Thermo Scientific Heracell 150i Copper CO₂ Incubator

Thermo Scientific Heracell 150i Copper CO₂ Incubator – Refurbished

The Thermo Scientific Heracell 150i Copper CO₂ Incubator is a high-performance, direct-heat laboratory incubator designed for mammalian cell culture, stem cell research, regenerative medicine, biotechnology, pharmaceutical development, and other applications requiring precise temperature and CO₂ control with enhanced contamination protection. Featuring a 150 L (5.3 cu. ft.) solid copper chamber, integrated heated humidity reservoir, gentle fan-assisted air circulation, and Thermo Scientific's ContraCon moist-heat decontamination system, the Heracell 150i provides a controlled environment for sensitive biological cultures.

Available used and refurbished from American Instrument Exchange, this copper-chamber Heracell 150i offers laboratories a cost-effective alternative to purchasing a new CO₂ incubator. Its combination of antimicrobial copper surfaces, stable environmental control, and automated chamber decontamination makes it particularly attractive for laboratories working with valuable or contamination-sensitive cell cultures.

Key Features

• 150 L (5.3 cu. ft.) chamber capacity

• Solid copper interior with naturally antimicrobial surfaces

• Direct-heat, air-jacketed temperature control

• Temperature range from ambient +3°C to 55°C

• Temperature stability of approximately ±0.1°C

• Temperature uniformity of approximately ±0.5°C

• CO₂ concentration range from 0% to 20%

• Thermal conductivity (TC) CO₂ sensor

• Integrated heated water reservoir for humidification

• Approximately 95% relative humidity under specified conditions

• Gentle fan-assisted chamber circulation

• ContraCon 90°C moist-heat decontamination cycle

• iCAN touchscreen controller with performance monitoring

• Heated glass inner door

• RS-232 communication interface

• Three standard shelves, expandable to ten

• Refurbished and tested by American Instrument Exchange

• 90-day warranty included

Thermo Scientific Heracell 150i Copper Overview

The Heracell 150i Copper is part of Thermo Scientific's premium CO₂ incubator family, developed to provide stable cell culture conditions while reducing contamination risks associated with routine laboratory operation.

Its defining feature is the solid copper interior chamber. Unlike conventional stainless steel CO₂ incubators, the Heracell 150i Copper uses copper surfaces that possess natural antimicrobial properties. Copper can inhibit the survival of many microorganisms on exposed surfaces, providing an additional layer of protection against contamination.

The chamber is designed with rounded interior corners and accessible surfaces to simplify routine cleaning. Copper construction is particularly useful in laboratories maintaining sensitive or valuable cultures where contamination can result in substantial experimental losses.

The 150 L chamber provides sufficient capacity for routine cell culture workloads without requiring the floor space of a large reach-in incubator. Three shelves are supplied as standard, with additional shelf positions available for laboratories handling large numbers of smaller culture vessels.

The incubator's direct-heat air-jacket system provides consistent temperature control, while a gentle internal fan distributes conditioned air throughout the chamber.

An integrated heated water reservoir maintains the high-humidity environment required for mammalian cell culture and supports rapid humidity recovery following door openings.

Common Applications

The Thermo Heracell 150i Copper is particularly well suited for mammalian cell culture, stem cell research, regenerative medicine, tissue engineering, pharmaceutical research, biotechnology, vaccine development, antibody production, and other applications requiring a controlled CO₂ atmosphere.

The copper chamber and ContraCon decontamination system are especially attractive for laboratories working with sensitive cell lines, primary cells, or cultures that are difficult or expensive to replace.

In routine mammalian cell culture, the incubator maintains controlled temperature, CO₂ concentration, and elevated humidity to support cell growth and minimize evaporation from culture media.

The 150 L chamber accommodates conventional cell culture flasks, multiwell plates, dishes, and bottles, making the unit suitable for both routine research and specialized culture applications.

Laboratories using the Heracell 150i may also require biosafety cabinets for aseptic cell handling and laboratory centrifuges for cell harvesting and sample preparation. Laboratory refrigerators provide storage for media and reagents, while ultra-low temperature freezers support long-term preservation of cell banks and biological samples.

Cell Types & Culture Applications

The Heracell 150i Copper is suitable for a broad range of CO₂-dependent cell culture applications, particularly those where contamination prevention and environmental consistency are important.

Typical applications include:

• Mammalian cell lines, including CHO and HEK293 cells

• Primary cell cultures

• Stem cells and progenitor cells

• Hybridoma cultures

• Fibroblast cultures

• Epithelial and endothelial cell cultures

• Tissue engineering and regenerative medicine

• Pharmaceutical and biotechnology research

• Vaccine and antibody development

• Long-term cell culture experiments

The chamber accommodates standard T-flasks, multiwell plates, culture dishes, bottles, and other vessels used in mammalian cell culture.

For cultures maintained over extended periods, the high-humidity environment helps reduce evaporation from media and supports consistent experimental conditions.

Although the copper chamber provides antimicrobial surface properties, proper aseptic technique and routine cleaning remain essential. Copper surfaces do not eliminate contamination risks introduced through handling, culture media, or equipment.

Temperature, CO₂ & Humidity Performance

The Thermo Scientific Heracell 150i Copper combines direct heating, gentle air circulation, thermal conductivity CO₂ sensing, and an integrated humidification system to maintain stable conditions throughout the chamber.

The operating temperature range extends from approximately 3°C above ambient to 55°C, accommodating conventional mammalian cell culture at 37°C as well as other temperature-controlled biological applications.

Published temperature stability is approximately ±0.1°C, while spatial uniformity is approximately ±0.5°C under specified conditions.

The air-jacket heating system distributes heat around the chamber, while a low-velocity internal fan helps maintain consistent conditions across different shelf positions.

CO₂ concentration is adjustable from 0% to 20%. This particular Heracell 150i uses a thermal conductivity CO₂ sensor, which determines CO₂ concentration based on changes in the thermal conductivity of the chamber atmosphere.

Because thermal conductivity sensing is influenced by temperature and humidity, stable chamber conditions and proper calibration are important for accurate CO₂ measurement.

The integrated heated water reservoir provides approximately 95% relative humidity under specified conditions. Unlike a conventional removable water pan, the heated reservoir is incorporated into the incubator's humidification design.

This system supports rapid humidity recovery after door openings and helps limit evaporation from culture media during extended incubation.

The heated glass inner door also helps reduce condensation while allowing users to observe cultures without opening the inner chamber.

Copper Chamber & Contamination Control

One of the most important advantages of this Heracell 150i configuration is its solid copper interior.

Copper has naturally antimicrobial properties and can reduce microbial survival on exposed chamber surfaces. This provides an additional contamination-control measure beyond the cleaning and disinfection practices used with conventional stainless steel incubators.

The copper chamber is particularly attractive for laboratories maintaining stem cells, primary cells, or other valuable cultures where contamination can compromise weeks of research.

The Heracell 150i also incorporates Thermo Scientific's ContraCon moist-heat decontamination system.

ContraCon uses a controlled high-humidity, 90°C decontamination routine designed to reduce microorganisms throughout the chamber. Manufacturer testing identifies effectiveness against a range of bacteria, fungi, spores, and mycoplasma under validated conditions.

The system provides an alternative to relying exclusively on manual chemical disinfection and helps laboratories establish a repeatable chamber decontamination procedure.

The copper interior and ContraCon system complement one another. Copper surfaces provide passive antimicrobial properties during routine operation, while ContraCon supplies a dedicated decontamination process between culture campaigns or when chamber cleaning is required.

Routine cleaning, proper handling, and appropriate maintenance of the water reservoir remain necessary.

iCAN Touchscreen Control & Monitoring

The Heracell 150i uses Thermo Scientific's iCAN touchscreen controller, which provides centralized monitoring of incubation conditions and access to operating parameters.

The controller displays temperature and CO₂ information and supports performance trend visualization, operating logs, and alarm information.

This interface makes it easier to review chamber conditions and identify changes that could affect sensitive cultures.

The incubator also incorporates temperature monitoring and overtemperature protection to provide additional safeguards during extended operation.

An RS-232 communication interface supports connection to compatible external monitoring and data acquisition equipment.

For laboratories maintaining valuable cell cultures, these monitoring capabilities provide greater visibility into incubator performance than conventional controllers with only basic temperature and CO₂ displays.

Thermo Scientific Heracell 150i Copper Specifications

Specifications are based on Thermo Scientific documentation for the Heracell 150i platform and AIE's listing for this copper-chamber unit. Installed shelves, electrical configuration, accessories, and other details should be confirmed for the individual refurbished incubator.

Thermo Scientific Heracell 150i Copper Frequently Asked Questions

What is the advantage of a copper chamber in a CO₂ incubator?

Copper possesses natural antimicrobial properties that can inhibit the survival of many microorganisms on exposed surfaces. The Heracell 150i Copper uses a solid copper interior to provide an additional contamination-control measure during routine cell culture operation. This does not replace proper cleaning or aseptic technique.

Is the Heracell 150i Copper suitable for stem cell culture?

Yes. The incubator provides the controlled temperature, CO₂ concentration, and elevated humidity required for many stem cell culture protocols. Its copper chamber and ContraCon decontamination system can be especially useful in laboratories working with contamination-sensitive or valuable cultures.

What is the difference between the Heracell 150i Copper and the stainless steel version?

Both versions share the same general incubation platform and environmental-control capabilities. The primary difference is the chamber material. The copper version provides naturally antimicrobial interior surfaces, while the stainless steel version uses a conventional corrosion-resistant chamber.

Does the Heracell 150i Copper have a decontamination cycle?

Yes. The Heracell 150i incorporates Thermo Scientific's ContraCon moist-heat decontamination system. The cycle uses elevated temperature and humidity, including a 90°C decontamination phase, to reduce microorganisms within the chamber.

What type of CO₂ sensor does this Heracell 150i use?

This particular unit uses a thermal conductivity CO₂ sensor with a 0–20% control range. Other Heracell configurations may use infrared sensing, so the sensor type should be confirmed when comparing individual incubators.

How does the integrated humidity reservoir work?

The Heracell 150i incorporates a heated water reservoir that produces a high-humidity chamber environment. The system supports rapid humidity recovery following door openings and helps reduce evaporation from cell culture media.

Does the Heracell 150i actively control relative humidity?

The incubator maintains elevated humidity through its integrated heated reservoir, but it is not an independently programmable relative-humidity chamber. Humidity depends on reservoir operation, chamber conditions, and proper maintenance.

What is the capacity of the Thermo Heracell 150i?

The Heracell 150i provides approximately 150 L, or 5.3 cu. ft., of chamber capacity. Three shelves are supplied as standard, and the platform can accommodate up to ten shelves depending on configuration.

Is this Thermo Heracell 150i Copper refurbished?

This Thermo Scientific Heracell 150i Copper is offered used and refurbished by American Instrument Exchange. AIE technicians inspect, clean, and test incubators to verify temperature performance, CO₂ control, humidification, alarms, and other installed functions. Components are repaired or replaced as necessary, and refurbished equipment includes a 90-day warranty.