Modular Gel Electrophoresis Imaging With Cooling and Alignment
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional gel electrophoresis systems suffer from issues such as heating of the gel matrix leading to temperature and viscosity gradients, poor band separation resolution, and band loss due to gel melting, as well as challenges with illumination uniformity, camera alignment, and inefficient image processing.
Innovation Solution
The system includes a fan assembly for air cooling, an LED array arranged in a checkerboard pattern, alignment and connection features for the camera module, a spherical joint adjustment for the camera, a rotatable lens gear for focal adjustment, supercapacitors for backup power, and on-device deconvolution processing to improve imaging and processing efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional gel electrophoresis systems are used, then the system structure is simple, but heating of the gel matrix occurs leading to temperature and viscosity gradients, resulting in poor band separation resolution and band loss
Solution Approach 1:
The system is divided into modular components: a base module containing the gel electrophoresis cassette and power supply, and a separate camera module for imaging. This segmentation allows independent optimization of each module, enabling effective cooling in the base module while maintaining imaging capabilities in the camera module, thereby resolving the heating issue without overly complicating the overall system.
Solution Approach 2:
A fan assembly is introduced as an intermediary cooling device positioned within the base module to actively remove heat from the gel matrix during electrophoresis. This intermediary component addresses the heating problem by providing active thermal management, preventing temperature and viscosity gradients that would otherwise degrade band separation resolution.
2Illumination intensity
If conventional illumination systems are used, then the device complexity is low, but illumination uniformity is inadequate
Solution Approach 1:
The illumination system uses multiple LED light sources positioned at different locations within the base module, with each LED providing localized illumination to a specific region of the gel matrix. This distributed approach ensures uniform illumination across the entire gel area, eliminating dark spots and bright spots that would occur with a single light source, while keeping each individual LED component simple.
3Ease of operation
If conventional camera attachment methods are used, then alignment is difficult and time-consuming, but connection features increase device complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The camera module and base module incorporate asymmetric alignment features such as positioning pins and corresponding recesses that guide the camera module into precise alignment with the base module during attachment. This asymmetric design eliminates the need for manual alignment adjustments, allowing users to simply snap the camera module onto the base module and achieve immediate, accurate alignment.
4Productivity
If conventional deconvolution processing is used, then processing time is long and efficiency is low, but automated processing increases device complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The system incorporates an automated deconvolution processing capability that automatically processes the captured gel images without requiring manual intervention. The processing module integrated into the camera module or connected system performs image enhancement, band detection, and analysis automatically, significantly reducing processing time and improving efficiency while maintaining manageable system complexity through integration.
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 solutions enhance band separation resolution, reduce band loss, improve illumination uniformity and smoothness, facilitate easy camera alignment, enable efficient focal adjustments, and automate image deconvolution, resulting in improved user experience and analysis efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
The base module includes a fan assembly configured to facilitate air cooling of a gel electrophoresis sample positioned within the base module
Implementation Method 2
The base module includes an LED array arranged in a checkerboard pattern to facilitate improved illumination uniformity and/or smoothness
Implementation Method 3
Electrophoresis involves the separation and analysis of macromolecules (such as deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), ribonucleic acid (RNA), proteins, etc.) and/or fragments thereof based on their size and charge
Data Source
AI summary
A gel electrophoresis system includes a base module and a camera module. The base module includes a cassette slot for receiving a gel electrophoresis cassette, and a light element that functions to illuminate the gel electrophoresis cassette. The camera module is selectively attachable to and detachable from the base module. When attached to the base module, the camera module facilitates imaging of the gel electrophoresis cassette and provides additional imaging capabilities.