Through-Hole Glass Substrate for Liquid Droplet Optical Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing carriers for liquid droplets, such as glass and plastic plates with blind holes, face limitations in optical detection and handling due to optical interference and cross-contamination, particularly when dealing with small volume droplets.
Innovation Solution
A glass carrier with through-holes extending completely through its thickness, featuring tapered or V-shaped recesses that allow for precise positioning and detection of liquid droplets without optical interference, utilizing hydrophobic coatings to manage droplet volume and prevent cross-contamination, and optionally incorporating additional plates for isolation and control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If blind holes are used in glass plates for holding liquid droplets, then the carrier structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but optical detection is interfered with by the glass plate bottom
Solution Approach 1:
The glass plate is segmented into two functional surfaces: the top surface contains blind holes for droplet containment, while the bottom surface is made optically transparent for detection. This segmentation allows each surface to optimize its function without compromising the other.
Solution Approach 2:
The solution transitions from a single-sided blind hole structure to a through-hole structure that extends through the entire thickness of the glass plate. This dimensional change allows optical detection through the bottom surface while maintaining droplet containment at the top surface.
2Measurement precision
If through-holes are used instead of blind holes, then optical detection through the bottom side is enabled, but droplet positioning and volume control becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The inner walls of the through-holes are treated with hydrophobic coating in specific regions to create localized wetting properties. This local quality modification allows droplets to be positioned precisely within the through-holes while maintaining optical transparency for detection.
Solution Approach 2:
The hydrophobicity parameter of the hole walls is changed through coating treatment, which fundamentally alters droplet behavior from random distribution to controlled positioning. This parameter change enables both optical detection and precise droplet control.
3Quantity of substance
If small volume droplets are used, then the carrier can handle more samples simultaneously, but optical detection and handling becomes more challenging
Solution Approach 1:
The glass plate is divided into multiple through-holes, each containing a small volume droplet. This segmentation allows parallel processing of numerous samples while maintaining individual detectability through the transparent bottom surface.
Solution Approach 2:
The detection system replaces mechanical handling challenges with optical detection through the transparent bottom. Small droplets are detected optically rather than mechanically, enabling high-throughput analysis without increased handling 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
Enables efficient optical detection and handling of small volume liquid droplets by minimizing optical interference and preventing cross-contamination, while allowing for precise positioning and volume management, enhancing analytical methods like cell culture and component introduction/removal.
Implementation Method 1
at least one surface, preferably both surfaces, of the glass plate in which the cross-sectional openings of the recesses are located have a hydrophobic coating
Implementation Method 2
the liquid droplet is also held by its surface tension in its volume section that protrudes over the recess or a surface of the glass plate
Implementation Method 3
the optical detection can pass through the liquid droplets without passing through any part of the glass plate
Data Source
AI summary
The invention provides a carrier in the form of a glass plate having recesses formed therein which extend through the full thickness of the carrier and whose opposing terminal cross-sections are open in the plane of the opposing surfaces of the glass plate. The recesses therefore form through-holes through the glass plate and have an inside diameter of 5 to 1000 μm.