Capillary-Grooved Test Chamber for Consistent Sample Transfer
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Consumable diagnostic test devices using polypropylene for nucleic acid-based tests face issues with water-based solutions adhering to surfaces, leading to reduced sample volume and inconsistent reagent concentration due to droplet formation and fogging, affecting test accuracy and consistency.
Innovation Solution
Incorporation of capillary grooves in the diagnostic test device chambers to promote fluid flow and prevent droplet adherence, ensuring consistent transfer and increased sample volume for assays.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If polypropylene is used for consumable diagnostic test devices, then chemical resistance and ease of manufacture are improved, but water-based solutions adhere to surfaces causing reduced sample volume and inconsistent reagent concentration
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies capillary grooves (porous-like structures) on the inner surface of the reaction chamber to enable controlled wicking of water-based solutions. These grooves act as capillary channels that guide the liquid along the surface without allowing droplet formation or adhesion to the polypropylene bulk material, thus maintaining sample volume while utilizing polypropylene's manufacturing advantages
Solution Approach 2:
The capillary grooves serve as an intermediary structure between the polypropylene surface and the water-based solution. This intermediate capillary network mediates the interaction by providing a hydrophilic pathway for liquid transport, preventing direct adverse contact between the hydrophobic polypropylene and the aqueous solution
2Ease of manufacture
If polypropylene surfaces are used, then device cost is reduced, but droplet formation and fogging occur leading to inconsistent reagent concentration
Solution Approach 1:
The capillary grooves create a controlled porous-like pathway system on the polypropylene surface. This structure ensures consistent liquid flow and distribution along the reaction chamber wall, preventing random droplet formation and fogging that would otherwise occur on smooth hydrophobic polypropylene surfaces, thereby maintaining reagent concentration consistency
Solution Approach 2:
The invention modifies only the local surface properties by adding capillary grooves to specific regions where liquid contact occurs, while maintaining the bulk polypropylene material properties. This localized modification addresses the adhesion issue without changing the overall device material or manufacturing process, preserving cost-effectiveness while improving concentration consistency
3Productivity
If water-based ELB solutions are used, then nucleic acid extraction efficiency is improved, but adhesion to polypropylene surfaces reduces available sample volume
Solution Approach 1:
The capillary grooves provide a porous-like transport network that allows water-based ELB solutions to flow efficiently along the reaction chamber surface through capillary action. This ensures maximum sample volume reaches the reaction zone without being lost to surface adhesion, maintaining both extraction efficiency and available volume
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
Enhances sample volume availability for assays, reduces variability, and maintains reagent concentration, resulting in more accurate and consistent diagnostic test results.
Implementation Method 1
one or more capillary grooves along an inner surface of the at least one chamber, the one or more capillary grooves configured to promote flow of the fluid toward a second section of the at least one chamber
Implementation Method 2
The one or more capillary grooves can be configured to inhibit droplets of the fluid from adhering to the inner surface in the first section of the at least one chamber when the fluid is dispensed into the at least one chamber from the sample preparation reservoir
Data Source
AI summary
A diagnostic test device to perform a test on a biological or environmental sample is provided. In one aspect, the diagnostic test device includes a chamber configured to receive a fluid from a sample preparation reservoir at a first section of the chamber, and one or more capillary grooves along an inner surface of the chamber. The capillary grooves are configured to promote flow of the fluid toward a second section of the chamber. Embodiments of the diagnostic test reservoir can increase an amount of sample available to an assay reaction, which in one example embodiment occurs within a volume of fluid in the second section of the chamber.