Transfer station for plant material sampling and tracking system
US8437874B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Feb 26, 2010 |
| Grant date | May 7, 2013 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Aug 13, 2031 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01N35/00871
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
Systems and methods for processing plant material samples and a transfer station designed for use in such systems and methods. In one embodiment, the system includes a controller, a plant-material sampling device, and a transfer station. The plant-material sampling device is configured to communicate with the controller and to read an identifier of a plant. The sampling device also has a removable magazine, and is designed to take at least one plant sample from multiple plants, place such samples in the magazine, and track the identity of the plant from which each sample is taken. The transfer station is configured to hold, at multiple positions, multiple magazines and multiple trays such that the positions of the magazines are mirrored by the positions of the trays, read an identifier of each magazine, read an identifier of each tray, map storage locations for each one of the magazines to storage locations of one of the trays, and sequentially unload plant samples from the magazines to the trays.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.