Temperature-independent turgor pressure measurement device, method for producing said measurement device, and a method for temperature compensation for said measurement device
AssigneeYara Zim Plant Technology GmbH
InventorsUlrich Zimmermann, Wilhelm Ehrenberger, Simon Rüger, Gertraud Zimmermann
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The invention relates to a clamp element for a temperature-independent turgor pressure measurement device for measuring the turgor pressure in a plant sample.
Claims64
A method for producing a clamp element for a turgor pressure measurement device for measuring the turgor pressure in a plant sample, wherein the clamp element comprises:
- a sensor receiving portion with a first contact surface, a surface lying opposite the contact surface, and a peripheral surface connecting the two, wherein the clamp element has a longitudinal axis extending perpendicularly to the first contact surface, and with a recess on the side of the first contact surface, said recess being open towards the first contact surface;
- a pressure sensor, which is arranged on a printed circuit board/lead frame, to measure a pressure response signal of the plant sample, wherein the printed circuit board/lead frame is arranged with the pressure sensor in the recess of the sensor receiving portion such that the pressure sensor faces the first contact surface and the printed circuit board/lead frame lies at the bottom of the recess,
- characterized by the steps:
- (a) fixing the printed circuit board/lead frame with the pressure sensor arranged thereon at the bottom or at the wall of the recess;
- (b) filling a first amount of potting material into the recess, wherein the first amount is selected such that only the printed circuit board/lead frame and the pressure sensor are covered and the potting material can raise at the lower half of the inner wall of the sensor housing;
- (c) after cross-linking of the first amount of potting material with the printed circuit board/lead frame, the pressure sensor and the inner wall, filling in a second amount of potting material such that, taking into account the expansion during cross-linking of the second amount of potting material with the wall of the recess, the second amount of potting material remains below the upper edge of the recess;
- and
- (d) after cross-linking of the second amount of potting material with the recess wall, filling in a third amount of potting material such that the top of the potting material lies flush with the first contact surface.
A clamp element for a turgor pressure measurement device for measuring the turgor pressure in a plant sample, wherein the clamp element comprises:
- a sensor receiving portion with a first contact surface, a surface lying opposite the contact surface, and a peripheral surface connecting the two, wherein the clamp element has a longitudinal axis extending perpendicularly to the first contact surface, and with a recess on the side of the first contact surface, wherein the recess is open towards the first contact surface, and wherein the sensor receiving portion has a through channel extending from the interior of the recess to an outer surface;
- a first force element which is arranged on the surface of the sensor receiving portion which is opposite the first contact surface;
- a pressure sensor, which is arranged on a printed circuit board/lead frame, to measure a pressure response signal of the plant sample, wherein
- the printed circuit board/lead frame with the pressure sensor is arranged in the recess of the sensor receiving portion such that the pressure sensor faces the first contact surface and the printed circuit board/lead frame lies at the bottom of the recess;
- and wherein
- the printed circuit board/lead frame has a through channel extending from the side of the printed circuit board/lead frame which faces the recess opening to the side facing the bottom of the recess, wherein the opening of the through channel on the side facing the bottom is flush with the inner opening of the through channel of the sensor receiving portion;
- and
- wherein the recess is filled with a cured potting material with homogeneous top at the first contact surface.
A clamp element for a turgor pressure measurement device for measuring the turgor pressure in a plant sample, comprising:
- a sensor receiving portion with a first contact surface, a surface lying opposite the contact surface, and a peripheral surface connecting the two, wherein the clamp element has a longitudinal axis extending perpendicularly to the first contact surface, and with a recess on the side of the first contact surface, said recess being open towards the first contact surface,
- a pressure sensor, which is arranged on a printed circuit board/lead frame, to measure a pressure response signal of the plant sample, the printed circuit board/lead frame with the pressure sensor being arranged in the recess of the sensor receiving portion such that the pressure sensor faces the first contact surface and the printed circuit board/lead frame lies at the bottom of the recess;
- and
- wherein the recess is filled with a cured potting material which is not transparent to ultraviolet radiation.
A clamp element for a turgor pressure measurement device for measuring the turgor pressure in a plant sample, wherein the clamp element comprises:
- a sensor receiving portion with a first contact surface, a surface lying opposite the contact surface, and a peripheral surface connecting the two, wherein the clamp element has a longitudinal axis extending perpendicularly to the first contact surface, and with a recess on the side of the first contact surface, wherein the recess is open towards the first contact surface;
- a force element which is arranged on the surface of the sensor receiving portion which is opposite the first contact surface;
- a pressure sensor, which is arranged on a printed circuit board/lead frame, to measure a pressure response signal of the plant sample, the printed circuit board/lead frame with the pressure sensor being arranged in the recess of the pressure receiving portion such that the pressure sensor faces the first contact surface and the printed circuit board/lead frame lies at the bottom of the recess;
- wherein the recess is filled with a cured potting material with homogeneous top at the first contact surface;
- and
- wherein the clamp element is temperature-compensated as a whole.
A turgor pressure measurement device for measuring the turgor pressure in a plant sample, comprising:
- (a) a first clamp element comprising:
- a sensor receiving portion with a first contact surface, a surface lying opposite the contact surface, and a peripheral surface connecting the two, wherein the clamp element has a longitudinal axis extending perpendicularly to the first contact surface, and with a recess on the side of the first contact surface, wherein the recess is open towards the first contact surface;
- a first force element which is arranged on the surface of the sensor receiving portion opposite the first contact surface;
- a pressure sensor, which is arranged on the printed circuit board/lead frame, to measure a pressure response signal of the plant sample, the printed circuit board/lead frame with the pressure sensor being arranged in the recess of the sensor receiving portion such that the pressure sensor faces the first contact surface and the printed circuit board/lead frame lies at the bottom of the recess;
- wherein the recess is filled with a cured potting material with homogeneous top at the first contact surface;
- (b) a second clamp element comprising:
- a counter clamp part with a second contact surface, a surface lying opposite the second contact surface, and a peripheral surface connecting the two;
- a second force element arranged on the side opposite the second contact surface;
- wherein one of the two force elements has a magnet;
- and
- wherein the turgor pressure measurement device is temperature-compensated as a whole.
A method for the temperature compensation for a clamp element of a turgor pressure measurement device for measuring the turgor pressure in a plant sample, wherein the clamp element or its measurement signal is subjected as a whole to temperature compensation by linear regression.
The method for the temperature compensation for a turgor pressure measurement device for measuring the turgor pressure in a plant sample, wherein the measurement device or its measurement signal is subjected as a whole to temperature compensation by linear regression.
A method for operating a turgor pressure measurement device for measuring the turgor pressure of a plant sample, comprising:
- (a) a first clamp element which comprises:
- a sensor receiving portion with a first contact surface, a surface lying opposite the contact surface, and a peripheral surface connecting the two, wherein the clamp element has a longitudinal axis extending perpendicularly to the first contact surface, and with a recess on the side of the first contact surface, wherein the recess is open towards the first contact surface;
- a first force element which is arranged on the surface of the sensor receiving portion which is opposite the first contact surface;
- a pressure sensor, which is arranged on a printed circuit board/lead frame, to measure a pressure response signal of the plant sample, the printed circuit board/lead frame being arranged with the pressure sensor in the recess of the sensor receiving portion such that the pressure sensor faces the first contact surface and the printed circuit board/lead frame lies at the bottom of the recess;
- wherein the recess is filled with a cured potting material with a homogeneous top at the first contact surface;
- (b) a second clamp element which comprises:
- a counter clamp part with a second contact surface, a surface lying opposite the second contact surface, and a peripheral surface connecting the two;
- a second force element which is arranged on the side opposite the second contact surface;
- wherein the method comprises the steps:
- alternately measuring a pressure response signal of the plant sample in a pressure measurement mode of the measurement device and measuring the temperature of the surface of the plant sample in a temperature mode of the measurement device.
A method for operating a system consisting of a plurality of turgor pressure measurement devices for measuring the turgor pressure in a plant sample, which are attached to the same plant sample and have distance sensors for determining the distances between the measurement devices, comprising the steps:
- detecting the distances between the measurement devices in pairs with respect to each other at two subsequent time points, and
- comparing the detected distance values for each individual pair of measurement devices to determine the plant growth.
A method for operating a system consisting of a plurality of turgor pressure measurement devices for measuring the turgor pressure in a plant sample, which are attached to the same plant, and wherein a measurement device and/or a separate device comprises an electromagnet that can be activated, comprising the steps:
- applying a pressure pulse to the plant sample by means of the electromagnet;
- detecting the pressure pulse propagating in the plant sample at the measurement devices;
- determining the propagating speed of the pressure pulse based on the time distance between pressure pulse generation and detection at the measurement devices for each measurement device and on the local distance between the measurement device/device generating the pressure pulse and the detecting measurement device;
- and
- determining the proportion of water-filled and air-filled spaces in the tissue of the plant sample based on the propagation speed of the pressure pulse.
A system for plant watering comprising a plurality of turgor pressure measurement devices for measuring the turgor pressure in a plant sample and a measurement device for detecting the activity of social pollinators, wherein in case an activity of the social pollinators is detected and at the same time a water shortage in the plant is detected, watering is activated.
The clamp element according to claim, wherein the potting material is not transparent to ultraviolet radiation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.