Capillary Carrier for Simultaneous Microtiter Plate Filling
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for filling capillaries are laborious, difficult to automate, and unsuitable for applications involving magnetic fields or samples with magnetic beads, as they require individual handling and are prone to mechanical damage and evaporation issues.
Innovation Solution
A carrier system with 24 capillaries arranged in a plane, mechanically attached and spaced 2.25 mm apart, allowing simultaneous filling from a microtiter plate using capillary forces, with a light-permeable design for optical measurements and a tray for easy handling and storage, reducing the number of handling steps by a factor of 25.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If individual capillaries are filled manually one by one, then each capillary can be filled precisely, but the process requires many steps and cannot be easily automated
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple capillaries are merged into a single carrier unit with a common base, allowing them to be filled simultaneously from a microtiter plate. The carrier integrates 24 capillaries arranged in a 6x4 grid, enabling batch filling operations that maintain precision while dramatically increasing throughput.
Solution Approach 2:
The carrier serves multiple functions: it holds and positions multiple capillaries, provides a common filling interface for automated pipetting, enables simultaneous filling operations, and facilitates easy automation through standardized geometry. The universal design allows the same carrier structure to handle different capillary configurations.
2Manufacturing precision
If magnetic capillaries are used for positioning, then simpler and more precise positioning is achieved, but they cannot be used with magnetic beads or in NMR applications
Solution Approach 1:
The magnetic positioning function is extracted from the capillary itself and transferred to an external magnetic actuator system. The carrier uses non-magnetic materials, and magnetic beads in samples are manipulated by external magnets rather than magnetic fields generated by the carrier structure, eliminating interference while maintaining positioning capability.
Solution Approach 2:
An external magnetic field acts as an intermediary to position magnetic beads within non-magnetic capillaries. The magnetic field is applied through magnets positioned near the carrier but does not require the capillary or carrier material itself to be magnetic, enabling compatibility with NMR and magnetic bead applications.
3Ease of operation
If capillaries are held by magnetic forces, then positioning is simplified, but the method is unsuitable for samples containing magnetic beads
Solution Approach 1:
External magnetic fields serve as intermediaries to manipulate magnetic beads within the capillaries without requiring the capillaries themselves to be magnetic. The carrier structure remains non-magnetic, allowing magnetic beads to be positioned and manipulated by nearby magnets while avoiding interference with NMR and other magnetic-sensitive applications.
4Ease of manufacture
If microcuvettes are made short to fit in carrier recesses, then the array can be filled and sealed, but evaporation becomes a very big problem
Solution Approach 1:
The capillaries are designed to be self-filling through capillary action when immersed in the microtiter plate wells. The length and inner diameter are optimized so that liquid automatically rises to the appropriate level without requiring sealing or complex filling mechanisms, eliminating evaporation problems while maintaining ease of assembly.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables efficient, safe, and manageable filling of multiple capillaries, reducing mechanical damage and evaporation risks, while allowing for clear identification and automation, improving process reliability and reducing the risk of sample confusion.
Implementation Method 1
the plurality of capillaries can be filled in a self-running manner using capillary forces
Data Source
Figure 1A~1D
Figure 2A~2C
Figure 3A~3D
AI summary
The invention relates to a carrier (20) with several capillaries (1) arranged in a plane and mechanically attached to the carrier (20), wherein the distance between adjacent capillaries is approximately 2.25 mm or an integer multiple thereof. At least one first free end (11) of each capillary (1) projects beyond the carrier (20) such that the free ends of the capillaries (1) can be simultaneously inserted into cavities of a microtiter plate.