2014 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 a 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 filter, etc.
Types of CO2 incubators used by survey respondents:
| Water Jacketed | 54% |
| Air Jacketed | 30% |
| Direct Heat | 14% |
| Other | 1% |
Primary purpose for CO2 incubators as indicated by survey respondents:
| Research | 68% |
| Clinical | 22% |
| In Vitro Fertilization | 4% |
| Quality Control | 3% |
| Other | 3% |
Nearly 27% of respondents plan on purchasing a CO2 incubator in the next year. The reasons for these purchases are as follows:
 | Replacement of aging model |  |
 | Addition to existing systems, increase capacity | |
 | Setting up a new lab | |
 | First time purchase of a CO2 incubator | |
 | Other |
Top 10 features/factors respondents look for when purchasing a CO2 incubator:
| Performance of product | 100% |
| Audible and visible temperature alarms | 99% |
| Stable CO2 control | 99% |
| Value for price paid | 97% |
| Warranties | 97% |
| Ease of use | 96% |
| Low maintenance/easy to clean | 96% |
| Service and support | 96% |
| Availability of supplies and accessories | 93% |
| Low operating costs | 93% |
Completed Surveys: 222
For more information on CO2 incubators, including useful articles and a list of manufacturers, visit www.labmanager.com/incubators