Permeable Membrane Support with Snap-Fit Coupling
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current permeable membrane supports face difficulties in separating cultured cells or tissues from hydrogel without deformation, making direct measurement and sequential testing challenging due to the attachment of the permeable membrane to a transparent support.
Innovation Solution
A permeable membrane support with a removable permeable membrane design featuring a snap-fit coupling mechanism between upper and lower supports, allowing for easy detachment and reattachment, enabling the permeable membrane to be separated intact and facilitating direct measurement and sequential testing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If the permeable membrane is bonded to a transparent support structure, then the structural stability and support for cell culture is improved, but the ease of separation and removal of the permeable membrane deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The support structure is divided into an upper support and a lower support that can be separated from each other. The permeable membrane is bonded to the lower support, which can be detached from the upper support, enabling easy removal of the membrane while maintaining structural stability during use.
Solution Approach 2:
The support structure transitions from a fixed bonded state to a separable dynamic state. The upper and lower supports can be assembled and disassembled, allowing the system to adapt between providing structural stability during culture and enabling easy separation for measurement and testing.
2Reliability
If the permeable membrane is firmly attached to the support, then the reliability of cell culture maintenance is improved, but the difficulty of separating the membrane without deformation increases
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the support into separable upper and lower parts, the membrane remains firmly attached to the lower support during culture (ensuring reliability) while the entire lower support can be easily detached from the upper support (reducing separation difficulty).
Solution Approach 2:
The lower support with the bonded membrane is extracted as a separate removable unit from the upper support. This allows the membrane to remain securely attached during use while enabling easy removal for measurement and testing without deformation.
3Strength
If the permeable membrane is integrated with the support structure, then the structural integrity is improved, but the ease of handling and measurement deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The support structure is segmented into upper and lower parts that can be easily handled separately. The membrane maintains structural integrity when bonded to the lower support, while the separable design enables easy handling and direct measurement without complex manipulation.
4Stability of the object's composition
If the permeable membrane is permanently bonded to the support, then the stability of the cell culture environment is improved, but the adaptability for sequential testing in different environments deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The support structure transitions from a fixed permanent bond to a dynamic separable connection. This allows the cell culture environment to remain stable during each testing phase while enabling easy reconfiguration for sequential testing in different environments by removing and replacing the lower support with the membrane.
Solution Approach 2:
The lower support with the membrane can be recovered and reused for sequential testing after completing one test. The separable design allows the same membrane to be transferred between different upper supports or testing conditions, enhancing adaptability while maintaining culture stability during each use.
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 separation of cultured cells or tissues without deformation, allowing for direct microscopic measurement and easy handling of the permeable membrane, improving the efficiency of cell culture and testing processes.
Implementation Method 1
The inner wall of the lower support and the deformable beam portion of the upper support include a hook and a groove, respectively, or include a groove and a hook, respectively, for snap-fit coupling between the lower and upper supports
Implementation Method 2
a permeable thin-film made of PC, PET, or PTFE is attached to a bottom of a transparent support
Implementation Method 3
pores of the permeable membrane have a diameter of 3 to 8 μm that is suitable for cells to pass through
Implementation Method 4
a sealing pattern bonded to a circumference of the porous thin-film
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
Figure 4~5
AI summary
A permeable membrane support having a removable permeable membrane is disclosed The permeable membrane support includes a lower support having a hollow cylinder shape with an outer diameter smaller than an inner diameter of a plate well so to be accommodated in the plate well, wherein the lower support includes: an upper end having a first opening and a lower end having a second opening; an inner wall extending between the upper and lower ends and having an open channel defined therein and extending therebetween and communicating with the first and the second openings; a support surface portion extending inwardly from an inner surface of a lower end of the inner wall and having a central opening defined therein constituting the open channel; an upper support including: a cylindrical lower member constructed to be partially accommodated in the lower support; a pair of opposing wings constructed to be supported on a top of the plate well; and a deformable beam portion extending upwardly from an upper circumferential end of the cylindrical lower member to the two opposing wings so as to connect the two opposing wings and the cylindrical lower member to each other; and a permeable membrane disposed between the support surface portion of the lower support and a bottom surface of the cylindrical lower member of the upper support, wherein the permeable membrane includes a porous thin-film and a sealing pattern bonded to a circumference of the porous thin-film, wherein the inner wall of the lower support and the deformable beam portion of the upper support include a hook and a groove, respectively, or include a groove and a hook, respectively, for snap-fit coupling between the lower and upper supports.