United States of America, As Represented by the Secretary of Agriculture

US Government As Represented by the Secretary of the Army

University System of Maryland

Mississippi State University

Awi Licensing Company

Safetyspect, Inc.

Headwall Photonics, Inc.

Republic of Korea, As Represented by the Administrator of Rural Development Administration

Moon S Kim

Kuanglin Chao

Alan M Lefcourt

Diane E Chan

Yud-Ren Chen

Jianwei Qin

Yud Ren Chen

Chun-Chieh Yang

Kangjin Lee

Insuck Baek

David D Tuschel

Charles U Pittman, Jr

Kenneth S Barton

David P Reichwein

Tor P Schultz

Fartash Vasefi

Fang Qiao

Darrel D Nicholas

Leonard L Ingram, Jr

Walter F Schmidt

Eugene Michael Ivankoe

David P Bannon

Oksana Olkhovyk

Patrick J Marek

Sukwon Kang

Andre G Senecal

Catherine Leigh Broadhurst

Lyndel Meinhardt

Yongliang Liu

Ahmed Kabir

Lichang Wang

Daniel R Shelton

Byoung-Kwan Cho

The contamination sanitation inspection system (CSIS) allows a user to capture an image of a large scene (such as a food processing line, a food service facility, a food products storage area, or a plant production area/facility) and identify contamination within the scene and preferably represent the contamination on a spatially accurate map (or floorplan) so that contamination within the inspection map area is clearly identified and recorded for subsequent treatment. In an alternative embodiment, the CSIS also includes a decontamination system to sanitize any identified contamination.

Active illumination-based multispectral contamination sanitation inspection system

A line scan imaging system scans a targeted inspection area and gathers reflectance and fluorescence data. The inspection system comprises at least a rotatable/pivotable mirror-faced triangular prism, a line illumination source, and a line scan hyperspectral camera. The prism has a mirrored camera face and a mirrored illumination face. In operation, as the prism rotates, the camera instantaneous field of view (IFOV) and the projected illumination line converge at a nadir convergence scan line so that the hyperspectral camera receives line scan data from the nadir convergence scan line as the nadir convergence scan line traverses an inspection area.

Method and system for active line scan imaging

A line-scan laser is directed to a sample so that a Raman-shifted light signal is emitted from the sample. An imaging spectrograph and associated camera and processor acquires the Raman-shifted light signal and processes the signal to thereby identify the composition of the sample.

Line-scan Raman imaging method and apparatus for sample evaluation

The variable thermodynamic Raman spectroscopy method and apparatus is a system for material analysis. In operation, a target material is subjected to a variable thermodynamic protocol and analyzed using a differential scanning calorimeter.

Variable thermodynamic raman spectroscopy system and method

The single-camera angled conveyance inspection method and apparatus includes upwardly and downwardly angled conveyance mechanisms positioned within an instantaneous field of view of a digital line scan camera. As a rotating object is moved over the conveyances by a helical guide, the camera obtains images of the object and communicates the images to a processor. The processor assembles a reflectance and fluorescence image of the object including detected defects and/or contamination on the outer surface of the object.

Single-camera angled conveyance imaging method and apparatus for whole-surface inspection of rotating objects

A histamine concentration level of a fish item is determined by illuminating the fish and analyzing the resulting spectral image data. Specifically, an algorithm is applied to the fish image data so that a histamine concentration value is calculated for every pixel of the fish image. A corresponding histamine concentration image of the fish is produced based on the collective histamine concentration values. The fish is accepted or rejected based on the collective histamine concentration values and/or the histamine concentration image. The histamine concentration image may be used to identify specific parts of a fish fillet that exceed (or do not exceed) a predetermined histamine concentration level.

Method of determining histamine concentration in fish

The single-camera multi-mirror imaging method and apparatus is an inspection system configured to examine a whole surface of a rotating object, preferably a spheroidal object such as a fruit or vegetable. The system includes a plurality of mirrors that direct an image of the inspected object into a digital line scan camera with an associated processor. The processor produces an image of the inspected object showing any detected surface defects and selected contamination on the outer surface of the object.

Single-camera multi-mirror imaging method and apparatus for whole-surface inspection of rotating objects

An imaging system containing an electron-multiplying charge-coupled device detector and line-scan spectrograph is used for identifying wholesome and unwholesome freshly slaughtered chicken carcasses on high-speed commercial chicken processing lines. Multispectral imaging algorithms allow for real-time online identification of wholesome and unwholesome chicken carcasses.

Method and system for wholesomeness inspection of freshly slaughtered chickens on a processing line

The present invention provides manufacturing of and the use of novel diethylene tricarbamide and its condensation reaction products formed by reacting with formaldehyde as wood composite binder resins and in other applications. These resins have thermosetting capabilities and therefore usefulness as binders for wood and other materials with superior resin properties of low cost, colorlessness, exceptionally good binding, and fast curing characteristics, as well as very low formaldehyde emissions. The synthesized novel starting material for the thermosetting resins of the present invention is diethylene tricarbamide.

Diethylene tricarbamide and diethylene tricarbamide-formaldehyde condensation resins

System and method for determining the presence of a contaminant in a sample using Raman spectroscopic data. The sample may be food or feed and the contaminant may be melamine. The sample is illuminated with substantially monochromatic light to produce Raman scattered photons. The Raman scattered photons are collected to generate Raman spectroscopic data. The Raman spectroscopic data may comprise at least one of a Raman spectrum and a spatially accurate wavelength resolved Raman image. The Raman spectroscopic data is analyzed to determine the presence or absence of a contaminant in a sample. The concentration of the contaminant in the sample can also be determined by using a ratio algorithm.

Systems and methods for detecting contaminants in a sample

The hand-held inspection tool enhances the ability of an on-site inspector to detect and communicate the presence of contamination on an object or in an area. An on-site inspector directs an excitation light in the sensing head of the tool into an area of interest. If the targeted contamination is present, the excitation light causes the contamination to emit fluorescence. The emitted fluorescent light passes through a narrow spectral band-pass video camera filter and is detected by a video camera mounted in the tool sensing head. The video camera transmits the image to a display visible to the on-site inspector. The invention also includes a means of recording, documenting, and wirelessly communicating the inspection process so that remotely located personnel can view the inspection, and respond to the inspection findings in real time.

Hand-held inspection tool and method

A hyperspectral reflectance and fluorescence line-scan imaging system is used for on-line quality and safety inspection of agricultural commodities. The system simultaneously acquires hyperspectral/multispectral combinations of both fluorescence and reflectance images of the agricultural commodities.

Simultaneous acquisition of fluorescence and reflectance imaging techniques with a single imaging device for multitask inspection

Time-dependent differences in fluorescence responses of normal surfaces of the fruit or vegetable as opposed to surfaces which are contaminated with feces, may be used for improved detection of feces-contaminated fruits and vegetables. In this process, the surface of a fruit or vegetable which contains a native chlorophyll is illuminated with a pulse of UV or visible light having a wavelength effective to elicit fluorescence of feces of a plant consuming animal. The intensity of fluorescent light emissions from the surface are measured at one or more wavelengths characteristic of the emission spectra of chlorophyll or its degradation products, at a nanosecond-scale time period or window which is after the peak emission of the native chlorophyll of the fruit or vegetable. The presence of fecal contamination is determined by comparing this measured intensity to a threshold value of the intensity of fluorescent light emissions for a non-feces contaminated control of the same fruit or vegetable measured at substantially the same conditions, substantially the same said time period, and at substantially the same said wavelengths. A determination that the measured intensity of the fluorescent light emissions is significantly greater than the threshold value is an indication of the presence of fecal material on the surface of the fruit or vegetable.

Use of nanosecond scale, time-resolved, imaging to differentiate contemporaneous fluorescence responses from multiple substances

Bones, bone fragments, and shell fragments on or near the surface of processed animal flesh may be detected by detecting their fluorescent emissions. The surface of the flesh is illuminated with UV or visible light to elicit fluorescence of animal bones or shells, and the fluorescent light emissions are measured at first and second different wavelengths, which wavelengths are selected to yield a substantial difference between the ratio or subtractive difference for bones or shells and the ratio or subtractive difference for animal flesh. The ratio and/or subtractive difference of the fluorescent light emissions at the first and second wavelengths is calculated, and the presence of bone, bone fragment, or shell fragment is determined therefrom.

Growing community of inventors

Silver Spring, MD, United States of America

Moon S Kim