TRANSFER STATION FOR PLANT MATERIAL SAMPLING AND TRACKING SYSTEM

• US 20110213492A1
• Filed: 02/26/2010
• Published: 09/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Syngenta Participations AG (China National Chemical Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Syngenta Participations AG (China National Chemical Corporation)
• Inventors: Swamer, Shane Scott, George, Elizabeth Ann, Tweedy, Charles Wilson, Frandsen, Walter James JR., Barghini, Anthony David, Beaver, Scott Wayne, Lafferty, William Michael, Kline, Daniel Steven
• Granted Patent: US 8,437,874 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/215
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 7/00 Botany in general
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/00 Automatic analysis not limited to methods or materials provided for in any single one of groups G01N1/00 - G01N33/00; Handling materials therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/00732 Identification of carriers, materials or components in automatic analysers
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/00871 Communications between instruments or with remote terminals

Abstract

Systems and methods for processing plant material samples and a transfer station designed for use in such systems and methods. In one embodiment, the system includes a controller, a plant-material sampling device, and a transfer station. The plant-material sampling device is configured to communicate with the controller and to read an identifier of a plant. The sampling device also has a removable magazine, and is designed to take at least one plant sample from multiple plants, place such samples in the magazine, and track the identity of the plant from which each sample is taken. The transfer station is configured to hold, at multiple positions, multiple magazines and multiple trays such that the positions of the magazines are mirrored by the positions of the trays, read an identifier of each magazine, read an identifier of each tray, map storage locations for each one of the magazines to storage locations of one of the trays, and sequentially unload plant samples from the magazines to the trays.

Claims

1. A system for processing plant material samples, the system comprising:

a controller;

a plant-material sampling device configured to communicate with the controller and to read an identifier of a plant, having a removable magazine, and for taking at least one plant sample from a plurality of plants, placing such samples in the magazine, and tracking the identity of the plant from which each sample is taken; and

a transfer station configured to hold, at a plurality positions, a plurality of magazines and a plurality of trays such that the positions of the plurality of magazines are mirrored by the positions of the plurality of trays,

read an identifier of each magazine,

read an identifier of each tray,

map storage locations for each one of the plurality of magazines to storage locations of one of the plurality of trays, and

sequentially unload plant samples from the plurality of magazines to the plurality of trays.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the transfer station is configured to read a work-list.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the transfer station is configured to track the identity of the plant from which each sample is taken from the plurality of magazines to the plurality of trays.

4. The system of claim 1, the transfer station further comprising:

a plurality of magazine positions for holding the plurality of magazines; and

a plurality of tray positions for holding the plurality of trays.

5. The system of claim 4, the transfer station further comprising:

the plurality of magazine positions mounted to a platform; and

the plurality of tray positions mounted to a rotatable carousel.

6. A method of processing plant material samples, the method comprising:

collecting plant-material samples from a plurality of plants using a plant-material sampling device that

is configured to communicate with a controller and to read an identifier of a plant, has a removable magazine, and

tracks the identity of the plant from which each sample is taken; and

transferring the plant material samples to a plurality of trays at a transfer station that is configured to hold, at a plurality positions, a plurality of magazines and a plurality of trays such that the positions of the plurality of magazines are mirrored by the positions of the plurality of trays,

read an identifier of each magazine,

read an identifier of each tray,

map storage locations for each one of the plurality of magazines to storage locations of one of the plurality of trays, and

sequentially unload plant materials from the plurality of magazines to the plurality of trays;

performing tests on the plant material samples; and

selecting certain of the plants for cultivation based on the tests.

7. The method of claim 6, the method further comprising:

loading a work-list to the transfer station.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the transfer station further comprises:

a plurality of magazine positions for holding the plurality of magazines; and

a plurality of tray positions for holding the plurality of trays.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the transfer station further comprises:

the plurality of magazine positions mounted to a platform; and

the plurality of tray positions mounted to a rotatable carousel.

10. A transfer station, comprising:

a plurality of magazine positions for holding a plurality of magazines; and

a plurality of tray positions for holding a plurality of trays such that the plurality of magazine positions are mirrored by the plurality of tray positions.

11. The transfer station of claim 10, wherein the each of the plurality of magazine positions is mounted to a platform and each of the plurality of tray positions is mounted to a rotatable carousel.

12. The transfer station of claim 11, wherein each magazine position includes a magazine receiver, a magazine indexer, a punching rod assembly, and a scanner for reading an identifier on one of the plurality of magazines.

13. The transfer station of claim 11, wherein each tray position includes a tray receiver and a linear positioning slide.

14. The transfer station of claim 13, further comprising a scanner positioned near the carousel for reading an identifier on one of the plurality of trays.

15. The transfer station of claim 10, wherein the transfer station is configured to read a work-list.