IncuTEC is a custom microscope incubator that uses a thermoelectric (Peltier) heating and cooling system with CO₂ control. It is designed for the SQUID microscope and other optical instruments with a similar footprint.
| Document | What it contains |
|---|---|
| Assembly guide | Illustrated, step-by-step enclosure assembly instructions |
| Bilingual assembly instructions (Word) | Spanish and English assembly instructions in a downloadable document |
| Pneumatic system diagram | CO₂ tank, regulator, valves, gauges, and incubator connections |
| UIM V2 user manual (English) | Operation and configuration of the temperature controller display |
| Temperature control module FAQ (English) | Initial configuration and troubleshooting for the TCM controller |
| UIM display module notes | Project-specific notes about language and maximum output voltage |
- TCM temperature control module overview (English)
- UIM universal display module overview (English)
- TCM parallel operation application note (English)
- Alternate translation of the TCM parallel operation application note
- Laird: heating and cooling of incubator chambers (2020)
- Laird SAA-170-24-22 thermoelectric cooler datasheet
- Sensirion SCD30 CO₂, humidity, and temperature sensor
- Winsen ME2-O2 oxygen sensor
- Seeed Grove SHT35 temperature and humidity sensor
- Seeed Grove MQ2 gas sensor
- Seeed Grove light sensor v1.2
- Seeed Grove real-time clock
Caution
CO₂ can displace oxygen. Use the incubator only in a properly ventilated space, secure the gas cylinder, and follow your institution's compressed-gas safety procedures.
- Check that the pneumatic connections are secure and that the run/vent valve on the incubator is in the correct position.
- Switch on the mains power at the back of the controller. The Raman laser driver is powered by the same controller/power supply.
- Set the target temperature and switch temperature control on using the UIM display (the white box with the round button).
- Open the main valve on the CO₂ cylinder.
- Move the gas-control slider on the controller to HIGH. The target CO₂ percentage can currently be changed only in the microcontroller settings over USB.
- Monitor temperature and CO₂ until both readings are stable before beginning an experiment.
- Close the main valve on the CO₂ cylinder; the regulator does not need to be adjusted.
- Vent the remaining CO₂ using the run/vent valve near the incubator inlet.
- Move the gas-control slider to LOW.
- Switch temperature control off using the UIM display.
- Turn off the main power-supply switch.
- 3D models
- Control electronics, code, and schematics
- Assembly images
- SQUID inverted microscope enclosure example
The chamber consists of two self-sealing parts: a bottom section that accommodates the microscope feet and cables, and a removable top section that seals against the base. The target operating range is approximately 4–40 °C, with 37 °C as the typical setpoint. The current gas system adds CO₂ to ambient air for mammalian cell culture and microaerobic applications; the design is intended to remain extensible toward anaerobic operation.
The temperature-control assembly is inspired by incubator designs from the Prakash Lab and adapted for additional uses and gas control.
- Yexian TCM Standard temperature controller with PID auto-tuning
- Laird SAA-170-24-22 air-to-air thermoelectric cooler
- Acrylic sheet or rigid insulating foam for the enclosure
- Characterize the temperature ramp speed for 12 V and 24 V controller supply configurations.
- Validate the achievable CO₂ control range around the 5% setpoint.
- Install an independent room CO₂ monitor.