Patent ID: 7208125

Claim:
A method of reducing evaporation from one or more wells of a first multiwell plate that is configured to be placed into a stacked configuration with a second multiwell plate having the same general configuration as the first multiwell plate, the method comprising: providing each of the first and the second multiwell plates with a plurality of blind wells and opposing side walls that extend around the plate and that define a ridge spaced inwardly of the side walls and extending around the plate between the side walls; providing each of the first and the second multiwell plates with a downwardly extending flange that extends around a lower surface of the plate; at least partially filling the ridge of the first multiwell plate with a liquid; and removably positioning the second multiwell plate on the first multiwell plate such that the flange of the second multiwell plate extends at least partially into the ridge of the first multiwell plate and contacts the liquid to thereby create a substantial evaporation barrier to prevent air entrance to the wells of the first multiwell plate to minimize evaporation of sample liquids in the wells when the second multiwell plate is positioned on the first multiwell plate.