When it comes to monitoring incubators, identifying your specific requirements and preferences is essential for ensuring optimal performance. This article aims to help you understand your options for monitoring and how you and Elemental Machines can work together to create the best monitoring plan.
1. Assessing Your Monitoring Needs
Consider the following questions to help define your monitoring objectives:
What parameters are critical for your incubator application? (e.g., Temperature, CO2, Humidity)
What are your preferences for monitoring methods? (e.g., direct incubator integration, independent sensors)
Do you require redundancy in measurements for critical parameters? (e.g., cross-verification between built-in and independent sensors)
2. Monitoring Options
Direct Sensor Integration: Machine Data Capture
If your incubator is equipped with built-in sensors, you can directly pull the parameters from the available sensors (Temperature, CO2, Relatively Humidity and others). This approach provides reliable readings from the incubator itself based on the internal machine sensors
Review our list here for current integrations: EM Product Search Tool
Devices:
Element-D: Capable of pulling data from the incubator’s existing sensors digitally
Element-C: Suitable for older incubators that use analog communication, likely requires purchase on an additional COMM board. See your dedicated Customer Success Manager for details.
Independent Sensors: Supplemental Monitoring Devices
If you prefer to enhance your monitoring setup or if your incubator's built-in sensors are not sufficient, you can use supplemental devices to gain additional insights.
Devices:
Element-T: Our temperature sensor can be leveraged for incubator monitoring as well as cold storage with a range between -200C to +200C
Element-A: Measures both temperature and humidity, though best suited for environments with lower humidity levels. If the incubator is using high humidity, the Element-A may not be a good fit. Please see operating range below:
Temperature: -10C to +45C
Humidity: 0-95% Relative Humidity, Non-condensing
Non-copper lined incubator
3rd Party Sensors: We can provide the right combination of our own or 3rd party sensors to monitor Temperature, Humidity and/or CO2. Depending upon the best devices for your setup, this may involve Element-D or Element-C devices to relay that data.
NOTE: Most independent sensors will need to be removed from the incubator during decontamination or sterilization cycles to prevent damage.
Redundancy Options
For critical measurements, having redundancy can be beneficial. This ensures that you have reliable data and can cross-verify readings.
Example: Use the Element-D and a 3rd party CO2 probe with an Element-T to gather CO2 and Temperature from verified sensors. Use this data to cross-reference the CO2 and temperature data displayed on the incubator itself.
3. Next Steps
After understanding your preferences for monitoring, please reach out to your Customer Success Manager with the makes and models of your incubators. They can assist you in determining the best options for your specific setup and ensure compatibility with our devices. When purchasing devices, also consider that each Element-D and Element-C will require a power outlet for installation.
NOTE: For some Element-D and Element-C integrations, additional purchases and services may be required. For example for the Element-C, many require communications boards to be installed by your incubator vendor prior.
4. Conclusion
By outlining your monitoring needs and preferences, we will be happy to find the right solution for you. If you have any questions or need further assistance in selecting the right monitoring solution for your incubators, please do not hesitate to reach out. We’re here to help you ensure the best outcomes for your laboratory work.