PHCbi Incubator Hydrogen Peroxide Decontamination Technology

A major challenge in biological processes is to maximise incubator productivity, with the need to complete thorough decontamination of the cabinet interior between each successive cell culture batch.

PHCbi provides the solution with its hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) decontamination technology that floods the Incubator’s working area with hydrogen peroxide vapor to provide a complete and validated decontamination within less than three hours.

H₂O₂ advantages

The H₂O₂ technology provides quick turnaround between process batches, with the incubator out of action for substantially less time than similar direct heat sterilization systems.

Despite this increased speed, the high levels of safety needed to meet regulatory requirements are reliably retained. Low temperature hydrogen peroxide in biological safety cabinets is a widely used alternative to other decontamination procedures, especially in the pharmaceutical industry. The unique design of PHCbi incubators ensures the use of the decontamination system will have no impact on adjacent equipment or the environment.

Easy to use

The H₂O₂ decontamination feature is fitted to the PHCbi MCO-230AICUVH IncuSafe CO₂ Incubator and to the MCO-170AICUVH range of CO₂ and Multigas Incubators and is easy to use, following a basic three step procedure.

• Step 1: Activate H₂O₂ decontamination cycle, with door automatically locked and hydrogen peroxide goes through vaporization. An airflow system circulates interior air to ensure all surfaces come into contact with the vapor.
• Step 2: An ultraviolet (UV) light switches on for 90 minutes, causing the H₂O₂ vapor to decompose into water vapor and oxygen.
• Step 3: Once the cycle is complete, the door automatically unlocks, with the incubator’s interior, including shelves, brackets and humidity tray all having been sterilized in situ.

This procedure eliminates need to remove and replace components for additional cleaning. In addition, critical parts such as the CO₂ sensor do not need to be removed during the process nor recalibrated afterwards, contributing to the reliable operation of the system.

The effectiveness of H₂O₂ in maximizing incubator productivity is further enhanced by the overall design of the MCO incubators and related decontamination and safety features, such as Active Background Decontamination,  InCu saFe Construction for germicidal protection,  Dual Heat Sterilization,  Zirconia O₂ sensors and exceptional CO₂ and O₂ recovery times, which make them highly suitable for use in laboratory and hi-tech environments, with Cleanroom Classification.

Resources

Click on H₂0₂ Decontamination Sheet to download technical details.
Click on MCO-230AIC IncuSafe CO2 Incubator for product details.
Click on MCO-170AIC Series for detailed product information.