Device with soluble hook-shaped micro-elements for the deployment of substances into the leaves of plants
The invention concerns a miniaturised device ( 10 ) suitable for deploying substances into the leaves (F) of plants comprising an array of anchoring micro-elements ( 12 ) made of a soluble material. The device also comprises sensors ( 23 ), so that it is possible to simultaneously deploy substances on both the abaxial and the adaxial side of the leaf (F) and simultaneously monitor the effects thereof.
1 . A miniaturized integrated device operable for deploying substances into an inner tissue of a leaf of a plant, comprising:
a sheet support;
a matrix of abaxial hook-shaped anchoring microelements protruding from the sheet support, each abaxial hook-shaped microelement comprising a conical base and a hooked upper portion that becomes thinner towards an apical part and having a horizontal extension along the sheet support greater than its extension orthogonal thereto;
the anchoring microelements being made of a soluble material based on sugar alcohols selected from the group consisting of isomalt, erythritol, lactitol, maltitol, mannitol, xylitol, sorbitol and combinations thereof, the material being mixed with substances containing active ingredients; and
electronic components comprising sensors for monitoring an effect of the substances deployed on the plant.
2 . The miniaturized integrated device according to claim 1 , wherein the soluble material based on sugar alcohols comprises one or more sugar alcohols selected from the group consisting of erythritol, lactitol, maltitol and combinations thereof.
3 . The miniaturized device according to claim 1 , wherein the soluble material based on sugar alcohols selected from the group consisting of mannitol, xylitol, sorbitol and combinations thereof.
4 . The miniaturized device according to claim 1 , wherein the soluble material based on sugar alcohols comprises isomalt.
5 . The miniaturized device according to claim 1 , wherein the active ingredients are selected from the group consisting of molecules, nanoparticles, nucleic acids, viruses, bacteria, ions, salts and combinations thereof.
6 . The miniaturized device according to claim 1 , wherein the anchoring microelements are at least partially coated with a layer of a material with reduced solubility that is a material not soluble in a sap of the plants or has a solubility in the sap of the plants lower than that of the sugar alcohols forming the anchoring microelements.
7 . The miniaturized device according to claim 1 , wherein the matrix of abaxial hook-shaped anchoring microelements comprises microelements having dimensions of an order of tens or hundreds of μm, and arranged in arrays on a sheet support, each abaxial hook-shaped anchoring microelement comprising:
a conical base having a base diameter Db; and
a hooked upper portion having a diameter Dm and a height Harc;
such that diameter Db is between two and three times diameter Dm.
8 . The miniaturized device according to claim 7 , wherein each abaxial hook-shaped anchoring microelement has a total height Htot approximately equal to twice the height Harc of its hooked upper portion, and wherein a horizontal length-Larc of the hooked upper portion measured from its inner side is between 1.5 and 2 times Harc and between 1 and 2 times diameter Dm.
9 . The miniaturized device according to claim 1 , further comprising a distal portion and a proximal portion, wherein the proximal portion consists of a pair of jaws through which the leaf is operable to be clamped, wherein inner sides of the pair of jaws are provided with the anchoring micro-elements.
10 . The miniaturized device according to claim 9 , wherein the proximal portion includes the sensors, wherein the sensors are selected from the group consisting of humidity sensors, temperature sensors, light sensors and combinations thereof, and the distal portion includes electrical and electronic components that allow the acquisition, processing and remote sending of data acquired by the sensors.