Implantable device for the administration of active substances t

Details Implantable device for the administration of active substances t Implantable device for the administration of active substances t

1997-05-12

1999-02-23

Carone, Michael J.

Plant husbandry

Injection, method or apparatus

47 15, A01G 2900

Patent

active

058731962

DESCRIPTION:

BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an implantable device for the administration of active substances to plants. Administering active substances to plants by means of implantable devices is known per se and is mentioned in the relevant literature. For example, patent documents JP 58-39602 and AU 84 31497 describe such devices.
The publication JP 58-39602 discloses implantable, swellable active substance systems consisting of a mixture of hydrophilic and water-absorbing polymers. The operating principle of these systems consists in the fact that the release of the active substance is effected as a result of its solubilization and is therefore controlled by the water absorption of the plant. However, this controlling mechanism has the following disadvantage: Since the active substance is released according to the water absorption, the release rates are determined by the hydration state of the plant's tissue cells at the site of application. Previous experience has shown that the degree of cell hydration is subject to great variations, and that the extent of these variations depends on the water balance state of the plant. Extremely low or extremely high water potentials of the plant cells can result either in an interruption of the active substance release or in a rapid release involving an undesired premature exhaustion of the system. A long-term and reliable control of the active substance amount to be released per time unit is not possible with these systems.
The patent AU 843 1497 relates to a release system primarily developed for irrigation and fertilization purposes. It consists of a porous ceramic implant and an external gas or liquid reservoir which are connected with each other. In this case water and active substance are supplied by utilizing the capillary forces of the implant body, the natural transpiration flow of the plant representing the driving power required to transport the active substance carrier liquid. So, both liquid flow and active substance supply to the conductive system of the plant are controlled by the plant itself. For this reason, this system is unsuitable for an exact active substance dosage, rendering the administration of plant protection agents or growth regulators impossible. In forest and horticultural crop protection it is important to adapt the active substance demand to the specific requirements of the respective host-pathogen-relation (time-dependent development of disease and pest attack, extent of the economic damage threshold). The active substance release rate is not the last factor which influences the cost situation in the treatment of a larger stock of plants or trees, for example.


BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, it is the object of the present invention to provide an implantable device for the administration of active substances to plants, wherein the connection of active substance release with the water balance of the plant is limited to a minimum and a control of the active substance release rate is made possible with economic means under avoidance of the above-mentioned difficulties and technical limitations.
This object is achieved with an implantable device having the form according to the features of this invention. Suitable further embodiments of the device are also provided. In this connection, it has surprisingly been found that active substances can be incorporated into the cavity system of porous ceramic bodies and that these are released even into lignified organs of the plant after insertion of the ceramic bodies.


DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The subject matter of the present invention is an implantable device for supplying active substances to plants in the form of a molded article that is interspersed with pores and in which the active substance is distributed in open pores and the pore volume at the time of implantation is dimensioned according to the present invention in such a manner that it comprises the total amount of active substance to be released.
One of the most important character

REFERENCES:
patent: 3259677 (1966-07-01), Zwick
patent: 4651468 (1987-03-01), Martinez et al.
patent: 4965960 (1990-10-01), Moore
patent: 5201925 (1993-04-01), Itzel et al.
patent: 5216833 (1993-06-01), Longer
patent: 5505021 (1996-04-01), Merving
patent: 5689913 (1997-11-01), Beaudry

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