Multi-compartment microtiter plate

Abstract

Microtiter plate (100), comprising a first component (1) with at least a first row (16, 17) of wells (2) for receiving a sample and a second component (20, 30) with a further row of wells (21, 31), wherein at least the first component (1) is formed in one piece and is connected to the second component (20, 30) by a fixing, forming a connection for the transport of substances between a respective well (2, 21, 31) of the first and the second component (1, 20, 30), and wherein the microtiter plate (100) is formed as a multi-part microtiter plate (100).

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a multi-part microtiter plate and its assembly.

[0002] Microtiter plates, also colloquially called "well plates," are typically constructed as a single piece. It is possible to selectively design a membrane for mass transfer between the wells.

[0003] EP 3 415 607 A1 discloses a microtiter plate as a one-piece monolithic module, in which slots for exchanging membranes are arranged. This represents a further development in that the membrane can be selectively selected for the sample in the wells. However, the plug-in version is particularly challenging for sealing the membrane edges. Furthermore, the slots must be milled into the module beforehand. The slots in the module, e.g., for material transport within a row or material transport to an adjacent well, are thus fixed and cannot be changed.

[0004] US 2020188913 A1 is also based on the common principle of a microtiter plate as a one-piece component. Another disadvantage is that the arrangement of the wells shown does not correspond to a commercially available design.

[0005] The publication "Construction and Modeling of a Coculture Microplate for Real-Time Measurement of Microbial Interactions," by Charles Jo et al., ASM Journals; mSystems Vol. 8 No. 2, doi: https: / / doi.orq / 10.1128 / msystems.00017-21, describes a multi-part microtiter plate with wells suitable for holding a sample without the sample escaping from the bottom of the well due to sealing problems. To ensure this, however, the module must first be screwed to a sealing layer and a base plate. A one-part module with a well for holding a sample is therefore not shown in this variant. This very current design solution from 2023 enables free and sample-specific positioning of the membrane and, at the same time, greater design freedom in the assembly of the microtiter plate.However, the concept requires extensive work steps to achieve sealing of the entire structure, so that the concept only has advantages on a laboratory scale, but is unsuitable for application-specific mass production due to the many assembly steps.

[0006] Based on the above-mentioned problem, it is the object of the present invention to provide a microtiter plate which satisfactorily solves the above-mentioned problems and has a structure with few components, so that it can be manufactured in particular as a variant suitable for mass production.

[0007] The present invention solves the above-mentioned problem by a microtiter plate having the features of claim 1.

[0008] A multi-part microtiter plate according to the invention comprises a first component with at least one first row of wells, preferably at least two rows of wells. The wells can be filled with different samples, as is usual with microtiter plates. The samples usually vary in terms of their composition. The wells of the first row preferably have no connection for substance transport with the wells of the second row. However, the wells of at least one row of wells, preferably the wells of both rows of wells, each have at least one edge-side opening, preferably a single edge-side opening, to form a connection for substance transport.

[0009] Furthermore, the microtiter plate according to the invention comprises a second module, which is provided with at least one further row of wells, in particular with the same number of wells spaced at the same distance from one another as the first module. One or more further rows of wells can also be provided in the module.

[0010] The recesses in the row of the second building block can be identical to the recesses in the adjacent row of the first building block. However, it is also possible for the recesses to have not just one, but two or more edge openings to form a connection for mass transport.

[0011] According to the invention, at least the first building block is formed in one piece. The one-piece design can, but does not have to, include connecting means for establishing a fixation with the adjacent second building block. For example, clamping or locking means can be formed as part of the one-piece building block. However, mechanical connecting means, e.g. made of a different material than the first building block, can also be provided for connecting several building blocks. These can, for example, be one or more connecting screws which are not part of the one-piece building block. The one-piece design can in particular also be achieved by a material-to-material connection of several building block segments. However, it is particularly preferred if the one-piece design of the building block is achieved by a monolithic design of the building block. For example, the building block can be manufactured as a monolithic block, e.g. by injection molding.

[0012] Preferably, the second module can also be formed in one piece.

[0013] The first building block is connected to the second building block by a fixation, forming a connection for substance transport, preferably a channel with a membrane therein, between a respective depression of the first and the second building block.

[0014] The one-piece design of the first and, preferably, also the second component enables particularly quick and easy assembly of the multi-component microtiter plate. Sealing planes are only required in the area of ​​the respective connection for the substance transport.

[0015] This significantly reduces the risk of leakage compared to other multi-part microtiter plate variants and significantly simplifies the steps for assembling and, if necessary, disassembling such a microtiter plate, e.g., for cleaning purposes. Overall, the microtiter plate described above can therefore be mass-produced with just a few steps.

[0016] Further advantageous embodiments of the invention are the subject of the subclaims.

[0017] It is advantageous if the fixation is designed as a detachable fixation, so that the components are fixed in place so that they can be removed. This allows the microtiter plate components to be cleaned particularly efficiently after use and reused.

[0018] Alternatively, the fixation can be designed as a permanent fixation, preferably as a material-to-material connection, particularly preferably as an adhesive fixation. This variant is particularly preferred for single-use applications, since material-to-material connections with a higher degree of impermeability against medium leakage from the samples within the wells, and in particular also the connection for mass transport between the wells, can be realized.

[0019] The fixation can be achieved by two or more clamping, plug-in, or locking elements arranged integrally on the building blocks. Such plug-in elements can be designed as a projection and a corresponding recess.

[0020] The modules can be secured to the microtiter plate alternatively or additionally by at least one, preferably a maximum of two, shaft-shaped mechanical connecting means, preferably a screw as a connecting means with at least a segmented or fully threaded shaft, a threaded rod, a pin, a compression sleeve, a slotted sleeve, and / or a bolt. The connecting means are guided through a rod feedthrough channel and thus connect all modules to one another.

[0021] The fixing can be carried out on both sides at the end of the rows with the recesses in order to evenly distribute the contact pressure and thus to create an evenly distributed sealing level.

[0022] Furthermore, in order to maintain a uniform pipetting distance, it is advantageous if the distance between a well and the adjacent wells of a row is constant for all wells of at least one module and preferably of the entire microtiter plate.

[0023] It is advantageous if a medium-tight channel is formed along an interface between two modules as a connection for substance transport between two wells of the two adjacent modules. This medium-tightness enables loss-free substance transport between the two wells. The microtiter plate preferably has several of these channels aligned parallel to one another.

[0024] The channels arranged between the two components comprise, particularly along the aforementioned interface, several membranes, preferably several semipermeable membranes. Preferably, only one membrane is provided per channel. This allows for selective mass transport, whereby one or more components of the sample in a well are retained by the membrane in the well, while other components can pass through the membrane, in particular, diffuse through it.

[0025] A particular advantage of the above-described design is that the membranes of the channels are designed differently and, particularly preferably, have different permeabilities toward one or more components of a sample. This allows the selectivity to be individually adjusted by selecting a separate membrane for each channel. At the same time, the individually equipped channels are sealed along a common sealing plane.

[0026] The assembly of the individually selected channels can be automated, e.g., by a placement system, whereby the selection can also be automated by a preset computer program or by artificial intelligence. A pre-positioning aid, e.g., a comb with gaps for the membrane or similar, can be used to hold the membranes during assembly.

[0027] At least one of the components, preferably all of the components of the microtiter plate, are advantageously monolithic. All components can particularly preferably be made of the same material, e.g., an injection-moldable plastic. This can particularly preferably be a transparent plastic, allowing enhanced optical detection or analysis of the samples within the well. The components within the scope of the present application are not the aforementioned mechanical fasteners, such as screws, nuts, and the like.

[0028] It is also advantageous if at least one of the building blocks, preferably all of the building blocks, is made of a single-use material. Such single-use can preferably be achieved by using a building block material made of coated cardboard and / or by using a building block material made of a plastic with irreversible deformability or irreversible shape change, e.g., through swelling, at temperatures below 121°C and / or under the influence of steam.

[0029] At least one of the components, preferably all components except for the mechanical fasteners, can alternatively be made of a material that is dimensionally stable at temperatures exceeding 121°C, steam-stable, and / or gamma-ray stable. This variant enables multiple use, particularly through CIP (clean-in-place) cleaning and / or gamma-ray sterilization.

[0030] The first module can advantageously be designed such that, in combination with two adjacent modules, it has two parallel interfaces, each with a plurality of parallel, medium-tight channels for transferring at least one component of a sample between the wells of the first module and the adjacent modules. Thus, the first module can be coupled to an adjacent module in two plug-in directions, so that the modular microtiter plate is constructed by arranging the first modules in series.

[0031] The microtiter plate can advantageously have sealing points which are arranged exclusively along the interfaces between two adjacent components, each with at least one row of wells.

[0032] Furthermore, the invention provides a method for assembling a microtiter plate according to the invention comprising the following steps: Step a: Providing and selecting the building blocks for composing the microtiter plate, comprising the two building blocks of the microtiter plate according to the invention, preferably by injection molding the building blocks; Step b: Specification of a data set regarding a position between exactly two recesses of two adjacent building blocks and a specification of the membrane intended for this position, preferably by specifying the membrane thickness and / or the membrane material; Step c: Inserting the membrane into the position between the recesses of the two building blocks based on the given data set on the position and the specification of the membrane; Step d: Assemble the building blocks into the microtiter plate and Step e: Fixing the building blocks.

[0033] Advantageous embodiments of the method according to the invention are the subject of the features described below.

[0034] It is advantageous if several of the membranes used along an interface between two components have different specifications, particularly preferably consisting of different membrane materials. For example, due to the specification, a membrane at an interface can be made of a different membrane material than another membrane arranged along the interface on an adjacent channel.

[0035] This allows these different specifications to be specified by the dataset in step b) and taken into account when used in step c). For example, if certain prior information about several samples and / or their composition is available, the microtiter plate configuration with the membranes for a set of different samples, which are loaded into a series of wells, can be taken into account when creating and using the dataset in step b).

[0036] As part of the provision in step a), the method may include the specification of a further data set regarding the type of building blocks, preferably regarding the number of rows of recesses and / or the design of the recesses.

[0037] Particularly preferably, the selection of the building blocks in step a) can be carried out in the context of specifying this additional data set. Thus, the data set can be used to automatically select building blocks for assembling the microtiter plate, e.g., an edge segment as a building block of the microtiter plate, a two-row central segment as a building block of the microtiter plate, or a single-row central segment as a building block of the microtiter plate, or the like.

[0038] The selection of the component sequence and the selection of the membrane as variable elements of the microtiter plate thus complement each other through the two data sets to form a logical assembly concept, allowing assembly with short cycle times and high production throughput to be fully automated. This is advantageous, for example, for assembly under aseptic conditions, as this eliminates the need for human intervention during assembly and advantageously eliminates the need for additional sterilization of the microtiter plate before packaging.

[0039] For the advantageous reuse of the microtiter plate and to reduce the resulting waste, which, depending on the sample, can be toxic, radioactive, biohazardous, or similar, it is advantageous if the hazardous waste load can be eliminated through appropriate cleaning. However, the membrane, which is usually intended for single use only, is problematic. For this reason, single-use concepts discard the entire microtiter plate.

[0040] Within the scope of the present invention, however, the provision of the two building blocks in step a) can be carried out by dismantling an existing microtiter plate, wherein the membrane along the interface of the two building blocks is removed and wherein the building blocks are cleaned by a cleaning process, in particular a CIP cleaning.

[0041] Further advantages, features, and details of the invention will become apparent from the following description, in which an exemplary embodiment of the invention is explained in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Those skilled in the art will expediently consider the features disclosed in the drawings, the description, and the claims individually and combine them into useful further combinations. In particular, there are numerous possibilities for modifying and further developing the multi-part microtiter plate according to the invention within the scope of the present invention. They show: Fig. 1 Top view of a first component of a microtiter plate according to the invention; Fig. 2 Bottom view of the building block of the Fig. 1; Fig. 3 Side view of the module of the Fig. 1 and Fig. 2; Fig. 4 Side view of a first interface of the module of the Fig. 1-3; Fig. 5 Side view of a second interface of the module of the Fig. 1-4; Fig. 6 Top view of a second component of the microtiter plate according to the invention; Fig. 7 Bottom view of the building block of the Fig. 6; Fig. 8 Side view of the module Fig. 6 and Fig. 7; Fig. 9 Side view of a first interface of the module of the Fig. 6-8; Fig. 10 Side view of a second interface of the module of the Fig. 6-9; Fig. 11 Perspective view of the microtiter plate; and Fig. 12 Schematic diagram of the microtiter plate’s functionality.

[0042] A microtiter plate, often called a “well plate” in technical jargon, is typically used in plant and pharmaceutical research and is used, among other things, to examine liquid samples, e.g. biological samples, which can be investigated for their composition, individual components, in particular their concentration, their biological activity and / or their reaction with other substances. A typical examination is carried out using an optical sensor, e.g. a photometer, preferably with regard to absorption and / or transmission. The examination of the liquid sample can be carried out as part of a high-throughput sequence (high-troughput screening) of a large number of samples, in particular of interactions between microorganisms, such as bacteria. The use and basic structure of microtiter plates is known per se to those skilled in the art.

[0043] Fig. 1-5 discloses a module 1 for constructing a multi-part microtiter plate 100. Identical connecting means, components or segments are described with identical reference numerals.

[0044] The module 1 has two interfaces 3 and 8 on each side, at which the module can be connected to further modules 1, 20 and 30. The connection between the modules 1, 20 and 30 is made in the illustrated embodiment as a clamp or snap-in connection. They have an assembly direction A, preferably a plug-in direction, which in the variant of the Fig. 1-10 also represents the longitudinal extent of the microtiter plate.

[0045] The module 1 has two adjacent rows 16 and 17 of wells 2. The wells 2 of such a microtiter plate 100 are formed as cylindrical wells. Rows 16 and 17 are arranged parallel to each other and, in particular, perpendicular to the mounting direction A.

[0046] All recesses 2 of the module 1 are essentially structurally identical. Such a cylindrical recess 2 has an opening 10 at its end for introducing a sample, in particular a liquid sample.

[0047] Each of the recesses 2 furthermore has an edge-side through-opening 12 arranged in the cylindrical surface of the recess 2. The through-opening 12 has an edge-side sealing surface 4, which is provided either by the module 1 itself or by a sealing means, e.g., a sealing ring. The sealing surface 4 is designed such that when the two respective identical sides are coupled to form an interface 3 or 8, a medium-tight channel is formed.

[0048] A membrane 25 is arranged in the microtiter plate 100 at the same level as an interface 3 or 8 with two adjacent sides of two coupled components 1, forming a medium-tight channel. Its function will be discussed later. The membrane 25 extends flatly across the entire cross-section of the channel.

[0049] Between the recesses, material bulges are arranged along the interface 3 or 8, which are designed as additional flexible sealing strips 5, 5'.

[0050] For centering and / or pre-fixing, each module 1 has corresponding plug-in elements, e.g. projections 7a, 7b, 7a' and 7b' and projection receptacles 9b and 9a'.

[0051] The plug-in elements are arranged on the edge of the module 1 beyond the wells 2, which are spaced at a standardized, equal distance from each other. This allows the wells to be filled automatically using existing high-throughput machines or with pipettes with a multi-tip attachment, where the tip spacing is always the same. This allows the microtiter plates to be used in existing laboratory systems.

[0052] The module also has a rod feedthrough channel 6, 6' per edge for the passage of a connecting screw or threaded rod. Other connecting rods, such as spring pins with end stop surfaces, e.g., through screw heads, can also be passed through the rod feedthrough channel, allowing multiple modules 2, 20, and / or 30 to be connected using a mechanical connection.

[0053] A fluidic connection between the recesses 2 of the same component, e.g., in the form of a channel, does not exist. This is only formed by the connection with another component.

[0054] The building block 1, 20, 30 is advantageously constructed in one piece, preferably monolithically, with a base segment 11, which preferably forms a closed base surface over the entire length and width of the building block 1, 20, 30.

[0055] On the edge side, the module 1, 20, 30 has a rim 13, which protrudes from an edge surface and is part of the base segment 11. This rim 13 can be used, for example, to guide the microtiter plate within a transport device.

[0056] Another optional component of the microtiter plate 100 is Fig. 6-10. This is an edge module, which, with respect to the assembly direction A, is arranged at the beginning and end of a chain of several modules 1, 20, 30 arranged one behind the other and connected to each other. All modules preferably have the same width and height, perpendicular to the assembly direction A.

[0057] The Fig. The edge component 20 shown in Figures 6-10 also has at least one row of recesses 2, each of which has a through-opening 12 along the cylinder surface. The design of the side of the interface 3, including the sealing surface 4 and the sealing strip 5, is analogous to Fig. 1-5.

[0058] Parallel to this row is a second row of recesses 21, which can be used, for example, to hold a reference sample, for zero adjustment, or for calibration. These recesses are circumferentially closed, meaning they do not have a through-opening 12.

[0059] The outer edge surface 14 of this edge component 20 is also the outer edge surface of the microtiter plate 100 according to the invention. It therefore has no interface with an adjacent component. Rather, a border strip 13 is provided on this outer edge surface, analogous to the lateral edge surface of component 1.

[0060] The module 1 is thus a central module with the sides of the two interfaces 3 and 8 and the edge module 20 logically has only one side of only one interface 3, which is identical in design to the interface of the central module.

[0061] The edge module 20 has a free area 15 on the edge with a support frame, which serves to determine the position of an applicator and as a dead zone for its alignment in a dosing system. However, it is not absolutely necessary. The same applies to the row with the recesses 21. All other elements, in particular on the edge of the row with the recesses 2, for coupling with a central module, are analogous to Fig. 1-5 trained.

[0062] In order to realize a multiple reaction and / or diffusion structure, a module 30 can also be provided, which in Fig. 11. Block 30 is also a middle block.

[0063] In contrast to module 20, module 30 has only a single row of recesses 31. Similar to module 20, recess 31 is cylindrical in shape, but has two through-openings 12 in the cylindrical surface, which are arranged diametrically opposite the cylindrical surface. Each of the recesses 31 is thus part of an interface when connected to an adjacent module. The further design of module 30 is analogous to the previously described module 20.

[0064] In a first variant of the invention, the individual modules can be made of a single-use material, such as foiled or coated cardboard and / or disposable plastic. As already described above, an individually selected membrane can be arranged in the channel between the adjacent interfaces of two modules. This means that, particularly when choosing semipermeable membranes, the pore size or polarity of the membrane material, for example, can be tailored to the reaction-specific samples filled in two wells.

[0065] In this case, the fixation between the building blocks does not have to be reversible, unlike in the illustrated embodiment, but it can also be formed, for example, by gluing the individual building blocks together, e.g. using an adhesive.

[0066] In this way, a microtiter plate tailored to the sample can be provided with a plurality of different membranes, in particular with a plurality of different semipermeable membranes, which can be disposed of after use.

[0067] Alternatively or additionally, the number of fluidically connected wells can be varied individually or according to customer requirements during assembly of the microtiter plate 100. Assembly can be automated.

[0068] In particular, a manageable selection of the three components described above can be used to produce a custom-made microtiter plate. Therefore, large inventory levels are not necessary for production.

[0069] The microtiter plate described above can therefore be manufactured industrially in large quantities.

[0070] Alternatively, one or more, in particular all, of the components can also be made of a cleanable, in particular CIP-capable, water vapor and / or gamma radiation-resistant material, preferably of a corresponding plastic or of metal, such as stainless steel.

[0071] This version of a microtiter plate assembled from building blocks can be reused, especially multiple times. It is suitable for experimental laboratories, such as those at universities. However, the membrane must preferably be replaced after each experiment. However, the waste to be disposed of can be limited to the membrane itself.

[0072] Overall, the additional building blocks and mechanical fasteners for their fixation can be used multiple times and, by disassembly, also in a different configuration of building blocks and / or by replacing the semipermeable membrane between the building blocks 2, 20, 30.

[0073] Regardless of the material, the multi-compartment microtiter plate offers the possibility of equipping it with a variety of different selected semipermeable membranes between two rows of adjacent wells.

[0074] Fig. Figure 12 shows an explanation of the microtiter plate's functionality in variants a) and b). Wells 2 and 31 are separated by selected membranes, which allow for different diffusion of substances and thereby preferentially, and possibly selectively, keep bacteria, ions, germs, or other substances away from each other. The plate is sealed with a screw, screw thread, or similar on each side to enable rapid assembly.

[0075] A modular microtiter plate with permeable membranes thus enables the cultivation of several bacterial species in spatial separation and at the same time enables interaction through diffusible compounds.

[0076] The microtiter plate described above can have standardized dimensions, e.g., 72 wells. This allows the microtiter plate to be compatible with standard devices such as multimode plate readers.

[0077] Depending on the requirements, the customer can choose from various modules and any desired membrane properties. For example, a set of wells can be connected by a channel and a permeable membrane. The setup can enable, for example, chemical recognition, signal transduction, and / or the exchange of metabolites between two or more wells without direct physical contact. This enables, for example, the study of complex interactions between multiple pathogens and host factors.

[0078] Thus, the microtiter plate enables the use of robot-assisted manufacturing and / or the use of automated systems for high-throughput investigation of a large number of combinations, preferably for microorganisms. The microtiter plate also allows for the cultivation of two bacterial species spatially separated from each other while maintaining their ability to interact via diffusible connections. Each pair of wells is connected by a channel 12 containing a permeable membrane 25. In addition to the previously described mass transfer, this design can also enable chemical sensing, signal transduction, and / or the exchange of metabolic products without direct physical contact.

[0079] The microtiter plate therefore represents a platform for the high-throughput study of pairwise microbial interactions. Using the microtiter plate, the growth, relative fitness, secretion of compounds, and possibly also gene expression of each competing species can be measured, preferably via optical density, fluorescence measurements, or other methods, or even qualitatively monitored.

[0080] The microtiter plate is quick and easy to assemble. The individual components can be easily plugged together or, preferably, clicked together to ensure a secure seal. Once assembled, two screws are used to securely fasten the structure, providing additional stability. Each component is dishwasher safe and can be steam sterilized or autoclaved at 121°C.

[0081] In particular, certain or all components of the microtiter plates can be steam sterilized so that all parts (except the membranes) can be reused.

[0082] Furthermore, the microtiter plate, especially the reusable version, makes it possible to minimize waste and costs for users and reduce the ecological footprint.

[0083] The building blocks are preferably produced by injection molding and are also preferably fixed together with a small number of mechanical fasteners and in a few simple steps, using only two mechanical fasteners, particularly preferably two screws or two threaded rods.

[0084] This simultaneously reduces the scrap rate during production and the number of sealing points in the microtiter plate structure. These sealing points are located exclusively between two components, in particular exclusively at the interfaces between two adjacent and adjacent components in a single assembly direction, and not within a single component.

[0085] In particular, the design allows for the creation of a standard 96-well microtiter plate, preferably with standard commercial dimensions. This allows the microtiter plate to fit into standard devices, especially standard optical analysis devices such as multimode plate readers.

[0086] Furthermore, the above-described first building block 1 can be varied with other building blocks which differ from the recesses 2 with regard to the shape and design of the recesses.

[0087] The previously described modular microtiter plate with the membranes enables the cultivation of several bacterial species in spatial separation and at the same time preferentially enables interaction through diffusible sample-specific compounds.

[0088] Depending on requirements, the customer can choose from three or more different modules and any membrane properties.

[0089] The design of the microtiter plate enables chemical recognition, signal transduction and exchange of metabolites between two or more wells without direct physical contact.

[0090] This enables, for example, the investigation of complex interactions between multiple pathogens and host factors.

[0091] The structural design of the microtiter plate 100 also enables the use of robots / automated systems to examine a large number of combinations in a high-throughput manner.

[0092] The invention is not limited to the embodiment described above. Reference symbol 1 building block 2 Deepening 3 Interface 4 Sealing surface 5 Sealing strip 5' sealing strip 6 rod feedthrough channel 6' rod feedthrough channel 7a projection 7b projection 7a' lead 7b' Lead 8 Interface 9a Lead recording 9b Lead recording 10 Opening 11 Ground segment 12 Passage opening 13 Sidebar 14 Outer edge surface 15 outdoor area 16 row 17 row 20 building blocks 21 Deepening 25 membrane 30 building blocks 31 Deepening 100 microtiter plates A Mounting direction QUOTES CONTAINED IN THE DESCRIPTION

[0000] This list of documents submitted by the applicant was generated automatically and is included solely for the convenience of the reader. This list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions. Cited patent literature

[0000] EP 3 415 607 A1

[0003] US 2020188913 A1

[0004] Cited non-patent literature

[0000] Construction and Modeling of a Coculture Microplate for Real-Time Measurement of Microbial Interactions", Charles Jo et al., ASM Journals; mSystems Vol. 8 No, 2, doi: https: / / doi.orq / 10.1128 / msystems.00017-21

[0005]

Claims

[1] Microtiter plate (100), comprising a first building block (1) with at least a first row (16, 17) of wells (2) for receiving a sample and a second building block (20, 30) with a further row of wells (21, 31), wherein at least the first building block (1) is formed in one piece and is connected to the second building block (20, 30) by a fixation to form a connection for substance transport between a respective well (2, 21, 31) of the first and the second building block (1, 20, 30), and wherein the microtiter plate (100) is formed as a multi-part microtiter plate (100). [2] Microtiter plate according to claim 1, characterized by that the first building block (1) has at least two rows (16, 17) of recesses (2) for receiving a sample. [3] Microtiter plate according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by that the fixing is designed as a detachable fixing such that the building blocks (1, 20, 30) are fixed in a removable manner. [4] Microtiter plate according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by that the fixation is designed as a permanent fixation, preferably as a material-locking connection, particularly preferably as an adhesive fixation. [5] Microtiter plate according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the fixing is realized by two clamping, plugging or locking means (7a, 7b, 7a', 7b', 9a, 9b) arranged integrally on the building blocks (1, 20, 30) and corresponding to one another [6] Microtiter plate according to one of the preceding claims, characterized bythat the fixing of the building blocks (1, 20, 30) for forming the microtiter plate (100) is carried out by at least one, preferably a maximum of two, shaft-shaped mechanical connecting means, preferably a screw with at least a segmental threaded shaft, a threaded rod, a pin, a press sleeve, a slotted sleeve and / or a bolt, which is guided through a rod feedthrough channel (6, 6') and connects all the building blocks (1, 20, 30) to one another. [7] Microtiter plate according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the fixing, preferably by means of the shaft-shaped mechanical connecting means, takes place on both sides at the end of the rows (16, 17) with the recesses (2). [8] Microtiter plate according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the distance of a depression (2) to the adjacent depressions (2) of a row (16, 17) is constant for all depressions (2) of the module (1, 20, 30). [9] Microtiter plate according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the microtiter plate (100) has at least one medium-tight channel between two recesses (2, 21, 31) of the two adjacent building blocks (1, 20, 30) along an interface (3, 8) between two building blocks (1, 21, 31), which channel is formed by connecting two through-openings (12) arranged at the edge in the recesses (2, 21, 31). [10] Microtiter plate according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that several channels running parallel to one another between the recesses (2, 21, 31) of the two building blocks (1, 20, 30), in particular along the interface (3, 8), have membranes (25), preferably semipermeable membranes. [11] Microtiter plate according to claim 10, characterized bythat the membranes (25) of the channels are designed differently and particularly preferably have different permeabilities to components of a sample. [12] Microtiter plate according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that at least one of the building blocks (1, 20, 30), preferably apart from the mechanical connecting means, all building blocks (1, 20, 30) of the microtiter plate (100) are monolithic and particularly preferably made of the same material. [13] Microtiter plate according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that at least one of the building blocks (1, 20, 30), preferably all of the building blocks (1, 20, 30), are made of a material for single use, preferably of a coated cardboard and / or of a plastic, with an irreversible deformability or an irreversible change in shape, e.g. by swelling, at below 121°C and / or under the influence of steam. [14] Microtiter plate according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that at least one of the building blocks (1, 20, 30), preferably apart from the mechanical connecting means, all building blocks (1, 20, 30), are made of material that is dimensionally stable at more than 121°C, steam-stable and / or gamma-ray-stable. [15] Microtiter plate according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the first building block (1) is designed such that, in combination with two adjacent building blocks (1, 20, 30), it has two interfaces (3, 8) running parallel to one another, each with a plurality of medium-tight channels running parallel to one another for the transition of at least one component between the recesses. [16] Microtiter plate according to one of the preceding claims, characterized bythat the microtiter plate (100) has sealing points which are arranged exclusively along the interfaces (3, 8) between two adjacent modules (1, 20, 30) each with at least one row of recesses (2, 21, 31). [17] Microtiter plate according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the recesses (31) of the second building block (30) differ from the shape and / or design of the recesses (2) of the first building block (1). [18] Microtiter plate according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the microtiter plate (100) has a rectangular base area and in total, ie including all building blocks, exactly 72 wells (2, 21, 31) or exactly 288 wells. [19] Microtiter plate according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the building blocks (1, 20, 30) of the microtiter plate (100) are made of transparent plastic material

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