Well Plate Reactor with Independent Micro-Environment Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional well plates for small-scale cell culture and fermentation lack control over essential parameters like oxygen levels, pH, and temperature, leading to suboptimal conditions for cell-based assays and experiments, which can result in noisy assay outputs and reduced experimental quality.
Innovation Solution
A well plate design with independently controllable oxygen, pH, and temperature settings, utilizing apertures for gas supply and sensors for real-time monitoring, coupled with a control system to maintain precise conditions in each well, mimicking the capabilities of larger scale fermenters.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If conventional well plates are used for small-scale fermentation, then cost is reduced and form factor is minimized, but control over oxygen levels, pH, and temperature is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The well plate is segmented with individual apertures in each well bottom, allowing independent gas supply to each well. This enables customized control of oxygen levels in each well while maintaining the low-cost well plate format
Solution Approach 2:
A gas supply system with control mechanisms serves as an intermediary between the external environment and the wells, enabling precise control of gas composition and flow to each well, thereby controlling oxygen levels, pH, and temperature
2Device complexity
If conventional well plates are used, then simplicity is maintained, but measurement and control capabilities are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The well plate design incorporates multiple functions including gas supply apertures, sensor integration, and control mechanisms within a single platform, enabling both simple operation and precise measurement/control of oxygen levels, pH, and temperature
Solution Approach 2:
Sensors are integrated into the well plate to provide real-time feedback on oxygen levels, pH, and temperature, which is then used by control mechanisms to adjust conditions, enabling precise measurement and control while maintaining operational simplicity
3Reliability
If small-scale fermenters are used, then performance capabilities are improved, but cost increases and form factor becomes larger
Solution Approach 1:
The well plate is segmented into multiple independent wells, each capable of functioning as a separate fermentation vessel with controlled conditions. This provides large-scale fermenter performance capabilities in a small, low-cost format by performing many small fermentations simultaneously
Solution Approach 2:
The well plate creates multiple copies of controlled fermentation environments in parallel, allowing simultaneous experimentation under identical or varied conditions, thereby providing robust performance capabilities at low cost through high-throughput parallel processing
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 design enhances control over the micro-environment, leading to more reliable and robust results, improved signal-to-noise ratios, and increased throughput in cell culture and fermentation processes.
Implementation Method 1
providing at least one gas to the contents of each well through a bottom surface of the well
Implementation Method 2
The well plate also includes a pH sensor and a dissolved oxygen sensor in each well
Data Source
AI summary
A well plate and its supporting devices provide capabilities found in larger fermenters, such as controlling the oxygen level, the pH level, and temperature of the contents of the well. The well plate includes a plurality of wells, each of which can be independently controlled. Apertures in the wells, for example, provide access for a gas supply and sensors within each well provide data relating to, e.g., oxygen and/or pH level in the well. A control system controls the gas supply for each well based on the information provided by the sensor within the well. Similarly, temperature control elements, such as a heater or cooler, is placed in thermal contact with the interior of the well, as is a temperature measurement element. A control system can independently control the temperature of the contents of the well based on information provided by the temperature measurement element for that well.