Volumetric pupae dispenser

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020375162-A1
Application number	US-202016872788-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 12, 2020
Priority date	May 30, 2019
Publication date	Dec 3, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

A device comprising a dispenser assembly comprising a frame having a first surface and a second surface, wherein the frame defines a pathway to enable movement of a movable member within the frame, an inlet opening in the first surface of the frame and a drain opening in the second surface of the frame, the inlet opening and the drain opening providing access to the pathway, wherein the frame further comprises a filter overlaying the drain opening; and a moveable member translatable within the pathway between a first position and a second position, the movable member defining at least one bore, wherein at least one of the at least one bore is aligned with the inlet opening at the first position; and a reservoir container coupled to the dispenser assembly, the reservoir container defining a dispensing opening, the dispensing opening aligned with the inlet opening of the frame.

First claim

That which is claimed is:

1 . A device for dosing a plurality of insect pupae or insect larvae comprising:
a dispenser assembly comprising:
a frame having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, wherein the frame defines:
a pathway to enable movement of a movable member within the frame,
an inlet opening in the first surface of the frame, the inlet opening providing access to the pathway, and
a drain opening in the second surface of the frame, the drain opening providing access to the pathway, wherein the frame further comprises a filter overlaying the drain opening; and

a moveable member translatable within the pathway between a first position and a second position, the movable member defining at least one bore oriented perpendicular to the pathway, wherein:
at least one of the at least one bore is aligned with the inlet opening at the first position; and

a reservoir container coupled to the dispenser assembly, the reservoir container defining a dispensing opening at a first end of the reservoir container, the dispensing opening aligned with the inlet opening of the frame.

2 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one bore of the moveable member is aligned with both the inlet opening and the drain opening at the first position, and the dispensing opening is aligned with the inlet opening of the frame.

3 . The device of claim 2 , wherein the reservoir container is coupled to the first surface of the frame.

4 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one bore is aligned with the drain opening at a third position of the moveable member between the first position and the second position.

5 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the frame further defines an output opening in the second surface of the frame, the output opening providing access to the pathway, and wherein the at least one bore is aligned with the output opening at the second position.

6 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the reservoir container defines an intake opening and is shaped to guide a mixture of a liquid and the plurality of insect pupae or insect larvae to the dispensing opening.

7 . The device of claim 6 , further comprising a pipe positioned to dispense the mixture into the reservoir container.

8 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the reservoir container is shaped like a funnel.

9 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the reservoir container is removably coupled to the dispenser assembly using at least one of magnets, screws, bolts, clamps, a snap-fit design, or a friction-fit design.

10 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the moveable member is at least one of a sliding block or a rotatable disc, and the rotatable disc defines a plurality of bores extending through the rotatable disc.

11 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the moveable member is translatable using an actuator.

12 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one bore is sized to hold a predetermined number of insect pupae or insect larvae.

13 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one bore comprises at least one mesh wall.

14 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the moveable member is interchangeable with a second moveable member, wherein the at least one bore of the second moveable member is a different size than the at least one bore of the moveable member.

15 . A method comprising:
providing a device comprising:
a dispenser assembly comprising:
a frame having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, wherein the frame defines:
a pathway to enable movement of a movable member within the frame,
an inlet opening in the first surface of the frame, the inlet opening providing access to the pathway, and
a drain opening in the second surface of the frame, the drain opening providing access to the pathway, wherein the frame further comprises a filter overlaying the drain opening;

a moveable member translatable within the pathway between a first position and a second position, the movable member defining at least one bore oriented perpendicular to the pathway, wherein:
at least one of the at least one bore is aligned with the inlet opening at the first position, and

a reservoir container coupled to the dispenser assembly, the reservoir container defining a dispensing opening at a first end of the reservoir container, the dispensing opening aligned with the inlet opening of the frame;
receiving a mixture of a liquid and a plurality of insect pupae or insect larvae into the reservoir container; straining the mixture using the filter overlaying the drain opening; moving the moveable member between the first position and the second position using an actuator; and outputting the plurality of insect pupae or insect larvae from the at least one bore.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the frame further defines an output opening in the second surface of the frame, the output opening providing access to the pathway, and wherein the at least one bore is aligned with the output opening at the second position.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein outputting the plurality of insect pupae or insect larvae from the at least one bore comprises outputting the plurality of insect pupae or insect larvae through the output opening.

18 . The method of claim 15 , wherein receiving the mixture into the reservoir container comprises receiving the mixture from a pipe positioned to dispense the mixture into the reservoir container.

19 . The method of claim 15 , wherein straining the mixture using the filter overlaying the drain opening comprises:
outputting the liquid through the filter overlaying the drain opening; and containing the plurality of insect pupae or insect larvae in the at least one bore.

20 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the reservoir container is shaped to guide the mixture to the dispensing opening.

21 . The method of claim 20 , further comprising rinsing the reservoir container with a rinsing liquid to assist with guiding the plurality of insect pupae or insect larvae toward the at least one bore.

22 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising removing the reservoir container from the dispenser assembly.

23 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising rinsing the at least one bore with a rinsing liquid to assist with outputting the plurality of insect pupae or insect larvae from the at least one bore.

24 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising rinsing the filter overlaying the drain opening.

25 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the moveable member is a rotatable disc comprising a plurality of bores, and wherein moving the moveable member between the first position and the second position comprises rotating the rotatable disc.

26 . An insect pupae dosing system comprising:
a dosing device comprising:
a dispenser assembly comprising:
a frame having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, wherein the frame defines:
a pathway to enable movement of a movable member within the frame,
an inlet opening in the first surface of the frame, the inlet opening providing access to the pathway,
a drain opening in the second surface of the frame, the drain opening providing access to the pathway, wherein the frame further comprises a filter overlaying the drain opening, and
an output opening in the second surface of the frame, the output opening providing access to the pathway;

a moveable member tra

Assignees

• Verily Life Sciences Llc

Inventors

• Metlitz Matthew
• Massaro Peter

Classifications

• A01K29/00 Primary

  Other apparatus for animal husbandry · CPC title

• A01K67/366 Primary

  Insect counting or dosing systems · CPC title

• G06Q50/02

  Agriculture; Fishing; Forestry; Mining · CPC title

• A01K2227/706

  Insects, e.g. Drosophila melanogaster, medfly · CPC title

• A01K67/033 Primary

  Human Necessities · mapped topic