Microwell Identification via Paired Optical Markers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current cell culture vessels with microwells face challenges in identifying the position of individual microwells under a microscope without moving the viewing position, leading to intricate operations and risks of information misassociation during microscopic observation.
Innovation Solution
The solution involves attaching identifiers to individual microwells in pairs, where the relative position of each identifier to its partner microwell varies, allowing for easy identification without shifting the viewing position, and ensuring the identifiers are smaller than the microwell openings to be visible in photographs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If numerical or literal information tags are disposed to the outermost periphery of a microwell array to distinguish microwells, then micrawells can be distinguished with the help of a matrix system, but it becomes necessary to read identification information by shifting the viewing position far away from the micrawell during high magnification observation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses optical markers (reflection-type or absorption-type) that create visual copies or representations of micrawell positions directly in the microscope field of view. These markers act as visual copies that can be photographed together with the micrawells, eliminating the need to shift viewing positions to read identification information.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces optical markers as intermediary elements between the micrawells and the observer. These markers serve as mediators that provide position information directly in the microscope field, allowing identification without moving the viewing position away from the micrawell.
2Measurement precision
If identification information is disposed far from the micrawell to enable distinction, then micrawells can be distinguished, but the identification information is not present in the photograph and must be manually provided to the photo data
Solution Approach 1:
The optical markers create visual representations that are captured in the same photograph as the micrawells. This allows the identification information to be automatically associated with the correct micrawell in the photo data without manual intervention, as the markers are visually present in the image itself.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the identification function with the visual observation field by placing optical markers within the microscope field of view. This combining of identification markers and micrawell images in a single field eliminates the need for separate identification steps and manual data association.
3Ease of operation
If identifiers are disposed close to micrawells for easy identification, then viewing position does not need to be shifted, but identifiers may interfere with micrawell observation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different local qualities to different parts of the system: the optical markers have properties (reflection or absorption) that make them visible to the microscope, while the micrawells maintain their original optical properties for cell observation. This local differentiation allows markers to be visible without interfering with micrawell observation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses optical markers with different optical properties (reflection-type or absorption-type) that create visual contrast without interfering with the observation of micrawells and their contents. The markers' optical characteristics allow them to be distinguished from the micrawells while not obscuring the view of the cells within.
Data Source
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AI summary
The object of the present invention is to provide a cell culture vessel having a plurality of microwells, which allows to identify the position of a microwell by observing it under a microscope without moving a viewing position, which has identifiers to be easily disposed to the microwells. The present invention is directed to a cell culture vessel comprising a bottom and a sidewall, in which the bottom has a cell containing section in which a plurality of microwells for containing cells are disposed, identifiers are disposed in the vicinities of the plurality of microwells so as to make pairs in individual microwells, and the relative position of each of the identifiers to a partner microwell varies in every pair.