Microfluidic Microplate With Absorbent Pad For Evaporation Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional microplate assays face challenges with high reagent volumes, long incubation times, and reproducibility issues, particularly in high-density formats like 1536 well plates, where ultra-small volumes can evaporate, altering net concentrations and requiring specialized instrumentation. Additionally, the integration of microfluidic systems with standard microplate formats is hindered by the need for external flow controls and customized interfaces.
Innovation Solution
A microfluidic microplate design that integrates microfluidic channels with a conventional microplate architecture, where each well is connected to a microchannel via a through-hole, sealed by an absorbent pad, allowing liquid to be drawn into the channel by capillary forces and emptied into the pad, enabling efficient fluid handling without external pumping, and maintaining compatibility with standard instrumentation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of substance
If conventional microplate assays use high-density formats like 1536 well plates to reduce reagent volumes, then reagent consumption is reduced, but ultra-small volumes can evaporate altering net concentrations and requiring specialized instrumentation
Solution Approach 1:
An absorbent pad is introduced as an intermediary component between the microplate wells and the external environment. The pad absorbs excess liquid from the wells and maintains stable liquid levels, preventing evaporation-induced concentration changes while allowing the use of high-density plate formats for reduced reagent consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention modifies the liquid volume parameter in the microplate system by using the absorbent pad to dynamically adjust and stabilize liquid levels. This allows the system to maintain reliable concentration parameters even in high-density formats where volumes are inherently smaller and more susceptible to evaporation.
2Loss of substance
If conventional microplate assays use high-density formats like 1536 well plates to reduce reagent volumes, then reagent consumption is reduced, but specialized instrumentation is required
Solution Approach 1:
The absorbent pad serves multiple functions: it stabilizes liquid volumes, prevents evaporation, and maintains compatibility with standard microplate readers. This universal component enables high-density plate formats to work with conventional instrumentation, eliminating the need for specialized equipment while still achieving reduced reagent consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The absorbent pad acts as a mediator that bridges the gap between high-density plate formats and conventional instrumentation. It modifies the liquid handling characteristics to be compatible with standard readers, allowing reduced reagent volumes to be used without requiring specialized measurement or handling equipment.
3Extent of automation
If microfluidic systems are integrated with standard microplate formats to improve fluid handling, then automation and reproducibility are enhanced, but external flow controls and customized interfaces are required
Solution Approach 1:
The absorbent pad creates a self-regulating fluid handling system that automatically absorbs excess liquid and maintains stable levels without requiring external pumps or flow controllers. This self-service mechanism simplifies the integration with standard microplate formats by eliminating the need for complex external flow control systems while still providing automated fluid handling.
4Measurement precision
If conventional microplate assays use standard incubation times to ensure complete reactions, then assay accuracy is maintained, but incubation times are long
Solution Approach 1:
The absorbent pad maintains continuous contact with the liquid in the wells, ensuring constant absorption and stable reaction conditions throughout the incubation period. This continuous action allows reactions to proceed efficiently under optimized conditions, potentially reducing the time required to achieve complete reactions while maintaining assay accuracy.
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 design reduces reagent consumption, accelerates assay times, enhances reproducibility, and simplifies operation by automating fluid handling, allowing for efficient immunoassay and cell-based analysis with reduced operator error and comparable costs to conventional microplates.
Implementation Method 1
liquid to be drawn into the channel by capillary forces and emptied into the pad
Data Source
AI summary
This invention discloses novel improvements to conventional microtiter plates, involving integrating microfluidic channels with such microtiter plates to simplify the assay operation, Increase operational speed and reduce reagent consumption. The present invention can be used in place of a conventional microliter plate and can be easily substituted without any changes to the existing instrumentation systems designed for microtiter plates. The invention also discloses a microfluidic device integrated with sample loading wells wherein the entire flow process is capillary driven.