Patent ID: 8007744

Claim:
A platform for holding chemical, biological or biochemical samples, comprising; a base plate having a top surface, a first end, a second end, and a plurality of compartments, said compartments being integrally formed of the same material with said base plate and not a separate piece connected to the base plate; said compartments each having a bottom formed by said base plate and a sidewall formed by a raised area on said base plate extending upward from said bottom to an upper edge of said sidewall, there being nothing attached to said upper edge of said sidewall such that the upper edge is the uppermost part of the compartments, said bottom having a width measured in a unit of measure and said sidewall having a height above said bottom to said upper edge measured in said unit of measure, said bottom and said sidewall forming a three-dimensional chamber having an opening in the upward direction; wherein the ratio of said width of said bottom to the height of said sidewall is at least 12; a first contact surface disposed at said first end of said base plate and extending beyond the perimeter of said compartments and a second contact surface disposed at said second end of said base plate and extending beyond the perimeter of said compartments, said first contact surface and said second contact surface configured to contact a surface of a conventional microtiter plate when said platform is inserted into a conventional microtiter plate; at least one projection extending downward from said base plate and configured to clip into a corresponding recess in a conventional microtiter plate; and a removable volume enlarging device comprising a plurality of volume enlarging chambers in the form of a strip or a matrix, the volume enlarging chambers each having a volume enlarging chamber sidewall that press fits onto the sidewall of a compartment in a liquid-tight manner, each volume enlarging chamber having an open top and bottom which can be removably placed onto the walls of the compartments to enlarge the height of the sidewalls of the compartments.