Development of a Multiple Temperature Sensors Device for the Characterization, Control and Monitoring of Microbiological Incubators

Abstract

An increasing number of projects require the precise knowledge and control of thermal conditions within the study system and their temporal evolution. This is particularly critical for equipment such as laboratory ovens and microbiological incubators, which are essential in various fields of chemistry and microbiology areas. These devices allow and facilitate the execution of experimental work in controlled environments, leading to reproducible experiments. This work presents a methodology for assembling and calibrating a highly accessible and low-cost data logger equipped with multiple temperature sensors. The final calibrated dispositive is straightforward to construct and allows the simultaneous and independent temperature measurement from multiple positions within the same system, which is then applied to the study, characterization, control, and monitoring of the internal thermal behavior of a laboratory oven dedicated to microbiological agents’ cultivation. This approach ensures, through a robust methodology, a precise characterization by quantitative methods that allows objective decision making in the management and control of the temperature inside the system. Additionally, the device is suitable for extension and application in diverse research environments by modifying the sensor calibration to achieve a desired temperature range or number of measurement units, representing a potential work tool for laboratory systems.