# US 10,765,109 B1 · Dielectric detector for pest infestations > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,765,109 B1 - Document ID: US10765109B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 16/148,580 - Filed: 2018-10-01 - Granted: 2020-09-08 - Earliest claimed: 2017-09-29 - Assignees: Florida A&M University - Applicants: Florida A&M University - Inventors: Satyanarayan Dev; Benjamin Hottel; Aavudai Anandhi Swamy - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10765109B1 ## CPC - A01M 99/00: Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass - A01G 7/06: Treatment of growing trees or plants, e.g. for preventing decay of wood, for tingeing flowers or wood, for prolonging the life of plants - A01M 1/026: {combined with devices for monitoring insect presence, e.g. termites (bait stations A01M1/2005; detecting other animals in a given area A01M31/002)} - G01N 22/02: Investigating the presence of flaws - G01N 27/221: {by investigating the dielectric properties (using microwaves G01N22/00; measuring loss factors or dielectric constants per se G01R27/26)} - G01N 27/24: Investigating the presence of flaws - G01N 33/0098: {Plants or trees (wood G01N33/46)} - A01M: CATCHING, TRAPPING OR SCARING OF ANIMALS (appliances for catching swarms or drone-catching A01K57/00; fishing A01K69/00 - {A01K99/00}; biocides, pest repellants or attractants A01N); APPARATUS FOR THE DESTRUCTION OF NOXIOUS ANIMALS OR NOXIOUS PLANTS - A01G: HORTICULTURE; CULTIVATION OF VEGETABLES, FLOWERS, RICE, FRUIT, VINES, HOPS OR SEAWEED; FORESTRY; WATERING (picking of fruits, vegetables, hops or the like A01D46/00; propagating unicellular algae C12N1/12) - G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q) ## Abstract Methods and systems for detecting pests, such as termites, in living organisms, such as trees. Certain embodiments of the current invention utilize time domain reflectometry to detect the pests. Other embodiments of the current invention utilize microwave-coupled transmission spectrometry antenna array transmitters, and receivers to detect the pests. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An apparatus for detecting pest activity in a living system, comprising: a capacitive sensor; an inbound transmission line and an outbound transmission line coupled to the capacitive sensor; a capacitive sensing time domain reflectometry (TDR) device, wherein the TDR device is both a source and a detector of signals transmitted to and from a region of detection or an area of interest; and a probe enclosing the inbound and outbound transmission lines, the probe having a proximal end and a distal end, the distal end of the probe operably linked to the capacitive sensor, wherein the TDR device transmits a signal as an incident waveform via an outbound transmission line to the capacitive sensor, whereby the signal is reflected from the capacitive sensor via the inbound transmission line back to the TDR device; wherein the TDR device determines a measured capacitance value of the object based on the reflected signal, whereby the measured capacitance value is compared against a predefined baseline capacitance value of an uninfected region of the object, whereby a deviation of the measured capacitance value from the predefined baseline capacitance value indicates presence of the pest activity. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the probe is configured to penetrate a living tree. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the TDR device is operably linked to a computing device. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The system of claim 3, wherein the computing device is configured to display the results from the capacitance electrode sensors. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the pest is selected from the group consisting of a termite and an emerald ash borer. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the living tree is selected from a group consisting of a pine, an ash, and an oak tree. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is wirelessly linked to a computing device, thereby enabling the TDR to wirelessly transmit the measured capacitance value to the computing device. ### Claim 8 A system for detecting pest activity within a living system, the system comprising: a portable dielectric detector having a microwave spectrum analyzer; a microwave TSA array transmitter and TSA array receiver linked via microwave transmission cables to the portable dielectric detector, wherein the TSA array transmitter transmits a microwave signal and the TSA array receiver receives the microwave signal, wherein the TSA array transmitter and TSA array receiver are attached to the living system; wherein the received microwave signal provides a dielectric value measured within the object, the measured dielectric value being compared against a predefined baseline dielectric value of an unaffected region of the living system, whereby a deviation of the measured dielectric value from the baseline dielectric value indicates presence of the pest activity within the living system. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the living system is a living tree. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the microwave spectrum analyzer displays changes in the measured dielectric value. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein pest activity results in an increase in the deviation of the measured dielectric value from with respect to the predefined baseline dielectric value. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the pest is selected from a group consisting of a termite and an emerald ash borer. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein the living tree is selected from a group consisting of a pine, an ash, and an oak tree. ### Claim 14 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the microwave spectrum analyzer is wirelessly linked to a computing device, thereby enabling the microwave spectrum analyzer to wirelessly transmit the measured dielectric value to the computing device. ### Claim 15 A method of detecting pest activity within a living system, the method comprising: providing a time domain reflectometer at a proximal end of a transmission line and a capacitance sensor at a distal end of the transmission line; inserting the capacitance sensor into an interior of the living system; generating a signal from the time domain reflectometry source/detector; transmitting an incident waveform of the signal distally along the transmission line and through the capacitance sensor into the interior of the living system; receiving, by the capacitance sensor, the signal reflected from the interior of the living system; transmitting a reflected waveform of the signal proximally along the transmission line back to the time domain reflectometer; and comparing the reflected waveform against a predefined baseline value, wherein a deviation of the reflected waveform from a baseline value indicates presence of the pest activity.