Hydrogel Multi-Well Plate Assembly for Controlled Stiffness Cell Culture
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing multi-well plates fail to accurately mimic physiological conditions, leading to erroneous predictions in vitro tests, and current preparation methods are cumbersome, prone to contamination, and do not ensure uniform stiffness or compatibility with robotic systems.
Innovation Solution
A multi-well plate design featuring a continuous hydrogel layer with controlled stiffness, adhered to a bottomless plate using a biocompatible adhesive, ensuring uniform or gradient stiffness within and between wells, and compatible with robotic systems.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If hydrogel pellets are assembled using adhesive and flexible layer, then multi-well plate can be produced with independent stiffness control, but handling complexity and contamination risk increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the hydrogel layer preparation directly with the multi-well plate structure by forming the hydrogel as a continuous layer at the bottom of the wells during plate manufacturing, eliminating the need for separate pellet assembly operations. This integration maintains stiffness control capability while dramatically reducing handling complexity and contamination risk.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the hydrogel formation process to occur in-situ within each well during plate manufacturing, allowing independent control of hydrogel properties in each well while simplifying the overall assembly process. The hydrogel is formed as a discrete layer at the bottom of each well rather than as separate pellets requiring manual assembly.
2Ease of manufacture
If hydrogel film is prepared directly at the bottom of wells, then manufacturing complexity is reduced, but gel thickness becomes inconsistent and monomer removal becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality control by using individual well structures to define the hydrogel formation zone, ensuring uniform thickness within each well while allowing different thicknesses between wells if needed. The well geometry acts as a physical constraint that standardizes the hydrogel layer dimensions during the formation process.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the monomer solution from the final product by using water-soluble monomers that can be easily rinsed away, and by designing the hydrogel formation process to complete polymerization before final assembly. This eliminates the monomer removal difficulty while maintaining manufacturing simplicity.
3Strength
If adhesive layer is used to assemble hydrogel, then hydrogel can be secured to plate, but image quality from inverted microscopy deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts or eliminates the adhesive layer from the optical path by forming the hydrogel directly as an integral part of the plate structure or using a transparent adhesive that does not interfere with microscopy. The hydrogel is secured to the plate while maintaining optical clarity for inverted microscopy imaging.
4Adaptability or versatility
If standard multi-well plate specifications are maintained, then compatibility with robots and microscope incubators is ensured, but complex sealing methods are required for each well
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the sealing function into the plate structure itself by using the well walls and bottom geometry to provide inherent sealing, or by applying a single continuous sealing layer across the entire plate bottom. This eliminates the need for individual seals in each well while maintaining standard plate specifications for robotic compatibility.
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 design provides a biologically relevant environment with uniform or variable stiffness, reducing contamination risks and enhancing compatibility with robotic systems while maintaining image quality and adhering to standard specifications.
Implementation Method 1
the said support, the said continuous layer, and the said bottomless multi-well plate being adhered by means of an adhesive which extends from at least certain portions of the lower surface of the bottomless multi-well plate up to certain portions of the upper surface of the support by passing through the continuous layer
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a multi-well plate comprising a support, the upper surface of which is at least partially covered with a continuous layer of a hydrogel in contact with the lower surface of a bottomless multi-well plate, the support, the continuous layer, and the bottomless multi-well plate being adhered by means of an adhesive which extends from at least certain portions of the lower surface of the bottomless multi-well plate up to certain portions of the upper surface of the support by passing through the continuous layer of hydrogel, each well of the bottomless multi-well plate being entirely surrounded by the at least certain portions of the lower surface. The application also relates to a method for preparing the multi-well plate and the use thereof for in vitro cell culture.