Tip Rack Assembly with Reversible Contamination Shield
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Solution Overview
Problem
Automated liquid handling systems face challenges in preventing cross-contamination during the processing of fluid biological samples, particularly in high-throughput analyses, where frequent replacement of pipet tips and waste containers is necessary to avoid contamination, leading to increased costs and waste.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a tip rack assembly with a contamination prevention shield having channels that can be reversibly docked to a common liquid waste container, allowing for the reuse of pipet tips and reducing the need for frequent replacement of waste containers, thereby minimizing cross-contamination risks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If disposable pipet tips are frequently replaced to prevent cross-contamination, then contamination control is improved, but cost and waste increase
Solution Approach 1:
The waste container is divided into multiple separate compartments, each dedicated to receiving waste from a specific pipet tip. This segmentation allows individual tips to be reused across multiple samples since their waste is isolated in dedicated compartments, reducing the frequency of tip replacement while maintaining contamination control.
Solution Approach 2:
A removable insert with multiple receptacles is introduced as an intermediary component between the pipet tips and the waste container. This insert organizes waste collection for multiple tips simultaneously, enabling tip reuse while preventing cross-contamination through physical separation of waste streams from different tips.
2Reliability
If entire waste containers are replaced frequently to avoid contamination, then contamination control is improved, but time and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The waste container system is segmented into a permanent container body and a removable insert containing multiple receptacles. When contamination risk arises, only the small insert needs to be removed and replaced, not the entire large waste container. This dramatically reduces the time and complexity of waste management operations while maintaining contamination control.
Solution Approach 2:
The insert with multiple receptacles is extracted as a separate, removable component from the waste container. This allows the insert to be independently replaced when needed, separating the replacement operation from the much larger waste container and thereby reducing the time and operational complexity required for maintenance.
3Reliability
If multiple separate waste containers are used for multiple pipet tips, then cross-contamination is prevented, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple individual waste receptacles are merged into a single integrated insert that fits into one waste container. This consolidation provides the cross-contamination prevention benefits of multiple separate containers while reducing system complexity by using a single unified structure instead of multiple separate containers that would each need to be managed independently.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to a method for disposing of a liquid within an automated analytical system for processing a fluid biological sample. In brief, a contamination prevention shield comprising channels for pipets or pipet tips is reversibly docked to a container for liquid waste in order to reduce the risk of cross-contamination. The invention also provides a tip rack assembly for processing a fluid sample, said assembly comprising a rack for pipet tips and said contamination prevention shield. A further aspect is an analytical system using said tip rack assembly, wherein cross-contamination is avoided.