Microplate Well Cover With Movable Bars to Limit Evaporation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing microplate covers are inadequate in efficiently preventing or reducing liquid evaporation from microplate wells, leading to contamination and inefficient liquid handling due to the need for individual well operation.
Innovation Solution
A device with movable bars that open or close microplate wells using a system of movable bars and grooves, allowing simultaneous access to multiple wells while minimizing evaporation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of substance
If a thin film cover is used to cover the wells, then liquid evaporation is reduced, but liquid handling becomes contaminated and inefficient
Solution Approach 1:
The cover is divided into multiple movable bars that can independently open or close individual wells. Each bar corresponds to one or more wells and can be selectively positioned to allow access to specific wells while keeping others covered, enabling efficient liquid handling without contamination from the thin film cover.
Solution Approach 2:
The cover transitions from a static thin film to a dynamic structure with movable bars. These bars can be moved along grooves to open or close wells as needed, allowing the cover to adapt to different operational requirements and maintain both evaporation prevention and handling efficiency.
2Loss of substance
If a thin film cover is used to cover the wells, then liquid evaporation is reduced, but the cover structure becomes complex requiring liquid pipes to penetrate the film
Solution Approach 1:
The cover is segmented into multiple movable bars instead of using a continuous thin film. This segmentation eliminates the need for liquid pipes to penetrate the cover, as each bar can be independently opened to allow liquid access, significantly reducing structural complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The liquid pipe penetration requirement is extracted and eliminated by using movable bars that can be opened to allow direct liquid access. This removes the complex interaction between pipes and the thin film cover.
3Ease of operation
If individual wells are accessed one at a time, then precise liquid handling is possible, but productivity decreases due to time-consuming sequential operations
Solution Approach 1:
The cover is segmented into multiple movable bars that can be independently controlled. This allows selective opening of specific wells while keeping others covered, enabling precise liquid handling in multiple wells simultaneously without compromising productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple well access operations are merged into a single cover structure. The movable bars allow simultaneous or sequential access to multiple wells without removing the entire cover, combining the benefits of precise individual well handling with improved productivity.
Data Source
AI summary
Various implementations generally relate to a device to prevent or reduce liquid evaporation in microplate wells using a system of movable bars. The device includes multiple layers, including a base with a cavity configured to place a microplate, a set of movable bars placed on the upper surface of the base and configured to open or close portions of wells of the microplate, and a cover plate placed on top of the set of movable bars, wherein the cover plate is configured to hold the multiple layers of the device in place.