Battelle Memorial Institute

Aaron A Diaz

Richard A Pappas

Leonard J Bond

Timothy L Stewart

James R Skorpik

Larry Dean Reid

Albert Mendoza

Todd J Samuel

Juan D Valencia

Chester L Shepard

Brion J Burghard

Paul D Panetta

Bob W Wright

Leslie J Kirihara

Joe C Harris

Brian J Tucker

John T Munley

Kayte M Judd

William C Cliff

David M Pfund

Gerald P Morgen

Kevin L Gervais

O Dennis Mullen

Jonathan T Smalley

Theodore T Taylor

Jason S Thompson

Systems and techniques for detecting the presence of foreign material in food utilizing optical backlighting and/or ultrasonic inspection are presented. In optical backlighting, a substantially monochromatic light source optically backlights a food stream with source light having a wavelength between about 500 and 600 nm. An image of the food stream is captured and the presence of foreign material is determined when a portion of the detected image exceeds a predetermined threshold. The technique is especially suitable for the detection of bone in chicken meat, and the light source can be a planar array of green LEDs. In ultrasonic inspection, a process stream is interrogated with pulses of ultrasound and the presence of foreign material is determined based on the detected off-angle ultrasound scattering response.

System and technique for detecting the presence of foreign material

A multiparameter acoustic signature inspection device and method are described for non-invasive inspection of containers. Dual acoustic signatures discriminate between various fluids and materials for identification of the same.

Methods and apparatus for multi-parameter acoustic signature inspection

A method and apparatus are described for determining the doneness of food during a cooking process. Ultrasonic signal are passed through the food during cooking. The change in transmission characteristics of the ultrasonic signal during the cooking process is measured to determine the point at which the food has been cooked to the proper level. In one aspect, a heated fluid cooks the food, and the transmission characteristics along a fluid-only ultrasonic path provides a reference for comparison with the transmission characteristics for a food-fluid ultrasonic path.

System and technique for ultrasonic determination of degree of cooking

Systems and techniques for detecting the presence of foreign material

An ultrasound inspection apparatus particularly adapted to examine containers (sealed or unsealed) containing a liquid or solid bulk material. The apparatus has an overall configuration of a hand held pistol with a front transducer contact surface that is positioned against a front wall of the container. An ultrasound pulse is transmitted from the apparatus to be reflected from a back wall of a container being investigated. The received echo pulse is converted to a digital waveform. The waveform is analyzed relative to temperature, travel distance of the pulse(s), and time of travel to ascertain characteristics of the liquid or other materials and to provide identification of the same.

Acoustic inspection device

A system and technique for detecting the presence of foreign material is presented. An ultrasound transmitter interrogates the bulk material and an array of detectors receives the off angle ultrasound scattering response of the bulk material. The presence of foreign material is determined when the off angle scattering response exceeds a predetermined threshold. The technique is especially suitable for the detection of bone in meat.

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Richland, WA, United States of America

Aaron A Diaz