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US 8,707,902 B2Granted
Methods for producing cultured pearls in conch and other gastropods
AssigneeFlorida Atlantic University Research Corporation
InventorsHéctor Acosta-Salmón, 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.
Claims14
A method of growing a cultured pearl of at least 0.5 carats in a gastropod comprising the steps of:
- a) pretreating a recipient gastropod with a relaxant, wherein the recipient gastropod is a Strombidae or Volutidae species;
- b) cutting an incision into the foot 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 non-nacreous cultured pearl of at least 0.5 carats;
- and
- f) harvesting the cultured pearl;
- wherein the shell of the recipient gastropod is not perforated and wherein the recipient gastropod is not killed by the culturing method.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.