Plant cultivation device

Abstract

A Plant cultivation device (100) comprising a foam body (1) for holding a seed and / or seedling during at least one growth stage made of soft material with a Shore A hardness according to ISO 868:2003, of less than 80 in average at ISO 291:2008, wherein said foam body (1) is sterilizable to at least a sterility assurance level of SAL 10-5 sterilized by chemical sterilization, preferably by hydrogen peroxide, ozone, perchloric acetic acid, ethylene oxide, ethanol and / or isopropanol, and / or by physical sterilization, especially by eBeam and / or gamma radiation.

Description

[0001] PLANT CULTIVATION DEVICE

[0002] The invention refers to a Plant cultivation device with a foam, also referred to as foam body, suitable for holding seedlings throughout its growth till harvest with sensing features for the growth state, health state and / or nutrients content in the plant and / or the nutrients media and / or a guiding structure for roots.

[0003] Foams are used in different variations and dimensions to hold seedlings for aero- ponic and hydroponic plant growth. Such foams are usually made from polymeric materials, sometimes even augmented or mixed with natural products. JPH01320937 describes an open cell polyurethane foam, CN 104387540 a degradable foam, CN101352145 a thermosetting foam suitable for high-temperature sterilization or CN1 14223528 a polyurethane foam in layers with different hole sizes and different nutrients in the foam.

[0004] As all of those foams allow for seedling cultivation and growth of the seedling into a plant, none of these foams allows aseptic conditions growth, low extractable & leachable profile from the foam body, and / or sensing of the plant growth state, health state and / or nutrients content both in the plant and / or in the nutrient’s media and / or guidance of the roots formed during cultivation.

[0005] Based on the prior art mentioned, the present invention's object is to provide a plant cultivation device that allows aseptic conditions, health state monitoring, growth state sensing and / or nutrients content sense and / or root guidance during growth.

[0006] The present invention solves this problem by providing a plant cultivation device having the features of claim 1 .

[0007] An inventive plant cultivation device comprises a foam body for holding a seed and / or seedling during at least one growth stage made of soft material with a Shore A hardness according to ISO 868:2003, of less than 80 in average at ISO 291 :2008, wherein said foam body is sterilizable to at least a sterility assurance level of SAL 10- 5 sterilized by chemical sterilization, preferably by hydrogen peroxide, ozone, perchloric acetic acid, ethylene oxide, ethanol and / or isopropanol, and / or by physical sterilization, especially by eBeam and / or gamma radiation.

[0008] More specifically, the plant cultivation device compromises a foam body that is made from a material, that physically allows the foam to be made as a shaped body that is stable in shape at rest. The material, however, has to be soft in order to allow free plant growth. The material can be formed from one or more soft polymers with a Shore A hardness according to ISO 868:2003 of less than 80 in average, determined at ambient conditions as described in ISO 291 :2008 and with a durometer type A after 15 seconds + / - 1 second. As an example, this can be polymers from the range of elastomers, thermoplastic elastomers, internally and / or externally softened polyolefines, or polyurethanes.

[0009] As an additional material restriction, the foam might be compostable but not degradable by water.

[0010] The selection of the material for the foam is of special interest for little to no contamination of the plant seed / seedling material during the growth cycle. Contamination can come from different sources, e.g. superficial contaminants from processing and handling and / or plasticizers, catalysts, or residual monomeric moieties from the synthesis of the polymeric material. As such sources can negatively affect the plant growth by means of contamination and / or non-compliance to GxP guidances, the material has to be washable, rinseable, cleanable by means of Pharmaceutical GxP, cosmetics GMP, food contact and / or nutritional safety cleaning, rinsing and / or washing agents, e.g. deconex cip acid, deconex cip alpha-x by Borer Chemie. The material used to shape the foam should preferably be compliant with extractable & leachable standards and / or regulations, e.g. USP <88> Class VI, Ph. Eur. 3.2.2, VDI 2017, or alike.

[0011] In addition, or alternatively, the material should be sterilizable to allow for aseptic processing by means of a sterility assurance level (SAL) of minimum SAL 10’5.determined by inoculation with common bacteria, such as staphylococci, and / or pseudo- monands and according to ISO 17664-1 :2021s The sterility can be achieved by common sterilization methods and agents, e.g. hydrogen peroxide, ozone, perchloric acetic acid, eBeam, gamma rays, ethanol, isopropanol and / or ethylene oxide, but not steam or high-temperature sterilization.

[0012] Advantageous embodiments of the inventions are subject matter of the dependent claims.

[0013] It is of advantage if the foam body comprises or consist of a polymer selected from a group consisting of ABR, ABS, ACM, BUR, BR, CIIR, CR, CSM, ECO, EPDM, EPM, EVA, FEPM, FFKM, FKM, FVMQ, HNBR, HR, IR, NBR, NIR, NR, PA, PAA, Pac, PBR, PBI, PBT, PE, EBA, PEEK, PEI, PES, PET, PC, PMA, PMMA, PMQ, POM, PP, PPO, PS, PSBR, PTFE, PVC, PVDF, PVMQ, Q, SBR, TPE, TPR, TPU, VMQ and / or blends of said polymers and / or copolymers of said polymers and wherein the foam body (1 ) preferably has a low extractable and leachable profile preferably according to USP <88> Class VI, Ph. Eur. 3.2.2, VDI 2017, 21 CFR 177, NSF 51 , 1935 / 2004 / EC, GRAS, RoHS or REACH. Said foam body is preferably compressible in at least one dimension with a compression stress of 10-4 MPa to 10 MPa, according to ISO 604:2002 at ISO 291 :2008 ambient conditions, with a pre-com pression of < 0.05% and with a testing speed according table 1 of said ISO standard.

[0014] Said foam body can have sensing features to indicate a change in excretion chemicals and / or their concentrations, exhaust chemicals and / or their concentrations, water content in the plant, depletion of nutrients in the foam, atmospheric changes to the concentrations of oxygen, CO2, CO, CH4, C2H4, and / or NH3, temperature changes, humidity changes, pH shifts, conductivity shifts, electrical resistance, pressure in the atmosphere and / or in the foam, elongation of the foam and / or concentrations of rotting chemicals.

[0015] Said sensing features can be provided to be either passive or active sensing features to indicate color change, shape change, pattern change, detectable by image recognition, camera systems, and / or the naked eye, to indicate by either direct electrochemical detection or cascade of at least two steps, endo- and / or exothermal reactions, chemiluminescence, oxidative and / or reductive chemical reactions, pH shifts, conductivity shifts, resistance shifts, electrical resistance, elongation in the foam, and / or pressure changes in the atmosphere and / or in the foam itself.

[0016] Said foam body can further be provided with a seed / seedling holding area, preferably provided with a seedling harbor, and wherein said plant cultivating device has a root guiding segment attached below the seed / seedling holding area, which is made of a fabric and / or nonwoven and / or netting material and / or perforated film material allowing to pass aqueous nutrients through but withholding the roots with an average pore-size of less than 100 microns, preferably less than 10 microns, determined according to ASTM E11 :2022.

[0017] Said foam body cam be provided with at least one or more nutrient reservoirs which are preferably one or more holes, tubes, voids, channels, and / or by physical means of adsorption, absorption, chemical bonding and / or coating, such as provided with impregnation, immersion in, of at least one nutrient in a liquid form, aqueous solution, dispersion and / or emulsion, and / or melt in at least one segment of the foam body.

[0018] Said foam body can be provided with canal-like shapes preferably of different length inside the foam body. Said foam body preferably has a heat transfer coefficient of less than 1 W / m / K determined preferably by the Wilson-method.

[0019] Said root guiding segment preferably can have a tear strength of at least 1 kPa, preferably at least 1 MPa, determined according to ISO 34-1 :2010 at ISO 291 :2008 ambient conditions.

[0020] Said root guiding segment can be made of a hydrophobic material and / or being adsorbed, absorbed, coated, and / or chemical bound with a hydrophobic material, wherein said hydrophobic material is preferably provided with a water-droplet contact angle of at least 60 degrees, preferably of at least 90 degrees, determined according to DIN 55660-2:2011.

[0021] Said root guiding segment is preferably foldable and / or unfoldable and more preferably it is folded and unfoldable by at least gravity. Said root guiding segment is preferably folded in the commercial provided form an may unfold when being used. This provides an easier insertion and / or package size.

[0022] Said root guiding segment can be provided as a folded form when unfolded, defined as a tube, bag, forked tube, tree-like, heart-shaped, or any other shape with at least two compartments and wherein the root guiding segment (10) has preferably a length of at least 5 mm and more preferably a diameter of at least 1 mm.

[0023] Said root guiding segment cam ne provided as a woven, knitted, extruded, calendared, casted, sheet bored, -punched, -lasered, 3D printed, la-ser sintered, thermoformed and / or injection molded element.

[0024] Said plant cultivating device can further comprise a connector device that connects the root guiding element with the foam body, wherein said connector device is preferably a ring-shaped element, more preferably at the circumferential surface of the foam body.

[0025] The invention is explained more in detail by an example with the context of a figure. It shows

[0026] Fig. 1 An example of a plant cultivation device according to the invention

[0027] Fig. 1 shows a plant cultivation device 100. Said device 100 is a complex body with a foam body 1 , herein also cited as foam, and a root guiding element 10. Said foam body 1 has a shape 2, such as a cylindrical shape or any other shape, and a seed / seedling harbor 3. Said foam also called foam body further comprises a nutrient deposit 4 and a root guiding segment 5, which is below the harbor 3 inside the shape 2.

[0028] Said harbor 3 is a recess extending from a frontal surface inside shape 2. A seed or seedling positioned in said harbor will grow inside the foam, thus root guiding segments will help with the orientation of the root.

[0029] Said shape 2 is further provided with openings, preferably at the frontal surface, that extend as tubes inside shape 2 for the guidance of water or nutrients or other fluids inside the foam.

[0030] If the root has further grown there is a root opening 6a at the opposite site of the shape 2 in relation to the frontal surface.

[0031] A sensing feature 8, such as a sensor, especially a pH-Sensor or the like, can be included in the material of the shape and detect the growing conditions.

[0032] An indication 9 with a channel connecting a fluid line from the frontal surface to the sensing feature 8 can also be provided in shape 2.

[0033] Below the shape 2, there could be a root guiding element 10, which will be further described below.

[0034] Said foam can comprise of soft material selected from a group consisting of acrylate butadiene rubber (ABR), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polyacrylic rubber (ACM), bromo isobutene isoprene rubber (BUR), butadiene rubber (BR), chloro isobutene isoprene rubber (CIIR), chloroprene rubber (CR), chlorosulphonated polyethylene rubber (CSM), ethylene oxide epichlorohydrin copolymer (ECO), ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM), ethylene propylene copolymer (EPM), ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA), tetrafluoroethylene propylene rubber (FEPM), perfluoro elastomer (FFKM), fluoro elastormer (FKM), fluorosilicone rubber (FVMQ), hydrogenate nitrile rubber (HNBR), isobutene isoprene rubber (HR), isoprene rubber (IR), nitrile-butadi- ene rubber (NBR), nitrile isoprene rubber (NIR), natural rubber (NR), polyamid (PA), poly acrylic acid (PAA), polyanionic cellulose (PAc), pyridine butadiene rubber (PBR), poly benzimidazole (PBI), polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), poly ethylene (PE), polyether block amide (PEBA), polyether ether ketone (PEEK), polyethyleneimine (PEI), poly ether-sulfone (PES), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), poly carbonate (PC), polymethacrylate (PMA), polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), phenyl methyl silicone (PMQ), polyoxy methylene (POM), polypropylene (PP), poly phenylene oxide (PPO), polystyrene (PS), pyridine styrene butadiene rubber (PSBR), polytetrafluoro ethylene (PTFE), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), phenyl vinyl methyl silicone (PVMQ), silicone (Q), styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR), , thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), thermoplastic rubber (TPR), thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), vinyl methyl silicone (VMQ), , and / or blends of said polymers and / or copolymers of said polymers. Said foam can more preferably consist of one or more of the aforementioned materials.

[0035] Said Polymers can preferably provide a low extractable and leachable foam profile according to either / or USP <88> Class VI, Ph. Eur. 3.2.2, VDI 2017, 21 CFR 177, NSF 51 , 1935 / 2004 / EC, GRAS, RoHS, REACH. This essentially means that the polymers are free of chemicals, such as plasticizers (phthalates), hormone-similars (bisphenol A), CMR-substances as defined in Medical Device Regulation 2017 / 745, and / or other chemical moieties prone to extraction and / or leaching.

[0036] The foam preferably has a shape that allows tight fastening, mounting, form-fitting and / or press-fitting into a hollow opening, e.g. a perforated plate, a tube, a capsule, mat or a grid, in order to keep the foam in place by means of x-y-z-plane. As an example, and a favorable fastening feature, the foam is wider than the hollow opening or void by at least as much to compete with gravity when the foam is placed in the hollow opening or void including the seed, seedling, nutrients, and / or water weight. The foam can be formed into such a shape as to favor the fastening in the hollow opening or void, e.g. conical, cylindrical, round, or any other shape.

[0037] The form stability, and mainly the fastening, allows for secure transport of the foam in the case the hollow opening is transportable and / or movable. Secure transport in this context means not adulterating the shape or the position of the foam in the hollow opening when undergoing simulated transport according to ISTA 3A:2018.

[0038] The foam shall have at least one defined compression stress in at least one direction of 10’4MPa to 10 MPa, according to ISO 604:2002 at ISO 291 :2008 ambient conditions, with a pre-com pression of < 0.05% and with a testing speed according table 1 of said ISO standard. Preferably and by example, the compression stress shall be less in the horizontal direction than in the vertical direction to allow for plant growth whilst blocking against interlocking features in the fasting feature.

[0039] In an alternative or additional example, the compression stress can be compensated by spring force and / or blocking force in parts or as a whole. Mainly, these spring and / or blocking forces can come from the foam itself and / or from the interlocking feature of the foam.

[0040] In a preferred embodiment of the invention said foam is provided with a seed / seed- ling holding area and wherein said foam has a root guiding segment attached below the seed / seedling holding area, which is preferably made of a fabric and / or nonwoven and / or net, including a sheet or film, having a plurality of holes and which further preferably allows to pass aqueous nutrients through but withholding the roots with a pore-size of less than 100 microns, preferably less than 10 microns, determined according to ASTM E11 :2022.

[0041] Alternative or in addition to tubes, there could be voids, channels, and / or by physical means of adsorption, absorption, chemical bonding and / or coating, such as provided with impregnation, immersion in, of at least one nutrient in a liquid form, aqueous solution, dispersion and / or emulsion, and / or melt in at least one segment of the foam.

[0042] Furthermore, said foam can preferably be provided with canal-like shapes to fill plant nutrients, water, vitamins, and hormones, preferably at different concentrations of at least 10’9mol / L and at different levels from the top of the foam.

[0043] The form stability of the foam shall exhibit features for seed and / or seedling harboring and nutrient deposit. The features to harbor a seed and / or seedling can be made in such a way as to hold the seed and / or seedling in a stable and / or defined position, e.g. in a funnel, a tapering opening, a cylindrical opening, or any other support for the seed and / or seedling. Preferably, the support allows the seed and / or seedling to be placed and / or residing in a defined position from the wall and / or top, most preferably defined in an x-y-z-position. In the most favorable example, the seed and / or seedling is placed centered and in the middle of the foam.

[0044] The form-stable foam shall have features to allow to build of at least one reservoir with at least one nutrient, whereas such nutrient preferably is in a liquid form, e.g. solution, dispersion, or melt. Preferably, such a nutrient is dissolved and / or dispersed in water. Additionally, such nutrients can be brought onto, instead into, the foam structure by means of adsorption, absorption, and / or adherence. For example, this can be done by impregnation with, immersion in, or coating at least one nutrient. Such a nutrient placement has the positive effect of not being prone to evaporation but being able to be time-dependent released from the foam structure. This can be further favored by using adjuvants, e.g. degradable polymers, biopolymers, polysaccharides, proteins, sugars, and salts which in turn can be nutrients by themselves. Such reservoir can be segmented for different nutrients, e.g. per concentration of the same and / or different nutrients in the x-y-z-position and / or with increasing, decreasing, and / or equal concentration and / or mixture. Such a concentration dependence in at least one nutrient can allow for seed and / or seedling-dependent nutrition during different stages of growth, e.g. for a seed to the seedling stage, different nutrients are needed than for a seedling to root. As an example, such a reservoir can be a void, a hollow opening, a channel, a tube, or any other form of confined reservoir.

[0045] Alternatively, the reservoir can be at least one segment of the form-stable foam which can be assembled on top of each other whereas each segment can hold at least one nutrient in at least one concentration. Stacking multiple segments on top of each other could be done in such a way as to represent at least one growth route and / or growth cycle of the seed and / or seedling.

[0046] As an additional option, at least one opening in the stable foam segment, and more preferably as at least one channel within and / or through at least one segment is used to fill from the top of the foam at least one concentration of at least one nutrient into at least one reservoir in at least one segment.

[0047] The stable foam has at least one opening 6a on the bottom for allowing at least one root to exit the foam, i.e. a rooting compartment. Preferably, the rooting compartment has at least one opening and more preferably, more than two openings, to guide the seedling's roots.

[0048] As the roots in the rooting compartment need different conditions from the seedling, most probably the rooting compartment has at least one different nutrient concentration than the rest of the foam. Further, and as a consequence of the differently needed conditions for the roots, the foam can be used to isolate the root compartment from the seedling and leaves of a seedling against climatic conditions, e.g. humidity, water, temperature, and has a heat transfer coefficient of preferably less than 1 W / m / K, determined preferably by the Wilson-method.

[0049] The foam can have at least one feature for sensing 8 seed and / or seedling health, seed and / or seedling growth, and / or nutrient enrichment in the seed and / or seedling, or nutrient depletion in the foam. Such a feature is made in such a way as to be sensed by the naked eye and / or by suitable sensors. Such a sensor can be, e.g. a color change when water is depleted below a concentration limit as used with commercially available colored silica gel as desiccant agent, a pH-shift due to an enrichment of nutrients via Lackmus-test, rooting of seedlings by sensing root excretion chemicals by ELISA test. In an additional and / or as further example, the sensors are provided to be either passive or active sensing features to indicate shape change by the seedling compressing the foam when growing and thus, changing the electrical properties of such foam, e.g. resistance, conductivity, and the like provided by commercially available wiring and / or electrically conductive polymers, e.g. as sold by Sigma Aldrich; pattern change due to compression, detectable by image recognition, camera systems, and / or the naked eye by common patterns, such as check, lines, concentric rings and / or Moire patterns; to indicate by either direct electrochemical detection or cascade of at least two steps, endo- and / or exothermal reactions, chemiluminescence, oxidative and / or reductive chemical reactions, pH shifts, conductivity shifts, resistance shifts, electrical resistance, elongation in the foam, and / or pressure changes in the atmosphere and / or in the foam itself. Such sensing can be done by commercially available sensors, e.g. Metrohm PtIOOO stainless steel sensor, Endress + Hauser Memosens CPF81 E, Sensirion STC31 , Endress + Hauser Memosens CPF82E, ams-Osram AS7331 and alike

[0050] Further sensing can be realized due to a change in the concentration of exhaust chemicals, e.g. volatile organic carbon (VOC) as measured by Drager PID LC ppb; water content in the plant, e.g. detected by electrical conductivity; depletion of nutrients in the foam, e.g. detected by electrical resistance; atmospheric changes to the concentrations of oxygen, CO2, CO, CH4, C2H4, and / or NH3, e.g. as measured by Drager Polytron 7000; temperature changes; humidity changes; pH shifts; conductivity shifts; electrical resistance shifts; chemiluminescence, e.g. as measured by commercially available charged coupled device (CCD)-detectors; oxidation- and / or reduction reactions; pressure changes in the atmosphere and / or in the foam; elongation changes in the foam, e.g. as measured by commercially available sensors from omega; and / or concentrations of rotting chemicals, e.g. as measured by commercially available ELISA-tests from carterra.

[0051] In a version of such sensing feature and as an example, the color change due to rooting of the seedling can be indicated 9 on the top of the first foam segment for detection by the naked eye of a user. As with other examples, not only a change in color is possible, but a change in shape or pattern.

[0052] Such an indication can further be detectable by visual sensors, e.g. surveillance cameras.

[0053] In addition, or as an alternative, such a sensing feature can have a sensing cascade by means of at least one sensing feature being dependent on at least one-second feature. Such sensing cascades are known in modern analytical instruments to enhance a signal or modify a signal. In the case of the foam, such sensing cascades can be, as examples, electrochemical printable sensors to change a color pattern or endo- or exothermal reactions modified by a thermoelectric generator into electric energy to power an LED, as commercially available from GreenTEG.

[0054] To guide the forming root of the seedling, the root compartment 7 has attached a root guiding segment 10. This root-guiding segment is made in such a way as to guide the forming root and thus, the segment has a distinct form. For example, the form can be heart-shaped, tubular, tree-shaped, or any other shape. The root guiding segment 10 has a length of at least 5mm and a diameter of at least 1 mm.

[0055] The segment 10 allows for defined rooting and has its advantage during growth and at harvest. Especially during harvest, the confined roots allow for automated root harvest in the case of defined position and detection features, e.g. position markings on the segment 10, check patterns, lines, concentric rings.

[0056] Most preferably, the shape of the segment 10 is an inverted, and inflated heart or heart-like shape with a minimum of 2 compartments for regular plants, e.g. verbena, echinacea, and with a minimum of 1 compartment for root-important plants, e.g. ginseng, carrots, radish.

[0057] The defined shape allows for nutrient deployment to any part of the roots especially when a multitude of such roots next to each other is present.

[0058] In addition, and / or as a further feature, the root guiding segment 10 has a fixed shape for positioning and / or orienting multiple plant cultivation devices in a confined space to allow root guidance in order that grown root of a first plant doesn’t touch the plant root of a second plant placed next to the first plant. With this, dense positioning of plant cultivation devices is possible, e.g. by hexagonal grid.

[0059] The material used for the root guiding segment can, but not necessarily has to, be different from the foam. The material is made of a hydrophobic material, e.g. elastomers, thermoplastic elastomers, internally and / or externally softened polyolefines, or polyurethanes and / or of such materials with a hydrophobic coating, e.g. silicone.

[0060] Alternatively, a support material, which could be the foam itself, can be adsorbed, absorbed, coated, and / or chemical bound with the hydrophobic material. Said hydrophobic material is preferably provided with a water-droplet contact angle of at least 60 degrees, preferably of at least 90 degrees, determined according to DIN 55660-2:2011..

[0061] The material used for the root guiding segment is a fabric-like material, e.g. woven, knitted, a net, or a sheet with holes, whereas the material has holes for letting pass droplets of nutrients, preferably water-based nutrients, and whereas such holes are of a specific size, preferably below 100 microns, preferably less than 10 microns, determined according to ASTM E11 . Preferably, the hole size in the material is large enough to let pass water but hinders roots from passing. This essentially means, that the root guiding material acts as a semi-permeable membrane.

[0062] The material used for the segment 10 is tear-proof with a tensile strength of at least 1 kPa, preferably at least 1 MPa, determined according to ISO 34-1 :2010 at ISO 291 :2008 ambient conditions.

[0063] The material used for segment 10 can be folded in such a way as to easily unfold, preferably by gravity into the final form and / or by the root’s growth. Most preferably, the segment 10 is folded like an accordion.

[0064] Thus, said root guiding segment 10 can be delivered in a folded form and then be unfolded under use condition.

[0065] The segment 10 is preferably made with a common manufacturing method, e.g. woven, knitted, extruded, calendared, casted, sheet bored, -punched, -lasered, 3D printed, laser sintered, thermoformed and / or injection molded.

[0066] The segment 10 is fixed to the segment 7 by a common fixation method, e.g. sonowelded, glued, melted, clamped, or a mixture thereof.

[0067] The plant cultivating device may further comprise a connector device that connects the root guiding element with the foam. Said connector device is preferably a ring- shaped element, not limited to a circular ring but can also be a triangular ring, rectangular ring, hexagonal ring or the like.

[0068] More preferably, said connector device is provided at the circumferential surface of the foam. It can have a locking element for a replaceable connection of said root guiding element 10. Drawing: Fig. 1

[0069] 100: plant cultivation device

[0070] 1 : foam body 2: shape

[0071] 3: seedling harbor

[0072] 4: nutrient deposit

[0073] 5: segment

[0074] 6: opening 6a: root opening

[0075] 7: rooting compartment

[0076] 8: sensing

[0077] 9: indication

[0078] 10: root guiding element

Claims

Claims1 . Plant cultivation device (100) comprising a foam body (1 ) for holding a seed and / or seedling during at least one growth stage made of soft material with a Shore A hardness according to ISO 868:2003, of less than 80 in average at ISO 291 :2008, wherein said foam body (1 ) is steril izable to at least a sterility assurance level of SAL 10’5sterilized by chemical sterilization, preferably by hydrogen peroxide, ozone, perchloric acetic acid, ethylene oxide, ethanol and / or isopropanol, and / or by physical sterilization, especially by eBeam and / or gamma radiation.

2. Plant cultivation device according to claim 1 , characterized in that said foam body (1 ) comprises or consist of a polymer selected from a group consisting of ABR, ABS, ACM, BUR, BR, CIIR, CR, CSM, ECO, EPDM, EPM, EVA, FEPM, FFKM, FKM, FVMQ, HNBR, HR, IR, NBR, NIR, NR, PA, PAA, Pac, PBR, PBI, PBT, PE, EBA, PEEK, PEI, PES, PET, PC, PMA, PMMA, PMQ, POM, PP, PPO, PS, PSBR, PTFE, PVC, PVDF, PVMQ, Q, SBR, TPE, TPR, TPU, VMQ and / or blends of said polymers and / or copolymers of said polymers and wherein the foam body (1 ) preferably has a low extractable and leachable profile preferably according to USP <88> Class VI, Ph. Eur. 3.2.2, VDI 2017, 21 CFR 177, NSF 51 , 1935 / 2004 / EC, GRAS, RoHS or REACH.

3. Plant cultivation device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said foam body (1 ) is compressible in at least one dimension with a compression stress of 10’4MPa to 10 MPa, according to ISO 604:2002 at ISO 291 :2008 ambient conditions, with a pre-compression of < 0.05% and with a testing speed according table 1 of said ISO standard.

4. Plant cultivation device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said foam body (1 ) having sensing features (8) to indicate a change in excretion chemicals and / or their concentrations, exhaust chemicals and / or their concentrations, water content in the plant, depletion of nutrients in the foam, atmospheric changes to the concentrations of oxygen, CO2, CO, CH4, C2H4, and / or NH3, temperature changes, humidity changes, pH shifts, conductivity shifts, electrical resistance, pressure in the atmosphere and / or in the foam, elongation of the foam and / or concentrations of rotting chemicals.

5. Plant cultivation device according to claim 4, characterized in that said sensing features (8) are provided to be either passive or active sensing features to indicate color change, shape change, pattern change, detectable by imagerecognition, camera systems, and / or the naked eye, to indicate by either direct electrochemical detection or cascade of at least two steps, endo- and / or exothermal reactions, chemiluminescence, oxidative and / or reductive chemical reactions, pH shifts, conductivity shifts, resistance shifts, electrical resistance, elongation in the foam, and / or pressure changes in the atmosphere and / or in the foam itself.

6. Plant cultivation device according one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said foam body (1 ) is provided with a seed / seedling holding area, preferably provided with a seedling harbor (3), and wherein said plant cultivating device (100) has a root guiding segment (10) attached below the seed / seedling holding area, which is made of a fabric and / or nonwoven and / or netting material and / or perforated film material allowing to pass aqueous nutrients through but withholding the roots with an average pore-size of less than 100 microns, preferably less than 10 microns, determined according to ASTME11 :2022.

7. Plant cultivation device according one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said foam body (1 ) is provided with at least one or more nutrient reservoirs (4) which are preferably one or more holes, tubes, voids, channels, and / or by physical means of adsorption, absorption, chemical bonding and / or coating, such as provided with impregnation, immersion in, of at least one nutrient in a liquid form, aqueous solution, dispersion and / or emulsion, and / or melt in at least one segment of the foam body (1 ).

8. Plant cultivation device according one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said foam body (1 ) is provided with canal-like shapes preferably of different length inside the foam body (1 ).

9. Plant cultivation device according one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said foam body (1 ) has a heat transfer coefficient of less than 1 W / m / K determined preferably by the Wilson-method.

10. Plant cultivation device according to claim 6, characterized in that said root guiding segment (10) has a tear strength of at least 1 kPa, preferably at least 1 MPa, determined according to ISO 34-1 :2010 at ISO 291 :2008 ambient conditions.11 . Plant cultivation device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said root guiding segment (10) is made of a hydrophobic materialand / or being adsorbed, absorbed, coated, and / or chemical bound with a hydrophobic material, wherein said hydrophobic material is preferably provided with a water-droplet contact angle of at least 60 degrees, preferably of at least 90 degrees, determined according to DIN 55660-2:2011 .

12. Plant cultivation device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said root guiding segment (10) is foldable and / or unfoldable by at least gravity and more preferably it is folded and provided to be unfolded when being used by at least gravity.

13. Plant cultivation device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said root guiding segment (10) is a folded form when unfolded, defined as a tube, bag, forked tube, tree-like, heart-shaped, or any other shape with at least two compartments and wherein the root guiding segment (10) has preferably a length of at least 5 mm and more preferably a diameter of at least 1 mm.

14. Plant cultivation device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said root guiding segment (10) is provided as a woven, knitted, extruded, calendared, casted, sheet bored, -punched, -lasered, 3D printed, laser sintered, thermoformed and / or injection molded element.

15. Plant cultivating device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said plant cultivating device (100) further comprises a connector device that connects the root guiding element (10) with the foam body (1 ), wherein said connector device is preferably a ring-shaped element, more preferably at the circumferential surface of the foam body (1 ).

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