Optics: measuring and testing – By shade or color
Patent
1980-07-09
1984-03-27
McGraw, Vincent P.
Optics: measuring and testing
By shade or color
356445, G01J 346, G01N 2184
Patent
active
044390378
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD
The invention relates to a process for optically determining the meat-to-lard-ratio in objects such as slaughtered animals or portions thereof, by which process a probe with light conducting means in the form of at least one transmitter transmitting light of a predetermined colour and at least one receiver, is inserted substantially perpendicular to the surface of the object.
BACKGROUND ART
Probes of the above type are known. These probes are, however, not so sensitive that they can state the degree of marbling, i.e. the size and distribution of lard enclosings in the meat, but only the lard thickness, cf. for instance Danish Pat. No. 109,246.
DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION
The object of the invention is to provide a process permitting such a sensitive measuring that the degree of marbling may be measured.
The process according to the invention is characterised by the light conducting means transmitting and receiving red light in a very narrow frequency band about a predetermined wave length, the signals transmitted being measured relative to a reference value automatically determined. The narrow band width renders it possible to avoid irrelevant signals from the surroundings. The automatic determination of a reference value implies an automatic adjustment as a consequence of the colour of the meat and the light of the surroundings. The apparatus is simplified due to the fact that manual adjustments are unnecessary.
Moreover according to the invention the wave length of the transmitter may be 0.93 .mu.m.+-.0.02 .mu.m, preferably 0.93 .mu.m.+-.0.01 .mu.m, and the receiver may be sensitive at 0.93 .mu.m too and be more broad-banded. In this manner the signal-to-noise-ratio is improved.
Furthermore according to the invention the light transmitted may be pulse modulated, whereby the signal-to-noise-ratio is additionally improved.
The pulse modulation may for instance be a coded pulse modulation.
Furthermore according to the invention, the reflection versus the penetration depth may be recorded in a memory, whereby a more comprehensive signal treatment of the values measured is permitted.
Finally according to the invention, the insertion of the probe may be performed in 256 steps, whereby the memory must comprise at least 256 locations, thus providing an appropriate resolving power.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
The invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which
FIG. 1 illustrates a probe for carrying out the process according to the invention,
FIG. 2 illustrates the reflection as function of the insertion of the probe into a piece of meat, and
FIG. 3 is a rear view of a probe with three free cutting edges during the introduction, whereby furthermore the mouth of the light conducting means relative to the cutting edges is illustrated.
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
FIG. 1 illustrates a probe 7 to be introduced into a piece of meat. This probe is used for optically determining the meat-to-lard-ratio including the degree of marbling of the object. The probe comprising at least two light conducting means 1, 2 is introduced substantially perpendicular to the surface of the object. The light conducting means in the form of two light fibres 1, 2 open on to the side or at the spigot end of the probe 7. Through a converter 3 converting light signals into electrical signals, the fibres communicate with a calculating unit 4 recording the signal for the reflection in a memory 5. The location in the memory 5, which is recorded together with the reflection value, is dedetermined on the basis of the penetration depth x at the moment in question. The penetration depth stepwise registered may for instance be measured by means of a potentiometer 8 in the measuring instrument 6. The light fibers 1, 2 are adapted to transmit and receive red light in a very narrow frequency band about a predetermined wave length. In this manner irrelevant signals from the surroundings are excluded. Furthermore, the very narrow frequency band improves per se the signal-to-noise
REFERENCES:
patent: 3224320 (1965-12-01), Knudsen
patent: 3877818 (1975-04-01), Button et al.
patent: 4226540 (1980-10-01), Barten et al.
Nilsson Ole
Northeved Allan
McGraw Vincent P.
Medicoteknisk Institut, Svejsecentralen
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