7
There are 3 different biological filters in the incubator in order to keep the chamber
sterile.
CO
2
gas passes through 0,22 µm biological filter before it reaches into the chamber.
During the Auto-
Zero, ambient air passes through 0,22 µm biological filter and then it
goes to the Infrared Sensor (IR).
The air inside the
chamber passes through 0,22 µm biological filter continuously
before it goes to the chamber again.
Stabile temperature
Chamber temperature is kept stable and homogeneous by the help of air jacket around
the chamber. Heaters which help to maintain the stable and uniform temperature inside
the chamber is located in right, left and bottom of the air jacket. The glass internal door
is heated by means of the heater inside the outer door. PID controlled microprocessor
control system guarantees precise temperature control and safety thermostat provides
secure operating environment.
Enriched CO
2
operating environment
The main reason of the incubator is to provide enriched CO
2
environment. CO
2
decomposes inside the media; therefore, it prevents the alkalization which is harmful for
the cells.
The pH of the culture media is kept constant by sodium bicarbonate. The chemical
reaction of CO
2
and sodium bicarbonate can be represented as:
CO
2
+ H
2
O <=> H
+
+ HCO
3
-
<=> 2 H
+
+ CO
3
2-
The continuous chemical reaction by maintaining a constant level of CO
2
gas assures
the proper pH for the growth of cells.
Auto-Zero System
Validation of infrared CO
2
sensor is done by the means of Auto-Zero System which is
given as standard feature of EC 160. The filtered ambient air, which is supposed to have
0% CO
2
, is taken to IR sensor automatically in every 12 minutes and IR sensor is
calibrated 120 times within a day without waiting its calibration. When the Auto-Zero
system is active, it is seen “z” next to the CO
2
on the display.
High Humidity Level
EC 160 Incubator provides an environment which is enriched with the mixture of water
and gas in order to prevent the evaporation of the culture media and keeps the pH as in
desired level. High humidity level is provided with the help of humidity tray which is
located bottom of the chamber. Humidity tray contacts with the heated bottom surface;
therefore, evaporation of water occurs naturally and provides 95%
± 5% humidity at
37.0°C. High relative humidity prevents desiccation of the media and maintains the
correct osmolality.
