Methods and apparatus for creating egg models
AssigneeBoard of Education of the Vocational Schools in the County of Bergen
InventorsMuhammad El-Sherbiny, Carlos A. Nodarse
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Methods and apparatus for making egg models and monitoring eggs, and more specifically to hyper-customizable egg models for hard-shelled eggs to make them more accessible for various applications.
Claims26
An apparatus for creating a window in an egg comprising:
- an egg support;
- a drill assembly;
- and
- a control for controlling movement of the drill assembly.
A method of creating a window in an egg comprising:
- placing an egg in an egg support;
- positioning the egg basket and egg under a drill;
- drilling into the egg a desired depth;
- controlling the depth of the drill with respect to the egg;
- and
- removing debris.
An apparatus for creating a window in an egg comprising:
- a rotating egg support;
- a laser oriented horizontal to an egg;
- and
- means for adjusting the position of the laser with respect to the egg.
A method of creating a window in an egg comprising:
- positioning an egg in a rotating egg support;
- actuating a laser horizontally with respect to a shell of the egg;
- rotating the egg;
- and
- ablating a region of the shell of the egg.
A cap assembly for an egg comprising:
- a first part attached to an egg about an opening in a shell;
- a second part detachably attached to the first part;
- a transparent covering attached to the second part;
- and
- a self-healing film over the opening.
A method of assessing the integrity of an egg-covering material using a dye ingress assay, the method comprising:
- creating a window in an egg;
- applying a covering material over the window;
- attaching a scaffold around the window to form a well over the covering;
- depositing a dye into the well;
- permitting the dye to contact the covering for a predetermined interval;
- collecting albumen from the egg and measuring dye concentration therein;
- and
- measuring dye concentration in the albumen.
An incubator for eggs, comprising:
- a chamber with at least one transparent wall;
- a temperature regulation system configured to maintain a target incubation temperature;
- a humidity control system configured to maintain a defined range of relative humidity;
- a camera mounted on a movable platform for capturing images of eggs within the chamber;
- and
- an illumination system.
A method of dynamically imaging an avian egg in a controlled incubator environment comprising:
- placing at least one egg, sealed by a transparent self-healing cap, into an incubator with adjustable temperature and humidity;
- moving a camera along an X-Y platform to capture images of an interior of each egg through the cap;
- and
- illuminating each egg with dual LED arms, enabling visualization of embryonic vasculature and structures.
An apparatus for creating a hyper-customizable egg model, the apparatus comprising:
- a window formation module configured to create an access window in an avian egg by removing a predetermined portion of the eggshell adjacent to the air cell using a drill-based or laser-based system;
- a resealable covering module comprising a disposable base and a reusable cap, the reusable cap including a transparent coverslip and self-healing material at one or more access ports;
- and
- an imaging incubator module configured to maintain controlled environmental conditions and provide high-resolution imaging of the egg interior through the transparent covering.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.