CO2 Incubator With SafeCell (with UV Option) From Sanyo

A reliable, contamination-free incubator is a necessity for any lab working with cultured cells or tissues. The incubator serves as the environmental control needed to grow and maintain bacterial or eukaryotic cell cultures. The temperature (usually 37°C), humidity (~95%), and CO₂ levels (usually 5%) are all controlled and closely regulated to ensure an environment optimal for cell growth. Key factors when looking at incubators are the maintenance and reliability of these control conditions as well as the measures taken to reduce or eliminate contamination in cultures.

There are several options to consider when searching for the right incubator. Water jacket models tend to be heavier but have always been reliable and are much better at maintaining a stable temperature, especially if a power outage occurs. The newer air jacketed models promise to be lighter with faster recovery times, and are often less expensive. Another criterion is the material used to make the incubator. All Sanyo incubators are made with a proprietary “inCusaFe” material composed of a copper stainless steel alloy interior. This material claims to destroy contaminants upon contact, eliminating the need for high-temperature decontamination cycles. Copper incubators are often considered the best, as they have proven to be antimicrobial and resistant to contamination, but if the “inCusaFe” material does what it claims, it can be just as effective in preventing contamination. HEPA air filters, chamber fans, CO₂ and humidity monitors and heat decontamination are also options available when purchasing incubators.

Our lab owns the Sanyo MCO-18AIC CO₂ cell culture incubator with the SafeCell UV option. The incubator is air-jacketed and has multiple controls to sense CO₂, humidity and temperature levels. We originally purchased this incubator without the UV option but had problems with frequent contamination of the water with some type of fungus or mold. Although we never had problem with contamination of the cell cultures themselves, it is still a big problem and something to be concerned about. The installed UV light is triggered after a door opening and shines directly on the water in the water pan itself. There is a protective steel cover over the water pan that prevents irradiation and death of the cells themselves. We have only had water contamination once or twice since the UV light was installed in the incubator, and it seems to be effective. Overall, I have been happy with the incubator. Our cells survive well, and we have only had problems with decontamination in the water itself. Some quirks that we have found are the regulation of humidity and the tendency to drop CO₂ levels very quickly. Upon closing the door, the incubator immediately starts feeding in more CO₂, which can be a little annoying as it is constantly clicking on and off. It also tends to use more CO₂ than our old Heraus models. The humidity can be controlled and monitored, but increasing the humidity tends to cause some condensation build up around the inner door, which can be a potential source of contamination.

Sanyo offers a basic system with a reasonable price and several customizable options. The set up was also included in the price and the sales reps have always been fast, very helpful and knowledgeable. There is also a very good 3 year parts and labor warranty included in the price. While there are a few quirks and drawbacks to this incubator, it has proven to be reliable and has kept our cells contamination free.