Kinetic Microplate with Temporary Seals for Spill Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional multi-well microplates face issues with spillage, leakage, evaporation loss, airborne contamination, and inter-well cross-contamination in high-throughput systems, particularly in high-throughput organic synthesis and screening processes, where maintaining a controlled environment and simultaneous reagent addition are critical.
Innovation Solution
A microplate assembly with open wells and adjacent reagent wells of a predetermined depth, featuring a temporary thin wall seal, allows for efficient reagent delivery and mixing through centrifugation or g-force induction, ensuring simultaneous mixing of reagents with well contents without spills or contamination.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional multi-well microplates are used in high-throughput systems, then standard sample holding and storage is achieved, but spillage, leakage, evaporation loss, airborne contamination and inter-well cross contamination occur
Solution Approach 1:
The microplate is divided into separate functional zones: kinetic wells for reactions and reagent wells for reagent storage. The reagent wells are further segmented with individual breakable seals that can be selectively broken to add reagents to specific kinetic wells, enabling precise control while maintaining overall system simplicity
Solution Approach 2:
Reagents are pre-loaded into reagent wells and sealed with breakable seals before the assay begins. This preliminary preparation allows for rapid, simultaneous addition of reagents to multiple wells by simply breaking the seals under centrifugal force, eliminating the need for complex automated reagent addition systems during the assay
2Productivity
If reagents are added to individual wells sequentially in conventional microplates, then reagent delivery is possible, but time is lost and simultaneous reactions cannot be achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The breakable seals are designed to be broken simultaneously by applying a periodic centrifugal force or impact. This periodic action causes all seals to fail at the same time, enabling simultaneous reagent delivery to multiple wells and synchronized start of reactions across the entire microplate
Solution Approach 2:
The manual or automated pipetting mechanism is replaced with a passive mechanical system where centrifugal force or impact automatically breaks the seals and delivers reagents. This substitution eliminates the need for complex automated liquid handling systems while achieving rapid, simultaneous reagent addition
3Ease of operation
If standard microplate assemblies are used, then basic well containment is provided, but mechanical mixing risks spills, leaks or cross contamination
Solution Approach 1:
The reagent wells and kinetic wells are merged into a single integrated microplate assembly with shared walls and base. This merging allows for simultaneous mixing of reagents and samples within the same sealed environment, eliminating the risk of cross-contamination between separate plate assemblies while enabling efficient mechanical mixing through centrifugal force
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
This solution effectively prevents contamination and ensures efficient reagent distribution across all wells, maintaining a controlled environment and facilitating synchronized reactions in high-throughput processes, even during shipment and handling.
Implementation Method 1
The reagent wells further comprise a temporary seal aligned along the depth of the reagent well
Implementation Method 2
injecting a plurality of reagent wells with in the microplate; loading the microplate into a g-force device; and performing centrifugation or other g-inducing method upon the microplate in order to mix the contents of the open wells and the reagent wells
Implementation Method 3
The reagent wells further comprises a temporary seal aligned along the depth of the reagent well and the temporary seal is a thin wall
Data Source
AI summary
A microplate assembly comprising a multi-well microplate and a plurality of reagent wells proximal the multi-wells. The microplate includes a frame that houses a plurality of open wells in a rectangular array. Reagent wells mounted within the microplate to react with the contents of the open wells during a g-force acting upon the microplate. The open wells function as a vessel for liquid samples that occupy predetermined spaces within the interior volumes. Each liquid sample remains within its predetermined space for all orientations of the microplate assembly.