Plant Infiltration Device

摘要

It is provided a plant infiltration device for infiltrating plants with an inoculum and method of using same, the device comprising a frame having one or more tray racks adapted for receiving at least one tray of plants to be infiltrated; an automated manipulation mechanism mounted to the frame and operable to displace the plant trays within the device; a plurality of inoculum reservoirs mounted to the frame and containing one or more inoculum fluids; an infiltration tank mounted to the frame and within which the plant trays are received when disposed in the infiltration position; and a vacuum generating device in communication with the infiltration tank to apply a negative pressure within the infiltration tank, thereby opening pores of the plant leaves immersed in the inoculum within the infiltration tank and causing the inoculum fluid to infiltrate into the plant leaves.

主权项

1. A plant infiltration device for infiltrating plants with an inoculum, the device comprising:
a frame having one or more tray racks adapted for receiving one or more trays of said plants to be infiltrated, the trays being in an initial position when disposed in said input racks; an automated manipulation mechanism mounted to the frame and operable to displace said plant trays within the device, the manipulation mechanism having a robotic manipulator actuable to at least displace said plant trays from the initial position to an infiltration position; a plurality of inoculum reservoirs mounted to the frame and containing one or more inoculums, the inoculum reservoirs being interconnected in fluid flow communication with a fluid transport system, the fluid transport system being operable to control flow into and out of said inoculum reservoirs; an infiltration tank mounted to the frame and within which the plant trays are received when disposed in said infiltration position, the fluid transport system being in fluid flow communication with said infiltration tank to at least partially fill said infiltration tank with a selected inoculum from one of said inoculum reservoirs to at least partially immerse the plant leaves of said plant tray when disposed in said infiltration position within the infiltration tank, the infiltration tank being enclosed in a sealed configuration when the plant tray is disposed in said infiltration position therein; and a vacuum generating device in communication with said infiltration tank to apply a negative pressure within the infiltration tank in said sealed configuration, thereby opening pores of said plant leaves immersed in said inoculum within the infiltration tank and causing the inoculum to infiltrate into the plant leaves.