Sieving apparatuses for pupae separation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11744235-B2
Application number	US-202218070264-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 28, 2022
Priority date	Mar 23, 2017
Publication date	Sep 5, 2023
Grant date	Sep 5, 2023

Abstract

A male population of mosquito pupae sorted according to a sorting method is described. The sorting method may include adding a mixed population of mosquito pupae into an interior volume of a sieving container including base defining a set of openings enabling movement of mosquito pupae from the interior volume through the set of openings. The mixed population of mosquito pupae may include male mosquito pupae and female mosquito pupae. The method may also include adding a volume of aqueous solution to the interior volume. The method may also include removing a portion of the male pupae from the mixed population of mosquito pupae to by performing a sieving action that causes the portion of the male pupae and a portion of the volume of water to pass from the interior volume through the set of openings. The method may also include capturing the portion of the male pupae as the male population of mosquito pupae after the portion of the male pupae has passed through the set of openings.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A male population of mosquito pupae sorted according to a method, wherein the method comprises:
adding a mixed population of mosquito pupae into an interior volume of a sieving container, the sieving container comprising a base and a perimeter wall encircling the base to form the interior volume, the base defining a set of openings enabling movement of mosquito pupae from the interior volume through the set of openings, and the mixed population of mosquito pupae comprising male mosquito pupae and female mosquito pupae;
adding a volume of aqueous solution to the interior volume;
removing a portion of the male mosquito pupae from the mixed population of mosquito pupae to by performing a sieving action that causes the portion of the male mosquito pupae and a portion of the volume of aqueous solution to pass from the interior volume through the set of openings; and
capturing the portion of the male mosquito pupae as the male population of mosquito pupae after the portion of the male mosquito pupae has passed through the set of openings.

2. The male population of mosquito pupae of claim 1 , wherein individual openings of the set of openings of the sieving container are defined by:
a length dimension measured along a longitudinal axis of a respective opening; and
a width dimension measured along a transverse axis of the respective opening, the width dimension corresponding to a representative cephalothorax width of a representative pupae of the mixed population of mosquito pupae.

3. The male population of mosquito pupae of claim 2 , wherein the representative cephalothorax width is a narrowest expected cross-sectional cephalothorax width.

4. The male population of mosquito pupae of claim 1 , wherein the sieving action comprises moving the sieving container by raising, lowering, agitating, oscillating, and/or shaking the sieving container.

5. The male population of mosquito pupae of claim 1 , wherein the male population of mosquito pupae consist of male Aedes aegypti mosquito pupae.

6. The male population of mosquito pupae of claim 1 , wherein the sieving action causes the mixed population of mosquito pupae to be separated into two groups, a first group consisting of the portion of the male mosquito pupae and a second group comprising female mosquito pupae.

7. A male population of mosquito pupae sorted according to a method, wherein the method comprises:
adding a volume of aqueous solution comprising a mixed population of mosquito pupae to an interior volume of a sieving container, the sieving container comprising a base and a perimeter wall encircling the base to form the interior volume, the base defining a set of openings enabling movement of mosquito pupae from the interior volume through the set of openings, and the mixed population of mosquito pupae comprising male mosquito pupae and female mosquito pupae;
performing a sieving action that causes a portion of the male mosquito pupae to be removed from the mixed population according to cephalothorax width, wherein performing the sieving action causes the portion of the male mosquito pupae to pass from the interior volume through the set of openings; and
capturing the portion of the male pupae as the male population of mosquito pupae after the portion of the male pupae has passed through the set of openings.

8. The male population of mosquito pupae of claim 7 , wherein individual openings of the set of openings are defined by:
a length dimension measured along a longitudinal axis of a respective opening; and
a width dimension measured along a transverse axis of the respective opening, the width dimension corresponding to a representative cephalothorax width of a representative mosquito pupae of the mixed population of mosquito pupae.

9. The male population of mosquito pupae of claim 8 , wherein the representative cephalothorax width is a narrowest expected cross-sectional cephalothorax width.

10. The male population of mosquito pupae of claim 7 , wherein performing the sieving action comprises moving the base relative to a first volume of liquid or moving a second volume of liquid relative to the base.

11. The male population of mosquito pupae of claim 7 , wherein the base is characterized by a planar surface.

12. The male population of mosquito pupae of claim 11 , wherein the set of openings are elongated, and wherein the set of openings are characterized by a repeating pattern of elongated openings extending through the planar surface.

13. The male population of mosquito pupae of claim 7 , wherein performing the sieving action separates the mixed population of mosquito pupae into a first set of mosquito pupae that remain within the interior volume and a second set of mosquito pupae that pass through the set of openings, wherein the male population of mosquito pupae comprises the second set of the mosquito pupae.

14. The male population of mosquito pupae of claim 13 , wherein the first set of mosquito pupae are substantially female mosquito pupae and the second set of mosquito pupae are substantially male mosquito pupae.

15. A population of male Aedes aegypti mosquito pupae sorted according to a method, wherein the method comprises:
pouring a mixed population of mosquito pupae onto a base of a sieving container defining an interior volume, the base defining a set of openings enabling movement of mosquito pupae from the interior volume through the set of openings, the set of openings sized according to a cephalothorax width of a representative mosquito pupae from the mixed population of mosquito pupae, and the mixed population of mosquito pupae comprising male Aedes aegypti mosquito pupae and female Aedes aegypti mosquito pupae;
removing a portion of the male Aedes aegypti pupae from the mixed population of mosquito pupae by introducing a volume of aqueous solution onto the base of the sieving container, wherein the volume of aqueous solution causes the portion of the male Aedes aegypti mosquito pupae to pass from the interior volume through the set of openings; and
capturing the portion of the male Aedes aegypti pupae as the population of male Aedes aegypti mosquito pupae after the portion of the male Aedes aegypti pupae has passed through the set of openings.

16. The population of male Aedes aegypti mosquito pupae of claim 15 , wherein individual openings of the set of openings are defined by:
a length dimension measured along a longitudinal axis of a respective opening; and
a width dimension measured along a transverse axis of the respective opening, the width dimension corresponding to a representative cephalothorax width of a representative Aedes aegypti pupae of the mixed population of mosquito pupae.

17. The population of male Aedes aegypti mosquito pupae of claim 16 , wherein the representative cephalothorax width is a narrowest expected cross-sectional cephalothorax width.

18. The population of male Aedes aegypti mosquito pupae of claim 15 , wherein the base is characterized by a planar surface.

19. The population of male Aedes aegypti mosquito pupae of claim 18 , wherein the set of openings are elongated, and wherein the set of openings are characterized by a repeating pattern of elongated openings extending through the planar surface.

20. The population of male Aedes aegypti mosquito pupae of claim 15 , wherein the method further comprises performing a sieving action by moving the sieving container by raising, lowering, agitating, oscillating, and/or shaking the sieving container.

Assignees

• Verily Life Sciences Llc

Inventors

• Sobecki Robert
• Behling Charles

Classifications

• A01K67/34 Primary

  Insects (genetically modified insects A01K67/68) · CPC title

• A01K67/033 Primary

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• B07B1/28

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• B07B1/46

  Constructional details of screens in general; Cleaning or heating of screens · CPC title

• B07B1/469

  Perforated sheet-like material · CPC title