Multiwell Instrument With Permeable Filters For Cell Interaction Studies
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional microtiter plates are limited in their ability to study interactions among different biological specimens, such as cell strains from different organs, due to independent wells that do not share a culture medium, making it difficult to observe the effects of secreted substances on adjacent cells without direct contact.
Innovation Solution
A multiwell instrument with filters between adjacent wells allows specific substances to pass through while preventing the biomaterials from moving between wells, enabling the study of interactions and influences without direct cell contact, using filters with adjustable hole diameters based on the substance size.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If wells are made independent without filters, then ease of operation is improved, but the ability to study interactions among different biological specimens deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
A filter is introduced as an intermediary component between adjacent wells. This filter allows culture medium to pass through while preventing direct contact between biomaterials (cells, organs, microorganisms) in different wells. The filter acts as a mediator that enables substance exchange while maintaining physical separation, thus allowing study of interactions through secreted substances without direct cell contact.
Solution Approach 2:
The filter is designed as a porous material with specific pore sizes that permit passage of culture medium and secreted substances while blocking larger biomaterials. The porous structure enables selective permeability based on size, allowing small molecules and fluids to pass while retaining cells and larger biological specimens in their respective wells.
2Adaptability or versatility
If filters are added between wells, then the ability to study interactions is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The filter component serves multiple functions simultaneously: it acts as a physical barrier preventing biomaterial passage, a selective permeable membrane allowing culture medium exchange, and a support structure for studying inter-well interactions. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional separate components, thereby limiting the increase in device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The filter's pore size parameter can be adjusted based on the specific application requirements. By changing the pore diameter parameter, the same filter design can accommodate different biomaterial sizes (cells, organs, microorganisms) and different study objectives, reducing the need for multiple specialized components and thereby limiting complexity increase.
3Reliability
If filters with small hole diameters are used, then prevention of biomaterial passage is improved, but substance passage capability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The filter's pore diameter parameter is precisely controlled and adjusted based on the size of the biomaterial being cultured. By optimizing this parameter, the filter achieves reliable blockage of biomaterials while maintaining sufficient passage capability for culture medium and secreted substances. The parameter optimization ensures both reliability in prevention and adequate substance exchange.
Solution Approach 2:
The filter utilizes porous material science to achieve selective permeability. The porous structure provides numerous passage channels that collectively maintain high substance exchange capability even when individual pore sizes are small enough to block biomaterials. The total effective pore area compensates for the small individual pore size, ensuring adequate substance passage.
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
Enables the observation of the effects of secreted substances on adjacent cells, facilitating the study of interactions and screenings, while maintaining the biomaterials in their respective wells, thus extending the use method of conventional microtiter plates.
Implementation Method 1
a filter that is disposed between at least one well of the plurality of wells and a well adjacent to the well
Implementation Method 2
The filter is preferably a filter that does not allow a predetermined substance to pass through... A hole diameter of the filter is properly selectable in accordance with the kind of the specific substance secreted
Data Source
AI summary
A multiwell instrument includes a vessel having an inside; a plurality of culture plates arranged in the inside of the vessel, each individual one of the plurality of culture plates having an inside in which material to be examined can be stored; and filters disposed inside the respective culture plates to partition the insides of the respective culture plates into at least two wells which are horizontally adjacent.