The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Feb. 21, 1989
Filed:
Nov. 25, 1987
Roger E Garrett, Davis, CA (US);
Nelson E Smith, Jr, Davis, CA (US);
James J Mehlschau, Davis, CA (US);
The Regents of the University of California, Berkeley, CA (US);
Abstract
A device for encapsulating seeds in a gel. A nozzle with dual vertical, rectilinear, concentric tubes--i.e., an inner tube and an outer tube--is supplied with gel that is fed into the outer tube. The gel goes down the outer tube to an outlet from the inner tube, so that a meniscus of gel is stretched across the outlet. Singulated seeds are fed into an inlet of the inner tube, so that each seed--and only one--drops down upon a meniscus of gel. A slight puff of air is caused to pass down the inner tube and slightly inflate the meniscus upon which a seed has dropped. More gel is fed, to cause the meniscus to separate from the outlet and form a drop of gel with a seed inside, which drops down into a fixative bath that causes the gel to set.