2015 CO2 Incubator Survey Results
CO2 incubators are designed to copy a cell’s natural environment with a relative humidity of around 95 percent, a temperature of 37°C and a pH of 7.2 to 7.5. They are most common in biology labs performing tissue or cell culture and are used in any process where cells need to be cultured for a few hours or many weeks or where cells need to be expanded or maintained.
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Trevor Henderson, PhD
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Trevor Henderson BSc (HK), MSc, PhD (c), is the creative services director at Lab Manager. He has more than two decades of experience in the fields of scientific...
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Top 6 Questions You Should Ask When Buying an CO2 Incubator
- What measures have been taken in the design to avoid contamination and what features are included to remove contamination?
- How does the CO2 sensor contribute to optimal cell growth?
- How does the humidity contribute to optimal cell growth?
- Ask for the uniformity and accuracy data versus asking for a water jacket or air jacket.
- Do you need O2 control to simulate the environment for your experiment accurately?
- Calculate the total cost of ownership on the product over one year including product price, install, regular cleaning labor, material like HEPA filters, etc.
Types of CO2 incubators used by survey respondents:
| Water Jacketed | 60% |
| Air Jacketed | 36% |
| Direct Heat | 21% |
| Gel Jacketed | 1% |
| Other | 1% |
Primary purpose of CO2 incubators as reported by survey respondents:
| Research | 77% |
| Clinical | 18% |
| Quality control | 4% |
| In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) | 2% |
| Other | 5% |
Nearly 57% of respondents are engaged in purchasing a new CO2 incubator. The reasons for these purchases are as follows:
 | Replacement of an aging system | 32% |  |
 | Addition to existing systems, increase capacity | 22% | |
 | Upgrading existing equipment | 18% | |
 | Setting up a new lab | 10% | |
 | First time purchase | 6% | |
 | Other | 12% |
Top 10 features/factors respondents look for when purchasing CO2 Incubator:
| Performance of product | 77% |
| Value for price paid | 75% |
| Stable CO2 control | 75% |
| Low maintenance / easy to clean | 74% |
| Ease of use | 68% |
| Fast recovery times | 59% |
| Warranties | 59% |
| Audible and visible temperature alarms | 59% |
| Service and support | 55% |
| Low operating costs | 54% |
For more information on CO2 incubators, including useful articles and a list of manufacturers, visit www.labmanager.com/incubators