Method and Device for Bone Scan in Meat

Abstract

A method and device for detection of bone in meat identifies fragments larger than about 1 mm using spectral optical imaging and ultrasound. Spectral imaging can detect foreign material proximate to the surface and ultrasound can detect material within the sample. The sample is irradiated by light and reflected light or Raman scattered light measured. The sample is similarly irradiated by ultrasound and reflected or transmitted sound waves give a set of amplitude data points, which include temporal delay. These data points are then processed by statistical methods to derive a set of vectors in n-dimensional space, which are compared to a calibrated data set of derived vectors which have distinct identifying loci for each type of surface, are indicative of the presence or absence of defects.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0001]The present invention pertains to the detection of small objects wholly or partly embedded in soft tissue. Generally, although not essentially, the objects are bone fragments or very small bones in meat. Large bones are not a problem because they are easily visible. Commercially, most typically, the meat is chicken breast, as the bone tends to fragment when the breast is deboned. The invention can also be applied to poultry, fish, and other meats liable to contain bone fragments or very small bones.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]Bone fragments or hard objects larger than 1 mm in size, which may be present in food products, pose a risk to human health. Consequently bone fragments pose both a regulatory risk and a litigation risk to food processing operations. For a bone detection method to be commercially viable, the method must be able to reliably detect bone fragments at the small end of the range. Surface defects are more common, embedded defects less...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

This patent describes a system for detecting small defects in meat using both optical and acoustic methods. The system uses a diffuse illumination to eliminate shadowing effects and a reflector to reduce specular reflection. The optical system is designed to map the scattered or reflected light from the sample with high fidelity onto a detector. The system also includes an optical chamber shielded from ambient light and a disposable transparent film for inspecting air samples. The technical effects include improved accuracy and sensitivity for detecting small defects in meat samples.

Problems solved by technology

Bone fragments or hard objects larger than 1 mm in size, which may be present in food products, pose a risk to human health.

Consequently bone fragments pose both a regulatory risk and a litigation risk to food processing operations.

Other biomolecules are present, but not in sufficient quantity to have a significant effect on the types of measurements discussed herein.

The technical problem is to find bone in a meat matrix composed of protein and lipid.

The primary weakness of this method is that tissue scatters photons at every refractive index discontinuity, effectively on the scale of cellular dimensions.

The candling method is thus limited to thin samples with uniform thickness.

Secondly, the signal from a small defect can be lost within a larger signal from texture within the meat matrix.

The UV fluorescence method, like the candling method is limited to thin samples due to the high photon scattering cross section of flesh.

The x-ray method has limited capability to detect weakly mineralized bones and cartilage or account for variation in sample thickness.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,060,981 CT increased speed by using multiple sources at increased cost

Several problems remain, even with the most recent CT systems.

X-ray emitters use high voltage and are operated in a damp environment posing further risk to workers.

The high capital cost and high cost of maintenance have limited the adoption of x-ray methods in food processing applications.

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