High Throughput System And Methods For Analyzing Liquid Formulations

A liquid formulation dispensing system (LFDS) for applying one or more liquid formulations to a plurality of plant specimens, the system comprising:

• an automated moveable sample plate platform for holding at least one sample plate including a plurality of wells and for sequentially positioning selected ones of the wells at a well target location, each selected well having a plant specimen therein;
• a micro-sprayer assembly including at least one liquid formulation applicator operable to apply discrete amounts of a liquid formulation to the plant specimens within each selected well as the selected wells are sequentially positioned at the well target location;
• an automated movable liquid formulation platform for supporting at least one vial rack having placed therein a plurality of rows of vials and operable to sequentially position a plurality of selected rows of vials at the vial target location, a plurality of the vials containing a different one of a plurality of different liquid formulations;
• and
• a formulation withdrawal assembly including a valve assembly having a plurality of uptake probes extending from a bottom edge, the formulation withdrawal assembly operable to:
• insert each of the uptake probes into a respective one of the vials in the row of vials positioned at the target location;
• withdraw at least a portion of a selected one of the liquid formulations from the respective vial;
• and
• provide the withdrawn liquid formulation to the micro-sprayer assembly.

An automated, high throughput method for analyzing herbicidal formulations, the method comprising:

• moving a liquid formulation platform supporting at least one vial rack having placed therein a plurality of rows of vials to sequentially position a plurality of selected row of vials at a vial target location, a plurality of the vials containing a different one of a plurality of different liquid formulations;
• and
• operating a formulation withdrawal assembly, including a valve assembly having a plurality of uptake probes extending from a bottom edge, to:
• sequentially insert each of the uptake probes into a respective one of the vials in each row of vials as the rows are sequentially positioned at the target location;
• withdraw at least a portion of a selected one of the liquid formulations from each row as the rows are sequentially positioned at the vial target location;
• and
• provide the withdrawn liquid formulations to a micro-sprayer assembly;
• moving a sample plate platform supporting at least one sample plate including a plurality of wells to sequentially position selected ones of the wells at a well target location, each selected well having a plant specimen therein;
• and
• operating the micro-sprayer assembly to apply discrete amounts of the selected liquid formulation to the plant specimens within each selected well as the selected wells are sequentially positioned at the well target location.