Jeffrey Todd Donaldson
Nursing in Portland, OR

6688255, Feb 10, 2004

Apr 9, 2002

10/120117

Jeffrey D. Donaldson - Tigard OR
William W. Fisher - Berkeley CA
Douglas O. Keller - Lake Oswego OR
Troy M. Swartwood - Seattle WA

Exelixis, Inc. - South San Francisco CA

A01K 2900

119 65, 119678

According to one embodiment, a robotic apparatus for maintaining a collection of stocks of small organisms, such as fruit flies, is capable of performing various tasks, including automatically transferring live flies from a donor container to a recipient container, such as for the purpose of feeding the flies. The apparatus includes an anesthetizing mechanism configured to automatically introduce an anesthetic, such as gaseous CO , into a donor container of live flies to temporarily immobilize the flies before the flies are transferred to the recipient container. The apparatus also includes a gas manifold that is configured to direct a flow of gas from a compressed-gas source into the donor container such that the immobilized flies are blown from the donor container into the recipient container. In another embodiment, automated methods are provided for maintaining a collection of stocks of small organisms, such as fruit flies.

6688037, Feb 10, 2004

Dec 12, 2001

10/020654

Douglas O. Keller - Lake Oswego OR
Troy M. Swartwood - Seattle WA
Jeffrey D. Donaldson - Tigard OR

Agrinomics LLC - Portland OR

A01G 908

47 101P, 414737

Robotic apparatus for removing seeds contained in covered or uncovered containers and planting the seeds into selected planting chambers are disclosed. An exemplary apparatus includes a first vacuum-activated probe configured to pick up an entire seed population from a donor container. A seed-alignment trough is provided to receive the seed population from the first probe. The seed-alignment trough is configured such that seeds deposited in the trough become aligned or otherwise arranged. A second vacuum-activated probe is configured to successively remove individual seeds from the seed-alignment trough and to plant each removed seed in a selected planting chamber. Also disclosed are automated methods for transferring and planting.

2012026, Oct 18, 2012

Apr 11, 2012

13/444095

Kristi A. Golgotiu - Oregon City OR, US
Philippe Herve - Brussels, BE
Douglas Keller - West Linn OR, US
Troy M. Swartwood - Seattle WA, US
Jeffrey D. Donaldson - Tigard OR, US

Dow AgroSciences LLC - Indianapolis IN

A01G 9/02, A01G 25/16

47 65, 47 666

An automated gravimetric screening system and method controls soil moisture in a plurality of potted plants to perform water deficit experiments in a greenhouse using a stationary support platform and pot design that maintains the plants in a static location during the testing. By weighing and re-watering the pots from beneath the platform, the present system and method permits an upper gantry to capture high resolution images, temperature data, or other sensor data to quantify the plant stress level or plant canopy characteristics during the experiment.

2005022, Oct 13, 2005

Mar 10, 2004

10/797978

David Hager - San Francisco CA, US
Jeffrey Donaldson - Tigard OR, US
Patrick Kearney - San Francisco CA, US
Douglas Keller - Lake Oswego OR, US
James Leahy - San Leandro CA, US
Robert Mercer - Cornelius OR, US
Michael Morrissey - Danville CA, US
Troy Swartwood - Seattle WA, US

B01L003/00, G01N001/00

422102000, 422099000, 436174000

A multi-well assembly according to one embodiment comprises a multi-well block and a guide plate. The multi-well block defines a plurality of wells, with each well having a fluid-impermeable bottom surface. The guide plate defines a plurality of fluid passageways corresponding to the wells of the multi-well block. The guide plate is configured such that, whenever the guide plate is registered with the multi-well block, fluid communication is established between each well and an associated fluid passageway. The guide plate enables iterative chemical or biological processes using multiple multi-well blocks. A seal plate is configured to cut fluid communication conferred by the guide plate via registration with the guide plate, or via registration with the multi-well block (once the guide plate is removed). The seal plate allows iterative chemical or biological processes within a single multi-well block.

2004014, Jul 29, 2004

Oct 21, 2003

10/691042

Douglas Keller - Lake Oswego OR, US
Troy Swartwood - Tigard OR, US
Jeffrey Donaldson - Tigard OR, US

Agrinomics LLC

A01G009/08

047/00101P, 414/737000

Robotic apparatus for removing seeds contained in covered or uncovered containers and planting the seeds into selected planting chambers are disclosed. An exemplary apparatus includes a first vacuum-activated probe configured to pick up an entire seed population from a donor container. A seed-alignment trough is provided to receive the seed population from the first probe. The seed-alignment trough is configured such that seeds deposited in the trough become aligned or otherwise arranged. A second vacuum-activated probe is configured to successively remove individual seeds from the seed-alignment trough and to plant each removed seed in a selected planting chamber. Also disclosed are automated methods for transferring and planting seeds.

7413910, Aug 19, 2008

Mar 8, 2002

10/471121

Patrick Kearney - San Francisco CA, US
David Clarence Hager - San Jose CA, US
Douglas O. Keller - Lake Oswego OR, US
Jeffrey D. Donaldson - Tigard OR, US
Robert D. Mercer - Cornelius OR, US
James William Leahy - San Leandro CA, US
Micheal Morrissey - Danville CA, US
Troy M. Swartwood - Seattle WA, US

Exelixis, Inc. - South San Francisco CA

G01N 1/10

436180, 422102

A multi-well assembly () comprises a multi-well block () and a guide plate (). The multi-well block () has a plurality of wells () each with a fluid-impermeable bottom surface (). The guide plate () has a plurality of fluid passageways () corresponding to the wells () of the multi-well block (). The guide plate () is configured to establish fluid communication between each well () and an associated fluid passageway () when the guide plate () is aligned with the multi-well block ().

6852290, Feb 8, 2005

Mar 8, 2002

10/094253

David C. Hager - San Jose CA, US
Jeffrey D. Donaldson - Tigard OR, US
Patrick Kearney - San Francisco CA, US
Douglas O. Keller - Lake Oswego OR, US
James W. Leahy - San Leandro CA, US
Robert D. Mercer - Cornelius OR, US
Michael Morrissey - Danville CA, US
Troy M. Swartwood - Tigard OR, US

Exelixis, Inc. - So. San Francisco CA

B01L003/00, B01L003/02, G01N001/18, A61B010/00, A61M037/00

422101, 99100, 99102, 99104, 436177, 7386441, 7386474, 210233, 2103232, 600575, 600576, 600577, 600578, 600579, 604 86, 604139, 604148, 604158, 604159, 604160, 604161

A multi-well assembly according to one embodiment comprises a multi-well block and a guide plate. The multi-well block defines a plurality of wells, with each well having a fluid-impermeable bottom surface. The guide plate defines a plurality of fluid passageways corresponding to the wells of the multi-well block. The guide plate is configured such that, whenever the guide plate is registered with the multi-well block, fluid communication is established between each well and an associated fluid passageway.