US 12,631,657 B2Granted

Automated systems for removing tissue samples from seeds, and related methods

AssigneeMonsanto Technology LLC

InventorsDavid Butruille, Kevin L. Deppermann, Stanton Dotson, Sam Eathington, David W. Finley, William M. Fischer, Heather M. Forbes, John M. Jensen, Allen N. Ondes, Michael W. Petersen, Bruce Schnicker, John Tamulonis

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Abstract

An automated method for removing tissue from a seed is provided. The automated method includes singulating a seed from a plurality of seeds and imaging the singulated seed to obtain at least one characteristic of the seed. The automated method further includes positioning the singulated seed in a sampler of an automated seed sampling assembly and removing, by the sampler, tissue from the singulated seed based on the at least one characteristic of the seed.

Claims20

Dependent claims

An automated method for removing tissue from a seed, the automated method comprising:

singulating a seed from a plurality of seeds;
delivering the singulated seed to an inlet of a seed orientation unit;
receiving the singulated seed through the inlet and onto a surface within the seed orientation unit;
orienting the singulated seed in a desired orientation on the surface of the orientation unit based on a location of an embryo of the seed, by rolling the singulated seed with an actuator along the surface of the seed orientation unit until a broad surface of the seed, opposite the embryo, orients along the surface of the seed orientation unit;
after orienting the singulated seed on the surface of the orientation unit, sliding the singulated seed, in the desired orientation, off the surface of the orientation unit and onto a piston, with the broad surface of the seed facing the piston;
moving the singulated seed out of the orientation unit by the piston, while the singulated seed is in the desired orientation;
and
transferring, by the piston, the singulated seed, in the desired orientation, to a seed transport assembly of an automated seed sampling system;
and then
imaging the singulated seed in the seed transport assembly, with the seed in the desired orientation, to obtain at least one characteristic of the seed;
positioning, by the seed transport assembly, the singulated seed, in the desired orientation, in a sampler of the automated seed sampling system;
removing, by the sampler, tissue from the singulated seed, while the singulated seed is in the desired orientation, based on the at least one characteristic of the seed;
determining, by a first sensor, receipt of the tissue removed from the singulated seed in a first receptacle;
and
determining, by a second sensor, receipt of the singulated seed from which the tissue is removed in a second receptacle.

12 more elements

An automated method for removing tissue samples from multiple seeds at an automated seed sampling system, the method comprising:

singulating multiple individual seeds from a plurality of seeds at a seed bin of an automated seed sampling system;
orienting each of the singulated seeds in a desired orientation on a respective surface of the automated seed sampling system based on a location of an embryo of said seed, by rolling each of the singulated seeds along the respective surface of the automated seed sampling system until a broad surface of the seed, opposite the embryo, orients along the surface of the automated seed sampling system;
after orienting each of the singulated seeds on the respective surface of the automated seed sampling system, sliding each of the singulated seeds, in the desired orientation, off the respective surface of the automated seed sampling system and onto a respective piston of the automated seed sampling system;
moving the singulated seeds by the respective pistons with each of the seeds in the desired orientation, to a seed transport assembly of the automated seed sampling system;
imaging, by an imaging device of the automated seed sampling system, each of the singulated seeds, while said seed is in the desired orientation, to obtain, for each of the singulated seeds, at least one characteristic of the singulated seed;
positioning, by the transport assembly of the automated seed sampling system, the singulated seeds in a seed sampling assembly of the automated seed sampling system with each of the singulated seeds in the desired orientation;
removing, by the seed sampling assembly, a tissue sample from each of the singulated seeds, which each of the singulated seeds are in the desired orientation, wherein, for each of the singulated seeds, a size and/or shape of the tissue sample removed from the singulated seed is based on the at least one characteristic of the singulated seed;
determining, by a first sensor, receipt of the tissue sample removed from each of the singulated seeds in a sample tray;
and
determining, by a second sensor, receipt of each of the singulated seeds from which the tissue sample is removed in a seed tray.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 16/921,782Filed 6 Jul 2020 · continuation
Priority: 20 Jul 2010
Published: US 2020/0333365 A122 Oct 2020
Granted: 19 May 2026
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification11 codes

G01N 35/00584
Automatic analysis not limited to methods or materials provided for in any single one of groups G01N1/00 - G01N33/00; Handling materials therefor:…
A01C 1/025
Germinating apparatus; Determining germination capacity of seeds or the like: testing seeds for determining their viability or germination capacity
G01N 1/04
Devices for withdrawing samples: in the solid state, e.g. by cutting
G01N 1/20
In the liquid or fluent state: for flowing or falling materials

Family

Application61/365,826Us provisional application · filed 20 Jul 2010
Application13/186,126Parent of this continuation · filed 19 Jul 2011
Application14/685,047Parent of this continuation · filed 13 Apr 2015
US 9,003,696 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 14 Apr 2015
US 2020/0333365 A1Pre-grant publication · published 22 Oct 2020
US 10,705,102 B2Parent of this continuation
US 2012/0117865 A1Published application
US 2015/0355205 A1Published application
US 12,631,657 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.