In-Ovo Sexing via NMR Blood Vessel Analysis
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for in-ovo sex determination of bird eggs are invasive, expensive, or ethically questionable due to the need for opening the egg or using complex and costly equipment, and existing non-invasive methods are not practical for early sex determination.
Innovation Solution
Non-invasive sex determination using NMR spectroscopy to measure the intensity ratio of nucleobase signals from DNA to aromatic amino acid signals in blood vessels, allowing for early differentiation between male and female embryos without opening the egg, utilizing a low-field NMR spectrometer with a planar high-frequency coil for efficient and cost-effective analysis.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If invasive methods (opening the egg) are used for sex determination, then reliable sex identification can be achieved, but the procedure becomes time-consuming and harmful to embryo development
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical/invasive methods (opening the egg shell and taking blood samples) with magnetic resonance imaging technology to non-invasively detect and analyze blood vessels through the intact egg shell, achieving sex determination without physical penetration or damage to the egg
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses the egg shell itself as an intermediary medium that allows magnetic fields to penetrate through it, enabling non-invasive imaging of internal blood vessels without needing to break or open the shell, thus maintaining egg integrity while accessing internal information
2Object-affected harmful factors
If MRI technology is used for non-invasive sex determination, then ethical concerns are reduced, but the equipment becomes very complex and expensive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a portable, affordable magnetic resonance imaging device that can be placed directly on the egg, replacing the need for complex, expensive hospital-grade MRI equipment, making the technology accessible for routine use in孵化 facilities
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts only the essential function of MRI (magnetic field generation and signal detection) and implements it through a simplified, portable device rather than using the complete complex hospital-grade MRI system, reducing equipment complexity while maintaining diagnostic capability
3Measurement precision
If blood samples are taken on the fourth day for PCR analysis, then definitive sex determination is achieved, but the method becomes invasive and requires complex laboratory procedures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical process of blood sampling and laboratory-based PCR analysis with a non-invasive magnetic resonance imaging technique that can determine sex directly through blood vessel imaging, eliminating the need for complex laboratory equipment and procedures
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a visual copy or image of the blood vessels through MRI, allowing sex determination based on the visual characteristics of blood vessels rather than requiring physical blood samples and molecular analysis, simplifying the entire diagnostic process
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a method for in-ovo sex determination of fertilized and incubated bird eggs, in which the incubation period of the respective bird egg is monitored until the formation of at least one blood vessel, and the at least one blood vessel is subsequently analyzed with regard to sex determination, wherein the respective bird egg (3) is measured non-invasively from the outside by means of NMR spectroscopy after the formation of at least one blood vessel, wherein the ratio of the intensities of the signals of the nucleobases from the DNA of the at least one blood vessel to the signals of the aromatic amino acids histidine, phenylalanine and tyrosine is determined, wherein this intensity ratio has a different, evaluable value for blood from male and female embryos, wherein the sex of the respective bird egg is subsequently determined by an evaluation unit from the determined intensity ratio.