Scribed transparency microplates mounted on a modified standard microplate.

The immense cost effectiveness of using transparencies as analyte handling implements in microplate instrumentation offers the possibility of application even in resource-limited laboratories. In this work, a standard microplate was adapted to serve as the permanent base for disposable scribed transparencies. The approach is shown to ameliorate evaporation, which can affect assay accuracy when analytes need to be incubated for some time. It also offers assurance against fluorescence measurement errors due to the cross-talk of samples from adjacent wells.

Transparency microplates under impact.

Transparency microplates enable biochemical analysis in resource-limited laboratories. During the process of transfer, the analytes tittered into the wells may undergo spillage from one well to another due to lateral impact. Sidelong impact tests conducted found the absence of non-linear effects (e.g., viscoelastic behavior) but high energy loss. Finite element simulations conducted showed that the rectangular plate holding the transparencies could undergo z-axis deflections when a normal component of the force was present despite constraints being used. High speed camera sequences confirmed this and also showed the asymmetrical z-axis deflection to cause the contact line closer to impact to displace first when the advancing condition was exceeded. Capillary waves were found to travel toward the contact line at the opposite end, where if the advancing contact angle condition was exceeded, also resulted in spreading. The presence of surface scribing was found to limit contact line movement better. With water drops dispensed on scribed transparencies, immunity from momentum change of up to 9.07 kgm/s on impact was possible for volumes of 40 µL. In the case of glycerol drops immunity from momentum change of up to 9.07 kgm/s on impact extended to volumes of 90 µL. The improved immunity of glycerol was attributed to its heightened dampening characteristics and its higher attenuation of capillary waves. Overall, scribed transparency microplates were able to better withstand spillage from accidental impact. Accidental impact was also found not to cause any detrimental effects on the fluorescence properties of enhanced green fluorescent protein samples tested.