Patent ID: 7118909

Claim:
A bioassay apparatus comprising: a) a multi-well plate with at least one well, said well being defined by interior, vertical walls and a flat floor formed in a solid base unit; b) a rectangular base having a top surface and a front, a back, and side members defined by edges, said multi-well plate positioned on said top surface; c) a well-plate insert comprising a platform with a top surface, a bottom surface, and edges, said well-plate insert having at least one, open-ended, hollow cylinder, wherein said at least one, open-ended, hollow cylinder traverses said platform and is secured to said platform and said at least one, open-ended, hollow cylinder comprises a first length extending below said bottom surface of said platform, said first length terminating in a distal end, and said at least one, open-ended, hollow cylinder further comprises a second length extending above a top surface of said platform, and said second length terminating in a proximal end; and wherein said platform of said well-plate insert is physically joined to said rectangular base by mechanically adjustable connectors such that said distal end of said first length of said at least one, open-ended, hollow cylinder can contact a sample of biomaterial positioned on the floor of the at least one well of the said multi-well plate such that a fluid tight seal can be formed between said distal end of said first length of said at least one, open-ended, hollow cylinder and said floor of said at least one well formed in said multi-well plate; and d) a means to cover said proximal end of said second length of said at least one, open-ended, hollow cylinder, said means further being adapted to contact said edges of said platform when positioned to cover said proximal end.