The primary use of an orbital shaker is to promote cell cultivation through improved cell-culture aeration. Shaking speed and orbit are the two main factors that impact the process and the outcome.
What an Orbital ShakingDevice?
An orbital shaker does just as the name implies. Like gravity causing the earth to orbit about the sun, the shaker moves a platform, usually containing cultures or samples in flasks, around a central axis. The speed and the orbit distance from the central axis depend on the device’s design or settings.
Common orbit diameters can range from 10mm to 50mm. Typically, the larger the orbit, the slower the rpm to prevent damage or destabilization. A typical speed range can run from about 50rpm to 800rpm.
What Does the Shaker Accomplish?
Orbital shakers essentially aerate cell cultures while working with most vessel types, including Petri dishes, Erlenmeyer beakers and flasks, centrifuge tubes, and adopting several platform types, from non-slip platforms to universal platforms with springs or bars.
Orbital shakers facilitate the aeration process by producing a culture film layer on the vessel wall through centrifugal force. The film permits oxygen fusion while the shaker replenishes the film with each rotation, maximizing aeration and process times.
Not all applications are the same. But depending on the process demands, features to look for include:
- A compact design
- Stable and low-vibration action
- Analog speed control
- Incubator and cold-room compatibility
- Over speed detection
- Multi-platform compatibility
- Long-range timer
- Multi voltage
- Low-maintenance brushless DC motor
- Independent LCD speed and time displays
NE LabSystems offers a comprehensive range of laboratory equipment designed for medical and scientific applications and produced by leading manufacturers. Products include circulators, centrifuges, incubators and incubator shakers, water baths, mixers and shakers. Contact the NELS team at (877) 733-6838 or online at https://nelabsystems.com to find out more.
