Intellectual Property Office
Non-Confidential Disclosures
"Novel Mosquito Trap"
PSU Invention Disclosure No. 2006-3148
Field of the Invention/Key Words:
Surveillance is integral to effective nuisance and disease-carrying mosquito control. Since the emergence of West Nile Virus (WNV) in 1999, there has been a nationwide demand for effective mosquito surveillance and control.
Inventor:
L.P. Hall
Background:
Mosquitoes are vectors for such well known diseases as WNV, yellow fever, malaria, Dengue fever, Eastern Equine Encephalitis and canine heartworm. There are a wide number of mosquito species, including those that are recently transplanted into this country such as O. japonicus and the Asian tiger mosquito. Adult mosquito surveillance includes trapping of adult mosquitoes and testing for the presence of disease-causing viruses, such as WNV. Information gathered can provide valuable information regarding the species found in a particular area, when they occur, and number and types of mosquitoes infected. There are now mosquito control/surveillance programs for virtually every county/parish in the United States. In addition, research is being conducted throughout the world on mosquitoes and mosquito-borne diseases. These all require sampling tools and mean that thousands of traps and other sampling devices are sold every year. These devices are sold by a very limited number of companies and retail for $200-300 per unit and usually last three to four (3-4) years on average. This means that there is a reliable niche market that is moderately lucrative. The vast majority of the mosquito research and control is performed by people who are passionate about their work, institutionally funded, and always on the lookout for innovative methods and materials to become more effective.
Invention description:
The subject invention represents a unique design that offers the advantage of being versatile, lightweight, compact devices that do not damage the specimens. The device is powered by a normal six (6) volt battery, allowing the user to easily incorporate the device into an existing complement of traps. The device’s versatility allows it to be used in situations where one is sampling blood-meal seeking insects or where one is sampling gravid female mosquitoes. This allows a surveillance or control organization to save storage space and more easily respond to the mosquito situation at hand. The compact size allows the user to easily carry all the components (including batteries and attractants) in one hand. The protection of the samples from the “blender” effect allows the samples to be more easily identified and more effectively pooled, lessening the risk of cross-contamination when monitoring disease incidences in specific species.
Status of Invention:
Prototypes of the invention have been constructed and field tested. They were used on a regular basis by a county West Nile Virus prevention program. The traps yielded several West Nile-positive samples, effectively aided in the sampling of nuisance mosquitoes, and effectively verified the efficacy of control events. The simplicity of the design and components suggests that the invention is suitable as a low-end product for Integrated Pest Management that could potentially increase the number of sample sites and can easily be manufactured to be marketed in the fields of mosquito research, disease surveillance, and mosquito control.
Contact:
Matthew D. Smith
Sr. Licensing Officer
Intellectual Property Office
The Pennsylvania State University
113 Technology Center
University Park, PA 16802-7000
Phone: (814) 863-1122
Fax: (814) 865-3591
E-mail: mds126@psu.edu
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