Reactor Plate Hermetic Sealing and Pressure-Dependent Injection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional micro well reactor plates are open to the atmosphere, risking contamination from foreign matter and leakage of reaction products, while existing liquid dispensing structures also pose environmental pollution risks due to open ports.
Innovation Solution
A reactor plate design featuring a reaction well with a hermetically sealed main channel, metering channel, and injection channel, where the injection channel is narrower than the metering channel, allowing liquid introduction and purging under specific pressure conditions, and a reaction well air vent channel connected to the reaction well to prevent external contamination and environmental pollution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the reactor plate is open to the atmosphere for easy access and operation, then ease of operation is improved, but foreign matter can enter the sample and reaction products can pollute the surrounding environment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a flexible membrane that seals the reaction well while allowing controlled access. The membrane can be punctured by a needle to enable liquid introduction and then seals automatically to prevent foreign matter entry and maintain hermetic sealing during the reaction process.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a needle as an intermediary tool that passes through the membrane to introduce liquids. This intermediary mechanism allows operation without direct opening of the reaction well, maintaining sealing while enabling necessary interventions.
2Reliability
If the injection channel is narrower than the metering channel to prevent liquid leakage, then reliability is improved, but liquid introduction and purging becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes dynamic pressure changes to overcome the narrow injection channel restriction. By applying positive pressure during liquid introduction and purging operations, the system temporarily overcomes the narrow channel resistance, then relies on the narrow channel design to prevent leakage during normal operation when no pressure is applied.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the pressure parameter during different operational phases. During liquid introduction and purging, positive pressure is applied to facilitate flow through the narrow channel. During reaction, pressure is equalized to maintain sealing. This parameter change allows the narrow channel to serve both functions of easy operation and leakage prevention.
3Reliability
If the main channel is hermetically sealed to prevent environmental pollution, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses flexible membranes as simple sealing elements compared to complex mechanical sealing systems. The membrane provides hermetic sealing through its elasticity and ability to conform to the reaction well opening, maintaining reliability while adding minimal structural complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The membrane sealing mechanism is self-sealing - when the needle is removed or the reaction is complete, the membrane automatically returns to its sealed position without requiring additional sealing mechanisms or complex control systems. This self-service特性 reduces overall device complexity.
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
The design effectively prevents foreign matter entry and environmental pollution by ensuring a closed system for liquid handling, allowing precise and controlled liquid injection and purging, enhancing the integrity of biochemical and chemical assays.
Implementation Method 1
The injection channel is formed narrower than the metering channel not so as to allow the passage of a liquid at a liquid introduction pressure applied to introduce the liquid into the main channel and the metering channel and at a purge pressure applied to purge the liquid from the main channel but so as to allow the passage of the liquid at a pressure higher than the liquid introduction pressure and the purge pressure
Implementation Method 2
The main channel and the reaction well air vent channel are hermetically sealed
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed herein is a reactor plate which prevents the entry of foreign matter from the outside and the pollution of a surrounding environment. A reactor plate (1) includes a reaction well (5), a reaction well channel connected to the reaction well (5), and reaction well air vent channels (19) and (21) connected to the reaction well (5). The reaction well channel has a main channel (13), a metering channel (15) branched off the main channel (13), and an injection channel (17) of which one end is connected to the metering channel (15) and the other end is connected to the reaction well (5). The main channel (13) and the reaction well air vent channel (21) can be hermetically sealed. The injection channel (17) is formed narrower than the metering channel (15) not so as to allow the passage of a liquid at a liquid introduction pressure applied to introduce the liquid into the main channel (13) and the metering channel (15) and at a purge pressure applied to purge the liquid from the main channel (13) but so as to allow the passage of the liquid at a pressure higher than the liquid introduction pressure and the purge pressure.