Abstract: An incubator stand for holding a plurality of incubators in a stacked arrangement, the incubator stand comprising: a stand base; a shaft element upstanding from the stand base; and a plurality of incubator bases rotatably received on the shaft element, each incubator base forming a support for or forming part of an incubator. A stop element is also provided which prevents or limits angular displacement of each incubator base, so that each incubator base can be pivoted out from a stack of said incubator bases to in use access an incubator associated therewith without causing the stack to topple. An incubator docking system and incubator system for transferring incubators between different environmental conditions are also provided.

Abstract: An incubator stand for holding a plurality of incubators in a stacked arrangement, the incubator stand comprising: a stand base; a shaft element upstanding from the stand base; and a plurality of incubator bases rotatably received on the shaft element, each incubator base forming a support for or forming part of an incubator. A stop element is also provided which prevents or limits angular displacement of each incubator base, so that each incubator base can be pivoted out from a stack of said incubator bases to in use access an incubator associated therewith without causing the stack to topple. An incubator docking system and incubator system for transferring incubators between different environmental conditions are also provided.

Abstract: An incubator (10) comprising an incubator housing (14), at least one sealable incubation chamber (16) in the housing (14), means for controlling temperature, humidity and gas composition within the incubation chamber (16), a liquid container (26), and a window (24) for observing the gas flow rate and liquid level of said a liquid container (26), said container having at least one light transmissible side wall (38), at least one gas inlet conduit (28) having a gas outlet at or adjacent to the said at least one light transmissible side wall (38), a gas outlet conduit (32) having a gas inlet which is spaced above the gas outlet of the said at least one gas inlet conduit (28), and a light emitting device (34) for directing a beam of light to be incident with or adjacent to an interior surface (46) of the said at least one light transmissible side wall (38) so as to in use illuminate at least one gas bubble (44) discharged from the gas outlet.

Abstract: A method of uniformly or substantially uniformly heating at least one surface of a substrate, comprises the steps of supporting a substrate, generating a heated air flow, directing the heated air flow to heat a strip of a first surface of the substrate, and moving the flow path of the heated air in a direction transverse to the direction in which the heated air flow impinges on the substrate until the temperature of the whole or substantially the whole first surface of the substrate has been uniformly or substantially uniformly raised. Apparatus for performing this method is also disclosed.

Abstract: A method of uniformly or substantially uniformly heating at least one surface of a substrate, comprises the steps of supporting a substrate, generating a heated air flow, directing the heated air flow to heat a strip of a first surface of the substrate, and moving the flow path of the heated air in a direction transverse to the direction in which the heated air flow impinges on the substrate until the temperature of the whole or substantially the whole first surface of the substrate has been uniformly or substantially uniformly raised. Apparatus for performing this method is also disclosed.