Ensuring that temperature and CO2 levels are accurate within an incubator is integral for medical, IVF-clinic, research and pharmaceutical applications. Simon Sheridan reports.

It is critical that laboratory incubators run at a consistent temperature, humidity and CO2 level to maintain optimum cell growth. Therefore a convenient and accurate means to check these parameters is essential.

While incubators themselves have a built-in system for monitoring CO2, even the highest quality of on-board instruments can sometimes drift out of calibration, for example, as a result of intense cleaning and maintenance regimes at high temperatures. 

The Geotech G100, which measures CO2 from 0-20% and O2 from 0-100%, is used to demonstrate accurate and repeatable CO2 readings of the atmosphere inside incubators.  It was specifically designed to monitor CO2 for the verification of incubators in medical, IVF-clinic, research and pharmaceutical applications. 

With the G100 an incubator reading takes just a few seconds, enabling embryologists to quickly take readings from various incubators, all of which will have a different means of sampling the air inside an incubator, without fully opening the inner door and adversely affecting the environment.

The G100 can confirm the CO2, O2, humidity and temperature levels and check whether a local calibration is required on the incubator. Monitoring can be carried out during day-to-day operation of the incubators by a lab technician or scientist.

The G100 can be used by incubator supplier technicians during servicing, maintenance and performance evaluation visits. Monitoring allows for validation of all incubators to ensure they are at an optimum for culture growth.

As incubator doors are frequently opened and closed, CO2 concentration levels vary. The system allows for fine-tuning and ensures target CO2 concentrations are maintained.This also avoids any significant variation in O2, relative humidity and temperature within the chamber.

User-defined gas checks on incubators can be performed with the G100 to verify CO2 concentrations, and as the incubator CO2 concentration becomes consistent these gas checks may be performed less frequently.

The data from the G100 can be recorded on spreadsheet, data logged or exported to Geotech’s optional download software - where it can then be reviewed to check incubator performance or variations in readings over time. If the analyser reveals a frequently changing CO2 level, it may indicate that there is a need for some further investigation.

The product also has user-configurable alarms for setting trigger levels or breaches in CO2 and O2 expected levels. The G100 can monitor CO2, O2, relative humidity and temperature within one portable device, making it much easier and quicker to verify performance and meaning fewer devices to be serviced and maintained.

For more information visit www.geotechuk.com

Simon Sheridan is with Geotech, Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, UK