Adjustable Colony Scraper Head for Tissue Culture Vessel Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cell colony collection devices are inefficient in accessing the entire interior surface of tissue culture vessels, particularly the corners and areas near the opening, leading to significant loss of viable cells due to damage during the scraping process.
Innovation Solution
A laboratory device comprising a handle, rod, and blade head with ergonomic design features and a gear mechanism that allows for extended reach and reduced stress on the device, enabling effective scraping and collection of cell colonies from hard-to-reach areas without causing cell damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a manually rotating blade head is used, then access to remote hard to reach areas is facilitated, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The blade head is made manually rotatable to dynamically adjust its orientation, enabling access to remote and hard-to-reach areas of the tissue culture vessel while maintaining a relatively simple overall device structure
Solution Approach 2:
The device is divided into distinct functional segments including the handle, rod, and separately rotatable blade head, allowing independent adjustment of the blade orientation without complicating the entire device
2Productivity
If a significantly larger blade head is used, then redundant scraping and raking is reduced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The blade head integrates multiple functional surfaces including scraping and raking edges in a single component, eliminating the need for separate tools or repeated operations while maintaining manageable device complexity
3Ease of operation
If the blade head provides over 180 degrees adjustment, then hard to reach areas are accessed effectively, but ease of operation increases due to manual adjustment capability
Solution Approach 1:
The blade head is pre-adjusted to provide over 180 degrees of rotation capability, allowing technicians to confidently access all hard-to-reach areas without repeated adjustments, thereby reducing time loss during the cell collection process
4Productivity
If prior art cell colony collectors are used, then cell collection is performed, but significant loss of viable cells occurs due to damage to cell walls
Solution Approach 1:
The blade head design incorporates modified geometric parameters and edge characteristics that change the interaction mechanism with cell walls, reducing mechanical damage while maintaining effective cell collection capability
Data Source
AI summary
The laboratory device includes an elongated handle with ergonomic grips. The device has a center recess for a rod to slide or rotate. The blade head attaches at the distal end of the elongated handle. The rod has geared teeth that interact and mesh with the gears on the blade head allowing the user to manipulate the angle of the blade head via rod. The rod in the proximal position of the handle is disposed at an acute angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the handle such that the blade head and handle are positioned for insertion into and removal of a tissue culture vessel. When the rod is moved distally or rotated the blade head position is disposed perpendicularly, acute or obtusely in relationship to the longitudinal axes of the handle such that the blade head provides optimal raking opportunities for the device to collect cell colonies.