HypoxyLab™ Hypoxia Chamber
Bench-Top Physiological Oxygen Incubator and Workstation
We understand oxygen
HypoxyLab™ - Physiological oxygen the scientific way
HypoxyLab uses oxygen partial pressure to define its environment so your cells see the oxygen they're supposed to
Typical response - 1 working day or less
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Why choose HypoxyLab
Authentic physoxia
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Mimicking in vivo oxygen
Faithfully recreates the oxygen environment encountered by living tissue
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Regulated by oxygen partial pressure
Guaranteeing true physoxia and hypoxia, and experimental reproducibly across all laboratories
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Compact, ergonomic, efficient
Fits on a standard lab bench, comfortable operation, industry-leading nitrogen consumption
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HEPA filtration built-in
Protecting your cells from contamination.
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Smart sample transfer hatch
No air lock required; transfer samples in seconds
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Intuitive touch-screen interface
Full functionality at your fingertips via a responsive touch-screen
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OxyLite™ integration supported
Verify directly what oxygen environment your cells are actually experiencing
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2-year manufacturer's warranty
Two years of manufacturer-backed confidence as standard, optional warranty extension available
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All-inclusive configuration
No costly add-ons required for operation
Testimonials
What our customers say
“Effective and affordable equipment that gets the work done”
“Hypoxylab is reliable and user friendly”
“Easy-to-use hypoxic chamber”
“Smoothly doing hypoxia experiments with HypoxyLab”
“Great addition to our lab.”
“Easy-to-use, compact hypoxia station with an outstanding customer care.”
“HypoxyLab is an inherent part of our experimental setup in daily routine.”
Gallery
Close-ups
Videos
The technology
Comparing HypoxyLab
How HypoxyLab compares
| Feature |
HypoxyLab™ Oxford Optronix |
Alternative A |
Alternative B |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oxygen control mode |
Partial pressure (mmHg), or % |
% only |
% only |
| Integrated HEPA filtration |
Standard |
Optional add-on |
Optional add-on |
| Active humidification |
Nebuliser, up to 85% at 37°C |
Nebuliser, up to 85% at 37°C |
Optional add-on |
| Sample transfer |
Smart easy-entry letterbox (standard) |
Interlock (standard), letterbox optional |
Interlock (standard), letterbox optional |
| Dissolved oxygen from cell cultures OxyLite™ required |
2 dedicated side-glands |
Not available |
Not available |
| Touchscreen |
Full colour, high contrast touchscreen |
Limited-colour touchscreen |
Monochrome touchscreen |
| Working volume |
130 L |
180 L |
180 L |
| Benchtop footprint |
0.40 m² |
0.53 m² |
0.57 m² |
| System weight / portability |
28 kg |
59 kg |
77 kg |
| 2-year factory warranty |
Standard |
Conditional upon annual servicing |
Conditional upon planned preventative maintenance contract |
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Optimized workflow
Smart sample transfer hatch
Is a letterbox transfer hatch a compromise? We think the opposite! A traditional airlock system not only adds to the physical footprint of the chamber but introduces workflow friction so that users will tend to default to moving items in and out of their chamber in batches. The letterbox is an altogether simpler and more convenient approach that eliminate such friction.
Since the chamber senses when the letterbox hatch is in use, it can proactively eliminate any internal oxygen disturbance. Even if a minor disturbance is observed it is worth noting that the chamber can correct for this well before any change is reflected in culture medium oxygenation.
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Right-sized
Compact, yet fully featured
For many labs, a 130 L hypoxia workstation is not a downsize but a smarter fit. A more compact working volume reaches stable conditions more rapidly, uses substantially less gas to maintain steady state conditions, and is more practical day-to-day. Teams get into experiments sooner and spend less time maintaining them.
In fact the HypoxyLab™ is so compact that a case can be made for the flexibility and throughput benefits of running TWO systems in parallel, each providing a separate oxygen environment. For many labs that flexibility is more valuable than the rare requirement for the additional internal volume a single large chamber offers.
Purpose-built platform
HypoxyLab™ is not a reduced-capacity alternative. It is a purpose-built platform for labs that want precise environmental control without the cost, gas consumption and footprint of a much larger system.
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Dissolved oxygen from within your culture
OxyLite™ integration
Some hypoxia chambers offer a secondary atmospheric monitor as a way to cross-check headspace conditions. HypoxyLab™ takes a different approach. A built-in sensor gland accepts our optional OxyLite™ fibre-optic sensors, offering direct dissolved oxygen measurements from within culture media or indeed the cell culture layer.
After all, what really matters is not chamber oxygenation but the oxygenation that cells are actually experiencing. That makes OxyLite™ more than a verification tool. It is a biologically meaningful measurement, one that can be tracked continuously throughout an experiment.
Measurement that matters
OxyLite™ tells you what the cells are experiencing. For most labs, that is the measurement that matters.
Procurement and ownership
From enquiry to installed system to user satisfaction
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01
Application Scoping
A brief conversation about your application, requirements and workflow lets us prepare a tailored quote.
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02
Procurement Support
We guide your team through specifications, lead times, shipping terms and any institutional documentation needed to move the purchase forward.
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03
Delivery & Installation
From receipt of order, your HypoxyLab™ is typically delivered within 3 weeks, including optional on-site installation and user training.
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04
The Support Journey
Oxford Optronix attaches the highest priority to providing expert and personalized support throughout the lifetime of its products.
Preventative maintenance
Preventative maintenance
While HypoxyLab™ is built to last, preventative maintenance is the key to reliability and assured accuracy
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2-year service interval
We recommend preventative maintenance of the HypoxyLab every 2 years. The work includes,
- Preventative replacement of HEPA filter, armport sleeves, seals and water hoses
- Sensor recalibration or preventative replacement
- General gas and water leak checks
- Full system performance checks
- Thorough clean and surface disinfection
- Update to latest firmware
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On-site servicing by qualified engineers
Preventative maintenance is performed on-site where possible, to minimise user inconvenience and downtime. The work is carried out by trained and qualified Oxford Optronix personnel or an approved and trained representative from our global network of partners and distributors.
Product Overview
An introduction to HypoxyLab™
Controlling the physiological cellular oxygen environment is essential for the analysis of cellular processes with respect to function and metabolism.
HypoxyLab™ is a fully-featured, ergonomically engineered and easy to use normoxia/hypoxia tissue culture incubator and workstation that provides a HEPA-filtered environment in which oxygen, carbon dioxide, temperature and humidity can be precisely controlled, and is suited to applications including but not limited to:
- Cancer, radiation and apoptosis cell biology
- Stem cell research
- Neurosciences research
- Human virology research
- Multidisciplinary drug development and proteomics
The rationale
Cells react in different ways both metabolically and morphologically depending on the environmental factors maintaining and interacting with them. In tissue culture, faithfully reproducing the in vivo cellular oxygen environment is vital for meaningful analysis of both cell metabolism and cell function.
Cells in vivo experience oxygen concentrations in the range of 5 – 80 mmHg (approx. 0.5 – 10% oxygen), depending on the tissue type. Yet in vitro cell biology is typically performed in incubators in which cells are exposed to atmospheric levels of oxygen (21%), a 'hyperoxic' state for most cell types. In other words, the oxygen concentration typically encountered by cells in traditional incubators is 2 - 20 times that experienced in living tissues, with potentially profound implications on cell metabolism.
The HypoxyLab™ reproduces physiological conditions in cell-based research by delivering a contamination-free tissue culture environment that offers precise control of oxygen, CO₂, temperature, and humidity. And it does so in a remarkably compact and ergonomic form-factor that offers unmatched ease-of-use and economical gas consumption.
Importantly, it is the partial pressure of oxygen, not the proportion (percentage) of oxygen in the environment that cells in culture actually 'see'. HypoxyLab adopts this physical fact and controls the chamber environment using the partial pressure of oxygen (pO₂) expressed in units of mmHg or kPa.
Since the partial pressure of oxygen varies not only with oxygen concentration but also with altitude and atmospheric pressure, this approach substantially enhances HypoxyLab's accuracy relative to hypoxia chambers and workstations that rely on % oxygen concentration control. We believe it is insufficient to express hypoxia in terms of a barometrically uncompensated percent oxygen concentration alone.
Our approach addresses a secondary shortcoming affecting traditional hypoxic/physoxic workstations in use today: reproducibility.
By intrinsically correcting for both altitude and atmospheric pressure, data generated by HypoxyLab users around the globe, wherever they are situated, can always be directly compared.
Where HypoxyLab™ fits
At one end of the spectrum, simple hypoxia enclosures maintain defined oxygen conditions but do not support cell manipulation. At the other, large workstations with sleeved armports provide the strictest possible handling control, which can be the right answer for the most demanding, high volume, continuous-culture protocols where samples must remain under maintained conditions for weeks at a time.
HypoxyLab™ sits deliberately in between. It supports both short and long-term studies, gives precise environmental control during routine experiments, and offers the ergonomics, footprint and cost profile that suits the majority of laboratory workflows.
HypoxyLab™ is the right answer for the vast majority of hypoxia work.
Built to work with cells, not just incubate them
HypoxyLab™ is designed not just to maintain conditions, but to let your team access and manipulate cultures and samples inside a precisely controlled environment. Partial pressure control, integrated HEPA filtration and active humidification deliver the stability and reproducibility that simple hypoxia enclosures cannot.
Key Features
True physiological oxygen (Physoxia)
HypoxyLab is the only hypoxia workstation that directly regulates its environment using the partial pressure of oxygen, expressed in absolute units of mmHg or kPa, making it insensitive to meteorological conditions or the altitude of the laboratory. This scientifically rigorous approach provides scientists the confidence to replicate physiological oxygen in vitro, at the highest levels of accuracy and reproducibility.
Related article: "The importance of oxygen partial pressure in cell culture"Lightweight cover & ergonomic design
HypoxyLab's lightweight and durable cover can be easily removed. This not only allows for easy loading of media and consumables but makes routine cleaning and disinfecting of the workstation a practical reality. Its ergonomic design ensures natural, relaxed operation, with an angled vision panel combined with adjustable LED illumination that provides excellent visibility.
Hypoxia chamber with proprietary gas control technology
HypoxyLab uses purpose-designed gas control hardware and an advanced Model Predictive Control (MPC) gas control algorithm, developed in-house, to create and maintain a fully humidified, highly stable oxygen-controlled environment for tissue culture. It responds rapidly to single or multiple setpoint changes, with minimal or zero overshoot characteristics, all while consuming surprisingly little nitrogen gas.
Dissolved oxygen direct from media & cultures*
Dissolved oxygen can optionally be sampled directly and continuously from cell cultures (including from the cell monolayer itself) and/or from media being conditioned within the HypoxyLab, via a miniature optical sensor that can be fed into the chamber through a dedicated, sealable side-gland. Oxygen readings (in mmHg) can be read from the OxyLite™ monitor or can be displayed and recorded by the HypoxyLab itself.
*OxyLite™ monitor required.
Easy-entry hatch system
No airlock required! Pass samples directly through the letterbox without upsetting the internal environment.
HypoxyLab's 'letterbox' hatch entry system offers quick and simple transfer of cell plates and accessories into or out of the chamber without the need for an airlock or isolation hatch. HypoxyLab senses when items are passed through the hatch, temporarily generating a slight over-pressure to minimise ingress of external atmosphere. This immediate response ensures that oxygen within the chamber remains stable..
Dedicated article: "The HypoxyLab easy-entry system"Contamination control
A built-in UV source within the water reservoir and a user-replaceable HEPA filter that continuously scrubs the chamber atmosphere ensure that cultures and media are protected from contamination.
Touchscreen information display
Chamber parameters comprising oxygen, CO₂, humidity and temperature and a host of other functionality are set and controlled from the integrated full-colour touchscreen, which simultaneously displays the current conditions in both digital and trace formats.
Cable thru-ports built in
In support of powered devices such as digital microscopes, shakers, micro-centrifuges deployed within the HypoxyLab the HypoxyLab features two thru-ports for the transfer of power and data cables, or indeed tubing up to 7 mm in diameter through the chamber wall without compromising the internal environment.
Waste / vacuum thru-port built in
A 6 mm stainless steel pass-thru waste port is also built into the chamber wall as standard, intended for the aspiration of media, supernatants etc. from within the chamber via an externally connected vacuum pump.
Data logging
Internal oxygen, CO₂, temperature and humidity parameters are continuously recorded onto internal flash memory and can be exported to USB media. Data files can subsequently be analysed and played back using the free LabChart® Reader by ADInstruments.
Cost of ownership advantage
HypoxyLab's compact dimensions and advanced gas control algorithms ensure rapid and ultra-smooth transitions to setpoints, with industry-leading gas consumption performance. Together with a user changeable HEPA filter, and a 2-yearly recommended service interval, the long term costs of ownership are minimized.
2-year product warranty
HypoxyLab™ is supplied with a generous manufacturer's warranty of 2 years, no service contract 'strings' attached. It's 2 years from delivery, no questions asked.
Unmatched technical support
Technical and application support is both comprehensive and free throughout the lifetime of our products. It is provided by highly experienced support staff who pride themselves in providing personal and responsive assistance via on-site visits, video calls, or email and who will 'go the extra mile' to ensure that users can extract the very best value and opportunity from our products.
Publications
Recent citations of note
CD-44 targeted nanoparticles for combination therapy in an in vitro model of triple-negative breast cancer: Targeting the tumour inside out (2025). Gómez-Pastor S, Maugard A, et al., and Ruiz A.
Colloids Surf B Biointerfaces
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39817967/Zygotic activin A is dispensable for the mouse preimplantation embryo development and for the derivation and pluripotency of embryonic stem cells (2025). Winek E, Wolińska-Nizioł L, et al., and Suwińska A.
Biol Reprod
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39504567/Eplerenone, a mineralocorticoid receptor inhibitor, reduces cirrhosis associated changes of hepatocyte glucose and lipid metabolism (2024). Mohib MM, Rabe S, et al., and Schreier B.
Cell Commun Signal
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39707386/Effect of hypoxia on Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane conductance Regulator channel corrected by Elexacaftor/Tezacaftor/Ivacaftor (2024). Pascarel K, Colas J, et al., and Vandebrouck C.
Medical Research Archives
esmed.org/MRA/mra/article/view/4909Arasimowicz-Jelonek, M, Floryszak-Wieczorek, J, Suarez, S et al., and Żywicki M (2023). Discovery of endogenous nitroxyl as a new redox player in Arabidopsis thaliana.
Nat Plant
doi.org/10.1038/s41477-022-01301-zBlog Articles
Selection only — click here for a list of all blog articles.
The Case for Physiological Oxygen in Organoid Research
Embracing physioxia in organoid culture: enhancing viability, development, reproducibility, and…
Simulating In Vivo Oxygen Conditions: A Guide for Cell Culture Protocols
Replicating in vivo oxygen conditions during cell culture enhances the relevance and accuracy of…
Low Oxygen, High Potential: The Role of Hypoxia in Stem Cell Biology
Hypoxia enhances stem cell survival, proliferation, and differentiation, mimicking in vivo…
The Benefits of Oxygen Control in Immunotherapy Studies
Oxygen control enhances T-cell function, mimics tumour microenvironments, and improves research…
Key Considerations for Scientists Venturing into Hypoxia and Physoxia Research
Precise oxygen control, equipment calibration, and mimicking physiological conditions for accurate,…
Frequently Asked Questions
HypoxyLab is a cell culture incubator and hands-on workstation that accurately mimics and maintains true physiological oxygen conditions, as well as maintaining temperature, humidity and CO₂ conditions like any standard cell culture incubator.
The HypoxyLab is sufficiently compact to fit on an ordinary laboratory bench, does not require the use of a dedicated transfer hatch, and comes fitted from the factory with built-in HEPA filtration, active humidification control, and an oxygen profiling feature. Additionally, the HypoxyLab regulates its oxygen environment using the partial pressure of oxygen (in mmHg) for the ultimate in scientifically rigorous oxygen control precision.
Using the partial pressure of oxygen to control the oxygen environment within HypoxyLab is simply the more scientifically rigorous thing to do! Since atmospheric (barometric) pressure changes with weather patterns, as well as with laboratory altitude, so does the oxygen concentration if it is merely maintained as a percentage thereof. Instead, HypoxyLab uses the partial pressure of oxygen to compensate for barometric pressure, ensuring that cells cultured within it 'experience' a consistent oxygen concentration whatever the weather and laboratory location. It ensures that data generated in HypoxyLab can be compared with and/or accurately reproduced by any other HypoxyLab user around the world.
Cell culture plates, medium, pipettors and other objects can be moved in and out of the HypoxyLab via the simple to operate easy-entry hatch at the front, or can be placed in the chamber prior to the start of the experiment by simply lifting off the whole enclosure cover.
Opening of the hatch is accompanied by a transient internal overpressure generated by injecting nitrogen. This completely prevents ingress of external air in most scenarios. Only under extreme hypoxia, or where the hatch is opened for an unusually long time, will a small oxygen transient be observable. If so, this is eliminated within 2–3 minutes, ensuring no adverse effects on cell cultures.
There is no requirement per se for the operator to wear gloves, however, as with all cell culture work, wearing gloves represents good laboratory practice.
The enclosure cover is fully removable, exposing all internal surfaces for easy access. Hydrogen-peroxide-based surface cleaners are well suited to the HypoxyLab™ and effective against a broad range of laboratory contaminants. Diluted ethanol (typically around 70%) can also be used for routine surface cleaning, though prolonged or repeated contact with the acrylic and polycarbonate surfaces should be avoided as it can dull the finish over time. As always, please consult the product data sheet for any cleaner you intend to use, along with your own institutional guidelines.
Yes. For users who want hands-free, whole-chamber decontamination beyond routine surface cleaning, the optional MycoFog™ system delivers a controlled antimicrobial mist throughout the HypoxyLab™ and is designed specifically for compatibility with it.
HypoxyLab requires a source of 3 gases, namely 100% nitrogen, 100% CO₂, and synthetic air (typically 20% oxygen, balanced in nitrogen). If the oxygen profiling feature or rapid increases in internal oxygen are not a requirement, the HypoxyLab can optionally operate on just CO₂ and nitrogen alone. All gases should be laboratory grade (99.98% / 'N3.8' or better) and must be supplied at an inlet pressure of between 1 – 5 bar (15 – 70 PSI).
No. While the HypoxyLab features a built-in HEPA filter that continuously 'scrubs' the internal atmosphere, the system does vent externally. The HypoxyLab is NOT therefore a substitute for a fume cupboard or a biological safety cabinet.
The built-in HEPA filtration scrubs the internal atmosphere within seconds of startup and achieves an environment equivalent to ISO 14644-1 Class 2 within a few minutes of power-up. Contamination control is built into the system by design rather than left to procedure alone, helping to protect cultures and media from the moment the chamber is in use.
Yes. The HypoxyLab features a built-in gland that supports the introduction through the enclosure of our optional OxyLite™ fibre-optic dissolved oxygen sensors. These provide a continuous reading of dissolved oxygen in units of mmHg, directly from media or cell cultures within the chamber. For teams who want secondary verification of conditions, this is a more biologically meaningful measurement than a chamber-headspace cross-check, since it reflects what the cells themselves are experiencing.
The system can be operated standing up or from a seated position. A height-adjustable stool is recommended for seated operation.
Nitrogen consumption is extremely dependent on the conditions being maintained and the usage 'profile' being employed. Typically, a standard (50L) laboratory gas cylinder of compressed nitrogen can be expected to support 2–6 weeks of continuous use.
Yes. Trace data are automatically and continuously stored to internal memory and can be copied to USB media at any time. Data are written in a format compatible with LabChart Reader software, a free viewer from ADInstruments.
Accessories included
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Enclosure-to-base main seal
Product code HL061
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Shelf units for HypoxyLab (1 pair)
Product code HL217
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Latex wrist seals (1 pair)
Product code HL102
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Armport sleeves (1 pair)
Product code HL100
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Wrist seal plugs (1 pair)
Product code HL079
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Stainless steel elevated floor for HypoxyLab
Product code HL216
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Purpose designed, stretchy thermal jacket for HypoxyLab
Product code HL168
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3.5 m inlet gas hoses (3 provided)
Product code HL103
Specifications
General
- Gas control
- 3 channel gas mixer; Model Predictive Control (MPC) algorithm control
- Inlet gases required
- Essential - nitrogen, carbon dioxide; Optional - synthetic air
- Inlet gas pressure range
- 1 - 4 bar / 15 - 60 PSI
- Gas purity grade
- 99.98% / N3.8 or better, recommended
- Contamination control
- Integrated HEPA filtration
- Chamber working volume
- approx. 130L
- Chamber working area (floor)
- approx. 500 mm (W) × 390 mm (D)
- Chamber storage capacity
- Up to 40 multi-well plates or 10 cm Petri dishes (assumes 2 shelf units; excludes storage on chamber floor)
- Maximum gas flow rate
- 15L/minute/gas
- Enclosure cover (removable)
- Polyethylene terephthalate G (PET-G)
- Transfer hatch
- 'Easy-Entry' letterbox with internal flap (usable dimensions 204 mm (W) × 88 mm (H))
- OxyLite™ thru-gland
- 1 × integrated thru-gland for OxyLite™ oxygen sensors
- Waste port
- 1 × integrated stainless steel 6 mm waste port pass-thru (for vacuum line)
- Display
- High contrast 800 × 480 pixel LCD touchscreen
- External USB ports
- 1 × Type-A (data recording and firmware updates), 1 × Type-C (internal USB Type-C thru port)
- Power
- 110 – 240V AC 50/60 Hz, 500W max
- External dimensions
- Width 590 mm, Depth 690 mm, Height 800 mm
- Weight
- 28 Kg / 62 lbs
- Operating temp range (external)
- 15 – 30 °C
Oxygen Control
- Control method
- Model Predictive Control (MPC), optical oxygen sensor
- Control range
- 1 – 175 mmHg (0.1 – 23%); user programmable via touchscreen
- Sensor calibration
- Semi-automated user calibration, recommended every 6-months
- Accuracy
- ± 0.5 mmHg (<20 mmHg); ± 1 mmHg (<40 mmHg); ± 2 mmHg (<80 mmHg); ± 3 mmHg (<130 mmHg); ± 5 mmHg (<175 mmHg)
- Resolution
- 1 mmHg
CO₂ Control
- Control method
- Model Predictive Control (MPC), IR CO₂ sensor
- Control range
- 0 – 18.0%; user programmable via touchscreen
- Calibration
- Semi-automated user calibration, recommended monthly
- Accuracy
- ± 0.25% (<10%); ± 0.5% (<18%)
- Resolution
- 0.10%
Temperature Control
- Control method
- PI control algorithm, band-gap temperature sensor
- Control range
- Ambient +5 °C (min 20 °C) – 42 °C; user programmable via touchscreen
- Calibration
- Pre-calibrated, no user calibration required
- Accuracy
- ± 0.5 °C
- Resolution
- 0.1 °C
- Gradient across chamber
- ± 0.5 °C
Humidity Control
- Control method
- Modified PI control algorithm, capacitive RH sensor
- Calibration
- Pre-calibrated, no user calibration required
- Control range
- Ambient – 85% RH; user programmable via touchscreen
- Accuracy
- ± 2.5% RH
- Resolution
- 1% RH
*Specifications subject to change without notice
Ask us anything
Enquire now
Our team of experienced scientists and support specialists will respond personally to your enquiry — whether you need pricing, technical guidance, or application support.
- All-inclusive pricing
- 2-year manufacturer's warranty
- Free support for the lifetime of our products
- On-site/video/email assistance
- Extended warranty packages available