Beneficial insect counting and packaging device
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Secretary of Agriculture
InventorsDennis Shuman, Carl A. Litzkow, Sergey Kruss, James A. Coffelt, Frederick L. Petitt, David O. Wietlisbach
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Abstract
An automated system has been developed to count and package beneficial insect larvae or eggs and includes a funnel-shaped container which sits in the top portion of a sensor head and a turntable with multiple containers located below the sensor head, for collecting larvae or eggs as they drop through the sensor head. The system accurately records the number and time stamps each insect larva or egg detection as they drop through a sensor head.
Claims7
A system for counting and packaging insect larvae and eggs comprising
- a counting means for collecting and counting insect larvae, pupae or eggs comprising
- at least one funnel-shaped container and sensor head, wherein said funnel-shaped container sits in the top of said sensor head, and
- at least one turntable means with means for collecting said larvae, pupae or eggs located below each of at least one of said sensor head as they exit said sensor head;
- a detecting means connected to each of said counting means for detecting passage of insect larvae, pupa or egg through said counting means;
- and
- an analyzing means connected to said detecting means through a means for interfacing wherein said analyzing means receives and analyzes data from said detecting system.
A method for counting and packaging insect larvae or eggs comprising
- passing insect larvae, pupae or eggs through a means for counting said larvae or eggs,
- detecting the passage of said larvae, pupae or eggs through a sensor head in said counting means using a detecting means attached to said counting means,
- receiving and analyzing data received from said detecting means through a means for interfacing using an analyzing means connected to said detecting means through said interfacing means in order to determine a number of larvae, pupae or eggs passing through the counting means,
- collecting said larvae, pupae or eggs as they pass through said counting means into a container means for packaging said larvae, pupae or eggs, and
- turning a turntable when a predetermined number of larvae, pupae or eggs are in one of said plurality of container means, said turntable being connected to and operated by said analyzing means and said container means being attached to said turntable.
The method of 6 wherein said turntable includes a registered advance feature.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.