Well Strip Extractor Press for Selective Plate Removal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for removing individual well strips from a well strip plate are difficult and cumbersome, as each strip must be held securely within a full 96-well frame for initial processing, making it hard to extract and analyze specific strips or groups of wells efficiently.
Innovation Solution
A well strip extractor press with a manually pivotable carrier and adjustable extractor arms that engage the bottom of the well strip plate, allowing selected strips to be dislodged from their seating by pivoting extractor pins, enabling easy removal of individual or groups of well strips.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If well strips are held securely within a full 96-well frame for initial processing, then processing stability is improved, but removal difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The device segments the 96-well plate into 12 individual well strips that can be independently manipulated. The extractor press applies localized force to specific strips, allowing them to be removed individually from the frame while leaving other strips undisturbed. This segmentation enables selective removal without compromising the stability of remaining strips during processing.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts individual well strips from the integrated 96-well frame structure. The extractor press mechanism allows specific strips to be detached and removed from the frame, separating them from the remaining strips. This extraction capability resolves the contradiction by enabling easy removal of selected strips while maintaining the structural integrity and processing stability of the frame and other strips.
2Ease of operation
If all strips are removed together for analysis, then handling simplicity is improved, but analysis efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The device enables segmentation of the well strip plate into individually removable strips. Users can selectively remove only the strips containing wells that require analysis, rather than removing the entire plate. This selective segmentation improves analysis efficiency by reducing the number of strips that need to be handled and analyzed, while maintaining handling simplicity through the standardized extractor press mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention applies partial action by allowing removal of only the necessary strips for analysis rather than all strips. The extractor press enables selective detachment of specific strips based on experimental requirements. This partial removal approach improves analysis efficiency by minimizing the total number of strips processed, while the standardized extraction mechanism ensures ease of operation for each individual strip removal.
3Device complexity
If individual strips are removed manually without assistance, then device simplicity is improved, but removal precision decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The extractor press acts as an intermediary mechanism between the user and the well strips. The device provides a standardized mechanical interface with extractor pins that precisely engage with the bottom of well strips. This intermediary mechanism improves removal precision by ensuring consistent, controlled force application, while maintaining relative simplicity through the manual pivotable design and lack of complex automation systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces manual, imprecise finger-based strip removal with a mechanical extractor press system. The press arms with extractor pins provide controlled, repeatable force application that is more precise than manual manipulation. The mechanical system maintains simplicity through its manual pivotable operation, avoiding the need for complex automated positioning and actuation mechanisms while achieving superior removal precision.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed herein are a device and method for the easy removal of selected individual wells, selected groups/strips of wells, or all strips of wells quickly and safely from a well strip plate. A well strip extractor press may include a manually pivotable well strip plate carrier having an open bottom, and an adjustable well strip extractor assembly having multiple press arms positioned to engage the bottom of a well strip plate positioned in the well strip plate carrier. A user may manually position a selection of press arms to align with those well strips that the user wishes to remove from the well strip plate. The user may lower the plate carrier into a frame assembly that pivotably mounts the press arms, causing the selected well strips that are to be dislodged from the well strip plate to engage individual extractor pins on the selected press arms, in turn causing those extractor pins to push the bottom portions of the selected well strips upward so as to at least partially dislodge from their seating within the strip well plate. Thereafter, a user may slide the strip well plate out from the plate carrier and remove the selected well strips from the well strip plate with ease.