التفاصيل البيبلوغرافية
| العنوان: |
Apparatus and methods for analyzing and improving agricultural products |
| Document Number: |
20060112628 |
| تاريخ النشر: |
June 1, 2006 |
| Appl. No: |
09/739871 |
| Application Filed: |
December 20, 2000 |
| مستخلص: |
The present invention relates to a device and method for analyzing agricultural products. More particularly, the present invention relates to a device and method for rapid, non-destructive analysis of the physical and chemical characteristics of one or more seeds. |
| Inventors: |
Kotyk, John J. (Manchester, MO, US); DEPPERMANN, KEVIN L (ST. CHARLES, MO, US) |
| Claim: |
1. A non-destructive method for determining whether a seed exhibits a trait, the method comprising: providing a plurality of seeds in a sampling device, said sampling device comprising a plurality of stacked trays, each tray containing a plurality of wells, a plurality of the wells containing a seed to be imaged; magnetic resonance imaging of the sampling device to generate at least one magnetic resonance image of said plurality of seeds within the sampling device; analyzing said magnetic resonance image for information indicative of the presence of the trait; and, determining whether each individual seed exhibits said trait based on said analysis. |
| Claim: |
2-4. (canceled) |
| Claim: |
5. The method according to claim 1, wherein a magnetic resonance imaging instrument used to generate the magnetic resonance image is additionally loaded with a phantom sample to affect detection coil inductance. |
| Claim: |
6. The method according to claim 1, wherein coils within a magnetic resonance instrument used to generate the magnetic resonance image are tuned to the inductance of the plurality of seeds within the sampling device. |
| Claim: |
7. A non-destructive method for determining whether a seed exhibits a trait, the method comprising: providing a plurality of seeds in a sampling device; generating a magnetic resonance image of said plurality of seeds; analyzing said magnetic resonance image for information indicative of the presence of the trait; and, determining whether each individual seed exhibits said trait based on said analysis, wherein said trait is relative oil content of each individual seed. |
| Claim: |
8. The method according to claim 7, wherein said trait is information concerning saturated versus non-saturated oil composition of each individual seed. |
| Claim: |
9. A non-destructive method for determining whether a sample comprising a plurality of seeds contains seeds which exhibit a trait, the method comprising: providing said sample in a sampling device, said sampling device comprising a plurality of stacked trays, each tray containing a plurality of wells, a plurality of the wells containing at least one seed to be imaged; magnetic resonance imaging of the sampling device to generate at least one magnetic resonance image of said seeds within the sampling device; analyzing said magnetic resonance image for information indicative of the presence of the trait; and determining whether each individual seed in said sample exhibits said trait based on said analysis, wherein said determining step comprises associating said seeds with corresponding image volume elements that provide information indicative of the presence of the trait. |
| Claim: |
10-12. (canceled) |
| Claim: |
13. The method according to claim 9, wherein coils within a magnetic resonance instrument used to generate the magnetic resonance image are tuned to the inductance of the sample within the sampling device. |
| Claim: |
14. A non-destructive method for determining whether a sample comprising a plurality of seeds contains seeds which exhibit a trait, the method comprising: providing said sample in a sampling device; generating a magnetic resonance image of said sample; analyzing said magnetic resonance image for information indicative of the presence of the trait; and determining whether each individual seed in said sample exhibits said trait based on said analysis, wherein said determining step comprises associating said seeds with corresponding image volume elements that provide information indicative of the presence of the trait, and wherein said trait is relative oil content of each individual seed. |
| Claim: |
15. The method according to claim 14, wherein said trait is saturated versus non-saturated oil composition of each individual seed. |
| Claim: |
16. The method of claim 14, wherein said step of providing said sample of seeds in a sampling device comprises the step of providing an individual compartment within said sampling device for each of said seeds, the method further comprising the step of individually physically sorting the seeds after said step of determining based on whether said seed exhibits said trait. |
| Claim: |
17. The method as in claim 14, wherein said sample comprises more than 10 seeds. |
| Claim: |
18. The method as in claim 17, wherein said sample comprises more than 20 seeds. |
| Claim: |
19. The method as in claim 18, wherein said sample comprises more than 50 seeds. |
| Claim: |
20. The method as in claim 14, wherein said method can be performed on said sample in less than about 30 minutes. |
| Claim: |
21. The method as in claim 20, wherein said method can be performed on said sample in less than about 20 minutes. |
| Claim: |
22-48. (canceled) |
| Claim: |
49. A non-destructive method for high-throughput analysis of seeds for content, the method comprising: providing a plurality of seeds in a sampling device, said sampling device comprising a plurality of stacked sample trays, each sample tray containing a plurality of wells, a plurality of the wells containing a seed to be imaged; magnetic resonance imaging of the sampling device to generate at least one magnetic resonance image of said seeds within the sampling device; analyzing said magnetic resonance image for information indicative of content presence; and, determining a quantified amount of content presence within each individual seed based on said analysis. |
| Claim: |
50. The method of claim 49, wherein the seeds are oil seeds. |
| Claim: |
51. The method of claim 49, wherein said magnetic resonance image is obtained using a magnetic resonance imaging instrument with a bore size greater than about 8 cm. |
| Claim: |
52-91. (canceled) |
| Claim: |
92. The method of claim 7 wherein said sampling device comprises a sample tray containing a plurality of wells, a plurality of the wells containing a seed to be imaged. |
| Claim: |
93. The method of claim 92 wherein the plurality of wells exceeds fifty in number. |
| Claim: |
94. The method of claim 98 wherein the plurality of seeds are contained within a sampling device, said sampling device comprises a plurality of stacked sample trays, each sample tray containing a plurality of wells, a plurality of the wells containing a seed to be imaged. |
| Claim: |
95. The method of claim 49 wherein the plurality of wells on each tray exceeds fifty in number. |
| Claim: |
96. The method of claim 49 wherein the seeds comprise more than fifty individual seeds. |
| Claim: |
97. The method of claim 49 wherein the method is performed on the seeds in less than about 20 minutes. |
| Claim: |
98. A non-destructive method for seed trait analysis, the method comprising: generating a single magnetic resonance image of a plurality of distinct seeds; analyzing said single magnetic resonance image for information indicative of the presence of a certain trait of interest; determining which one or ones of the plurality of distinct seeds possess the certain trait of interest based on said analysis; and physically sorting the plurality of seeds based on the detected presence of the trait of interest. |
| Claim: |
99. The method of claim 98 wherein the step of determining further includes the step of determining from the analysis of the magnetic resonance image information an amount of the trait of interest that is detected as being present within each individual seed. |
| Claim: |
100. The method of claim 99 further including the steps of: measuring a weight of each seed in the plurality of seeds; and calculating a relative percentage of the detected amount of the trait of interest by measured weight for each individual seed. |
| Claim: |
101. A non-destructive method for seed trait analysis, the method comprising: (a) generating a single magnetic resonance image of a plurality of distinct seeds; (b) analyzing said single magnetic resonance image for information indicative of the presence of a certain trait of interest; (c) determining which one or ones of the plurality of distinct seeds possess the certain trait of interest based on said analysis as well as an amount of the trait of interest that is detected as being present within each individual seed; (d) measuring a weight of each seed in the plurality of seeds; (e) calculating a relative percentage of the detected amount of the trait of interest by measured weight for each individual seed; (f) processing a seed sample standard with known trait content in accordance with the steps (a) to (e) to determine a correction factor; and (g) using the correction factor to correct the calculated relative percentage of the detected amount of the trait of interest by seed weight. |
| Claim: |
102. The method of claim 99 wherein the trait of interest comprises oil within the seed, and the step of determining detects a quantity of oil present within each individual seed. |
| Claim: |
103. The method of claim 98 further including the step of loading a magnetic resonance instrument used to perform the step of generating with a phantom sample in order to compensate for a relatively small inductance of the plurality of seeds. |
| Claim: |
104. The method of claim 98 further including the step of returning a clinical magnetic resonance instrument used to perform the step of generating in order to be more sensitive and compensate for a relatively small inductance of the plurality of seeds. |
| Claim: |
105. The method of claim 98 wherein the step of generating utilizes spin echo magnetic resonance techniques. |
| Claim: |
106. The method of claim 98 wherein the step of generating utilizes chemical shift magnetic resonance imaging techniques. |
| Claim: |
107. The method of claim 7 further including the step of physically sorting the plurality of seeds based on the detected presence of the trait of interest. |
| Claim: |
108. The method of claim 98 further including the step of locating each individual one of the plurality of seeds within the single magnetic resonance image. |
| Claim: |
109. The method of claim 98 wherein each individual seed comprises a tissue sample. |
| Current U.S. Class: |
0470/581SE |
| Current International Class: |
01 |
| رقم الانضمام: |
edspap.20060112628 |
| قاعدة البيانات: |
USPTO Patent Applications |