Vertical Pipette Tip Nucleic Acid Binding Material
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for nucleic acid extraction are time-consuming, require extensive equipment, and are hazardous due to the use of chemicals like phenol and chloroform, and face issues with viscous solutions, foaming, and inefficient binding in automated processes.
Innovation Solution
A modified pipette tip with a vertically arranged nucleic acid-binding material, such as roughened metal screws or polymer disks, allows liquids to flow past the material, facilitating efficient binding, washing, and elution of nucleic acids without the need for chromatographic materials, thus overcoming previous structural and filling limitations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If porous chromatographic material is used horizontally in pipette tips, then nucleic acid binding capacity is improved, but liquid flow is blocked and foaming occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the conventional horizontal arrangement of porous material to a vertical arrangement. The roughened surface material is placed vertically in the pipette tip, allowing liquid to flow down one side and up the other side without blocking. This inversion resolves the contradiction by maintaining binding capacity while enabling continuous liquid flow.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from a two-dimensional horizontal surface to a three-dimensional vertical structure. The material is arranged vertically with roughened surfaces that provide binding sites while creating channels for liquid flow around and between the material pieces, eliminating occlusion issues.
2Productivity
If pipetting is performed repeatedly to process viscous lysates, then nucleic acid extraction is attempted, but complete occlusion of chromatographic material occurs
Solution Approach 1:
By inverting the material arrangement from horizontal to vertical, the patent prevents viscous lysates from completely occluding the binding material. The vertical arrangement with gaps allows liquid to flow around the material rather than becoming trapped, maintaining reliable extraction even with repeated pipetting of viscous samples.
3Quantity of substance
If more pipetting steps are performed to improve extraction, then nucleic acid binding increases, but foaming increases and extraction becomes impossible
Solution Approach 1:
The vertical arrangement inverts the flow pattern to prevent foam accumulation. Liquid flows down one side and up the other, creating a continuous flow that prevents foam buildup even during repeated pipetting steps, while still providing sufficient contact time for nucleic acid binding.
4Manufacturing precision
If classic phenol/chloroform extraction methods are used, then nucleic acid purification is achieved, but health hazards and time consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the hazardous phenol and chloroform chemicals from the extraction process. Instead, it uses a simple vertical material arrangement with roughened surfaces that enables effective nucleic acid binding without toxic chemicals, maintaining purification quality while removing health hazards.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces expensive and hazardous chemical reagents with a simple, disposable vertical material structure in a pipette tip. This single-use approach provides effective purification without the need for toxic chemicals that require special handling and disposal procedures.
5Productivity
If automated extraction processes are implemented, then productivity increases, but device complexity and setup requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The vertical material arrangement in a standard pipette tip serves multiple functions: it provides nucleic acid binding sites, allows liquid flow without occlusion, and works with both manual and automated systems. This universal design enables automated extraction without requiring specialized equipment, maintaining simplicity while increasing productivity.
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
This method enables quick, high-yield, and pure nucleic acid extraction with minimal equipment and safety risks, suitable for both manual and automated processes, and addresses issues of viscosity and foaming, providing a universal solution for nucleic acid isolation.
Implementation Method 1
binding of the DNA to glass particles
Implementation Method 2
dissolution of the agarose containing the DNA band to be isolated in a saturated solution of a chaotropic salt
Implementation Method 3
The DNA fixed to the glass particles is washed with a washing solution
Implementation Method 4
detaching the nucleic acid with an elution buffer by pipetting the elution buffer up and down
Data Source
Figure 1~2
AI summary
A device and method for extracting nucleic acids, comprising a hollow body, preferably a pipette tip, through which a fluid is guided, characterized in that a material with a rough or structured surface is arranged in this hollow body such that the material can be washed around with a fluid. After lysis of the sample and adjusting necessary binding conditions for the adsorption of the nucleic acids on the carrier material, the formulation is "pipetted past" the nucleic acid binding material located vertically in the pipette tip multiple times by means of a pipette process. The nucleic acids bind to the material. Subsequently, washing buffers are also "pipetted past" the nucleic acid binding material. A drying step subsequently takes place. Finally, the eluent is in turn "pipetted past" the nucleic acid binding material multiple times, said material being arranged vertically, and the bound nucleic acid is thereby dissolved. The nucleic acid is now available for necessary downstream application.