procedure for operation calibration and maintenance of incubators

1.0       Purpose:  

To lay down the procedure for operation, calibration and maintenance of incubators.

2.0       Scope:

 This procedure applies to incubators used in microbiology for incubation at requiredTemperatures respectively with the following details.

3.0       Responsibility:

3.1       The responsibility of proper operation, calibration and maintenance of incubators lies with the Microbiologist.

4.0       Definitions/Abbreviation:

            B.O.D: Biological Oxygen Demand

5.0       Procedure: 

5.1       Operating Procedure for Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) Incubators:

5.1.1    The B.O.D incubator are well-insulated double walled chamber and maintain the temperature as per the set point on the controller in the range of   5 °C to 60 °C.

5.1.2    Check the power supply.

5.1.3    Connect the drainpipe properly.

5.1.4    Ensure that the door is closed.

5.1.5    Check the porthole on the side of the chamber is properly fitted with rubber cork.

5.1.6Switch ON the mains on the control panel heater will be ON.

5.1.7Display on temperature controller.

5.1.8Inside chamber motor ON.

5.1.9Set required temperature on the controller by pressing ‘Up’ and ‘Down’ buttons.

5.1.10Set the safety thermostat at 5°C above the set temperature on the temperature controller of incubators.

5.1.11The safety controller will cut OFF the mains and the entire chamber in case of over shoot (or) under shoot of the temperature by 5°C to the set temperature.

5.1.12Switch ON the cooling switch on the control panel, refrigeration condenser and compressor motor shall be ON.

5.1.13In the BOD incubator timer provided of range 99 + 99 hours. One can set the time on the timer which will cut off the mains at the end of the set time and also give audio alarm.

5.1.14Record the temperature daily three times, morning, afternoon and evening of BOD incubators in their respective format xxxxx. Record the usage of Incubators in the format xxxxx.

5.2       Operating Procedure for Bacteriological Incubator:

5.2.1    The Bacteriological Incubator is a well-insulated double walled chamber and can maintain the temperature as per the set point on the controller.

5.2.2    Check the power supply.

5.2.3    Ensure that the door is closed.

5.2.4    Check the ventilator at the right hand side of the chamber is partly open.

5.2.5    Switch ON the ‘main’ switch on the right hand side of the incubator.

5.2.6    Digital display shows inside temperature and inside fan also runs.

5.2.7    Heater supply ON.

5.2.8Display on the printer interface unit ON.

5.2.9Set required temperature on the controller by pressing the ‘increment key’ and ‘decrement key’.

5.2.10Set the safety thermostat at above 5°C of the set temperature on the temperature controller.

5.2.11The safety controller will cut OFF the mains and the entire chamber, in case of over shoot (or) under shoot of the temperature by 5°C to the set temperature.

5.2.12Record the temperature whenever the bacteriological incubator is put for usage, for three times in a day morning, afternoon and evening in the format, xxxxx.

5.2.13Record the usage of Incubators in the format xxxxx.

5.3       Calibration of Incubators:

5.3.1Calibration of incubators shall be done by using calibrated data logger.

5.3.2Temperature mapping of incubators shall be carried out with 8 probes temperature recording  data logger. Probes arrange as per diagram shown in annexure-I.

5.3.3Operation of each incubator shall be same as above mentioned procedures respectively.

5.3.4BOD-001 and BOD-004 shall be calibrated at operational temperature i.e. 33°C and BOD-002 shall be calibrated at 22 °C.

5.3.5The Bacteriological incubator shall be calibrated at 58 °C and 43 °C.

5.3.6Acceptance criteria: ± 2 °C variation to the set temperature for all incubators.

5.3.7After getting the set temperature of each incubator switch ‘on’ the data logger and print the temperature data of each probe for every 15 minutes up to 8 hours.

5.3.8Record the temperature display of each incubator and temperature of data logger in their respective form with interval of 1 hour. Both readings of incubator display and data logger display temperature are compared with no variation more than ± 2 °C.

5.3.9Frequency:  Calibration of incubators shall be done once in a year with ± 15 days by external agency / with internal data logger.

5.4       Maintenance of Incubators  :

5.4.1    Incase of failure affix the status label “UNDER   BREAK DOWN MAINTENANCE” and call on service engineer on top priority.

6.0       Related Documents:  Nil.

Microbiology, incubators, calibration, temperatur