Frozen Sample Coring Needle for No-Thaw Aliquot Extraction

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current methods for accessing and processing frozen biological samples involve repeated freeze-thaw cycles, leading to sample degradation, inefficient use of freezer space, and increased costs, necessitating a more efficient method for obtaining aliquots without thawing the specimens.

Innovation Solution

A coring system using a motor-actuated hollow bit coring needle that extracts frozen samples from frozen biological specimens within their storage containers, maintaining the specimen in a frozen state by immersing the container in a cooling reservoir and utilizing a servo controller for precise control of the drilling motion, allowing for linear or rotary oscillatory motion to minimize heat generation and sample degradation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If repeated freeze-thaw cycles are used to access frozen biological samples, then sample accessibility is improved, but sample degradation increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesample accessibilityVSAvoidsample integrity

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The invention extracts only the required aliquot portion from the frozen specimen using a coring needle, allowing sample access without thawing the entire specimen. This enables repeated sampling while maintaining the bulk specimen in frozen state, thus preventing degradation while ensuring accessibility.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The specimen is pre-divided into multiple containers before freezing, allowing direct access to individual aliquots without thawing. This preliminary segmentation enables researchers to retrieve specific samples while keeping other portions frozen and intact.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Ease of operation

If one specimen is divided into multiple containers prior to freezing, then sample accessibility is improved, but freezer space efficiency decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesample accessibilityVSAvoidfreezer space

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSVolume of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The invention merges multiple aliquots into a single frozen specimen container, allowing researchers to retrieve individual aliquots through coring without needing separate containers for each sample. This consolidation significantly reduces freezer space requirements while maintaining easy access to individual samples.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

Multiple aliquots are nested within a single container, with each aliquot accessible through the same opening. The coring needle extracts individual portions from the nested structure without requiring separate containers, optimizing space utilization while preserving sample accessibility.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

3Ease of operation

If current industry methods are used for aliquotting, then sample retrieval is possible, but lead time and processing delay increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesample retrievalVSAvoidlead time

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The invention replaces the manual mechanical process of thawing, pipetting, and refreezing with an automated coring system. The motorized needle rapidly extracts aliquots directly from frozen specimens, eliminating time-consuming manual operations and reducing lead time from days to minutes.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The coring system allows continuous retrieval of multiple aliquots from a single frozen specimen without interruption for thawing or refreezing cycles. This continuous operation maintains the specimen in frozen state throughout the process, significantly reducing total processing time compared to traditional methods.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #20Continuity of useful action

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

The system reduces sample degradation, minimizes freezer space requirements, and decreases lead times for specimen delivery, while maintaining the integrity and stability of the frozen samples, enabling more efficient and precise extraction of biological samples for research and analysis.

Implementation Method 1

a cooling reservoir to immerse a closed end of the container... keeps the specimen frozen to avoid degradation

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectHeat removal: Cooling

Implementation Method 2

a drill for contacting the specimen within a container, wherein the drill includes a motor that actuates a hollow bit coring needle

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectMechanical motion: Mechanical Force

Data Source

PatentUS8713948B2Systems, methods, and devices for frozen sample distribution

Publication Date: 2014.05.06 PRESIDENT & FELLOWS OF HARVARD COLLEGE

AI summary

A drilling system including a motor that produces a sonic, linear oscillatory motion is provided for removing a frozen biological sample from a stored frozen specimen and methods of use thereof without thawing the remainder of the specimen. The stator and slider assembly is operated by a servo controller which can communicate and be programmed through a port of a PC equipped with software.