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US 2014/0174373 A1Published application
Methods for producing cultured pearls in conch and other gastropods
AssigneeFlorida Atlantic University Board of Trustees
InventorsHECTOR ACOSTA-SALMON, MEGAN DAVIS
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Abstract
The subject invention provides methods for producing cultured pearls in gastropods, such as the queen conch, Strombus gigas, and other gastropod species (e.g., families Strombidae, Haliotididae and Volutidae), with high success rates. The subject invention also provides cultured pearls produced by the methods as described herein.
Claims9
A method of growing a pearl in a gastropod comprising the steps of:
- a) pretreating a recipient gastropod with a relaxant;
- b) cutting an incision into the tissue of the recipient;
- c) cutting a subepithelial canal through the incision;
- d) inserting a mantle tissue piece and/or a nucleus from a donor in the subepithelial canal;
- e) culturing the recipient gastropod to obtain a cultured pearl, and
- f) harvesting the cultured pearl.
3 more elements
A cultured pearl that comprises one or more molecules of gastropod origin, or which has been produced in a gastropod and has a nucleus that is not found in natural gastropod pearls.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.