Incubation system and method for automated cell culture and testing

An incubation system for automated cell culture and/or testing, the system comprising:

• a housing forming a chamber;
• a climate control system for controlling at least one of a temperature and a humidity of the chamber;
• a rack defining a plurality of storage positions to support an array of sample holders inside the chamber, each sample holder having a plurality of wells;
• a plurality of local heaters, wherein each of the plurality of local heaters are associated with individual storage positions of each of the plurality of storage positions;
• a detection robot movable between each of the plurality of storage positions to capture a corresponding plurality of images of cells contained by the plurality of wells of at least one sample holder of the array of sample holders while the at least one sample holder remains at one of the storage positions of the rack, wherein the detection robot is movable along three orthogonal axes, to reach every well of each sample holder supported by the rack;
• a fluid handling station comprising a pump configured to add fluid to, and/or remove fluid from, each of the wells of each of the sample holders inside the housing;
• at least one plate robot to move sample holders between the rack and the fluid handling station;
• and
• a computer to control operation of the climate control system, each of the plurality of local heaters, the detection robot, the fluid handling station, and the at least one plate robot;
• and wherein the plurality of storage positions and the corresponding plurality of local heaters are separated from one another with sufficient clearance for access by the detection robot.