DE20311766U1 - Micro-titration plate has a number of holders in its flat surface, in a matrix configuration, with projecting rims around the holder openings and a ridge around the surface edge to support a covering film without sagging - Google Patents

Abstract

A micro-titration plate has a flat upper surface (3) with a number of holders (5) for the sample holders (6), arranged in a matrix configuration, and open (7) at the top. Each holder opening is surrounded by a raised rim (8). A ridge (9) is around the edge of the matrix, with a gap between it and the holder opening rims and/or at least partially extends around theoretical openings.

Description

Microtiter plate
The invention relates to a microtiter plate.

Microtiter plates are used for a wide variety of microbiological, cell culture and immunological processes. Microtiter plates are particularly used in PCR (polymerase chain reaction) or the cultivation of microorganisms or cells.

Microtiter plates have a large number of receptacles arranged in a matrix and having an opening on a substantially flat upper side of the microtiter plate. Known designs have, for example, a frame with a plate to which a large number of receptacle-forming vessels are fixed, which protrude from the underside of the plate.

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and whose opening is accessible from the top of the plate. Common microtiter plates have, for example, 96, 384 or 1536 wells.

During PCR, liquid samples must be repeatedly cycled through temperatures of 94 ⁰ C, 40 to 60 ⁰ C and 72 ⁰ C. To do this, the samples are placed in the microtiter plate holder, which in turn is placed in a temperature control block of a laboratory temperature control device. The temperature of the temperature control block runs through a temperature program so that the samples in the holders are subjected to the temperatures required for PCR.

When arranged in the temperature control block, the microtiter plates are covered by a cover, for example in the form of a self-adhesive film or a sealing plate, and pressed into their seat in the temperature control block by a pressure plate. This is intended to promote heat transfer between the temperature control block and the microtiter plate and to prevent evaporation losses of the liquid samples. Nevertheless, increased losses due to evaporation can be detected, particularly with the liquid samples in the receptacles in the outer edge area of the microtiter plate.

Microtiter plates are already known that have raised ridges at their corners that serve to support the films or plates in order to avoid evaporation losses. Considerable evaporation losses are still recorded with these microtiter plates.

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Based on this, the invention is based on the object of providing a microtiter plate that enables a reduction in the evaporation of liquid samples during PCR. The peripheral vessels should also behave the same way as the central vessels.

The object is achieved by a microtiter plate having the features of claim 1. Advantageous embodiments of the microtiter plate are specified in the subclaims.

The microtiter plate according to the invention has

- a substantially flat top,

- a plurality of receptacles arranged in a matrix and having an opening at the top,

first elevations on the top, each encircling an opening, and

- at least one second elevation on the upper side, which runs around the entire matrix at a distance from the first elevations and/or, corresponding to a first elevation, runs at least partially around imaginary openings of imaginary receptacles in continuation of the matrix.

In the context of the invention, it was found that when the microtiter plates are covered, for example with self-adhesive films or plates in the outer recesses, increased evaporation rates are due to the fact that the contact surface of the cover is uniform in the central area of the plate. There, each recess has eight neighbors.

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In contrast, in the outer rows and columns of the matrix, the cover does not adhere evenly on all sides. On the sides of the microtiter plate, the outer receptacles only have five neighbors. As a result, a sealing plate is less well sealed over the receptacles near the edge than over the central receptacles. In conventional microtiter plates, the film lies like a stretched cloth on the outer edge of the microtiter plate. Even if it is also pressed against an outer frame of the microtiter plate, the adhesion is not even across the entire plate and increased evaporation occurs in the edge area.

In the microtiter plate according to the invention, according to the first solution variant, the film or the lid is additionally supported by the surrounding second elevation. As a result, the cover is also pressed evenly onto the outer receptacles and a seal is achieved there as with the central receptacles, with the result of reduced evaporation rates in the outer receptacles. According to the second solution variant, the second elevation, corresponding to a first elevation, runs at least partially around imaginary openings of imaginary receptacles in continuation of the matrix. These are, for example, separate second elevations, each of which runs completely or partially around imaginary openings, or interconnected sections of the second elevation, which run completely or partially around the imaginary openings. As a result, the sealing conditions for the film or plate around the outer receptacles are largely adapted to the sealing conditions and the central receptacles.

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With the microtiter plate according to the invention, a uniformly low evaporation rate can be achieved across all microtiter plate slots. This in turn promotes the reproducibility of the PCR. No adjustments to the laboratory temperature control device, the films or the lid are required. In this respect, conventional devices can be used. Another advantage is the improved rigidity of the microtiter plate due to the second elevation.

According to a further embodiment, the shortest distance between the second elevation and the adjacent first elevation(s) corresponds to the shortest distance between adjacent first elevations in the matrix. This further evens out the investment conditions.

According to one embodiment, the second elevation is arranged at a distance from the outer edge of the flat top. The second elevation therefore runs between the first elevations around the openings in the outer rows and columns of the matrix and the outer edge. This promotes the sealing of the cover even in the edge area in microtiter plates in which the outer edge is further away from the adjacent first elevations than the shortest distance between adjacent first elevations in the matrix.

According to one embodiment, the first elevations have a circular ring-shaped course around the opening and/or the second elevation has a substantially rectangular course around the matrix.

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According to one embodiment, the first elevations and the at least one second elevation have an approximately identical projection over the upper side. This further improves the sealing of the film or plate.

According to one embodiment, the first elevations and/or second elevations are web-shaped.

According to one embodiment, the first elevations and/or the second elevation have a rectangular and/or an upwardly curved cross-section in a section perpendicular to the upper side.

The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawing, which shows an embodiment of the microtiter plate in a perspective view obliquely from above.

The microtiter plate 1 has a substantially rectangular plate 2 with a flat upper side 3. A circumferential collar 4 protrudes downwards from the outer edge of the plate 2.

Receptacles 5 are arranged in the plate 2 and are formed in vessels 6 projecting downwards from the plate 2 (in the drawing, only the vessels 6 of the first row are indicated with broken lines).

The vessels 6 are arranged in a matrix.

The receptacles 5 have openings 7 in the top side 3. The openings 7 are each surrounded by a narrow first elevation 8 on the top side 3. The first elevations 8 begin directly at the edge of the openings 7 and have a circular ring-shaped course corresponding to the circular edge of the openings 7.

Furthermore, a second elevation 9, which has a rectangular shape, runs around the entire matrix on the upper side 3. The second elevation 9 is at a distance from the outer edge of the plate 2. Its shortest distance to the adjacent first elevation 8 corresponds approximately to the shortest distance between adjacent first elevations 8 in the matrix.

The first and second elevations 8, 9 have approximately the same projection over the upper side 3. In the example, their cross-section perpendicular to the upper side 3 is rectangular.

The microtiter plate 1 is made from one or more plastics. It is injection-molded in a single step or in several steps (e.g. from PC or PP).

After filling the receptacles 5 with liquid samples for the PCR, the microtiter plate 1 is protected from evaporation of sample liquid by means of, for example, a self-adhesive film or lid. To do this, the film is stuck over the first elevations 8 and second elevations 9. The evaporation losses of the entire microtiter plate 1 are extremely low and evenly distributed over the receptacles 5.

Claims (7)

1. Microtiter plate with - a substantially flat upper surface ( 3 ), - a plurality of receptacles (S) arranged in a matrix and having an opening ( 7 ) at the top, - first elevations ( 8 ) on the upper side ( 3 ), each of which runs around an opening ( 7 ), and - at least one second elevation ( 9 ) on the upper side ( 3 ) which runs around the entire matrix at a distance from the first elevations ( 8 ) and/or, corresponding to a first elevation ( 8 ), runs at least partially around imaginary openings of imaginary receptacles in continuation of the matrix. 2. Microtiter plate according to claim 1, wherein the shortest distance of the second elevation ( 9 ) from the adjacent first elevation(s) ( 8 ) corresponds to the shortest distance between adjacent first elevations ( 8 ) in the matrix. 3. Microtiter plate according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the second elevation ( 9 ) is arranged at a distance from the outer edge of the flat upper side ( 3 ). 4. Microtiter plate according to one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the first elevations ( 8 ) have a circular ring-shaped course around the openings ( 7 ) and/or the second elevation ( 9 ) has a substantially rectangular course around the matrix. 5. Microtiter plate according to one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the first elevations ( 8 ) and the at least one second elevation ( 9 ) have an approximately identical projection over the upper side ( 3 ). 6. Microtiter plate according to one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the first elevations ( 8 ) and/or the second elevations are web-shaped. 7. Microtiter plate according to one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the first elevations ( 8 ) and/or the second elevation ( 9 ) have/have a rectangular and/or an upwardly curved cross-section in a section perpendicular to the upper side ( 3 ).