Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080203201 | AGRICULTURAL SAMPLE GRINDER - In various embodiments, an agricultural sample grinding system is provided. The system includes a grinder unit for grinding and uniformly mixing an agricultural sample. The system additionally includes a collection chamber connected to a transfer spout extending from a side of the grinder unit. The collection chamber is for collecting the ground and uniformly mixed agricultural sample dispensed from the grinder unit via the transfer spout. The system deposits the ground and uniformly mixed agricultural sample into the collection chamber such that the uniform mixture of the sample is maintained. | 08-28-2008 |
20110296930 | AUTOMATED CONTAMINATION-FREE SEED SAMPLER AND METHODS OF SAMPLING, TESTING AND BULKING SEEDS - A method is provided for removing tissue samples from seeds. The method generally includes orienting the seeds in a desired orientation and removing tissue samples from the oriented seeds. The method may also include orienting the seeds in the desired orientation using an actuator, where the actuator is configured to position the seed in a desired orientation. In addition, the method may include orienting the seeds together in a seed transport and removing tissue samples from the oriented seeds while the oriented seeds are in the seed transport. Further, various operations of the method may be automated as desired, for example, to permit greater sampling throughput than was previously practical. | 12-08-2011 |
20140020287 | AUTOMATED CONTAMINATION-FREE SEED SAMPLER AND METHODS OF SAMPLING, TESTING AND BULKING SEEDS - An automated seed sampler system includes an imaging device for obtaining images of seeds, an orienting device for orienting the seeds based on the images, and a sampling station for removing tissue from the oriented seeds. In some aspects, the system also includes a transport subsystem for supporting the oriented seeds and conveying the oriented seeds to the sampling station. A method for removing tissue from seeds includes imaging the seeds, orienting the seeds based on image information obtained from the seeds, and removing tissue from the oriented seeds. In some aspects, the method also includes transporting the oriented seeds in a transport subsystem to a sampling station for removing the tissue from the oriented seeds, and/or collecting the tissue removed from the oriented seeds so that a one-to-one correspondence exists between the tissue and the sampled seeds, and/or analyzing the tissue for characteristics indicative of genetic and/or chemical traits. | 01-23-2014 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080317279 | AUTOMATED HIGH-THROUGHPUT SEED SAMPLER AND METHODS OF SAMPLING, TESTING AND BULKING SEEDS - In various embodiments, the present disclosure provides an automated seed sampling and sorting system. The system includes an imaging station for collecting image data of a set of seeds and a seed orientation station for independently positioning each seed in the set in a desired orientation based on the collected image data. The system further includes a seed sample and sort station for extracting a sample from each seed in the set, sorting each sample to a sample tray and sorting each sampled seed to a seed tray. | 12-25-2008 |
20120021411 | AUTOMATED HIGH-THROUGHPUT SEED SAMPLER AND METHODS OF SAMPLING, TESTING AND BULKING SEEDS - A seed sampling system includes a seed transport configured to hold multiple individual seeds together as a group and transport the multiple individual seeds together as the group, and to allow the multiple individual seeds to be oriented, substantially simultaneously, while the multiple individual seeds are being held in the seed transport. The seed sampling system also includes a seed sampling subsystem configured to remove tissue from the oriented multiple individual seeds. And, a method for removing tissue from the multiple individual seeds includes loading the multiple individual seeds in the seed transport, orienting the multiple individual seeds in the seed transport substantially simultaneously, and removing tissue from the oriented multiple individual seeds. | 01-26-2012 |
20120288854 | AUTOMATED HIGH-THROUGHPUT SEED SAMPLER AND METHODS OF SAMPLING, TESTING AND BULKING SEEDS - An automated system for sampling seeds includes a seed loading station for separating individual seeds from a plurality of seeds held in a seed hopper, an imaging station configured to receive the separated seeds from the seed loading station and collect image data of the received seeds, and a seed sampling subsystem configured to remove tissue samples from the seeds after the image data of the seeds is collected. And, an automated method for sampling seeds includes separating individual seeds from a plurality of seeds, imaging the separated seeds, and removing tissue samples from the imaged seeds. | 11-15-2012 |
20130260366 | AUTOMATED HIGH-THROUGHPUT SEED SAMPLER AND METHODS OF SAMPLING, TESTING AND BULKING SEEDS - An automated method for analyzing seeds generally includes collecting image data from individual seeds using a seed sampling system, determining at least one characteristic of each of the individual seeds based on the collected image data, and removing tissue from each of the individual seeds using the seed sampling system. The method also includes, prior to removing the tissue sample from each of the individual seeds, adjusting at least one operational parameter of the seed sampling system based on the at least one characteristic of the seed from which the tissue is to be removed to thereby allow for generally consistent removal of tissue from each of the individual seeds. In some aspects, the method further includes analyzing the tissue removed from the seeds for presence or absence of at least one characteristic, and selecting seeds based on presence or absence of the at least one characteristic. | 10-03-2013 |