US 12,433,242 B2
Devices, systems, and methods for introducing organisms into populations
Kevin M. Esvelt, Cambridge, MA (US); and Sarah Anna Vitak, Cambridge, MA (US)
Assigned to Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA (US)
Appl. No. 17/792,682
Filed by Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA (US)
PCT Filed Jan. 13, 2021, PCT No. PCT/US2021/013197
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jul. 13, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/146254, PCT Pub. Date Jul. 22, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/961,020, filed on Jan. 14, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0039625 A1, Feb. 9, 2023
Int. Cl. A01K 1/03 (2006.01); A01K 1/00 (2006.01); A01K 21/00 (2006.01); A01K 29/00 (2006.01)
CPC A01K 1/031 (2013.01) [A01K 1/0017 (2013.01); A01K 21/00 (2013.01); A01K 29/005 (2013.01)] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An organism container configured for permitting access to a preselected organism and denying access to other organisms, the organism container comprising:
an organism enclosure which includes a floor, and one or more walls, which together define a container cavity configured to hold one or more of the organism;
a door configured for selective access of one or more of the preselected organisms into the container cavity, wherein the door has an open configuration configured to permit entry of one or more of the preselected organism into the container cavity, and a closed configuration configured to deny entry of other of the organisms into the container cavity;
a lock associated with the door, wherein the lock is configured to keep the door in the closed configuration;
a first sensor associated with the organism enclosure, wherein the first sensor is configured to unlock the lock to selectively move the door into the open configuration when the first sensor detects the presence of the preselected organism at the door and outside of the organism enclosure so the preselected organism can enter the container cavity, and wherein the first sensor is configured to prevent access to the container cavity to other organisms;
a second sensor associated with the organism enclosure, wherein the second sensor is configured to unlock the lock to selectively move the door into the open configuration when the second sensor detects the presence of the preselected organism at the door and inside of the organism enclosure so that the preselected organism can exit the container cavity; and
a panel positioned above the door, wherein the first sensor is positioned on a first end of the panel, and the second sensor is positioned on a second end of the panel.