Abstract:
The invention relates to measuring instruments, preferably of the kind measuring absorbances, in an object, of electromagnetic radiation in at least two spectral ranges, such as IR instruments, and DXR, meaning Dual X-ray instruments, and more specifically to the determination of properties of food or feed, such as the fat content in milk or meat. The invention relates in particular to a method of providing a correction for a slave instrument of the kind measuring properties of an object by exposing the object to electromagnetic radiation, in particular X-rays, in at least two spectral ranges and obtaining one or more object responses thereto. The responses obtained being preferably based on detecting attenuation and/or reflection and/or scatter of the electromagnetic radiation in/from the object by use of one or more detectors and are obtained in a form where they express properties of the object either directly or via a transformation.
Abstract:
A method and apparatus for determination of properties of a medium of food or feed, such as the fat content of meat, by use of dual X-ray absorptiometry, the medium being a raw material of food or feed, a product or intermediary product of food or feed, or a batch, sample or section of the same, specifically for online use in a slaughter house. The method comprises scanning substantially all of the medium by X-ray beams (16, 18) having at least two energy levels, including a low level and a high level, detecting the X-ray beams having passed through the medium for a plurality of areas (pixels) of the medium, for each area calculating a value, Alow, representing the absorption in the area of the medium at the low energy level, for each area calculating a value, Ahigh representing the absorption in the area of the medium at the high energy level. The accuracy of the determination is improved considerably by generating for each area a plurality of values being products of the type Alow * Ahigh wherein n and m are positive and/or negative integers or zero, and predicting the properties of the medium in this area by applying a calibration model to the plurality of values, wherein the calibration model defines relations between the plurality of values and properties of the medium.
Abstract:
A Laser Induced Breakdown Spectrocopy (LIBS) system for the analysis of a sample pellet of a consolidated granular material retained in a tubular container may include a laser source configured to emit a pulsed laser beam towards an exposed surface of the sample pellet; and a sample station configured to hold the cylindrical tubular container in one or more orientations to present an exposed surface of the sample pellet towards the pulsed laser beam. The sample station may induce linear movement of the sample pellet along an axis and to expose a portion of the outer side surface of the sample pellet previously constrained through contact with an inner surface of the cylindrical tubular container. The sample station may induce rotational motion of the outer side surface of the sample pellet around the movement axis to present the portion of the outer side surface as the exposed surface.
Abstract:
Determination of Analytes in a Sample Matrix by Solvent Extraction A method for the assay of one or more analytes in a sample matrix comprising the steps of: performing analyte extraction on the sample matrix, said analyte extraction comprising combining the sample matrix with a solvent for an extraction period which is less than that required for reaching equilibrium; and separating the analyte containing solvent from the sample matrix; next measuring a level of analyte present in the separated solvent; and then applying in a computer a calibration by which is established a mathematical relationship between levels of analyte extracted from each of a plurality of reference samples by means of the process employed above in the extraction for the sample matrix and a reference value of the levels of analyte for each reference sample to thereby derive a measure of the level of analyte in the sample matrix. Specifically a method to determine the amount of mycotoxins in cereal grain, especially OTA (ochratoxin A) and DON (deoxynivalenol) by mixing with a solvent comprising water alcohol mixture, with 20-40% ethanol by volume.