Sensor Array Rotor Housing for Centrifugal Analyte Deposition
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Solution Overview
Problem
In small-scale sensor arrays used in chemistry, molecular biology, and biomedical sciences, depositing analytes onto sensors is challenging due to factors like Brownian motion overpowering gravity, making it difficult to accurately place analytes on decreasingly sized sensors.
Innovation Solution
A rotor assembly with a rotor plate, bucket, and stop plate that rotates around central axes, featuring a housing with a solution inlet, outlet, transfer basin, and collection reservoir, allowing for controlled angular positioning and fluid transfer to engage sensor arrays, facilitating the deposition and removal of solutions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If the number of sensors increases and the size of individual sensors decreases, then the sensor array can detect more analytes, but depositing analytes onto the sensors becomes increasingly difficult due to Brownian motion overpowering gravity
Solution Approach 1:
The rotor assembly pre-positions analytes in solution within the bucket before rotation begins. The controlled rotation then systematically delivers analytes to sensor locations, replacing random Brownian motion with deterministic centrifugal delivery. This preliminary positioning and controlled delivery mechanism ensures accurate analyte placement even on miniaturized sensors.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces passive gravitational settling with active centrifugal force generation through controlled rotation. By substituting the weak gravitational field with a stronger, controllable centrifugal field, the system overcomes Brownian motion effects and achieves precise analyte deposition on small-scale sensors.
2Reliability
If a rotor assembly is designed to retain solution in a collection reservoir, then solution can be removed after spinning, but the mechanism to control solution retention and release adds complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The collection reservoir is designed with dynamic retention characteristics where solution is held during rotation through centrifugal force and geometric constraints, then automatically released when rotation stops. The housing structure uses dynamic elements like flexible membranes or gravity-responsive gates that change state based on rotational status, enabling automated solution retention and release without complex control systems.
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 efficient retention and removal of solutions from the collection reservoir, improving the loading process for sensor arrays by utilizing centrifugal force to manage analyte placement and retrieval, enhancing the precision and efficiency of analyte deposition.
Implementation Method 1
spinning the rotor assembly, the bucket rotating to a horizontal or negative angle relative to a plane of rotation of the rotor assembly, and the solution flowing out of the fluid outlet, over the solution retainer, and into the transfer basin
Data Source
AI summary
A rotor assembly includes a rotor plate to rotate around a first axis, a bucket attached to the rotor plate and to rotate around a second axis, and a stop plate to rotate around the first axis between an open position and a closed position. When in the closed position, the stop plate engages the bucket to fix an angular position of the bucket relative to a plane of rotation of the rotor assembly. The rotor assembly further includes a housing for a sensor array component, the housing disposed in the bucket and including a solution inlet, a solution outlet, a transfer basin, a solution retainer disposed between the solution outlet and the transfer basin, and a collection reservoir in fluid communication with the transfer basin. The solution inlet and the solution outlet to engage ports of a flow cell of a sensor array.