Live Insect Transport Container With Dormancy and Escape Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for transporting live insects, such as in Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) programs, often result in insect escape or damage during transit, necessitating improved systems for safe and intact delivery.
Innovation Solution
The development of insect transportation containers with rotatable and lockable components, integrated ventilation, and agitating mechanisms, combined with refrigeration and carbon dioxide scrubbing systems within insulated packaging, ensures insects remain undamaged and in a dormant state during transit.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If insects are transported in open or simple containers, then accessibility and ease of operation are improved, but insect escape and damage occur during transit
Solution Approach 1:
The container is divided into a lid portion and a base portion that can be separately handled and assembled. This segmentation allows easy loading of insects into the base portion while maintaining secure containment when assembled, resolving the contradiction between accessibility and containment reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The insect container is nested within an outer packaging system that includes insulation and ventilation layers. This nested structure provides multiple protective barriers that prevent escape and damage while maintaining ease of operation through the modular design.
2Reliability
If insects are kept in a dormant state during transit, then insect damage is reduced, but temperature control and atmospheric management are required
Solution Approach 1:
The container controls insect dormancy by changing physical parameters - maintaining low temperatures through insulation and controlling atmospheric composition through ventilation holes. These parameter changes induce dormancy without requiring complex active control systems, achieving reliability while limiting device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The container uses passive thermal insulation and natural ventilation through holes in the container walls to maintain dormant conditions. The system self-regulates temperature and airflow without active mechanical components, reducing device complexity while ensuring insect viability.
3Ease of operation
If container portions are made rotatable for agitation, then insect loading is improved, but structural complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The lid portion is designed to rotate relative to the base portion during the loading process. This dynamic element allows insects to be easily deposited into the container by rotating the lid into position, then the lid is secured to prevent rotation during transport. The rotating mechanism is simple and intuitive, improving ease of operation without excessive complexity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution effectively maintains insects in a compact, undamaged state and prevents escape, ensuring their viability for release at the destination.
Implementation Method 1
combined with refrigeration and carbon dioxide scrubbing systems within insulated packaging
Implementation Method 2
combined with refrigeration and carbon dioxide scrubbing systems within insulated packaging
Implementation Method 3
combined with refrigeration and carbon dioxide scrubbing systems within insulated packaging
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for transporting live insects comprising a flexible pressure vessel defining an inner volume and including a sealable opening. The inner volume and the sealable opening are sized to receive an insect container receptacle. The flexible pressure vessel is inflatable. The system further includes a first insect container receptacle including one or more insect container openings configured to receive one or more insect transportation containers, in which the first insect container receptacle is sized to fit within the inner volume and the one or more insect transportation containers are configured to retain numerous live insects.