Segmented Well Plate Incubator Lid for Robotic Access

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing incubators face challenges in maintaining the internal environment while allowing easy access for robotic arms or import/export tips, leading to contamination and decreased biological viability of materials.

Innovation Solution

The development of an incubator with a plurality of openings that provide access to wells in a cell culture plate, equipped with a sealing element that can move between closed and open positions to maintain the internal environment and allow access.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If the incubator lid is opened for access, then the robotic arm can reach the cell culture plate, but contaminants are introduced and the internal environment is disrupted

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveAccess to cell culture plateVSAvoidBiological viability of materials

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The lid is segmented into multiple sections with individual openings that can be independently opened or closed. This allows selective access to specific wells while maintaining the sealed state of other sections, enabling robotic access without fully opening the lid and thus preventing contamination of the entire internal environment.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different portions of the lid have different states - some areas are open for robotic access while other areas remain sealed to maintain the controlled internal environment. This local differentiation allows simultaneous achievement of access and contamination prevention.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Extent of automation

If a robotic arm is used to access the incubator, then automation is improved, but the complexity of movement required to open and access the interior increases

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveAutomated access to cell culture plateVSAvoidComplexity of robotic arm movement

Core Design Contradiction:

Extent of automationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The lid opening mechanism is segmented into simple, discrete movements for each lid section rather than requiring complex coordinated movements. This simplifies the robotic arm's task from manipulating a complex lid assembly to simply opening or closing individual segmented sections.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of having the robotic arm perform complex movements to open the lid and then access the plate, the lid is designed to be easily opened/closed while the robotic arm performs simple vertical insertion movements. The complexity is inverted from the arm's movement to the lid's structure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

3Ease of operation

If the lid is opened repeatedly, then access to the cell culture plate is improved, but the biological viability of materials is adversely affected

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveFrequency of accessVSAvoidBiological viability of materials

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The lid is divided into segments that can be opened independently. This allows repeated access operations to be performed on only the necessary segments while other segments remain closed, minimizing the frequency and extent of environmental exposure and thus protecting biological viability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Only the minimal necessary portion of the lid is opened for each access operation rather than opening the entire lid. This partial action reduces the impact on the internal environment while still providing sufficient access for the robotic arm to perform its function.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

4Ease of operation

If a larger incubator environment is created to house both the robotic arm and incubator, then access is improved, but the complexity and costs of the system greatly increase

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveAccess to cell culture plateVSAvoidSystem complexity and cost

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The incubator system is segmented into a compact incubator unit and a separate robotic access unit. The segmented lid design allows the robotic arm to access the incubator through controlled openings without requiring a larger integrated environment, thus maintaining system compactness while enabling automation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The segmented lid acts as an intermediary mechanism that enables communication between the robotic arm (external system) and the cell culture plate (internal environment) without requiring physical integration of the robotic arm into the incubator housing. This avoids the need for a larger combined system.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS12286614B2Well plate incubator

Publication Date: 2025.04.29 BRUKER SPATIAL BIOLOGY INC

AI summary

Incubators including an enclosure with an internal chamber configured to support a cell culture plate comprising a plurality of wells are disclosed. The enclosure includes a plurality of openings configured to allow access to the wells. The incubators include a sealing element configured to seal the plurality of openings in the enclosure. The sealing element comprises a plurality of openings corresponding to at least a subset of the plurality of openings in the enclosure. Access to the internal chamber can be provided by aligning the plurality of openings in the sealing element with the plurality of openings in the enclosure. Methods for using the incubators are also provided.