designed incubator cleaning solution for cleaning the machine. If you are using anything like Isopropanol, Ethanol(which contains more than 70% of alcohol) to cleanse the incubation chamber, make sure to clean it with distilled water and again use 70% alcohol solution to cleanse the incubation chamber for the last time. Always make sure to cut off all the electrical connections before cleaning the incubator You need to empty the incubator before each cleaning session. So, discard any unused items and remove everything inside it.
Cleaning method:
Weekly cleaning : If there is any type of spillage during the cell culture you need to clean the spilled liquid or trey immediately. This reduces the chance of contamination.
• Please do not forget the water treys. These treys are used to control the humidity inside the incubator. It should be removed ad refilled with water at least once in a week. So, make sure to clean these trays.
• If your incubator has any culture treys you need to remove them. These trays should be discarded if you do not need them.
Monthly cleaning tips: Clean the exterior with proper care. You can prepare a cleaning solution with the incubator cleaners and dip a soft microfiber cloth in the solution for this purpose. Clean the door handles, the exterior walls with care.
• Make sure to clean the incubator thoroughly at least once a month. During cleaning, remove all the removable parts and clean them thoroughly. Only use a soft cloth to clean these parts.
• If you are cleaning the incubator chamber then you need to take care of the gas sensors. These sensors can be covered with specially designed gas covers. Run water through the chamber and cleanse t from inside. If your incubator has a disinfection cycle mechanism then you do not need to use it. You just need to start the disinfection cycle and it will be cleaned automatically.
• Always clean the top of the incubator once in a month. Dust the top portion and remove anything abnormal. Please remember that the incubator top should not be used to store other apparatus of equipment. It should be kept without any obstacle. An incubator is necessary for cell culture. But, it should be maintained properly to get the ideal culture result. You can follow this guide to clean the incubator.If you want to buy an incubator or any type of lab equipment then you can visit the website of Globallabsupply.com to check their large collection of different lab related equipment and machines at a reasonable price. sprunki horror Endless Fun Awaits!
