Temperature oscillation device for physiologically relevant cell culture systems

A temperature oscillation overlay device configured for removable integration with an existing tissue culture incubator having a native temperature controller and a native heating element, the device comprising:

• a. a temperature sensing system physically independent of the native temperature controller, the temperature sensing system comprising at least one temperature sensor configured for placement within an interior chamber of the incubator and a temperature sensing system microcontroller configured to receive data from the temperature sensor;
• b. a central microcontroller configured to receive temperature measurements obtained by the at least one temperature sensor from the temperature sensing system microcontroller;
• c. an independent internal heating element configured for placement within the interior chamber of the incubator and operated entirely separately from and without modification of the native heating element or native temperature controller;
• d. a power modulation interface comprising a power modulation interface microcontroller configured to selectively modulate electrical power delivered exclusively to the independent internal heating element without modification of the incubator's internal control circuitry;
• and
• e. a programmable waveform engine executed by the central microcontroller and configured to generate a biologically defined time-varying temperature profile;
• wherein the central microcontroller controls power delivery to the independent internal heating element via the power modulation interface in a closed feedback loop independent of the native temperature controller to superimpose the oscillatory temperature profile wherein temperature increases are achieved by increasing power delivery to the independent internal heating element and temperature decreases are achieved by reducing or ceasing power delivery to the independent internal heating element, with the rate of passive thermal equilibration toward the stable thermal baseline controlled by the central microcontroller to conform to the descending phases of the biologically defined time-varying temperature profile.