Immunoassay Cup Pore Array for Fluorescence Measurement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional immunoassay cups struggle to accurately and reproducibly measure and analyze proteins with small molecular weights, such as cytokines, due to scattered fluorescence from irregularly arrayed fluorescent beads in liquid samples.
Innovation Solution
A fluorescent immunoassay cup with a bottom featuring a plurality of pores designed to accommodate beads, where the beads are arranged in a regular, close-packed array to prevent dispersion and enhance fluorescence measurement, and a method involving a hydrophobic material and light-shielding portions to improve measurement accuracy and sensitivity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If fluorescent beads are added dropwise into the conventional immunoassay cup, then the beads are easily introduced into the cup, but the beads become irregularly arrayed and dispersed in the liquid, causing fluorescence scattering and attenuation
Solution Approach 1:
The bottom surface of the cup is segmented into multiple pore structures, each pore designed to accommodate exactly one fluorescent bead. This segmentation prevents bead dispersion and ensures regular arraying, allowing fluorescence to be measured accurately without scattering while maintaining ease of bead introduction through the liquid phase into the pores.
Solution Approach 2:
The pore structures are strategically designed with specific dimensions (diameter of 5-20 μm and depth of 10-50 μm) to create localized regions that confine beads. This local structural quality ensures that beads remain positioned in a regular array at the bottom surface, preventing fluorescence scattering while facilitating easy bead introduction.
2Ease of manufacture
If fluorescent beads are added to visualize small biomolecules, then molecules difficult to observe can be visualized, but the beads scatter and attenuate fluorescence, making it difficult to accurately measure small molecular weight proteins
Solution Approach 1:
The cup bottom is divided into multiple pore structures that individually confine fluorescent beads. This segmentation prevents bead dispersion in the liquid, ensuring that fluorescence from each bead remains concentrated and measurable, thereby enabling accurate detection of small molecular weight proteins while maintaining the visualization capability for small biomolecules.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from a two-dimensional liquid phase where beads are dispersed to a three-dimensional pore structure system where beads are confined in specific spatial positions. This dimensional change allows beads to be regularly arrayed vertically within pores, preventing fluorescence scattering while maintaining visualization capability.
3Ease of manufacture
If a planar bottom surface is used in the immunoassay cup, then the structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but fluorescent beads cannot be regularly arrayed, leading to fluorescence scattering
Solution Approach 1:
The cup bottom is designed with a porous structure consisting of multiple pores with controlled diameter (5-20 μm) and depth (10-50 μm). This porous structure enables regular arraying of fluorescent beads within the pores while maintaining manufacturing simplicity through injection molding or similar processes, thereby preventing fluorescence scattering without significantly complicating the manufacturing process.
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
Enables accurate and reproducible measurement and analysis of small molecular weight proteins by containing beads within pores, reducing fluorescence scattering and increasing sensitivity, thus improving the detection of proteins like cytokines.
Implementation Method 1
the bottom is provided with a plurality of pores each configured to accommodate a corresponding one of the beads
Implementation Method 2
fluorescent beads as a fluorescent marker... measuring the amount of fluorescence or radiation from the marker after capture
Data Source
Figure 1A~1B
Figure 1C~1D
Figure 2~3
AI summary
A fluorescent immunoassay cup for use in analysis of an immune system using an antigen-antibody reaction, in which beads are used as fluorescent markers, is provided. The fluorescent immunoassay cup includes: a bottom; and a side wall connected to the bottom, wherein the bottom is provided with a plurality of pores each configured to accommodate a corresponding one of the beads, and a region between the pores on an upper side of the bottom is formed in a planar shape.