Tape Adaptor

A microtiter plate comprising, in combination:

• a bottom plate having first and second ends spaced in a first direction and upper and lower side walls extending between the first and second ends, with the upper and lower side walls spaced in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, a top plate including first and second ends spaced in the first direction and upper and lower faces extending between the first and second ends of the top plate, with the upper and lower faces spaced in the second direction, with the top plate mounted to the upper side wall of the bottom plate, with a space defined between the upper side wall of the bottom plate and the lower face of the top plate, with a first slit formed between the first end of the top plate and the first end of the bottom plate and extending in the third direction, and a tape segment received in the space and including first and second ends spaced in the first direction, with the tape segment further including an array of wells between the first and second ends of the tape segment, with the array of wells including a plurality of columns spaced in the first direction and a plurality of rows spaced in the third direction and having a number corresponding to that of the plurality of grooves, with the tape segment further including first and second edges on two sides of the array of wells and spaced from the array of wells in the third direction, and with the tape segment positioned relative to at least one of the top and bottom plates in the first direction, with the bottom plate further including a plurality of grooves extending from the upper side wall towards but spaced from the lower side wall, with the plurality of grooves parallel to each other in the first direction and spaced from each other in a third direction perpendicular to the first and second directions, with the first slit extending in the third direction for an extent for slideably receiving the first and second edges of the tape segment, with the tape segment slideably extending through the first slit in the first direction into the space, with the plurality of rows of the array of wells of the tape segment received in the plurality of grooves of the bottom plate, positioning the array of wells of the tape segment relative to the bottom plate in the third direction.

A tape adaptor comprising, in combination:

• a bottom plate having first and second ends spaced in a first direction and upper and lower side walls extending between the first and second ends, with the upper and lower side walls spaced in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, with the bottom plate further including first and second longitudinal edges extending between the first and second ends and spaced in a third direction perpendicular to the first and second directions, a first ridge extending from the first longitudinal edge and extending away from the lower side wall of the bottom plate in the second direction, a second ridge extending from the second longitudinal edge and extending away from the lower side wall of the bottom plate in the second direction, and a top plate including first and second ends spaced in the first direction and upper and lower faces extending between the first and second ends of the top plate, with the upper and lower faces spaced in the second direction, with the top plate mounted to the upper side wall of the bottom plate, with a space defined between the upper side wall of the bottom plate and the lower face of the top plate, with the space (40) adapted to receive a tape segment including an array of wells having a plurality of columns spaced in the first direction and a plurality of rows spaced in the third direction, with the tape segment further including first and second edges on two sides of the array of wells and spaced from the array of wells in the third direction, with a first slit formed between the first end of the top plate and the first end of the bottom plate and extending in the third direction, with the tape segment positioned relative to at least one of the top and bottom plates, with the first slit extending in the third direction for an extent generally equal to and for slideably receiving the first and second edges of the tape segment, with the first ridge extending along the first longitudinal edge, with the second ridge extending along the second longitudinal edge, and with the tape segment being adapted to slideably extend through the first slit into the space in the first direction with the first and second edges of the tape segment slideably resting on the first and second ridges of the bottom plate.

A tape adaptor comprising, in combination:

• a bottom plate having first and second ends spaced in a first direction and upper and lower side walls extending between the first and second ends, with the upper and lower side walls spaced in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and a top plate including first and second ends spaced in the first direction and upper and lower faces extending between the first and second ends of the top plate, with the upper and lower faces spaced in the second direction, with the top plate mounted to the upper side wall of the bottom plate, with a space defined between the upper side wall of the bottom plate and the lower face of the top plate, with the space adapted to receive a tape segment including an array of wells having a plurality of columns spaced in the first direction and a plurality of rows spaced in the third direction and having a number corresponding to that of the plurality of grooves, with a first slit formed between the first end of the top plate and the first end of the bottom plate and extending in the third direction, with the bottom plate further including a plurality of grooves extending from the upper side wall towards but spaced from the lower side wall, with the plurality of grooves parallel to each other in the first direction and spaced from each other in a third direction perpendicular to the first and second directions, with the first slit extending in the third direction for an extent for slideably receiving the first and second edges of the tape segment, with the tape segment being adapted to slideably extend through the first slit into the space in the first direction and positioned relative to at least one of the top and bottom plates in the first direction, with the plurality of rows of the array of wells of the tape segment adapted to be received in the plurality of grooves of the bottom plate to position the array of wells of the tape segment relative to the bottom plate in the third direction.