Micro-fabricated Multi-well Chips for Automated C. elegans Imaging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for studying aging in C. elegans are limited by focusing on lifespan measurement alone, laborious visual observation, and lack of scalability for high-throughput analysis, which restricts the ability to track individual trajectories and monitor behavior and development effectively.
Innovation Solution
The development of scalable compositions featuring a substrate with a planar array of depressions and a moat around each depression, made from materials like polyurethane and polydimethylsiloxane, allowing for longitudinal imaging and cultivation of large numbers of organisms, including C. elegans, in a microwell assembly that conforms to standard microplate formats.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If visual observation of worms on agar plates is used, then lifespan measurement can be performed, but the process becomes laborious and subjective, reducing throughput
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual visual observation with automated imaging systems that capture images of worms in microplates at regular intervals. Image analysis software automatically tracks worm position, movement, and lifespan, eliminating the need for laborious manual observation while maintaining measurement accuracy and enabling high-throughput analysis
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables self-service analysis where the imaging system and software automatically perform lifespan measurement and behavioral analysis without requiring manual intervention. The microplate format allows multiple samples to be processed simultaneously through automated imaging, increasing throughput while reducing operational complexity
2Productivity
If standard agar plates are used for worm cultivation, then worms can be grown, but scalability for high-throughput analysis is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the cultivation system into multiple independent microplates, each containing multiple wells that can be independently imaged and analyzed. This segmentation allows parallel processing of multiple samples simultaneously, enabling high-throughput analysis while maintaining simple individual well structures that are easy to manufacture and scale
Solution Approach 2:
The microplate format serves multiple functions: it provides individual cultivation chambers for each sample, enables automated imaging, facilitates high-throughput analysis, and maintains compatibility with standard laboratory equipment. This multi-functionality achieves scalability without increasing device complexity
3Productivity
If microtiter plates under liquid culture conditions are used, then throughput increases, but worm behavior, physiology, and lifespan are changed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent provides local quality control by allowing each well to be independently configured with appropriate media and conditions, enabling optimization for both high throughput and accurate worm phenotyping. The microplate format maintains controlled environments that preserve natural worm behavior while enabling automated high-throughput analysis
4Quantity of substance
If flatbed scanners are used to image worms on standard agar plates, then tens of thousands of worms can be imaged, but frame rate is low (∼1/hr), preventing tracking of young adult animals
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces slow flatbed scanning with high-speed automated imaging systems capable of capturing images at frequent intervals. The microplate format enables rapid sequential imaging of multiple wells, achieving high frame rates that allow tracking of young adult animal behavior and development while maintaining the ability to image large numbers of organisms
Data Source
AI summary
A composition, including a substrate having a planar array of depressions each defined by concave walls and a moat disposed around each depression of said array of depressions.