Invention:
This invention is a specialized incubator rack system designed to optimize cell culture in microplates by providing uniform growth conditions (equal airflow, humidity, and thermal conditions) for all plates regardless of their position in the stack. This rack ensures consistent growth conditions for cells compared to traditional incubator practices where plates are often directly stacked, potentially affecting the growth consistency of cultured cells.
Background:
In laboratory settings, cell cultures are commonly grown in microplates that are placed directly in incubators. Reducing plate-to-plate variation when performing cell culture in microplates is an essential goal in cell-based research. Existing incubator racks have solid (often thermally conductive metal) shelves and walls. This limits air flow around the microplates (causing differences in CO2/O2 exposure and evaporation among plates in the stack), as well as increases thermal conductivity often causing the plates closer to the bottom stack to change temperature faster, which can lead to inconsistent growth that can affect experimental outcomes. Hence, there is a need for incubator racks that can better support consistent growth of cell cultures across multiple microplates.
Applications:
- Cell culture
- Laboratory research
- Biotechnology
- Pharmaceutical industries
- Educational institutions
- Clinical research
Advantages:
- Improved consistency in cell growth
- Enhanced airflow
- Low thermal conductivity
- Increased lab efficiency
- Broad compatibility
