What Exactly is an Incubator? The Complete Guide To Understanding Microbiological Incubators

A laboratory incubator is a crucial equipment in any laboratory. They provide a controlled, contaminant-free environment for safe, reliable work with cell and tissue cultures by regulating conditions such as temperature, humidity, and CO2.

What is a laboratory incubator?

It is a heated, insulated box used to grow and sustain microbiological or cell cultures. The laboratory incubator does this by maintaining optimal temperature, humidity, and gaseous content of the atmosphere inside. The microbiological incubators differs in size from compact table-top units to large systems, the size of a cupboard.

The simplest incubators offer only a little more than being temperature-controlled ovens, that are capable of reaching temperatures of 60 to 65°C, but generally used at about 36 to 37°C. A large amount of modern incubators can also generate refrigerated temperatures, and control humidity and CO2 levels.

What is a laboratory incubator used for?

The primary function of an incubator is to endow a controlled, contaminant-free environment for safe and reliable work with cell and tissue cultures by regulating conditions such as temperature, humidity, and CO2. Laboratory incubators are fundamental for the growth and storage of bacterial cultures, cell and tissue culture, biochemical and haematological studies, pharmaceutical work and food analysis.

Incubators are often deployed in modern research laboratories to preserve a stable atmosphere for processes such as growing cells and microbiological cultures and incubating antibodies and cells for fluorescence microscopy.

A common misconception is that ovens can be used in place of incubators because they both produce heat. However, they are not the same, as an oven produces temperatures typically ranging from 93.3 to 316 degrees Celsius, while an incubator typically ranges from 15.6 to 48.9 degrees Celsius. Therefore, an oven cannot be used as an incubator because most ovens will not have a low enough temperature that is suitable for using as an incubator.

Laboratory Incubators are used for growing cell cultures, reproduction of germ colonies with subsequent germ count in the food industry, reproduction of germ colonies and subsequent determination of biochemical oxygen demand in wastewater monitoring, reproduction of microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi, yeast or viruses; breeding of insects and hatching of eggs in zoology, controlled sample storage and in growing of crystals/protein crystals.

Types Οf Transport Carts That Can Be Used In Laboratories

Transportation carts or goods carts are becoming more common in industrial laboratories. These laboratories need a ton of supplies regularly and moving a huge amount of supplies can become a daunting task for humans. So, these carriers are used to move things efficiently and faster. There are different types of laboratory transport carts that can be used in a laboratory.

Some of the most used carts are:

Hand Trucks- These are off of the most common and most used carts. Hand trucks are affordable and easily available. It is basically a cart with one pair of wheels and operated manually, this cart has a toe plate to store the equipment of goods and a long frame supports the weight of the goods. This cart is pulled backward during transportation. Hand trucks are often modified to move barrels of liquids or jars with safety. Some carts also have a latch to keep the goods secured in places during transportation.

Pallet trucks-   Pallet trucks or jacks are used if a laboratory needs to move palletized loads from one place to another. It comes with a parallel platform that lifts things and moves things. These carts can also be used to unload a larger supply. It is more common in pharmaceutical labs which need to send many batches of goods per day.  It has a fork under a pallet. The cart driver lifts a hydraulic jack to move the platform upwards to downwards, there are manual pallet trucks, gas-powered trucks, and electric jacks.

Go carts- Go carts are small versions of a four-wheel car. These carts are automatic and can carry a lot of loads. Go Laboratory Carts carts can be electric, gas-powered. The go-carts often have a load area where materials are stored for transportation.  But, they do not have any suspension.

A-Frame trucks- It is another cart that is used to transport panelled goods. These have flatbed trucks. The trucks have some vertical dividers. The panels of products are liquid in between the panels. Some carts have a larger load capacity.

A Simple Guide To Lab Moisture Analysis: Everything You Need to Know About It

Moisture analyzers, also known as moisture meters or moisture balances, measure the moisture content in samples. They can analyze gases, liquids, and solids and are particularly important pieces of equipment when it comes to testing certain types of products such as pharmaceuticals, food, plastics, fuel, and hydrocarbons. In this post, we reveal how moisture analyzers work and best practices for using them.

How Moisture Analyzers Work

The premise behind lab moisture analyzer is quite simple. They work using a Loss On Drying (LOD) or thermo gravimetric method to determine how much moisture is in the sample. Here are the basic steps:

• The moisture analyzer weighs the sample and records the initial weight.
• A heating element radiates infrared heat to dry the sample. (A few different types of heating element may be used in moisture analyzers, including halogen lamp, quartz lamp, metal, or ceramic.)
• The sample is weighed periodically until the weight no longer changes (this means the sample is fully dried).
• The final weight is subtracted from the initial weight to determine the moisture content.

If you need to find out the solid content of a sample, you simply subtract the moisture content from the initial weight.

Note that moisture doesn’t only refer to water. It includes any substance that will evaporate as a result of infrared heating, for example, alcohols and organic solvents.

Best Practices for Using Moisture Analyzers

Here are some tips to help ensure you get accurate results when using a moisture analyzer:

• Position the analyzer correctly. Make sure the unit is placed away from any sources of draft or vibration such as air vents or refrigerators. It should also be in a non-harsh, clean environment. High humidity, extreme temperatures, or excess dust could affect the accuracy of results.
• Take safety precautions. Assess the risk involved in heating your particular sample. Work in a fume hood where necessary and never try to dry explosive or combustible substances.
• Use clean sample pans. Used pans should be disposed of and you should only use clean, intact pans.
• Ensure an even sample spread. You should cover the entire surface area of the pan with a thin, even coating of sample.
• Don't overload the unit. Be sure to note the maximum capacity of the analyzer as overloading it could damage the internal weighing mechanisms.

Clinical Lab Carts: An Overview of the Most Common Models in Demand Today

A clinical lab cart is a mobile workstation that allows laboratory technicians to move around the lab with ease. Clinical lab carts are often equipped with a variety of drawers, shelves, and compartments to store equipment and supplies.

 Additionally, many clinical lab carts include a built-in sink for easy cleanup and a power strip to provide electricity to equipment. Laboratory technicians use clinical lab carts to perform a variety of tasks, such as preparing specimens for analysis, running tests, or producing results.

Importance of Clinical Lab Carts

A Clinical Lab Carts is an essential piece of laboratory equipment. If used properly, a clinical lab cart can improve efficiency and decrease the amount of time laboratory technicians have to spend at their lab bench.

Clinical lab carts will also help laboratory technicians perform their work more efficiently and accurately. Although clinical lab carts are not as big or expensive as other laboratory equipment, they are still very important.

Clinical Lab Carts are used to:

Store equipment and supplies that are often used in laboratories.

Save time and effort because laboratory technicians do not have to move around the lab to get supplies or perform other tasks.

Improve accuracy and efficiency, because clinical lab carts help laboratory technicians perform various tasks quickly and accurately.

How to Choose the Right Clinical Lab Cart

Choose a clinical lab cart with features that will best suit the needs of your lab. You will also want to choose a clinical lab cart that is easy to clean and store.

Ask your lab manager and your department head in advance about their needs.

Make sure the clinical lab cart you choose has a sink, power strip, and shelves for storing supplies.

Before you buy, make sure the clinical lab cart you choose has the number of drawers and shelves you need.

Choosing the Right Clinical Lab Cart for Your Lab

A clinical lab cart will help you save time and effort. You will also have the opportunity to increase your productivity. If you are in the market for a clinical lab cart, be sure to choose one that will meet your needs.

Clinical Lab Cart

The most common clinical lab carts are stationary carts. These are usually stocked with supplies such as pipettes (for drawing liquids), test tubes, beakers, and centrifuges. Stationary clinical lab carts are great for labs that have stationary equipment.

If your lab is stationary, you will want a stationary clinical lab cart. Like stationary clinical lab carts, stationary clinical lab carts are stocked with supplies such as pipettes, test tubes, beakers, and centrifuges.

You can also choose a clinical lab cart that is mobile. These clinical lab carts are very similar to stationary clinical lab carts. However, mobile clinical lab carts move around the lab with ease.

You can also choose a clinical lab cart that is built into a mobile cart. A mobile clinical lab cart is a clinical lab cart that is designed to move around the lab.

Clinical lab carts can be used in many different ways. You can use a clinical lab cart to store supplies or equipment. In addition, clinical lab carts will help you increase your productivity and save time.

Conclusion:

Clinical lab carts are an important piece of lab equipment. Clinical lab carts can be used in many different ways, and they will help your lab technicians save time and effort.

Things to know before busying Stainless Steel Workbenches

Purchasing new lab equipment is no more a hassle due to the availability of many reliable suppliers. But, the industrial workbench requires proper planning and consideration. You need to make the right choice while selecting industrial stainless steel workbenches for your laboratory. Thus, if you are confused about the factors, then here they are - 

Is there a difference between steel and stainless steel workbench?

There is a difference between steel and stainless steel workbench. It may sound similar, but the ingredients used are completely different in steel workbench - Here, carbon is used along with magnesium, whereas stainless steel is made of an additional ingredient called chromium.

Based on the requirement, you need to choose either steel or stainless workbenches. Stainless might seem to be more expensive than steel products. Other than this, steel has low carbon content, but both these materials have high deceptive to rust. It is more affordable than wood and has fungal resistant, water and moisture chemical resistance features.

Where can you use it?

These workbenches can be used in a variety of settings and are available in various sizes. Steel workbenches are used in every type of lab setting that you can witness, starting from animal research to pharmaceuticals to autopsy. Even hospital operating rooms, photography dark rooms or dental facilities rely on them.

Durability

If the product is durable, it will automatically catch hold of the users. But it is also important to understand the workbench features. But, the ones that look industrial may not always have the capability to withstand harsh chemicals. So, test it before you get a workbench for your lab.

Countertop choice

You get a variety of countertop choices, but each variety suits a particular project. So, look whether it is made up of any other chemical resistant laminate.

Customizable workbench 

Every workspace needs to get modified after a few years due to development in technology. And, the stainless steel workbench must be customisable to meet every specific requirement. Look whether the cabinet has shelf storage space and other utility options. 

Conclusion

Are you family with the term electrostatic discharge? This can be costly and also affect every equipment in the lab. So, choose the one which has static laminate. With Global Lab Supply, you can get a workbench that is equipped with modern features.

Things to Consider Before Buying a Stainless Steel Desiccator Cabinet

While working at any lab, you need proper storage space that can help you organised the samples and other items. A stainless steel desiccator cabinet provides the most convenient storage space. These are actually small jars that can be easily bought at a reasonable rate.

Products which are sensitive can be stored in this desiccator. You can also find non-vacuum stainless steel desiccator cabinets for ingredients whose integrity you do not want to change. Usually, these are made up of a flow meter, nitrogen gas purge port, steel door, glass window, etc. 

Based on your requirement, you need to make the right choice. Even you can also get them in different dimensions and sizes based on your storage necessities.

Durability

Consider the durability of the desiccator cabinets - whether they are able to withstand maximum capacity. They are made of heavy gauge stainless steel. And, test if they can store sensitive materials. Check whether they have facilities for humidity and moisture control. You can also consider the mobility aspect of the cabinet.

Additional Facilities

Cabinets must have additional facilities such as electro polished interior for smooth operation and passivation interior. They must have an auto-upgrade facility so that you can change to an electro polished shelf based on the demand.

Gas Accessories

Take a good look at the gas accessories and whether the flow meter is working properly. Look if there is a pressure relief valve or the nitrogen purge control includes a humidity sensor. This will help you get a flawless result and avoid any fatal accidents.

Lock System

Desiccator cabinets also come with an optional lock, or you can install one later. It would be best if you also looked very closely at whether the stand option has any powder-coated steel. However, you cannot interconnect the compartments through perforations. 

Conclusion

Based on the storage material of use, choose re-generable silica gel cartridges in their basics. And, this ensures that all the experiments are accurate and not tempered. Stick to the budget and look if the cabinet has all the requisite features at Global Lab Supply. Do not compromise with the features, but at other same time, do not opt for a cabinet with facilities that are not required for the time being.

Benchtop Laminar Flow Hood: Components

A benchtop Laminar Flow Hood/Cabinet is an enclosed workstation that uses filters to catch all particles entering the cabinet, resulting in a contamination-free work environment. Some of the components of Laminar Flow Hood are as follows.

Cabinet

The cabinet is composed of stainless steel and has few or no gaps or cracks, which prevents spores from accumulating. The cabinet insulates and protects the laminar flow's internal environment from the outside. The front of the cabinet has a glass shield that opens completely or has two apertures for the user's hands to enter the cabinet in some laminar cabinets.

Filter pad/Pre-filter

On the top of the cabinet, there is a filter pad through which air enters. The filter pad keeps dust and microorganisms out of the cabinet's operating environment.

Working Station

All of the processes will take place on a flat working station within the cabinet. The working station where the operation takes place is equipped with culture plates, burners, and loops. To prevent rusting, the worktop is composed of stainless steel.

HEPA Filter

Within the cabinet, there is a high-efficiency particle air filter, which helps to keep the working area sterile. Fungi, germs, and other dust particles are trapped as the pre-filtered air travels through the filter. The filter keeps the cabinet sterile, lowering the risk of contamination.

UV Lamp

A UV germicidal lamp may be included in some Benchtop Laminar Flow Hood, which sterilizes the cabinet interior and contents before the procedure. To prevent UV exposure to the user's body surface, the UV lamp should be turned on 15 minutes before the procedure.

Working or Principle of Laminar flow hood

The working of a laminar flow cabinet includes the air flow through the cabinet in a laminar pattern. To provide a particulate-free atmosphere, the device uses an inward air flow that passes through a single or multiple HEPA filters.

As part of the laminar flow of the air, the air is filtered and then expelled across the work surface. The air travels via a filter pad or pre-filter before entering the cabinet, allowing for a more efficient flow of air. The air is then directed to the HEPA filters by a blower or fan.