Leak-Tight Microplate Assembly for Direct Sample Transfer
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing microplates require separate microplates for culturing and analyzing samples due to differing requirements, leading to labor-intensive, time-consuming, and risky pipetting steps that can damage or contaminate samples, reducing experimental throughput.
Innovation Solution
A microplate assembly with a donor and receiver microplate connected by a leak-tight structure, allowing direct transfer of samples between aligned or laterally shifted cavities without pipetting, using seals, adapters, and clamping devices for a robust and leak-proof connection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If separate microplates are used for culturing and analyzing samples, then each microplate can be individually optimized for its specific application, but the overall experimental process becomes labor-intensive, time-consuming, and prone to sample loss or contamination
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple microplates (donor microplate for culturing and receiver microplate for analysis) into a single integrated assembly with direct cavity communication. This allows samples to be transferred without external pipetting, maintaining individual optimization benefits while eliminating the productivity losses from manual transfer steps.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary connection structure (leak-tight connecting structure with seals and adapters) that enables direct fluid communication between donor and receiver microplates. This intermediary mechanism allows automated sample transfer while maintaining the specialized geometry of each microplate type.
2Ease of operation
If pipetting is used to transfer samples between microplates, then sample transfer can be performed, but the process introduces risks of sample damage, loss, and contamination
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a leak-tight connecting structure with seals and adapters as an intermediary to establish direct communication between donor and receiver cavities. This eliminates the need for pipetting operations, thereby removing the associated risks of sample damage, loss, and contamination while maintaining reliable sample transfer.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical pipetting system with a direct fluid communication system through sealed connections. Samples are transferred through the connected cavities without mechanical intervention, substituting a potentially harmful mechanical process with a passive, reliable fluid pathway.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple separate microplates are used in the workflow, then specific geometric requirements for different applications can be met, but the complexity of the overall system increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple functionally optimized microplates into a single assembly unit. The donor microplate maintains its culturing-optimized geometry while the receiver microplate maintains its analysis-optimized geometry, but they are combined through a connecting structure that reduces the overall system complexity compared to using completely separate plates in sequence.
Data Source
AI summary
A microplate assembly for a plurality of samples includes a donor microplate having a plurality of sample donor cavities. The microplate assembly further includes a receiver microplate having a plurality of sample receiver cavities each sample receiver cavity having a transparent receiver bottom configured to enable microscopic imaging. In addition, the microplate assembly includes a leak-tight connecting structure configured to assemble the donor microplate and the receiver microplate, with at least one of the sample donor cavities being in communication with at least one of the sample receiver cavities. Further aspects are a receiver microplate and a leak-tight connecting structure for a microplate assembly as well as a method for transferring samples by means of a microplate assembly.