Incubators are used in laboratories for providing the right or the invitro atmosphere in case of tissue culture, cell culture and other related experiments. Any biology or microbiology or pharmaceutical laboratory will have at least one incubator that can serve their purpose. These advanced swanky models are now an essential part of the laboratories.
But the truth is, the picture was not the same in the initial stage. The modern Laboratory Incubators that we see now were not present in the past. In the initial stage, these were just controlled and simple oven with a temperature steering. The models were also bulky in size. But, today’s models are more advanced. The incubators can now produce lower temperatures or sub-zero temperatures and can offer more functions like shaking the samples etc.
Incubators started to become featured in laboratories from the later part of the last century. But, incubators have been used since the 19th century. To be more precise, incubators have been in use since the ancient civilizations. But, these were basic models. The ancient peoples used heated ovens made of clay to hatch the chicks from eggs. Often clay pots or iron pots were put in the oven to increase the temperature so that eggs could be hatched easily and faster. But proper incubator came into the scene from the 1800s.
Simple CO2 Incubator in 19th century :As science progressed, biologists and researchers started to find a machine that could provide the needed in-vitro environment for cell culture and bacteria culture. And the scientists develop[eeede the basic CO2 incubator. This model was made of a normal bell jar with a candle. The lids of the jar had a special space to hold the culture treys and the candle was lit to provide the warmth. This transformed the bell jar into a heated, dry and “air-jacketed” CO2 incubator.
First proper CO2 Incubator in the 1960s :The first proper incubator came into the market in the 1960s. It was a proper incubator that could be similar to the latest and more machines you see today. Additionally, the prototype of the refrigerated incubator shaker was also discovered during this time. The G25 and G76 were two first models released from the house of NBS. These models are still seen working in some of the laboratories even today.
The general purpose of incubator and Benchtop incubators- 90s :Science became advances in the 90s of the last decade. More and more scientists and engineers were keen on making the laboratory equipment advanced and compact in design. In 1984, the first general incubator was released in the market from SHEL LAB. This is probably the first-ever modern general-purpose incubator. It came with a convenient air-jacket mechanism, heated doors and properly placed heating mechanisms for a uniform environment over the incubation chamber. This incubator was successful in eliminating the hot spots present inside previous models.
Science stepped forward a little and the first pettier-based benchtop incubator came into the market. It was short of a revolution. Because these incubators were designed as benchtop models and required less space and were compact. This model was a dual incubator and was capable of providing a heated and cooled environment in the same machine. The makers have named these models as EchoTherm. Some of these models are still going strong in labs around the world.
Temperature control system- 2001 :With the new decade, the new millennium, incubators became more powerful and scientifically advanced. In 2001, the patent winner temperature stabilization mechanism was discovered. It was a blessing. This system allowed incubators to maintain the temperature precisely within a said temperature range. The temperature accuracy also improved.
More models of CO2 Incubators- from 2003 to 2008
The period of five years from 2003 to 2008b was simply reserved for the CO2 Incubators. In 2003 a lighter fan less CO2 incubator came into the market. It came with an electronic display, on-board diagnostics, a direct-heating system, etc. Some models also supported a water bath system.In 2006, the internal machines of the incubator become smaller and compact. Therefore, the volume of the incubation chamber was increased and researchers got more space.2008 saw the rise of IR CO2 Incubators. These incubators had an overnight decontamination system for easy cleaning.
2009- H2O2 Sterilization system : In 2009, the first-ever water sterilization system was included in laboratory incubators. This model is still considered the best choice for an ideal cell culture solution. It also offered three-hour cleaning and sterilization process of the incubation chamber.The future seems more advanced and incubators will continue to evolve to support the latest and modern mechanisms. Globallabsupply.com has a vast range of advanced and premium incubators in an affordable price range. You can contact then for buying your preferred model.
