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Sensor for detecting components in fluid samples comprises detector surrounded by a selectively permeable membrane barrier of preferably polyvinylchlor
Food Control,
Vol. 6, No. 2, pp. 127-130,
1995
Elsevier Science Ltd Printed in Great Britain 0956-7135/95
$10.00 + 0.00
PATENTREPORT This section provides information on worldwide patents relevant to food control. Each report gives the following information: title of patent, patentee, patent number, publication date and summary of the patent. The reports have been selected from ‘Food Processing Patents Profiles’ with permission of Derwent Publications Ltd, Rochdale House, 128 Theobalds Road, London, WClX 8RP, UK. (Tel: 071 242 5823, fax: 071 405 3630). Sensor for detecting components in fluid samples comprises detector surrounded by a selectively permeable membrane barrier of preferably polyvinylchloride and poly-aryl sulphone Univ. Victoria, Manchester WO-9402584; 3 March 1994
Sensor device comprises a detector for detecting components in fluid samples and provides an output representative of the content of the component. It comprises the detector and a membrane barrier between the detector and the sample to be analysed, characterized in that the membrane barrier is composed of a combination comprising a PVC and a polyaryl sulphone. Also claimed are polymer compositions useful for 001-95 making membranes. Killing microorganisms on porous surface, e.g. separation membrane or especially raw meat, by successive exposure to vacuum, microbicidal gas and vacuum in process which does not affect quality Morgan A. 1. US-5281428; 25 January 1994
Microorganisms living on a substance with a porous surface are killed by (a) evacuating to remove air; flushing the substance with an air-free treatment gas to remove more air; treating with a gas (G) for to kill the microorganisms; and evacuating to remove (G). The treatment gas is ozone, hydrogen peroxide or propylene oxide optimally mixed with steam. The apparatus used comprises a stator and rotatable chamber with an access for product insertion and removal. The stator includes peripherally spaced first vacuum, flushing, treating and second vacuum stations. The rotor is intermittently rotatable inside the stator such that the product can successively contact the stations. Preferably the flushing is effected at a position where the rotor is turned to a position in which its access is exposed to both the first vacuum and treating stations simultaneously. 002-95 Automated grading system for meat carcasses or cuts uses data, especially fat content or colour, obtained from video image of meat for comparison with stored reference values to give grading category Newman P. B. D. WO-9400997; 20 January 1994
Carcasses are graded by obtaining a representative image of a meat cut. The image is processed to provide data relatable to the meat’s fat content. The data is used to determine a parameter suitable for categorising the carcass. The parameter is compared with values stored in a database to determine the overall grading of the carcass. Also claimed is the apparatus used for grading the carcass. This includes a conveyor for carrying a cut of meat from the carcass past a video camera to obtain an image of the meat. A signal processor produces data relatable to the fat content. A store holds corresponding data from reference carcasses. A compa-
rator compares the data and produces an overall grade for the carcass shown on a display. 003-95 Determining water content of defatted product by automatically heating to dryness, washing with solvent and reheating to determine moisture content Rougie S.A.
FR-2692990; 31 December
1993
Rapid determination of water content of defatted product comprises (a) crush and mix representative sample of product; (b) set desiccator programme comprising heating profile and weight loss variation; (c) spread small portion of sample on preweighed capsule, place on balance of desiccator and initiate programme; (d) validate weight loss, measure mass of dry residue and determine water content; (e) wash dry residue in thin stream of solvent and allow to drain; (f) moisten residue with solvent and heat gently to boiling point of solvent; (g) repeat until fat removed; (h) place capsule with dry defatted sample on desiccator balance with heater and calculate result when readings are within confidence window. 004-95 Evaluation of taste of rice by inputting worked rice image, dividing region to be measured into image elements, displaying luminance of each element, etc. Japan Tobacco Inc. JP-05332928; 17 December 1993
The image of cooked rice is input. A region to be measured is divided into image elements. Luminance of each image element is displayed and luminance displayed by the image element is totalled, in order, from high luminance to an arbitrary order. The total of the luminance forms an accumulated luminance value, by which taste is evaluated. 005-95 Measuring moisture content of powder, e.g. powdered milk, using optical tibre probe transmitting infrared fit through probe which is reflected from powder and transmitted back to spectral analysis instrument for analysis of moisture content. Nirsystems Inc. US-5278412; 11 January 1994
The method for measuring the moisture content of a powder while the powder is being dried, and which is contained in a fluidized bed involves inserting a fibre optic probe through the wall of the container of the bed to be immersed in the fluidized bed. The fluidized bed continuously scrubs the outer surface of the probe window and prevents it from being coated with the powder. Near infrared light is transmitted through a cable optical fibre and the probe to irradiate the powder in the fluidized bed, and is reflected back from the powder into the probe and transmitted by the fibre optic cable to a spectroscopic analysing instrument. The fibre optic probe include a sapphire rod having a back surface abutting the end of the fibre optic cable and an angled front surface. The front of the probe is closed by a quartz window spaced from the angled front surface of the sapphire rod and held in position by an inwardly directed flange on the outer tubular casing of the fibre optic probe. The front window is provided with an outwardly directed flange and an O-ring is sandwiched between the flange on the window and the inwardly directed flange on the distal end of the probe to provide a seal to prevent powder from getting in the probe. 00695
Food Control 1995 Volume 6 Number 2
127
Vol. 6, No. 2, pp. 127-130,
1995
Elsevier Science Ltd Printed in Great Britain 0956-7135/95
$10.00 + 0.00
PATENTREPORT This section provides information on worldwide patents relevant to food control. Each report gives the following information: title of patent, patentee, patent number, publication date and summary of the patent. The reports have been selected from ‘Food Processing Patents Profiles’ with permission of Derwent Publications Ltd, Rochdale House, 128 Theobalds Road, London, WClX 8RP, UK. (Tel: 071 242 5823, fax: 071 405 3630). Sensor for detecting components in fluid samples comprises detector surrounded by a selectively permeable membrane barrier of preferably polyvinylchloride and poly-aryl sulphone Univ. Victoria, Manchester WO-9402584; 3 March 1994
Sensor device comprises a detector for detecting components in fluid samples and provides an output representative of the content of the component. It comprises the detector and a membrane barrier between the detector and the sample to be analysed, characterized in that the membrane barrier is composed of a combination comprising a PVC and a polyaryl sulphone. Also claimed are polymer compositions useful for 001-95 making membranes. Killing microorganisms on porous surface, e.g. separation membrane or especially raw meat, by successive exposure to vacuum, microbicidal gas and vacuum in process which does not affect quality Morgan A. 1. US-5281428; 25 January 1994
Microorganisms living on a substance with a porous surface are killed by (a) evacuating to remove air; flushing the substance with an air-free treatment gas to remove more air; treating with a gas (G) for to kill the microorganisms; and evacuating to remove (G). The treatment gas is ozone, hydrogen peroxide or propylene oxide optimally mixed with steam. The apparatus used comprises a stator and rotatable chamber with an access for product insertion and removal. The stator includes peripherally spaced first vacuum, flushing, treating and second vacuum stations. The rotor is intermittently rotatable inside the stator such that the product can successively contact the stations. Preferably the flushing is effected at a position where the rotor is turned to a position in which its access is exposed to both the first vacuum and treating stations simultaneously. 002-95 Automated grading system for meat carcasses or cuts uses data, especially fat content or colour, obtained from video image of meat for comparison with stored reference values to give grading category Newman P. B. D. WO-9400997; 20 January 1994
Carcasses are graded by obtaining a representative image of a meat cut. The image is processed to provide data relatable to the meat’s fat content. The data is used to determine a parameter suitable for categorising the carcass. The parameter is compared with values stored in a database to determine the overall grading of the carcass. Also claimed is the apparatus used for grading the carcass. This includes a conveyor for carrying a cut of meat from the carcass past a video camera to obtain an image of the meat. A signal processor produces data relatable to the fat content. A store holds corresponding data from reference carcasses. A compa-
rator compares the data and produces an overall grade for the carcass shown on a display. 003-95 Determining water content of defatted product by automatically heating to dryness, washing with solvent and reheating to determine moisture content Rougie S.A.
FR-2692990; 31 December
1993
Rapid determination of water content of defatted product comprises (a) crush and mix representative sample of product; (b) set desiccator programme comprising heating profile and weight loss variation; (c) spread small portion of sample on preweighed capsule, place on balance of desiccator and initiate programme; (d) validate weight loss, measure mass of dry residue and determine water content; (e) wash dry residue in thin stream of solvent and allow to drain; (f) moisten residue with solvent and heat gently to boiling point of solvent; (g) repeat until fat removed; (h) place capsule with dry defatted sample on desiccator balance with heater and calculate result when readings are within confidence window. 004-95 Evaluation of taste of rice by inputting worked rice image, dividing region to be measured into image elements, displaying luminance of each element, etc. Japan Tobacco Inc. JP-05332928; 17 December 1993
The image of cooked rice is input. A region to be measured is divided into image elements. Luminance of each image element is displayed and luminance displayed by the image element is totalled, in order, from high luminance to an arbitrary order. The total of the luminance forms an accumulated luminance value, by which taste is evaluated. 005-95 Measuring moisture content of powder, e.g. powdered milk, using optical tibre probe transmitting infrared fit through probe which is reflected from powder and transmitted back to spectral analysis instrument for analysis of moisture content. Nirsystems Inc. US-5278412; 11 January 1994
The method for measuring the moisture content of a powder while the powder is being dried, and which is contained in a fluidized bed involves inserting a fibre optic probe through the wall of the container of the bed to be immersed in the fluidized bed. The fluidized bed continuously scrubs the outer surface of the probe window and prevents it from being coated with the powder. Near infrared light is transmitted through a cable optical fibre and the probe to irradiate the powder in the fluidized bed, and is reflected back from the powder into the probe and transmitted by the fibre optic cable to a spectroscopic analysing instrument. The fibre optic probe include a sapphire rod having a back surface abutting the end of the fibre optic cable and an angled front surface. The front of the probe is closed by a quartz window spaced from the angled front surface of the sapphire rod and held in position by an inwardly directed flange on the outer tubular casing of the fibre optic probe. The front window is provided with an outwardly directed flange and an O-ring is sandwiched between the flange on the window and the inwardly directed flange on the distal end of the probe to provide a seal to prevent powder from getting in the probe. 00695
Food Control 1995 Volume 6 Number 2
127