Adjustable Sieve Apparatus for Mosquito Pupae Separation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional sieve technologies face challenges in efficiently separating insect pupae due to their physiological structures and the operational complexity of devices like parallel glass plates, resulting in low throughput and yield.
Innovation Solution
A sieving apparatus with an adjustable sieve surface and actuation system that moves between positions to separate pupae based on cephalothorax size, utilizing elongate openings that align with the natural orientation of pupae, allowing for high separation rates and minimizing entanglement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional mesh screens are used to separate pupae, then the separation process is simple to operate, but the throughput and yield are prohibitively low due to pupae physiological structures causing entanglement
Solution Approach 1:
The sieve surface is made adjustable and movable between different positions (first position for screening, second position for rinsing) to optimize the separation process dynamically. This allows the system to adapt its configuration for different operational phases, increasing throughput while maintaining ease of operation through automated movement.
Solution Approach 2:
The sieving process is divided into distinct stages: initial screening at the first position and subsequent rinsing at the second position. This segmentation allows each stage to be optimized independently, with the sieve surface configured appropriately for each function, thereby increasing overall productivity without complicating operation.
2Measurement precision
If parallel glass plates are used for insect separation, then separation precision can be achieved, but the device complexity and user interaction requirements increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The single sieve surface performs multiple functions: it acts as both the screening surface for separating pupae by size and the rinsing surface for cleaning and recovering pupae. This multi-functionality achieves precise separation while avoiding the complexity of multiple separate components like parallel glass plates.
Solution Approach 2:
The screening and rinsing functions are combined into a single integrated sieving device with one movable sieve surface. This merging eliminates the need for complex multi-component systems while maintaining separation precision through the unified design that transitions between operational positions.
3Adaptability or versatility
If conventional sieves are used with fixed openings, then the device structure is simple, but the adaptability to different pupae sizes and orientations is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The sieve surface is made adjustable with variable opening dimensions that can be modified to match different pupae sizes and orientations. This dynamic adjustability enhances adaptability to various pupae characteristics while the automated movement between positions maintains operational simplicity without requiring complex manual adjustments.
Data Source
AI summary
A male population of mosquito pupae sorted according to a sorting method is described. The sorting method may include adding a mixed population of mosquito pupae into an interior volume of a sieving container including base defining a set of openings enabling movement of mosquito pupae from the interior volume through the set of openings. The mixed population of mosquito pupae may include male mosquito pupae and female mosquito pupae. The method may also include adding a volume of aqueous solution to the interior volume. The method may also include removing a portion of the male pupae from the mixed population of mosquito pupae to by performing a sieving action that causes the portion of the male pupae and a portion of the volume of water to pass from the interior volume through the set of openings. The method may also include capturing the portion of the male pupae as the male population of mosquito pupae after the portion of the male pupae has passed through the set of openings.