Patent Publication Number: US-11647738-B2

Title: Volumetric pupae dispenser

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/854,396, titled “Volumetric Pupae Dispenser” filed on May 30, 2019, the entirety of which is hereby incorporated by reference. 
    
    
     FIELD 
     The present disclosure relates generally to the mass-rearing of insects. More specifically, but not by way of limitation, this disclosure relates to devices and methods for dispensing insect pupae. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Insect pupae in a mass-rearing environment, such as a sterile insect technique (SIT) program, involves rearing large numbers of insects from eggs and may involve releasing them into the wild. Maintaining an effective rearing program can be difficult, including maintaining a high yield and detecting problems during the rearing process. For example, clean environments and effective feeding routines may be of significant importance, as well as safe handling of the insects during the rearing process. 
     SUMMARY 
     Various examples are described for devices and methods for dispensing insect pupae. One example device includes a dispenser assembly comprising: a frame having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, wherein the frame defines: a pathway to enable movement of a moveable member within the frame, an inlet opening in the first surface of the frame, the inlet opening providing access to the pathway, and a drain opening in the second surface of the frame, the drain opening providing access to the pathway, wherein the frame further comprises a filter overlaying the drain opening; and a moveable member translatable within the pathway between a first position and a second position, the moveable member defining at least one bore oriented perpendicular to the pathway, wherein: when the moveable member is at the first position, the bore is aligned with the inlet opening; and a reservoir container coupled to the dispenser assembly, the reservoir container defining a dispensing opening at a first end of the reservoir container, the dispensing opening aligned with the inlet opening of the frame. 
     One example method includes providing a device comprising: a dispenser assembly comprising: a frame having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, wherein the frame defines: a pathway to enable movement of a moveable member within the frame, an inlet opening in the first surface of the frame, the inlet opening providing access to the pathway, and a drain opening in the second surface of the frame, the drain opening providing access to the pathway, wherein the frame further comprises a filter overlaying the drain opening; a moveable member translatable within the pathway between a first position and a second position, the moveable member defining at least one bore oriented perpendicular to the pathway, wherein: when the moveable member is at the first position, the bore is aligned with the inlet opening, and a reservoir container coupled to the dispenser assembly, the reservoir container defining a dispensing opening at a first end of the reservoir container, the dispensing opening aligned with the inlet opening of the frame; receiving a mixture of a liquid and a plurality of insect pupae or insect larvae into the reservoir container; straining the mixture using the filter overlaying the drain opening; moving the moveable member between the first position and the second position using an actuator; and outputting the plurality of insect pupae or insect larvae from the bore. 
     These illustrative examples are mentioned not to limit or define the scope of this disclosure, but rather to provide examples to aid understanding thereof. Illustrative examples are discussed in the Detailed Description, which provides further description. Advantages offered by various examples may be further understood by examining this specification. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated into and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate one or more certain examples and, together with the description of the example, serve to explain the principles and implementations of the certain examples. 
         FIGS.  1 - 7    show example devices for dispensing insect pupae according to this disclosure; 
         FIG.  8    shows a flowchart for an example method for dispensing insect pupae according to this disclosure; and 
         FIG.  9    shows an example computing device for dispensing insect pupae according to this disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Examples are described herein in the context of devices and methods for dispensing insect pupae. Those of ordinary skill in the art will realize that the following description is illustrative only and is not intended to be in any way limiting. Reference will now be made in detail to implementations of examples as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. The same reference indicators will be used throughout the drawings and the following description to refer to the same or like items. 
     In the interest of clarity, not all of the routine features of the examples described herein are shown and described. It will, of course, be appreciated that in the development of any such actual implementation, numerous implementation-specific decisions must be made in order to achieve the developer&#39;s specific goals, such as compliance with application- and business-related constraints, and that these specific goals will vary from one implementation to another and from one developer to another. 
     When mass rearing insects, it is important to dose the correct number of pupae into a container to ensure the maximization of the mating and egg production process. As such, there needs to be an accurate method for counting the insect pupae. However, manual methods of dosing and counting insect pupae can be very time and labor intensive. Particularly, counting and dispensing known amounts of pupae by manually counting the individual pupa, e.g., using a pipette, is extremely time consuming and tedious. Counting and dispensing known amounts of pupae by transferring the pupae into containers and estimating the number inside the container can result in an inaccurate count and still requires a significant amount of labor. 
     When mass rearing insects, it may be desirable to dispense a dose of insect pupae (or simply “pupae”) without the need for manual counting and measurement by a user. Examples according to this disclosure can provide for the dispensing of insect pupae through the use of a semi-automated or fully automated device and method. While the examples and description below describe the dispensing of insect pupae, insect larvae or any other life-stage of an insect may be dispensed as described below. 
     In an illustrative example, a mixture of mosquito pupae and the liquid (e.g., water) that the pupae are being carried in are introduced into a pupae dosing device. A dose refers to a substantially consistent quantity of pupae taken from a population of pupae. Thus, this example pupae dosing device will obtain, over multiple iterations, a substantially constant number of pupae from a pupae population and dispense them, such as into individual containers per dose. 
     This example device includes a reservoir that collects the pupae and the liquid, a moveable member with a bore extending through the moveable member that aligns with a dispensing opening in the reservoir. The device also includes a filter (e.g., mesh) located underneath the bore, while the moveable member&#39;s bore is aligned with the reservoir&#39;s opening, that permits the liquid to drain from the bore while holding the pupae within the bore. The device also defines an output opening at a different location than the filter. The moveable member moves back and forth between the two locations to receive the pupae and liquid from the reservoir, drain the fluid through the filter, and then dispense the pupae through the output opening. 
     The reservoir holds the mosquito pupae and the liquid and allows liquid and pupae to exit through its opening, when the bore in the moveable member is aligned with it. The mosquito pupae and the liquid flow through the dispensing opening and into the bore in the moveable member. As the mosquito pupae and the liquid flow into the bore, the liquid continues to flow through the filter and drains from the bore while the mosquito pupae are caught and contained in the bore. The liquid will drain until a saturation point occurs where the pupae fill substantially the entire volume of the bore, thereby clogging any holes in the filter. When the device reaches this saturation point, the number of pupae within the bore is substantially fixed based on the size of the bore. 
     In this example, after the device reaches the saturation point, an actuator moves the moveable member along a pathway until the bore is aligned with the output opening. A solid portion of the moveable member that does not have a bore extending through it will then block the opening in the reservoir so that any of the pupae and/or liquid remaining in the reservoir are not able to flow out of the reservoir. 
     The actuator moves the moveable member until the bore is aligned with the output opening. At which time, gravity, a water rinse, or both will cause the pupae to fall through the output opening and into a container positioned underneath the output opening to catch the pupae. Once the pupae are dispensed from the bore, the actuator will move the moveable member back to the original position where the bore is aligned with the reservoir&#39;s drain. The process is then repeated to dispense another dose of mosquito pupae. 
     By using this pupae dosing device, each dose of pupae has substantially the same number of pupae based on the bore size selected for the moveable member. By using such a technique, the dispensing system provides a more accurate and consistent count of the pupae than when an individual would manually measure the pupae using a cup. In addition, the device operates much more quickly than manual pupae dispensing. Thus the pupae dosing device provides a faster, more accurate, and less labor-intensive method for dosing the pupae than by manually counting the individual pupae using a pipette. Incorporating the actuator into the pupae dosing device permits the device to be partially or fully automated in order to reduce or eliminate the need for human operation of the pupae dosing device. 
     This illustrative example is given to introduce the reader to the general subject matter discussed herein and the disclosure is not limited to this example. The following sections describe various additional non-limiting examples and examples of systems and methods for dispensing insect pupae. 
     Referring now to  FIG.  1   ,  FIG.  1    shows an example device  100  for dispensing insect pupae. In this example, the device  100  is made out of homopolymer acetal (e.g., Delrin®); however, it may be made out of any suitable material or materials such as copolymer acetal, acrylic, metal, plastic, etc. The device  100  includes a dispenser assembly  102  and a reservoir container  104 . 
     The dispenser assembly  102  includes a frame  106  and a moveable member  108  that translates within a pathway  110  defined in the frame. The frame  106  has a first surface  106   a  and a second surface  106   b  where the second surface  106   b  is located opposite the first surface  106   a . In some examples, the first surface  106   a  and the second surface  106   b  form a top surface and a bottom surface of the frame  106 . The first surface  106   a  may be connected to the second surface  106   b  at a single location, e.g., as shown in  FIG.  6   , or at multiple locations, e.g., as shown in  FIGS.  1 - 3   , which may form a side piece or side pieces of the frame  106 . Additionally, the first surface  106   a  may be completely separate from the second surface  106   b . In some examples, the frame is defined by a single piece of material that has been molded, extruded, machined, etc. 
     In this example, the frame  106  defines a pathway  110  between the first surface  106   a  and the second surface  106   b  and several openings, which include an inlet opening  112 , a drain opening  114 , and an output opening  116 . The inlet opening  112  is defined in the first surface  106   a , while the drain opening  114  and the output opening  116  are defined in the second surface  106   b . The inlet opening  112 , the drain opening  114 , and the output opening  116  all provide access to the pathway  110  through the frame  106 . In this example, the inlet opening  112  and the drain opening  114  are aligned across the pathway  110 . In other examples, however, the inlet opening  112  and the drain opening  114  may be misaligned across the pathway  110  or not aligned at all. Such configurations may provide an alternate way to pre-define the bore  120  to hold a fixed number of pupae and an amount of liquid. Additionally, in this example, the first surface  106   a  defines a rinse opening  126  that aligns with the output opening  116 , though the rinse opening  126  may be positioned to only partially align with the output opening  116 . 
     In this example, the frame  106  also includes a filter  118  that overlays the drain opening  114  to allow water to exit the bore  120 , while retaining the pupae. The filter  118 , according to different examples, may be permanently coupled to the drain opening  114 , removably coupled to the drain opening  114 , pivotally coupled to the drain opening  114 , or coupled to the drain opening  114  in any other suitable manner. Additionally, the filter  118  may be placed in or over the drain opening  114  without being physically coupled to the drain opening  114  at all. The filter  118  may be made from a mesh material or any other suitable material capable of draining a liquid while catching the insect pupae. 
     The pathway  110  is sized to fit the moveable member  108  while permitting the moveable member  108  to move along the pathway  110 . In this example, the moveable member  108  is a sliding block. However, the moveable member  108  may be any suitable shape for moving through the pathway  110 . The moveable member  108  defines at least one bore  120  that is oriented perpendicular to the pathway  110 . The bore  120  extends through the entire height of the moveable member  108 . In some examples, the bore  120  may define any suitable volume to permit the dosing of the insect pupae. For example, the bore  120  may define a volume of five milliliters, ten milliliters, or fifteen milliliters. As such, the bore  120  will hold a predetermined number of insect pupae based on the volume of the bore  120 . Additionally, the bore  120  may be any suitable shape for collecting a dose of pupae including cylindrical, rectangular, pyramidal, etc. 
     The moveable member  108  may translate between a first position and a second position in order to create a dosing of the pupae. When the moveable member  108  is in the first position, as is shown in  FIG.  1   , the bore  120  is aligned with the inlet opening  112 . When the moveable member  108  is in the second position, as is shown in  FIG.  2   , the bore  120  is aligned with the output opening  116 . 
     Referring now to  FIG.  2   ,  FIG.  2    shows an example device  200  for dispensing insect pupae. In this example, the device  200  includes similar elements, such as a dispenser assembly  202  that includes a frame  206  and a moveable member  208 , and a reservoir container  204 , as described above in relation to  FIG.  1   . Here, the insect pupae have collected and been contained in the bore  220  until the pupae fill substantially the entire volume of the bore  220 . The moveable member  208  has moved to the second position so that the device  200  may output the pupae through the output opening  216 . In some examples, when the moveable member  208  is in the second position, the solid portion of the moveable member  208  blocks the inlet opening  212  to prevent the mixture from flowing out of the reservoir container  204 , such as is shown in  FIG.  2   . 
     Referring back to  FIG.  1   , the bore  120  is be aligned with both the inlet opening  112  and the drain opening  114  when the moveable member  108  is in the first position. Additionally, the moveable member  108  may be configured to translate between additional positions besides the first position and the second position, e.g., a third position, a fourth position, etc. For example, if the drain opening  114  is not aligned with the inlet opening  112 , and instead is defined in the second surface  106   b  at a third position between the inlet opening  112  and the output opening  116 , the moveable member  108  stops at the third position so that the bore  120  is aligned with the drain opening  114  to drain liquid from the bore  120  before proceeding to align with the output opening  116 . 
     The dispenser assembly  102  also includes an actuator  128  that causes the moveable member  108  to move within the pathway  110 . In some examples, the actuator  128  may be a hydraulic actuator, a pneumatic actuator, an electrical actuator, or any other suitable actuator that is capable of causing the moveable member  108  to move. In some examples, the actuator  128  may be coupled to the moveable member  108 . For example, the actuator  128  may be screwed to the moveable member  108 , bolted to the moveable member  108 , adhered to the moveable member  108 , or coupled to the actuator  128  using any other suitable attachment means. 
     In this example, the reservoir container  104  is coupled to the first surface  106   a  of the dispenser assembly  102 . In some examples, the reservoir container  104  may be coupled to only the first surface  106   a , to only the second surface  106   b , or to both the first surface  106   a  and  106   b . The reservoir container  104  is removably coupled to the dispenser assembly  102  using at least one detachable connector  130  such as a magnet, a screw, a bolt, a clamp, a snap-fit design, a friction-fit design, or any other suitable means for removably attaching the reservoir container  104  to the dispenser assembly  102 . By removably attaching the reservoir container  104  to the dispenser assembly  102 , a user may easily remove the reservoir container  104  from the dispenser assembly  102  in order to clean or replace the reservoir container  104 . In some examples, the reservoir container  104  may be permanently coupled to the dispenser assembly  102 . For example, the reservoir container  104  may be formed with the dispenser assembly  102  from a single piece of material. 
     In some examples, the reservoir container  104  also defines a dispensing opening  122  located at a first end of the reservoir container  104  and an intake opening  124 . The dispensing opening  122  is aligned with the inlet opening  112 . In this example, the intake opening  124  is located at an end of the reservoir container  104  opposite the first end; however, the intake opening  124  may be located at any end of the reservoir container  104 . The reservoir container  104  is shaped to guide the pupae and the liquid towards the dispensing opening  122 . For example, the reservoir container  104  may be shaped as a funnel, as may be seen in  FIG.  2   , as an inverted trapezoid, as may be seen in  FIG.  1   , as a ramp, or as any other suitable shape that is able to assist in guiding the pupae and the liquid to the dispensing opening  122 . 
     In some examples, the device  100  is part of a system that incorporates various other features into the device  100 . For example, the device  100  may be positioned so that the mixture is dispensed into the reservoir container  104  via a pipe and/or so that the insect pupae are output through the output opening and into a pipe, as is discussed below in reference to  FIG.  3   . 
     Additionally, various rinsing mechanisms may be incorporated into the system to help with cleaning the device  100  or dosing the pupae. The rinsing mechanisms may use a liquid, e.g., water or pressurized water, or a gas, e.g. air or pressurized air, to remove pupae or debris from various elements of the device  100 . In some examples, the rinsing mechanisms may include hoses, nozzles, fans, pumps, or any other suitable device capable of outputting the water or air used to rinse the device  100 . 
     For example, a container rinsing mechanism  138  is permanently or removably attached to the reservoir container  104 . However, in some examples, the container rinsing mechanism  138  may be positioned separate from the reservoir container  104 . The container rinsing mechanism  138 , such as a spout, spigot, nozzle, etc. may receive and spray water or blow air from a source into the reservoir container  104  to rinse and assist in guiding the pupae towards the dispensing opening  122 . 
     In this example, a filter rinsing mechanism  140  is positioned adjacent to the drain opening  114  so that the filter rinsing mechanism  140 , such as a spout, spigot, nozzle, etc. may receive and spray water or blow air from a source through the filter  118  in order to rinse the filter  118  and remove any pupae or debris that may be stuck in the filter  118 . The filter rinsing mechanism  140  may be used when the moveable member  108  is not in the first position or when there is no pupae or liquid in the reservoir container  104 . In this example, the output opening rinsing mechanism  142  is positioned adjacent to or above the rinse opening  126  so that the output opening rinsing mechanism  142  such as a spout, spigot, nozzle, etc. may receive and spray water or blow air from a source through the bore  120  when the moveable member  108  is in the second position to assist with outputting the pupae from the bore  120  through the output opening  116 . Additionally, the output opening rinsing mechanism  142  may be used while the moveable member  108  is not in the second position in order to clean the output opening of any debris or remaining pupae. 
     Referring now to  FIG.  3   ,  FIG.  3    shows another example device  300  for dispensing insect pupae. In this example, the device  300  includes the same features as were discussed above in reference to  FIG.  1   . The device  300  includes a dispenser assembly  302  that includes a frame  306  and a moveable member  308 , a reservoir container  304 , and an actuator  328 . In this example, the device  300  includes features in addition to those shown in  FIG.  1    to assist with dispensing insect pupae. Some of these features include, for example, an intake pipe  332  and an output pipe  334 . The intake pipe  332  is positioned to dispense the mixture of the insect pupae and the liquid into the reservoir container  304 . In some examples, the intake pipe  332  may be coupled to the reservoir container  304  or may be positioned adjacent to the reservoir container  304 . While the intake pipe  332  is shown in  FIG.  3    as positioned above the reservoir container  304 , the intake pipe  332  may be positioned along any edge of the reservoir container  304 . In other examples, the intake pipe  332  may be coupled directly to the first surface  306   a  and aligned with the inlet opening  312 . 
     The output pipe  334  is positioned to accept the insect pupae that are dispensed from the bore  320  through the output opening  316 . In some examples, the output pipe  334  may be coupled to second surface  306   b  of the frame  306  or may be positioned adjacent to the second surface  206   b . The addition of the intake pipe  332  and/or the output pipe  334  enables the device  300  to be incorporated into a partially or fully automated insect mass rearing system. For example, the intake pipe  332  may carry the mixture of insect pupae and liquid from an upstream collection area to the device  300  without requiring a user to manually dispense the mixture into the reservoir container  304 . The output pipe  334  may then carry the dosed pupae on to another area such as a sex sorting or mating location where specific, known quantities of insect pupae are required to make devices at those locations function properly. 
     In this example, the device  300  includes and/or is controlled by a computing device  336  communicatively coupled to the actuator  328 , where the computing device  336  may control various features of the device  300 . For example, the computing device  336  may control the actuator  328  that moves moveable member  308  between positions. In some examples, the computing device  336  may be communicatively coupled to the actuator  328  via a wired interface  338 , such as Ethernet, USB, IEEE 1394, or a wireless interface, such as IEEE 802.11, Bluetooth, or radio interfaces for accessing cellular telephone networks (e.g., transceiver/antenna for accessing a CDMA, GSM, UMTS, or other mobile communications network(s)). While  FIG.  3    only depicts a single computing device  336 , it should be appreciated that multiple computing devices  336  may be employed to apportion various processing tasks. Thus, some examples may split processing amongst multiple computing devices  336  to distribute processing requirements. In some examples, the computing device  336  may be integrated into the actuator  328 , coupled to the device  300 , or completely separate from the device  300 . In some examples, a single computing device may control multiple dispensing devices  300 . Further details relating to specifics of the computing device  336  are discussed below in relation to  FIG.  9   . 
     Referring now to  FIG.  4   ,  FIG.  4    shows another example of the moveable member  408  that may be included in the example device  400  for dispensing insect pupae. In this example, the moveable member  408  includes the same features as were discussed above in reference to  FIG.  1   . For example, the moveable member  408  defines a bore  420  extending from a first surface of the moveable member  408  to a second surface of the moveable member  408 . Additionally in this example, the bore  420  includes at least one wall made out of the same material (e.g., mesh) as the filter  118  described in  FIG.  1   . Including mesh walls for the bore  420  may be beneficial in some examples because the greater the surface area of the bore that is made of mesh, the more accurate the count and measurement of the insect pupae may be. This is because the liquid of the mixture may be output through the entire height of the mesh wall even as the pupae begin to clog the lower portion of the mesh wall. 
     Referring now to  FIG.  5   ,  FIG.  5    shows another example of the moveable member  508  that may be included in the example device  500  for measuring and dispensing insect pupae. In this example, the moveable member  508  includes the same features as were discussed above in reference to  FIG.  1   . Here, the moveable member  508  is shaped as a rotatable disc. The disc shaped moveable member  508  includes at least one bore  520 . The at least one bore  520  may be made of solid walls or may be made of mesh walls as described above in reference to  FIG.  4   . In some examples, the actuator  528  may be coupled to the moveable member  508 . For example, the actuator  528  may be coupled to or embedded into a central location of the disc shaped moveable member  508 , as is shown in  FIG.  5   . In other examples, the actuator  528  may be coupled to an outer surface of the disc shaped moveable member  508 . 
     Referring now to  FIG.  6   ,  FIG.  6    shows another example device  600  for measuring and dispensing insect pupae. In this example, the device  600  includes similar features as were discussed above in reference to  FIG.  1   . The device  600  includes a dispenser assembly  602  that includes a frame  606  and a moveable member  608 , a reservoir container  604 , and an actuator  628 . Here, the moveable member  608  is shaped as a rotatable disc and defines at least two bores  620  as described above in reference to  FIG.  5    and the first surface  606   a  and the second surface  606   b  are only connected at a single location. The actuator  628  is coupled to an interior location in the moveable member  608  and causes the disc shaped moveable member  608  to rotate and move within the pathway  610 . The bores  620  may be distributed around the disc shaped moveable member  608  so that a first bore  620  is be aligned with the inlet opening  612  and the drain opening  614  at the same time that a second bore  620  is aligned with the output opening  616 . This allows for the simultaneous straining of the mixture in the first bore  620  and outputting of the strained pupae from the second bore  620 , which results in a faster dosing of the pupae. In some examples, there may be multiple sets of reservoir containers  604 , filters  618 , and openings  612 ,  614 ,  616 , and  622  that allows for simultaneous dosing to occur in a single device  600 . 
     In some examples, the moveable member  608  may be removed from the device  600  and a second moveable member  608  may be interchangeable with the removed moveable member  608 . The two moveable members  608  may be different shapes or have different sized bores. For example, the disc shaped moveable member  608  may be interchangeable with the sliding block shaped moveable member  108  discussed above in reference to  FIG.  1   . Interchanging the moveable member  608  with a second moveable member  608  of a different shape may include interchanging the actuator  628  used to move the moveable member  608  because the actuator  628  used to move the disc shaped moveable member  608  may be a different type of actuator  628  than the actuator  128  used to move the sliding block shaped moveable member  108 . Additionally, the moveable member  608  may be interchangeable with a second moveable member  680  that includes at least one different sized bore  620 . Having interchangeable moveable members  608  with different sized bores  620  permits a user to adjust the doses of the insect pupae being created by the device  600 . 
     Referring now to  FIG.  7   ,  FIG.  7    shows another example device  700  for dispensing insect pupae. In the example shown in  FIG.  7   , the device  700  includes similar features as were discussed above in reference to  FIG.  1   . For example, the device  700  includes a dispenser assembly  702  that includes a moveable member  708 , a reservoir container  704 , and an actuator  728 . However, here, the reservoir container  704  is coupled to or positioned adjacent to the moveable member  708 . Thus, the mixture of the insect pupae and the liquid flow directly from the reservoir container  704 , through the dispensing opening  722  in the reservoir container  704 , and into the bore  720 . The filter  718  is pivotally coupled to the moveable member  708  and capable of controlling when the insect pupae are contained in the bore  720  and when the pupae are released from the bore  720 . 
     For example, when the moveable member  708  is in the first position (the bore  720  is aligned with the dispensing opening  722 ), the filter  718  will completely cover the lower portion of the bore  720  in order to permit the liquid to be output through the filter  718  while containing the pupae in the bore  720 . When the moveable member  708  is in the second position (i.e., the solid portion of the moveable member  708  is aligned with the dispensing opening  722 ), the filter  718  may rotate so that the pupae may be output from the bore  720 . When the filter  718  is not covering the lower portion of the bore  720  while the moveable member  708  is in the second position, either gravity or the use of water or air will cause the pupae to slide out of the bore  720  and into a container, an output pipe, etc. 
     Referring now to  FIG.  8   ,  FIG.  8    shows an example method  800  for dispensing insect pupae according to this disclosure. The example method  800  will be discussed with respect to the device  100  shown in  FIG.  1   . However, it should be appreciated that any suitable system for dispensing insect pupae may be employed, such as that shown in  FIGS.  2 - 7   . 
     At block  810 , a device  100  for dispensing insect pupae is provided. Here, the device  100  includes a dispenser assembly  102 , which includes a frame  106  and a moveable member  108  defining at least one bore  120 , a reservoir container  104 , and an actuator  128  as discussed above. The frame  106  has a first surface  106   a  and a second surface  106   b  opposite the first surface that define a pathway  110  where the moveable member  108  is located and may move through. The frame  106  defines various openings, including an inlet opening  112 , a drain opening  114 , an output opening  116 , and a rinse opening  126 , in the first surface  106   a  and the second surface  106   b  that provide access to the pathway  110 . The frame may also include a filter  118  that is positioned to overlay the drain opening  114 . 
     At block  812 , a mixture of insect pupae and a liquid, such as water, is received into the reservoir container  104  of the device  100 . In some examples, the mixture may be received into the reservoir container  104  from a user manually dispensing the mixture into the reservoir container  104 . In other examples, the mixture may be received into the reservoir container  104  from a pipe, such as the intake pipe  332  discussed above in reference to  FIG.  3    positioned to dispense the mixture directly into the reservoir container  104 , or any other suitable type of upstream source that does not require manual action by a user. 
     At block  814 , the mixture is strained using the filter  118  that overlays the drain opening  114 . After the mixture is received into the reservoir container  104 , the mixture is guided toward and through the dispensing opening  122  and the inlet opening  112  until the mixture reaches the bore  120  due to the shape of the reservoir container  104  and the gravitational forces acting on the mixture. Additionally, the reservoir container  104  may be rinsed with a liquid or gas, as discussed above in reference to  FIG.  1   , to assist with guiding the mixture towards the bore  120 . In some examples, the bore  120  is not aligned with both the inlet opening  112  and the drain opening  114  at the same time. Instead the mixture flows into the bore  120  and the moveable member translates through the pathway  110  so that the bore  120  is aligned with the drain opening  114  and the filter  118  to strain the mixture. 
     In some examples, the straining of the mixture occurs when the liquid is output through the filter  118  overlaying the drain opening  114  while the plurality of pupae are contained in the bore. The mesh material that the filter  118  is made out of is designed to permit liquid to pass through the openings in the mesh while holding the pupae in the bore  120 . As more of the liquid is output through the filter  118 , more pupae will fill the bore  120  until the bore  120  reaches a point of saturation where the pupae occupy substantially the entire volume of the bore  120 . 
     At block  816 , the moveable member  108  is moved from a first position to a second position. In some examples, the moveable member  108  is moved using an actuator  128 . As discussed above, the actuator may be coupled to the moveable member  108  or positioned adjacent to the moveable member  108  and may take any suitable form that is capable of causing the moveable member  108  to move (e.g., a hydraulic actuator, a pneumatic actuator, etc.). Additionally, the computing device  336 , as discussed in  FIG.  3   , may be used to activate the actuator  128  and move the moveable member  108 . While the computing device  336  is discussed in relation to the linear actuator  328  in  FIG.  3   , the computing device  336  may be used to activate any actuator incorporated into the device  100 , including the disc shaped moveable member  508 ,  608  discussed in relation to  FIGS.  5  and  6   . In other examples, the moveable member  108  may be moved manually. 
     As discussed above, the moveable member  108  is in the first position when the bore  120  is aligned with the inlet opening  112 . This alignment permits the mixture to flow from the reservoir container  104  into the bore  120 . Here, the bore  120  is also aligned with the drain opening  114  in the first position, which permits the liquid to be output through the filter  118  overlaying the drain opening  114  at the same time as more of the mixture is flowing into the bore  120 . However, in some embodiments, the drain opening  114  may be misaligned or not aligned at all with the drain opening  114 . 
     When the moveable member  108  is in the second position, the bore  120  is aligned with the output opening  116  and the inlet opening  112  is blocked by a solid portion of the moveable member  108 . This solid portion prevents any more of the mixture from flowing out of the reservoir container  104  until to bore  120  is once again positioned underneath the inlet opening  112 . 
     In other examples, there may be no inlet opening  112  or drain opening  114  in the device, as is described above in reference to  FIG.  7   . Thus, the moveable member  108  is in the first position when the bore  120  is aligned with the dispensing opening  722  and is in the second position when the bore  120  is not aligned with the dispensing opening  722  such that the dispensing opening  722  is blocked by a solid portion of the moveable member  108 . 
     At block  818 , the plurality of insect pupae contained in the bore  120  are output from the bore  120  through the output opening  116 . In some examples, the insect pupae may be output solely due to the gravitational forces acting on them. In other examples, a liquid, such as water, may be introduced to rinse the bore  120  to ensure that all the pupae are output from the bore. 
     Referring now to  FIG.  9   ,  FIG.  9    shows an example computing device  900  suitable for use in example devices or methods for dispensing insect pupae according to this disclosure. The example computing device  900  includes a processor  910  which is in communication with the memory  920  and other components of the computing device  900  using one or more communications buses  902 . The processor  910  executes processor-executable instructions stored in the memory  920  to assist with dispensing insect pupae, such as instructions for part or all of the example method  800  described above with respect to  FIG.  8   . 
     In some examples, the processor  910  is part of a computerized control system for the device  100 . The processor  910  may receive an actuator signal from the actuator  128  and determine a current position of the moveable member  108  based on the actuator signal. For example, the actuator signal may indicate that the actuator  128  is in a first position, a second position, or any other position. In other examples, the processor  910  may receive a sensor signal from a sensor  960  and determine a current position of the moveable member  108  based on the sensor signal. While the sensor  960  is shown as an integral element of computing device  900 , the sensor  960  may be separate from and communicatively coupled to the computing device  900 . The processor  910  may then transmit a movement signal to the actuator  128  based on the determined current position and the actuator  128  may be configured to move based on the movement signal. 
     The computing device  900 , in this example, also includes one or more user input devices  950 , such as a keyboard, mouse, touchscreen, microphone, etc., to accept user input. The computing device  900  also includes a display  940  to provide visual output to a user. 
     The computing device  900  also includes a communications interface  930 . In some examples, the communications interface  930  may enable communications using one or more networks, including a local area network (“LAN”); wide area network (“WAN”), such as the Internet; metropolitan area network (“MAN”); point-to-point or peer-to-peer connection; etc. Communication with other devices may be accomplished using any suitable networking protocol. For example, one suitable networking protocol may include the Internet Protocol (“IP”), Transmission Control Protocol (“TCP”), User Datagram Protocol (“UDP”), or combinations thereof, such as TCP/IP or UDP/IP. 
     While some examples of methods and devices herein are described in terms of software executing on various machines, the methods and devices may also be implemented as specifically-configured hardware, such as field-programmable gate array (FPGA) specifically to execute the various methods. For example, examples can be implemented in digital electronic circuitry, or in computer hardware, firmware, software, or in a combination thereof. In one example, a device may include a processor or processors. The processor includes a computer-readable medium, such as a random access memory (RAM) coupled to the processor. The processor executes computer-executable program instructions stored in memory, such as executing one or more computer programs. Such processors may include a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), and state machines. Such processors may further include programmable electronic devices such as PLCs, programmable interrupt controllers (PICs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), programmable read-only memories (PROMs), electronically programmable read-only memories (EPROMs or EEPROMs), or other similar devices. 
     Such processors may include, or may be in communication with, media, for example computer-readable storage media, that may store instructions that, when executed by the processor, can cause the processor to perform the steps described herein as carried out, or assisted, by a processor. Examples of computer-readable media may include, but are not limited to, an electronic, optical, magnetic, or other storage device capable of providing a processor, such as the processor in a web server, with computer-readable instructions. Other examples of media include, but are not limited to, a floppy disk, CD-ROM, magnetic disk, memory chip, ROM, RAM, ASIC, configured processor, all optical media, all magnetic tape or other magnetic media, or any other medium from which a computer processor can read. The processor, and the processing, described may be in one or more structures, and may be dispersed through one or more structures. The processor may include code for carrying out one or more of the methods (or parts of methods) described herein. 
     The foregoing description of some examples has been presented only for the purpose of illustration and description and is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure to the precise forms disclosed. Numerous modifications and adaptations thereof will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure. 
     Reference herein to an example or implementation means that a particular feature, structure, operation, or other characteristic described in connection with the example may be included in at least one implementation of the disclosure. The disclosure is not restricted to the particular examples or implementations described as such. The appearance of the phrases “in one example,” “in an example,” “in one implementation,” or “in an implementation,” or variations of the same in various places in the specification does not necessarily refer to the same example or implementation. Any particular feature, structure, operation, or other characteristic described in this specification in relation to one example or implementation may be combined with other features, structures, operations, or other characteristics described in respect of any other example or implementation. 
     Use herein of the word “or” is intended to cover inclusive and exclusive OR conditions. In other words, A or B or C includes any or all of the following alternative combinations as appropriate for a particular usage: A alone; B alone; C alone; A and B only; A and C only; B and C only; and A and B and C.