Multi-section Plant Sampling Device for Automated Root Separation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current cultivation and sampling methods for plants are labor-intensive, prone to errors, and stressful for the plants due to manual sampling and methods like the ice-cap method, which involve freezing, leading to potential plant damage and inefficiencies in the selection process.
Innovation Solution
A multi-section sampling device with an upper section for plant growth and a lower section for root separation, where roots are cut and analyzed without freezing, reducing manual intervention and ensuring plant vitality, using a cutter and cutting plate for precise separation and contamination prevention, and integrating automation for efficient identification and handling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If manual sampling with tongs and punching tools is used, then samples can be taken from plants, but the process becomes very labor-intensive and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical sampling operations with an automated cutting device that uses a moving cutter to automatically separate root parts from plants. The device includes a cutting plate with cutting edges that move through the root parts, eliminating the need for manual tongs and punching tools while significantly increasing sampling speed and consistency.
2Ease of operation
If manual sampling operations are performed, then samples can be collected, but the method becomes fundamentally susceptible to error
Solution Approach 1:
The automated cutting device eliminates manual handling errors by using a controlled mechanical cutting system. The device ensures consistent cutting depth and position through guided movement of the cutter along the cutting plate, preventing sample mixing and misidentification that commonly occur with manual operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The cutting device is designed to automatically position and cut multiple root parts in sequence without requiring operator intervention between samples. The system self-regulates the cutting process through its mechanical guide structures, ensuring consistent and accurate sampling throughout the operation.
3Ease of operation
If the ice-cap method with freezing is used to separate root parts, then root parts can be separated from plants, but the plants are exposed to increased stress and vitality is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the thermal freezing process with a mechanical cutting system that physically separates root parts from plants. The moving cutter cleanly divides the root system at a controlled position, eliminating the need to flood and freeze the root zone, thereby avoiding cold stress and maintaining plant vitality for further cultivation.
4Ease of operation
If the ice-cap method with freezing is used, then root parts can be separated, but the implementation becomes time-consuming and requires high device outlay
Solution Approach 1:
The mechanical cutting device performs root separation in a single continuous operation, eliminating the multi-step freezing and thawing process required by the ice-cap method. The cutter moves through all root parts in one pass, dramatically reducing sampling time while requiring simpler device infrastructure without freezing equipment.
5Measurement precision
If manual sampling is performed on plant leaves, then phenotypic description can be obtained, but the process requires considerable manual work
Solution Approach 1:
The automated cutting device enables high-throughput sampling by mechanically separating root parts from multiple plants in rapid succession. Each cut produces a clean sample ready for phenotypic analysis, maintaining measurement precision while increasing throughput by processing multiple samples without manual intervention between them.
Data Source
AI summary
A cultivation and sampling method for plants grown in a multi-section sampling device, the sampling device including an upper section with an upper section identifier and a number of cultivation containers, and a lower section with a lower section identifier and an equal number of sample containers. When the sampling device is in an assembled position, the upper section is connected to the lower section such that the sample containers are arranged to correspond to the cultivation containers being underneath them.