Incubator with air curtain
AssigneeEmbrient, Inc.
InventorsRoyal Q. Le, Barry E. Rothenberg, Kyong-su Son
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An incubator for cell and tissue culture under controlled atmospheric conditions has a primary air flow control device that forms a primary, preferably laminar flow, air veil across an opening that allows access to the cells or tissue cultures disposed within the incubator. Preferably, most if not all of the air in the primary (laminar flow) air veil is recirculated, and a secondary air flow control device is used that forms a secondary, preferably laminar flow, air veil between the primary (laminar flow) air veil and a user of the incubator.
Claims20
A method of operating an incubator having a housing that at least partially encloses an internal container, wherein the internal container has an opening, and wherein the incubator further comprises (1) a primary air flow control device coupled to the housing and/or internal container and positioned relative to the internal container to direct a primary air veil along or substantially parallel to a hypothetical plane covering the opening and (2) a secondary air flow control device coupled to the housing and/or internal container and positioned relative to the internal container to direct a secondary air veil substantially parallel to the primary air veil, and (3) a door coupled to the housing and/or internal container, the method comprising:
- using the primary air flow control device to generate a primary air veil with a velocity of between about 0.2-0.8 m/s;
- using the secondary air flow control device to generate a secondary air veil with a velocity of between about 0.2-0.8 m/s;
- and
- changing the velocity of the primary and/or secondary air veil according to at least one of (a), (b), (c), and (d), wherein
- (a) increases the velocity of the primary air veil upon start-up of the incubator relative to steady-state operation of the primary air veil;
- (b) reduces the velocity of the primary air veil upon closing of the door;
- (c) reduces the velocity of or stopping the secondary air veil upon closing of the door;
- and
- (d) maintains or increases the velocity the secondary air veil to the velocity of the primary air veil upon detection of an object entering the opening.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.