The newest and smallest member of the CB family of CO2 incubators from BINDER GmbH is specially designed for the extreme requirements demanded by in vitro fertilization and cell therapy. This model also benefits from BINDER’s advanced production technology know-how and the advantages offered by serial production. Among the special features is the deep-drawn one-piece inner chamber without any corners or sharp edges, which means that this latest addition to the BINDER family features the same technical innovations offered by the other models in this series. And it is the only incubator of this size with hot air sterilization at 180 °C.

In vitro fertilization (IVF) is often the only hope for couples to fulfill their greatest wish after many years of nerve-racking disappointments. The world's first successful "test-tube" baby was born on July 25, 1978, and the IVF method has now become a standard procedure. Currently, about one in 80 children in Germany are conceived outside the mother's womb by combining the ova and sperm in vitro and then implanting the fertilized egg in the uterus. This method is by no means uncontroversial, however. In Germany, the 'Embryonenschutzgesetz' (Embryo Protection Act) clearly defines the legal parameters. In contrast to the practice in other countries, where all fertilized egg cells are allowed to develop into embryos, Germany does not permit the creation of more than three embryos for the transfer. The selection must be made from among the fertilized egg cells, and the resulting embryos must be implanted. The following figures demonstrate that this clearly reduces the chances for success; although the IVF success rate exceeds 30% worldwide, it is only 26% in Germany. This makes it even more important to improve the technical conditions for success. And it is here that the quality of the incubator is a decisive factor. The incubator performs the function of the mother's womb, perfectly replicating the required conditions in terms of the CO2 atmosphere, temperature and humidity in order to create optimum growth conditions for the cells. At the same time, contamination must be totally avoided so to prevent damaging the highly sensitive cells.

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