Bioanalytical
CO₂ incubator
A warm, humid chamber that holds mammalian cell cultures at body temperature (usually 37 °C), high humidity and a set CO₂ level (usually 5%), so the culture medium stays at the right pH.
- Biotechnology
- Biopharmaceutical
- Cell and gene therapy
- IVF clinics
- Academic research
- Vaccine manufacture
TROUBLESHOOTING
Common problems, causes and fixes
Medium turns purple (too alkaline)
Likely causes
- • CO₂ too low (empty cylinder, blocked filter)
- • Flask caps too tight
- • Sensor reading high
What to do
- • Check cylinder and supply line
- • Use vented caps
- • Verify CO₂ with a calibrated analyser and recalibrate the sensor
Medium turns yellow quickly (too acidic)
Likely causes
- • CO₂ too high
- • Overgrown culture
What to do
- • Verify and recalibrate CO₂
- • Passage cells at the right density
Contamination in many cultures
Likely causes
- • Contaminated water pan or interior
- • Poor aseptic technique
What to do
- • Clean and decontaminate the incubator; use sterile water
- • Retrain staff; check biosafety cabinet
Slow CO₂ recovery or frequent alarms
Likely causes
- • Low cylinder pressure
- • Leaking door gasket
- • Blocked inlet filter
What to do
- • Replace or change over cylinder
- • Replace gasket
- • Replace the filter
Display differs from calibrated probe
Likely causes
- • Sensor drift
- • Probe placed near door or wall
What to do
- • Adjust the controller offset as per the manual and re-verify
- • Place the reference probe at the chamber centre
Excess condensation on walls or door
Likely causes
- • Room temperature fluctuations
- • Door heater failure
What to do
- • Keep the room temperature stable
- • Service the door heater
In LimsPulse · Calibration Management
Keep every CO₂ incubator in control: usage logs, calibration and maintenance schedules, and automatic blocking of overdue instruments.