High throughput automated seed analysis system
AssigneeMonsanto Technology LLC
InventorKevin L. Deppermann
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A transport subsystem conveys seed holding well trays between a plurality of stations. A loading subsystem is positioned at a first station and is operable to load seeds into individual wells of the conveyed tray. An imaging subsystem is positioned at a second station and is operable to image the seeds contained within the tray wells. A mechanism is provided for flipping the seeds so as to enable the imaging subsystem to obtain multi-side seed images. A sorting subsystem is positioned at a third station and is operable to remove the seeds from the tray wells and sort the removed seeds into a plurality of sort bins. The sorting determination may be made based on an analysis of the seed images obtained by the imaging subsystem.
Claims34
A system for processing biological samples, the system comprising:
- at least two or more divided trays each comprising a plurality of sample wells;
- a transport subsystem operable to convey each of the at least two or more divided trays between each of a plurality of stations;
- a loading subsystem positioned at a first station and operable to load a biological sample into a well of at least one of the at least two or more divided trays;
- an imaging subsystem positioned at a second station and operable to image the biological sample to obtain sample image data;
- and
- a sorting subsystem positioned at a third station and operable to sort the biological sample into a selected one of a plurality of sort bins.
A method, comprising:
- conveying at least two or more divided trays each comprising a plurality of sample wells between each of a plurality of stations;
- at a first station, loading a biological sample into a well of one of the at least two or more divided trays;
- at a second station, imaging the biological sample to obtain sample image data;
- and
- at a third station, sorting the biological sample into a selected one of a plurality of sort bins.
A high throughput system for processing a plurality of biological samples, the system comprising:
- at least two or more divided trays each comprising a plurality of sample wells;
- a loading subsystem positioned at a first station and operable to load a biological sample into a sample well of one of the at least two or more divided trays while said one of the at least two or more divided trays is located at the first station;
- an imaging subsystem positioned at a second station and operable to image the biological sample within the sample well of said one of the at least two or more divided trays to obtain sample image data while said one of the at least two or more divided trays is located at the second station;
- a sorting subsystem positioned at a third station and operable to remove the biological sample from a sample well and sort the biological sample into a selected one of a plurality of sort bins while one of the at least two or more divided trays is located at the third station;
- and
- a transport subsystem operable to convey the at least two or more divided trays between the first, second, and third stations such that the plurality of sample wells of each of the at least two or more divided trays are together disposed at the same station for each operation of each station.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.