Reagent Tray Holder Form-Fit Mounting for Flow Cells
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Solution Overview
Problem
The production of microfluidic flow cells with reagents faces challenges in maintaining reagent integrity during late production phases, particularly due to adhesive-bonding or welding processes, which can compromise the reagents. Existing solutions, such as using carrier elements, require complex handling and storage.
Innovation Solution
A form-fit mounting system for carrier elements that keeps a region clear for reagents, allowing for efficient processing, surface functionalization, and storage, with features like a plug configuration, handling regions, and a grid arrangement for easy access and stacking, and optional movable elements for easy retrieval.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If carrier elements are used to introduce reagents into flow cells, then reagent integrity is maintained during production, but handling and storage become complex
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting system divides the carrier element into distinct functional regions: a receptacle region for the reagent and a handling region for manipulation. This segmentation allows the reagent to be protected in its receptacle while the handling region provides easy access for processing, thereby maintaining reagent integrity while simplifying handling and storage operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The mounting system acts as an intermediary structure that holds multiple carrier elements in a grid arrangement. This intermediary mounting provides a standardized interface between the carrier elements and the production equipment, simplifying the handling and storage of carrier elements while maintaining their integrity through the form-fit connection.
2Reliability
If carrier elements are firmly fixed in mounting, then processing stability is improved, but retrieval requires excessive force
Solution Approach 1:
The connection between the carrier element and mounting is designed to be dynamically adjustable: during processing, the form-fit connection provides firm fixation for stability, while during retrieval, the connection can be easily released without requiring excessive force. This dynamic characteristic resolves the contradiction between processing stability and ease of retrieval.
Solution Approach 2:
The carrier element's plug configuration with a widening at the insertion end enables self-aligning insertion into the mounting's passage opening. The form-fit connection automatically establishes proper positioning and stable fixation during processing, while the design allows for easy self-release during retrieval without requiring complex mechanisms or excessive force.
3Productivity
If carrier elements are disposed in a plane in grid arrangement, then processing efficiency is improved, but storage space utilization decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting system transitions from a two-dimensional grid arrangement during processing to a three-dimensional stacked configuration for storage. Multiple mountings can be stacked vertically, utilizing the vertical dimension to improve storage space utilization while maintaining the efficient planar grid arrangement for processing operations.
Data Source
AI summary
An arrangement including a plurality of carrier elements for a reagent, which is to be introduced into a microfluidic device, in particular a flow cell, via the carrier element, and a holder receiving the plurality of carrier elements. The carrier element is fixed by positive fit in all spatial directions by the holder, keeping at least one region of the carrier element which receives the reagent clear.