Flexible Assay Plate Data Structure for Software Adaptability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing software architectures for managing multi-well plates are inflexible and require significant recoding to accommodate different plate types, making it difficult to handle various configurations and instruments without altering the software.
Innovation Solution
A flexible software architecture that associates a set of parameters with each plate type to generate motor controlling routines, data structures, and analysis routines, allowing for the handling of multiple plate types without extensive recoding, using a tree data structure to represent plate regions and their relationships.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If software is coded with all requisite information for each anticipated plate type, then the instrument can process various plate types, but the software requires significant recoding to implement new plate types and becomes increasingly complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments plate information into two distinct parts: a standardized data structure definition (the template) and actual plate data (instances). The data structure is separated from the instrument software code, allowing the software to remain generic while plate-specific information is stored in external, easily modifiable data structures. This segmentation enables new plate types to be added by creating new data structures rather than recoding software.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal data structure template that can represent multiple plate types through parameterization. The template includes generic fields such as plate dimensions, well configurations, and sector definitions that can be instantiated with different values to represent various plate types (e.g., 96-well, 384-well, custom configurations). This universal template approach allows a single software architecture to handle diverse plate types without requiring type-specific code paths.
2Adaptability or versatility
If software contains all plate type information, then new plate types can be processed, but memory usage increases and deployment becomes less efficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts plate-specific information from the instrument software and places it into separate, external data structure definitions. These data structures are stored independently (e.g., in configuration files or databases) rather than being hard-coded into the software binary. This extraction allows the core software to remain compact and efficient while plate type information can be added, removed, or modified without affecting the software executable or consuming additional memory during operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary definition of plate data structures in a standardized format that can be loaded and cached efficiently. By pre-defining the structure templates and validation rules, the system prepares the framework for handling multiple plate types without committing specific plate data to memory until needed. This preliminary structuring enables rapid deployment of new plate types through simple data loading rather than software compilation or installation.
3Reliability
If separate routines are developed for each plate type, then each plate type can be processed correctly, but the number of lines of code and memory consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses parameterized data structures where plate-specific characteristics (dimensions, well layouts, sector configurations) are defined as可变 parameters rather than fixed code. The same software routines process all plate types by reading the appropriate parameters from the data structure definitions. This parameter-driven approach maintains processing accuracy for each plate type while eliminating the need for separate code routines, as the generic routines adapt to different plates through parameter substitution.
4Adaptability or versatility
If instrument software is recoded to handle new plate types, then compatibility is achieved, but significant time and resources are required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary layer consisting of standardized data structure templates that mediate between the instrument software and plate-specific requirements. When a new plate type needs to be supported, the intermediary data structure is created or modified to describe the new plate's characteristics, while the core software remains unchanged. This intermediary approach eliminates direct recoding requirements and enables rapid compatibility through data-driven configuration rather than code modification.
Data Source
AI summary
A flexible instrument control and data storage/management system and method for representing and processing assay plates having one or more predefined plate locations is disclosed. The system utilizes a graph data structure, layer objects and data objects. The layer objects map the graph data structure to the data objects. The graph data structure can comprise one node for each of the one or more predefined plate locations, wherein the nodes can be hierarchically defined according to a predefined plate location hierarchy. Each node can be given a unique node identifier, a node type and a node association that implements the predefined plate location hierarchy. The layer objects can include an index that maps the node identifiers to the data objects.