Documenting use and preventive maintenance helps staff remain accountable for their actions, and also acts as a reminder for tasks such as the weekly inspection of filters. Documentation is the key to identifying trends, good or bad. Ongoing training sessions or refresh sessions can take place on a yearly basis to review Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and promote best practices as a means to reduce risk. A training program should be created for new users. Product technology aids in minimizing human error, but it can never replace good laboratory practice and a culture of accountability. Minimizing human error when using an incubator Prevent disruptions to the growth chamber by keeping door openings to a minimum. Avoid stacking culture media, and position flasks with caps facing away from the door to prevent contamination. Make a note of which materials may have to be removed first, and place them toward the front of the incubator. When placing culture media into the chamber, it is recommended to set materials in the chamber starting from the back to avoid reaching over or distributing existing media. Culture flasks, plates, and petri dishes should be appropriately labeled before being placed in the growth chamber. Gloves should be cleaned with an appropriate disinfectant, such as 70 percent ethanol, before handling materials. Also, the opening between the gloved hand and sleeved arm allows access to the epidermis as well as potential contamination from a user shedding skin cells. Loose cuffs increase the probability of cross contamination, due to excess cloth hanging from the arm, which increases the likelihood of fabric brushing against culture materials. Wearing gloves that fit over the cuff of the lab coat is recommended.

Proper personal protective equipment (PPE) must be worn.Īlso, good laboratory practice, aseptic technique, and standard operating procedures (SOPs) must be followed at all times based on your laboratory’s biosafety level (BSL). Proper Method for Introducing Materials Into the Growth Chamber All lab users should clearly understand the following best practices. Training for the users should focus on minimizing the risks to cell health. Because each interaction adds risk of human error, all users should be trained on the proper use of the equipment. Multiple users interact with an incubator. This guide will help lab managers understand risks and best practices as they develop training for CO2 incubator users and establish a preventive maintenance program and setup criteria.

The lab manager’s role in proper use and maintenance ensures the organization gets the most from its investment via research productivity and long life of the incubator. Not only is the CO2 incubator important to the researchers, but it is also an investment for the institution or company. In addition to mechanical failure, contamination due to human error or from the surrounding environment also poses risks.Ī lab manager can minimize risks in three ways:ġ) Properly training all incubator users.Ģ) Implementing a preventive maintenance program.ģ) Choosing the most advantageous location in the lab for the CO2 incubator.

Therefore, incubator reliability and stability are of the highest importance. Incubated cell cultures potentially represent months, even years, of valuable research that is lost if cells die. Researchers depend on both the incubator and the lab manager responsible for operation and maintenance of the incubator. When cells are grown for research in a lab setting, CO2 incubators are used to create an ideal growth environment.

Co2 incubator for cell culture