Dear All
Can I place a peristaltic pump system with tubings and microfluidics chip completely into the incubator for 1-2 days long experiment?
If yes, is there a specific brand for that (preferentially higher channel number). If not, then do I need to keep the pump system outside and microfluidics chip with tubings inside the incubator?
And since the incubator door will compress the tubings, will that affect the cells flowing in the tubing?
Thank you very much!
Hello,
How are you going to plug the pump to DC alim and keep the door closed?
First of all, what is the type of microfluidic chip you are using? PDMS or plastic like? You should already determine if your chip can resist the temperature and pressure conditions of the incubator. Secondary, yes, you can pass tubing inside the incubator. Some of them have connectors. If you just want to put them inside through the door, you have to consider how robust is your tubing to shrinking, the inner diameter, and if the joint of the incubator door is smooth enough to avoid shrinking. You should also be aware of CO2 leaks if you let the tubing pass through the door.
Good luck
Dear Nelson Hélaine thank you very much for your answer. Yes I will use PDMS chips and according to the literature, it has been done before without any issue (PDMS in incubator). However, I will need to keep the whole pump system inside the incubator and find a cable to supply current while it stays in the incubator, I guess.
Best
Su
I can't address the microfluidics part, but most pumps have operating ranges up to 40C and would have no problem in an incubator. Check your pump specifications to confirm. Many incubators come with internal power outlets and with a feed through port in the back for entry of cables and tubes.
Su, for only 2 days in the incubator, I don't think you'll have a problem. We run a bottle roller in our incubator continuously for months at a time.
Dear Su Ildiz I have had to do the same for my research and the good news is that running a peristaltic pump inside a cell culture incubator is definitely possible! I refer you to my recently published paper where you can find a photo of the all setup showing the pump and chips inside the incubator. This will definitely help! Article Dynamic flow and shear stress as key parameters for intestin...
Please, feel free to keep in touch if any questions as I would be happy to discuss and help!
Dear Chiara A.M. Fois I have checked your paper, thanks a lot for sharing again and may I ask what was the humidity percentage of your incubator and for how long in total you kept the peristaltic pump in the incubator? Because in the product specification, it is mentioned that max humidity limit is 80%. And as a second question, did you use any extension cable to place the pump in the incubator? Thank you very much!
Dear Su Ildiz I do not think the humidity should be a problem. As long as the pump/equipment you use inside the cell culture incubator does not cause any excessive increase in temperature, then the all system should be able to "autoregulate" and keep all conditions at the setpoint (temperature, humidity %CO2). With the specific incubator and pump I have used I did not notice any changes. The pump was kept inside the incubator running for about one week and longer experiments are also possible. The power cable for the pump should be long enough to reach the back of the incubator. Once outside the incubator, then you may be able to directly plug it to the power or can always use a power board. Hope this helps!
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