BOXUN MJX-160B-Z Mold Incubator

Overview

The BOXUN MJX-160B-Z Mold Incubator is a precision-engineered, microprocessor-controlled environmental chamber designed specifically for the cultivation, isolation, and maintenance of filamentous fungi (e.g., Aspergillus, Penicillium, Cladosporium) and other slow-growing or humidity-tolerant microorganisms under stable thermal conditions. Unlike general-purpose incubators, this model emphasizes thermal fidelity and operational reliability for mold-specific protocols—particularly those requiring extended incubation periods (e.g., ISO 16000-18 air sampling analysis, USP antimicrobial effectiveness testing, or EPA Method 1603/1604 confirmation assays). Its control architecture employs a single-chip microcontroller with PID-based feedback regulation, ensuring minimal thermal overshoot and high reproducibility across multi-day runs. The chamber operates in ambient-humidity mode (non-humidified), making it suitable for applications where moisture control is managed externally (e.g., via saturated salt solutions or desiccant trays) or where condensation must be avoided—critical for mycological plate integrity and colony morphology assessment.

Key Features

• Stainless steel mirror-finish interior chamber (304 grade) with seamless welding and rounded corners for effective decontamination and reduced microbial adhesion.
• Cold-rolled steel exterior with electrostatic epoxy powder coating—corrosion-resistant and compliant with laboratory equipment durability standards (IEC 61010-1).
• Dual-display LED interface: separate high-brightness digital readouts for setpoint temperature and real-time chamber temperature—enabling immediate visual verification without menu navigation.
• Tactile membrane keypad with intuitive layout for rapid parameter entry; supports simultaneous setting of temperature and timer duration.
• Integrated 254 nm ultraviolet germicidal lamp (UVC) with manual override switch—validated for ≥99.9% reduction of surface-borne spores and vegetative cells between cycles (per ISO 15189 Annex A.4 requirements for pre-use chamber sanitation).
• Three-tier adjustable stainless steel shelving system—load-rated to 15 kg per shelf—with vertical positioning increments of 25 mm for flexible sample arrangement.
• Intelligent power-loss recovery: all active parameters (set temperature, remaining time, operating mode) are retained in non-volatile memory and automatically restored upon mains reconnection—eliminating manual reconfiguration and supporting GLP-compliant audit trails.

Sample Compatibility & Compliance

The MJX-160B-Z accommodates standard microbiological formats including Petri dishes (90 mm and 150 mm), slant tubes, agar plates in stackable carriers, and multi-well assay trays. Its 150 L working volume permits parallel processing of up to 120 standard Petri dishes per cycle. The unit meets essential safety and performance benchmarks for laboratory incubators: electrical safety per IEC 61010-1:2010, electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) per IEC 61326-1:2020, and thermal performance validation per ASTM E2876–22 (Standard Practice for Verification of Thermal Performance of Laboratory Incubators). While not a humidified incubator, its design aligns with CLSI M22-A4 and ISO 11133:2014 recommendations for non-humidified fungal culture environments where relative humidity is maintained below 70% RH to prevent excessive condensation on agar surfaces.

Software & Data Management

This model operates as a standalone hardware platform without proprietary software or network connectivity. All operational data—including setpoint history, elapsed runtime, and alarm events (e.g., overtemperature, door-open, power interruption)—are logged locally via non-volatile EEPROM with timestamp resolution of ±1 second. The device supports manual calibration offset adjustment (±5.0 °C range) using certified reference thermometers traceable to NIST or equivalent national metrology institutes. Audit-ready records can be exported via optional RS-232 serial interface (available as field-upgrade kit) for integration into LIMS or electronic lab notebooks compliant with FDA 21 CFR Part 11 when paired with validated third-party data acquisition software.

Applications

• Environmental monitoring: mold screening of indoor air samples (ISO 16000-18), HVAC swab testing, and water-damaged material analysis.
• Pharmaceutical QC: preservative efficacy testing (PET) per USP , fungal challenge studies, and stability-indicating method validation.
• Food & agriculture: mycotoxin-producing strain maintenance, grain spoilage modeling, and antifungal agent susceptibility profiling.
• Academic research: fungal taxonomy workflows, sporulation kinetics, and temperature-dependent morphogenesis studies (e.g., dimorphic switching in Histoplasma).
• Regulatory compliance: BOD₅ incubation support per APHA Standard Methods 5210B, and EPA-approved mold identification protocols.

FAQ

Does the MJX-160B-Z include humidity control?

No. This is a non-humidified incubator. Relative humidity is not actively regulated and remains ambient—typically 30–60% RH depending on laboratory conditions. For humidity-dependent assays, external humidification (e.g., saturated K₂CO₃ solution) or alternative humidified models are recommended.
Is the UV lamp ozone-free?

Yes. The installed low-pressure mercury lamp emits primarily at 254 nm and is housed behind fused quartz shielding that blocks ozone-generating 185 nm radiation—ensuring safe operation without ventilation requirements.
Can the incubator be validated for IQ/OQ/PQ?

Yes. The unit provides stable thermal performance suitable for installation qualification (IQ), operational qualification (OQ), and performance qualification (PQ) per GMP Annex 15 and ISO/IEC 17025. Calibration certificates and temperature mapping templates are available upon request.
What is the warranty coverage?

BOXUN provides a 24-month limited warranty covering parts and labor for manufacturing defects, excluding consumables (UV lamp, fuses) and damage from misuse or unauthorized modification.
Are spare shelves and UV lamps available as accessories?

Yes. Stainless steel replacement shelves (P/N: MJX-SH-304) and UVC lamps (P/N: MJX-UV-254-15W) are stocked and ship globally within 5 business days.