Disposable Plastic Container for Automated Biological Sample Disruption
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for disrupting biological samples for nucleic acid or protein isolation are complex, require specialized equipment, and are not suitable for all types of samples, especially hard materials like bones or viscous samples, and often involve contamination risks due to the need for active cooling and reuse of equipment.
Innovation Solution
A device and method using a plastic container with a metallic adapter that allows for automated, simple disruption of samples at various temperatures, using a moveable hard body within a cooled adapter to crush samples without active cooling, minimizing contamination and equipment reuse, suitable for both frozen and chemically preserved samples.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If active cooling and specialized equipment are used for sample disruption, then disruption effectiveness is improved, but device complexity and contamination risk increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs disposable plastic containers with integrated disruption elements that are discarded after single use. This eliminates the need for complex cleaning and sterilization procedures associated with reusable equipment, while maintaining effective sample disruption through the disposable container's integrated design.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the cooling function from the disruption device itself, allowing samples to be disrupted at various temperatures using the same basic apparatus. Samples are pre-cooled or pre-prepared separately, and the disruption container merely provides the mechanical disruption environment without requiring active cooling mechanisms.
2Ease of manufacture
If reusable equipment is used for sample processing, then equipment cost is reduced, but contamination risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The disruption containers are designed as inexpensive, single-use disposable items made from plastic. Each container is used once and then discarded, eliminating cross-contamination risks between samples while keeping the per-sample cost low due to the simple plastic construction.
3Adaptability or versatility
If manual sample preparation is performed, then flexibility is maintained, but productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple preparation steps into a single integrated disposable container. Samples can be pre-prepared manually with flexibility, then transferred to the disruption container where all disruption elements (beads, buffer, mechanical action) are already integrated, enabling simultaneous processing of multiple samples and improving overall throughput.
Solution Approach 2:
The disruption container is designed as a universal platform that can handle various sample types and sizes. The same basic container design works for different tissues and samples, allowing standardized processing protocols that improve productivity while maintaining adaptability through adjustable parameters like disruption time and intensity.
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
Achieves efficient disruption of biological samples with minimal technical effort, reducing contamination risks and handling complexity, while providing a homogeneous sample preparation suitable for further processing, particularly effective for soft tissues but not suitable for hard samples like skin and bones.
Implementation Method 1
a moveable hard body (8) which, relative to the container (6), is shaken in such a way that the deep-frozen sample (9) is crushed and disrupted by the moveable body (8)
Implementation Method 2
The adapter (1) is cooled in a temperature range of −20° C. to −80° C., for example in a refrigerator or by using dry ice
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a method for decomposing a biological sample (9), the method having the following steps: the sample (9) is put into a container (6) which is composed of plastic, in particular, the container (6) is inserted into an adapter (2, 2a), the adapter with the closed container therein is connected to an apparatus which moves the adapter back and forth, in particular upwards, in automated fashion. This method makes it possible to decompose biological samples in automated fashion, to be precise both samples at room temperature and frozen samples. The invention also relates to an apparatus for carrying out the method, the apparatus having an adapter (2, 2a) which is predominantly composed of plastic and has sleeves (4) which are composed of metal and are intended to accommodate containers (6) which are composed of plastic, in particular.