27/10/2026
𝗗𝗶𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄? 𝗜𝗻 𝗮 𝗖𝗢₂ 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝘂𝗯𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿, 𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝘁𝗺𝗼𝘀𝗽𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 🔬
The CO₂ sensor is one of the most important technical components of an incubator. It continuously monitors whether the atmosphere inside the chamber matches the setpoint. To do this responsively and without interference, it uses infrared light.
CO₂ absorbs specific wavelengths of this light. The strength of this absorption can be used to determine how much CO₂ is present in the atmosphere. This makes an invisible gas precisely measurable.
This measurement is crucial for control. Through the bicarbonate buffer system, the CO₂ level influences the pH value of the culture medium. The sensor therefore measures the atmosphere, while also indirectly helping to keep the cells’ chemical environment stable.
Particularly precise systems, such as our BINDER CO₂ incubators, also work with reference measurements. This helps compensate for effects such as ageing, optical changes or minor sources of interference.
The sensor measures gas. But its real task goes further: it helps keep the cells’ living conditions constant.