Battery-Powered Suction Trap for Resting Mosquito Collection
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for collecting resting mosquitoes are often biased and inefficient, particularly for collecting blood-engorged mosquitoes, and pose biosafety concerns due to inhalation of debris.
Innovation Solution
A battery-powered suction trap with an open-ended pot designed to attract resting mosquitoes, featuring a fan for aspirating them into a collection receptacle, which is adaptable for operation at ground level or in vegetation and is portable, durable, and inexpensive.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If manual or mechanical aspirators are used to collect resting mosquitoes, then collection can be performed, but biosafety concerns arise due to inhalation of mosquito scales, dust, and fine debris
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the harmful function of direct inhalation from the mosquito collection process. By using a suction trap with a collection container, the system separates the mosquito suction function from the operator's respiratory system, eliminating the biosafety risk while maintaining collection effectiveness
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary device (suction trap with collection container) between the operator and the mosquito debris. This intermediary captures and contains the mosquito scales, dust, and fine debris, preventing direct inhalation while enabling continuous mosquito collection
2Productivity
If traditional traps are used for mosquito collection, then certain types of mosquitoes can be collected, but the sampling is biased towards specific physiological stages
Solution Approach 1:
The suction trap design incorporates universal features that make it effective for collecting mosquitoes across all physiological stages. The open-ended pot structure and suction mechanism work equally well for host-seeking females, gravid females, and blood-engorged mosquitoes, eliminating the sampling bias present in specialized traps
3Quantity of substance
If searches for outdoor resting mosquitoes are conducted using traditional methods, then some mosquitoes can be found, but the process is time-consuming and unrewarding
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual searching and aspiration methods with a mechanized suction trap system. The battery-powered fan creates consistent suction that actively draws mosquitoes into the trap, eliminating the need for time-consuming manual searches and significantly increasing collection efficiency
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 trap effectively samples a wide variety of mosquito species, including blood-engorged individuals, with a significant increase in collection efficiency compared to traditional methods, particularly along fence lines and in specific habitats, facilitating research and public health surveillance.
Implementation Method 1
a battery-powered fan mounted inside a pipe member... The mosquitoes that enter the dark space of the pot are aspirated by the battery-powered fan into a collection receptacle
Data Source
AI summary
A method and apparatus are disclosed that can sample a wide variety of mosquitoes attempting to rest. Because all mosquitoes rest daily, biases of typical mosquito traps are avoided, such as targeted collections of host-seeking mosquitoes or gravid female mosquitoes. A particular advantage is the inclusion of blood-engorged mosquitoes in the resting collections. In one embodiment, the apparatus includes an open-sided pot designed to attract mosquitoes seeking a daytime resting location. The mosquitoes that enter a dark space of the pot are aspirated into a screened collection receptacle by means of a battery-powered fan.