MKN GHP-270 Water-Jacketed Constant Temperature Incubator
| Brand | MKN |
|---|---|
| Origin | Jiangsu, China |
| Manufacturer Type | Authorized Distributor |
| Country of Origin | China |
| Model | GHP-270 |
| Price | USD 1,380 (FOB Jiangsu) |
Overview
The MKN GHP-270 Water-Jacketed Constant Temperature Incubator is an engineered platform for stable, uniform thermal environments essential in microbiological culture, cell propagation, enzyme activity assays, and long-term biological storage. Unlike forced-air incubators, this unit employs a water-jacketed thermal mass design—where a sealed outer chamber circulates temperature-controlled water around the inner insulated chamber—to deliver exceptional thermal stability (< ±0.3 °C fluctuation at setpoint), minimal spatial gradient (< 0.5 °C across working volume), and immunity to door-opening perturbations. This architecture is particularly critical for sensitive applications such as primary cell line maintenance, anaerobic culture pre-incubation, and regulatory-compliant stability testing where ISO 13485 or GLP-aligned environmental consistency is required.
Key Features
- Stainless steel water jacket fabricated via argon arc welding—ensuring structural integrity, corrosion resistance, and leak-free operation over extended service life.
- Dual-pane tempered glass observation door with silicone rubber gasket seal: maintains internal humidity >90% RH without active humidification, minimizes heat loss, and enables non-intrusive visual monitoring.
- Microprocessor-based digital PID temperature controller with real-time display (0.1 °C resolution), programmable setpoint range (RT +5 °C to 65 °C), and automatic deviation alarm (audible/visual) for both chamber temperature excursion and water level anomaly.
- Externally mounted heating elements: eliminate direct radiant exposure to samples, prevent localized overheating, and ensure smooth, overshoot-free temperature ramping.
- Robust insulation system combining high-density polyurethane foam (≥80 mm thickness) and vacuum-sealed perimeter joints to achieve low standby power consumption (<120 W at 37 °C).
Sample Compatibility & Compliance
The GHP-270 accommodates standard laboratory vessels including Petri dishes (up to 200 mm Ø), multi-well plates (6–96-well), culture flasks (T25–T225), and serum bottles—without requiring rack modification. Internal chamber dimensions (W×D×H): 500 × 450 × 600 mm (total volume: 135 L; usable volume: ~110 L). The unit complies with IEC 61010-1:2010 safety standards for electrical equipment used in laboratory environments. While not certified to UL 61010 or CE for EU medical device use, its design supports adherence to Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) documentation requirements—including audit-ready temperature logging when paired with optional external data loggers meeting FDA 21 CFR Part 11 criteria.
Software & Data Management
The embedded controller does not include onboard data storage or network connectivity; however, it provides analog output (0–10 V DC) and RS-485 Modbus RTU interface for integration into centralized building management systems (BMS) or third-party SCADA platforms. Users may connect compliant USB or Ethernet-enabled data loggers (e.g., Omega OM-DAQPRO-5300 series) to record time-stamped temperature profiles with timestamp accuracy ≤1 s and storage capacity ≥1 million points. Alarm events—including high/low water level detection and temperature deviation beyond ±1.0 °C—are latched and displayed until manually acknowledged, supporting traceability during quality audits.
Applications
- Maintenance of bacterial and fungal stock cultures (e.g., ATCC strains) under defined aerobic conditions per CLSI M44-A3 guidelines.
- Pre-incubation of agar plates prior to antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) to ensure consistent colony growth kinetics.
- Enzyme kinetic studies requiring precise thermal control across multiple timepoints (e.g., amylase or protease activity at 37 °C, 45 °C, 55 °C).
- Seed germination trials in agricultural research where diurnal temperature cycling is simulated via external timer integration.
- Short-term storage of clinical specimens (e.g., semen, tissue biopsies) awaiting downstream processing in ISO 15189-accredited pathology labs.
FAQ
What is the recommended maintenance interval for the water jacket?
Drain, flush, and refill the jacket with deionized water every 6 months; inspect silicone seals and water-level sensor annually.
Can this incubator be used for CO₂-sensitive applications?
No—this model lacks CO₂ regulation, humidity control beyond passive retention, or gas-tight sealing; it is strictly for ambient-air, temperature-only applications.
Is calibration certification included with shipment?
A factory-issued temperature uniformity report (per ASTM E2874-21 Annex A1) is provided; NIST-traceable calibration certificates require separate purchase and on-site verification.
Does the unit support remote monitoring via Wi-Fi or Ethernet?
Not natively—but RS-485 output enables integration with industrial gateways (e.g., Advantech ECU-1251) for cloud-based telemetry using MQTT or HTTP protocols.
What is the maximum allowable ambient operating temperature?
32 °C ambient with ≤60% RH; operation above this requires derating of upper temperature limit by 1 °C per 2 °C ambient increase above specification.
