Pipette Tip Extension Geometry for Precise Tissue Area Isolation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for isolating specific areas of interest in biological samples, such as tumor cells from tissue sections, suffer from low spatial precision and contamination risks in mechanical scraping, and are costly and inefficient with laser capture microdissection, making them unsuitable for clinical workflows.
Innovation Solution
A pipette tip extension with distance elements that attach to a pipette tip, creating defined fluid uptake areas and channels for precise sample collection, allowing for automated and controlled interaction with areas of interest on tissue sections.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If mechanical scraping is used to isolate areas of interest, then the method is simple and inexpensive, but spatial precision is low and contamination occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a pipette tip extension as an intermediary device between the user and the tissue sample. This extension includes a defined fluid uptake area and distance elements that create a controlled gap between the pipette tip and the tissue surface, enabling precise liquid application without direct mechanical contact that causes contamination
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces mechanical scraping with a fluid-based system. Instead of using a knife or scraper to mechanically remove tissue, the system uses a pipette to deliver liquid reagents through a controlled fluid uptake area, eliminating mechanical contact and associated contamination while maintaining spatial precision
2Measurement precision
If laser capture microdissection is used to isolate areas of interest, then spatial precision is improved, but cost increases and automation is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a disposable pipette tip extension that can be easily manufactured and discarded after use. This inexpensive, single-use device eliminates the need for expensive, complex laser capture microdissection equipment while providing comparable spatial precision through the defined fluid uptake area and distance elements
Solution Approach 2:
The pipette tip extension is designed to be self-contained with integrated distance elements and fluid uptake areas that automatically define the interaction zone. The system requires no external laser system or complex automation, allowing manual operation with built-in precision through the physical geometry of the extension itself
3Ease of operation
If mechanical scraping is used, then the workflow is simple, but contamination of surrounding areas occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The pipette tip extension acts as a protective intermediary barrier between the user's manual operations and the tissue sample. The defined fluid uptake area and distance elements create a controlled interface that prevents uncontrolled mechanical contact and contamination of surrounding tissues while maintaining operational simplicity
Solution Approach 2:
By replacing mechanical scraping with a fluid-based pipetting system, the patent eliminates the source of contamination. The liquid reagents are delivered through a controlled fluid uptake area that does not mechanically contact the tissue, thereby preventing contamination of both the sample and the user
Data Source
AI summary
A pipette tip extension having a proximal end, a distal end, and an exterior wall extending between the proximal end and the distal end. The exterior wall has an outer side and an inner side and encloses an inner cavity which is delimited by the inner side of the exterior wall. The exterior wall forms at the proximal end a reception aperture. The pipette tip extension further has one or more distance elements arranged at the inner side of the exterior wall and protrudes into the inner cavity.