Stability of the Vaisala CARBOCAP® Carbon Dioxide Probe GMP231

Introduction CO2 Incubators

Many life science applications, such as growing and storing cell cultures, require the carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration to be measured and controlled. The required CO2 atmosphere, along with the temperature and humidity, is commonly generated with a special climate chamber called a CO2 incubator. In a typical CO2 incubator, the CO2 concentration is 5 %, temperature is 37 °C, and humidity is above 90 %RH. 

Incubators are regularly sterilized, for example before new samples are put inside. A typical sterilization interval is once a month but they can vary greatly depending on the application. A common sterilization method is heat sterilization (hot air sterilization) in which the incubator is heated to 160 ... 190 °C for 30 ... 120 minutes, depending on the applied standard. CO2 is not measured during sterilization.

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