System and method for egg fertility and gender detection

Abstract

Egg analysis systems and methods are provided. The system comprises: a light source for illuminating an egg; a hyperspectral imaging camera; a processor; and a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, configure the processor to actuate the light source to illuminate the egg, receive an image of the egg from the hyperspectral imaging camera, and analyze the image. The light source may emit light at one of about 860 nm, 1050 nm, or 1250 nm.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure generally relates to systems and methods for detecting egg fertility and sex. Background Art

[0002] Egg fertility and hatchability are key economic factors for hatcheries and poultry farms. Only about 60 to 90% of incubated eggs are fertile and eventually hatch in commercial hatcheries. Unhatched eggs include infertile eggs or fertile eggs in which the embryo has died. Infertile eggs may comprise up to 25% of all egg groups. These eggs can be used for commercial egg tables or low-grade food reserves.

[0003] The sex of fertile eggs is also one of the egg characteristics of interest to the poultry industry. In the egg-laying industry, chicks are sexed at hatching and female birds (which will lay eggs) are considered primary, while male birds are slaughtered. The opposite is the case in the broiler industry, where male species are crucial. In either case, discarding unwanted chicks creates a serious bottleneck in terms of waste disposal and animal welfare issues. Summary of the invention

[0004] According to one aspect, an egg analysis system is provided. The system includes: a light source for illuminating an egg; a hyperspectral imaging camera; a processor; and a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, configure the processor to actuate the light source to illuminate the egg, receive an image of the egg from the hyperspectral imaging camera, and analyze the image.

[0005] According to another aspect, the light source may emit light at one of approximately 860 nm, 1050 nm, or 1250 nm.

[0006] According to another aspect, a computer-implemented method for determining fertility and sex of an egg is provided. The computer-implemented method includes receiving angle, frequency (or wavelength), and intensity data of scattered light from an egg illuminated using a light source, identifying a blastoderm in the egg from the scattered light data, and determining at least one of fertility or sex of the egg based on the size and structure of the blastoderm.

[0007] According to another aspect, a computer-implemented method for determining fertility and sex of an egg is provided. The computer-implemented method includes receiving scattered light, fluorescence angle, frequency and intensity data from an egg illuminated using a laser (i.e., a continuous wave, pulsed or supercontinuum laser), measuring the scattered light data to determine the granularity and density of the blastoderm of the egg, determining the average scattered size of the blastoderm, determining the average cell size / granularity of the blastoderm, the structure of the blastoderm, and determining the fertility and sex of the egg based on the size and structure of the blastoderm.

[0008] In various further aspects, the present disclosure provides corresponding systems and devices, and logic structures, such as sets of machine-executable coded instructions, for implementing such systems, devices, and methods.

[0009] In this regard, before explaining at least one embodiment in detail, it should be understood that the embodiments are not limited in application to the construction details and component arrangements set forth in the following description or illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Moreover, it should be understood that the words and terms used herein are for descriptive purposes and should not be considered as limiting.

[0010] Many additional features and combinations of the embodiments described herein will be apparent to those skilled in the art after reading this disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] Embodiments will be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0012] Figure 1A An example of a system for analyzing eggs according to some embodiments is illustrated in a component diagram;

[0013] Figure 1B Another example of a system for analyzing eggs according to some embodiments is illustrated in a component diagram;

[0014] Figure 2A Schematic diagram illustrating an example of a system having an optical fiber with an incident beam angle for acquiring a scattered image of an egg according to some embodiments;

[0015] Figure 2B Schematic diagram illustrating an example of a system with LED line light for acquiring a diffuse image of an egg according to some embodiments;

[0016] FIG. 3A to FIG. 3E illustrates a scanned image of a blastodisc in an egg according to some embodiments;

[0017] Figure 4 An example of a method of analyzing eggs according to some embodiments is illustrated in a flow chart;

[0018] Figure 5 An example of a protocol (e.g., method) for treating an egg so that its germinal disc is located at the top (large end) of the egg according to some embodiments is illustrated in a flow chart;

[0019] Fig. 6A illustrates an example of an egg positioned at a 45 degree angle according to some embodiments;

[0020] Figure 6B illustrates an example of an egg positioned in a vertical position according to some embodiments;

[0021] Figure 7An example of a method of analyzing light scattering according to some embodiments is illustrated in a flow chart; and

[0022] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of a computing device such as a server or other computer in a device.

[0023] It should be understood that throughout the specification and drawings, like features are identified by like reference numerals. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] Embodiments of the method, system and apparatus are described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Applicants note that the described embodiments and examples are illustrative rather than restrictive. Actual implementations of features may incorporate some or all combinations of aspects, and the features described herein should not be considered as an indication of future or existing product plans.

[0025] In some embodiments, in order to identify and isolate infertile eggs and separate female and male eggs, in-egg fertility and sex determination processes have been developed using hyperspectral imaging (i.e., time-resolved hyperspectral imaging, spatially resolved hyperspectral imaging), super-resolution hyperspectral image processing and analysis, machine learning and deep learning techniques. These processes are developed based on statistical methods and show very promising results for fertility and sex determination of eggs before incubation. Such in-egg fertility and sex detection systems can include acquiring good quality hyperspectral images that a light source can function on.

[0026] In some embodiments, in-ovo fertility and sex determination techniques have been developed based on the light scattering patterns through pre-incubated eggs. The scattered light patterns are then analyzed using gray-level co-occurrence matrices, statistical methods, and Fourier analysis to determine the fertility and sex of the eggs.

[0027] In some embodiments, "distinguishing features" in the acquired hyperspectral images and / or light scatter patterns have been identified that can consistently distinguish infertile eggs from fertile eggs, and male eggs from female eggs.

[0028] Figure 1AAn example of a system 100 for analyzing eggs according to some embodiments is illustrated in a component diagram. The system 100 includes a light source (e.g., a laser) 110 and at least one photon detector 120. In some embodiments, an egg may be illuminated by a laser 110 beam (or other light source beam), and fluctuations in the scattered light are detected by a fast photon detector 120 (e.g., a streak camera) at a known scattering angle θ. Cells in the egg scatter light from the laser 110 beam, and the imprint information is detected by the photon detector 120 and used for analysis to produce information about the cell particles. The intensity fluctuations of the incident beam are characterized by calculating an intensity correlation function, the analysis of which provides the diffusion coefficient (also called diffusion constant) of the particles. Since particles of different sizes scatter at different intensities, different scattering angles can be examined in order to determine the optimal detection angle for the egg. Other components may be added to the system 100, including a processor 130 and a memory 140 storing instructions for digitizing and analyzing the imprint information. For example, the memory 140 may include a digitization module and an analysis module.

[0029] Figure 1B Another example of a system 150 for analyzing eggs according to some embodiments is illustrated in a component diagram. System 150 includes imaging subsystem 115, detection subsystem 125, and optional actuation subsystem 105. In some embodiments, actuation subsystem 105 may be external to system 150. Subsystems 115, 125, and 105 may have separate processors 130 and memory 140, or alternatively may share a common system 150, processor 130, and memory 140.

[0030] In some embodiments, the light source used in the in-egg fertility and sex detection system 100, 150 can provide uniform illumination with high intensity to the eggs within the field of view (FOV) of the hyperspectral imaging camera. It should be noted that intensity (also known as "radiance") is the radiant flux emitted, reflected, transmitted, or received by a surface per unit solid angle per unit projected area, while spectral intensity (also known as "spectral radiance") is the radiant brightness of a surface per unit wavelength. Intensity is the integral of the spectral intensity over the wavelength of the light source. More specific specifications for the light source are listed below:

[0031] 1. A light that can cover the field of view (FOV) of the hyperspectral camera (e.g., approximately 16 centimeters (cm) × 2.5 cm, or other dimensions as needed)

[0032] 2. High spectral intensity in the wavelength range of interest

[0033] (e.g. at least 120mW·sr -1 cm -2 ·nm -1 or other spectral radiance as required)

[0034] 3. Uniform illumination of each egg within the FOV (e.g. variance < 10%, or as required)

[0035] 4. "Cold" lamps that generate slight heat after long-term operation

[0036] In addition, the light source may also meet the following specifications to be suitable for industrial use:

[0037] 5. High stability for long-term operation (e.g. 8 hours or more, or as needed)

[0038] 6. Long lamp life (e.g. >1000 hours, or as required)

[0039] In some embodiments, the light source can be part of the imaging subsystem 115, 200, 250 of the detection system 100, 150, which includes a line scan spectrometer interconnected with an InGaAs camera (i.e., a hyperspectral imaging camera in the short-wave infrared range), a digitally controlled transmitter, and a custom designed egg holder. The imaging subsystem 115, 200, 250 operates in transmission mode. The eggs are placed in the egg holder and on the transmitter. The light source in the imaging subsystem is positioned to align with the hyperspectral imaging camera and provide back illumination for the eggs to facilitate the acquisition of the hypercube. The light source can be developed based on different lamps as long as they can meet the above specifications.

[0040] In some embodiments, the light source is part of an imaging subsystem 115, 200 that includes a line scan spectrometer (i.e., configured to capture images (e.g., spectral images, scattered light)) interconnected with an InGaAs camera. In one example implementation, the spectrometer has a near infrared spectral range spanning approximately 900nm to 1700nm and a spectral resolution of 2.8nm. In one embodiment, image data is collected in transmission mode. In one embodiment, image data is collected and processed at 100 frames per second. In one embodiment, the imaging system may include a wide field, area scan, snapshot camera.

[0041] In some embodiments, one or more light sources 110 in the imaging subsystem 115 may be used to provide back illumination of the egg to facilitate image capture of scattered light fluctuations. In one example embodiment, a single 250 watt quartz tungsten halogen lamp is used as the light source. Such a light source may be connected to an optical fiber (e.g., a liquid light guide) to control the incident beam size. Using the controllable beam size and incident beam position of the optical fiber will improve the accuracy of the algorithm for determining the presence and structure of the blastoderm.

[0042] Figure 2AAn example of a system 200 with optical fiber with incident beam angle for acquiring a scattered image of an egg according to some embodiments is schematically illustrated. The system includes a light source 210 connected to one or more lenses 220 via an optical fiber / LLG 215, and a detector 230 that receives a focused beam that has passed through an egg 225.

[0043] In some embodiments, the light source 110 may be composed of an optical fiber (or a liquid light guide, LLG) and / or a focusing lens to control the size of the light beam and the incident beam position to generate a good scattering image. The size of the light beam is critical to the illumination system. A larger light beam can give a higher light flux and a larger scattering area, but it may be difficult to quantify the light scattering properties. A smaller light beam, although desirable for scattering measurements, may have lower efficiency for the camera, which may result in a lower SNR (i.e., signal-to-noise ratio) image. The selected beam size should be a compromise between light efficiency and scattering measurements. In an example embodiment, a liquid light guide (LLG) with a core diameter of 7.6 mm and a numerical aperture of 0.52 is used to guide the incident light to an illumination position that can be directly below the egg. A focusing lens can be placed between the end of the LLG and the egg to form a sharp and focused incident beam at the egg. Multiple optical fibers and focusing lenses can be used to provide higher light flux so as to have a good balance between light efficiency and scattering measurements. In this case, the incident angle of the optical fiber / LLG can be adjusted at equal intervals within a small range (less than 30°).

[0044] In some embodiments, an optimal light source based on a halogen lamp (e.g., quartz tungsten halogen, QTH) can be constructed from 2 or 3 identical light source units, each providing backside illumination for a row of eggs. A QTH light source unit can include a 250W QTH lamp, a light source housing, a lamp power supply, a fiber bundle focusing assembly, a liquid light guide, a light guide alignment probe, and all necessary interconnecting cables and parts for operation.

[0045] The QTH lamp can be operated in current, power or intensity control modes to meet operating requirements. The lamp power supply is highly regulated for maximum stability. The QTH housing provides a built-in igniter board and rear reflector for optimal lamp performance. A built-in cooling fan maintains a safe operating temperature for the lamp. A fiber bundle focusing assembly connected to the light housing is used to convert the collimated light source into a fiber optic light source, i.e., a liquid light guide (LLG) connected to the focusing assembly. The liquid light guide transports light from the housing to a position below the egg holder, where the light guide is aligned with the hyperspectral imaging camera. A light guide collimation probe connected to the LLG collimates the high divergence output of the LLG and provides back illumination for the egg to obtain high quality hypercubes.

[0046] Figure 2BAn example of a system 250 with LED line light for acquiring a diffuse image of an egg according to some embodiments is schematically illustrated. The system includes an LED line light source 260, a lens 270, and a detector 230 that receives a focused light beam that has passed through an egg 225.

[0047] Light emitting diodes (LEDs) are semiconductors that convert electrical energy into light energy. Compared to QTH lamps, LED lamps can provide much higher light output intensity, require lower energy consumption, have a much longer shelf life without degradation of light intensity, and generate much less heat. However, unlike QTH lamps that produce a continuous spectrum from near-UV to infrared, only a few wavelengths are available for LED lamps, especially in the IR / SWIR range.

[0048] Several wavelengths identified as being useful for egg fertility and sex determination include approximately 860 nm, 1050 nm, and 1250 nm. LED line lights are designed to accommodate LED units with the identified wavelengths in carefully tuned ratios that can produce equal light output intensity levels at all wavelengths. The spectral intensity of the light output (i.e., surface radiance per unit wavelength) should be at least:

[0049] 120mW·sr -1 cm -2 ·nm -1 .

[0050] Depending on the light output intensity level of the LED units, the LED light source can be operated in a strobed mode to overdrive the LEDs to obtain an improvement in their performance. If the LED light source is operated in a strobed mode, all wavelengths of the LEDs should be strobed simultaneously. The LED line light should be mounted below the egg holder and aligned with the FOV of the HSI camera to provide back illumination of the eggs to obtain high quality hypercubes.

[0051] In some embodiments, the photon detector 120, 230 is part of a detection subsystem 125 that analyzes received scatter data to detect cellular particles in an egg, including, for example, a blastoderm.

[0052] FIG. 3A to FIG. 3E Scanned images 300A to 300E of a blastoderm 310 in an egg 320 are illustrated in accordance with some embodiments. Detection of the blastoderm 310 is performed in the light scattering images 300A to 300E obtained with different aperture sizes (F#) of the camera. The pattern of the blastoderm 310 appears as a circular disk in the light scattering images 300A to 300E. The egg handling scheme ensures that during scanning, the blastoderm 310 moves to the top of the egg 320 in the field of view of the camera. Although the blastoderm 310 can be identified in all light scattering images, the image 300C with an F# of 2.8 outperforms the other scattering images with the best contrast and separability.

[0053] In some embodiments, the system 100 may optionally include an actuation system 105 that actuates a conveyor configured to move an egg into the field of view of the system's photon detector 120, 230 (e.g., camera) optics. In one example embodiment, the conveyor is a Dorner 2200 series conveyor system that includes a belt, rollers, a stepper motor, and a programmable logic controller (PLC) touch screen. The speed of the conveyor may be adjustable. For example, the speed of the conveyor may be adjusted based on the speed of the photon detector 120, 230 (e.g., the frame rate of the camera optics) to minimize image distortion (e.g., motion blur). The speed of the conveyor may also be adjusted based on other factors (e.g., desired detection throughput, working distance between the detector and the object, desired illumination level at the object).

[0054] The conveyor may include a tray or rack adapted to receive eggs therein. In some embodiments, the tray or rack may then be stored (on or off the conveyor) while holding each egg in a given position (e.g., a vertical position, a first angled position, a second angled position, etc.). In some embodiments, the rack may be rotated so that the eggs therein are held in different positions (e.g., a vertical position, a first angled position, a second angled position, etc.).

[0055] In some embodiments, the conveyor may be configured to present multiple eggs to be imaged simultaneously (e.g., two eggs, four eggs, etc.). Thus, in this embodiment, each spectral image or scatter data may include data for multiple eggs, and each such image or scatter data may be segmented during processing to isolate the scatter data for each egg. Processor 130 may be configured to send control commands to the conveyor to control its movement.

[0056] The imaging subsystem 115, 200, 250 may be interconnected with the detection subsystem 125 via a conventional serial or parallel interface. In one embodiment, the imaging subsystem 115, 200, 250 may be interconnected with the detection subsystem 125 via a network including a wired link, a wireless link, or a combination thereof. In this embodiment, one or both of the imaging subsystem 115, 200, 250 and the detection subsystem 125 may include a suitable network interface and / or network transceiver. In some embodiments, the detection subsystem 125 may be a cloud service that receives egg scatter data as input and provides egg sex and / or fertility as output.

[0057] In some embodiments, the detection subsystem 125 or the system 100 can be connected to the actuation subsystem 105 to trigger actuation of the device based on the results calculated by the detection subsystem 125. The actuation subsystem 105 can be operated to transmit a control signal to actuate the device according to the classified unhatched eggs. For example, the actuation subsystem 105 can be operated to generate a data signal of the sex and fertility of the unhatched eggs. The actuation subsystem 100 can be operated to transmit the output data signal to the hardware or device to trigger its actuation. For example, the actuation subsystem 105 can move or separate the unhatched eggs.

[0058] In some embodiments, the actuation subsystem 105 may receive data signals of the classification results from the detection subsystem 125, and remove undesirable eggs (infertile and / or male) from the assembly line using one or more devices that are in physical contact with the eggs or that can otherwise trigger the movement or separation of the eggs. For example, the actuation subsystem 105 may include or interface with one or more robot arms having end effectors (robot hands), which can be used to grab and put down or replace eggs, which are indicated as infertile eggs and / or male eggs by the classification signals from the detection subsystem. There may be other devices that can separate or move eggs based on the classification signals from the detection subsystem, and this is only an illustrative example. Therefore, the actuation subsystem 105 triggers the actuation of the hardware components based on the classification signals from the detection subsystem 125. In an example embodiment, actuation may include, for example, physical movement of eggs that separate eggs into different streams. As another example, a conveyor may be triggered or controlled to move eggs. The detection subsystem 125 generates an output signal for the actuation subsystem 105 to provide a control command that triggers the actuation of various devices.

[0059] Figure 4 An example of a method 400 for analyzing an egg according to some embodiments is illustrated in a flow chart. The method 400 includes illuminating 410 an egg using a light beam from a light source (e.g., a laser) 110, and detecting 420 fluctuations of scattered light emitted from the egg using a fast photon detector 120. Next, the fluctuations or imprint information detected by the photon detector 120 are digitized 430, and the digitized information is analyzed 440 to obtain cellular details. For example, an intensity correlation function may be performed to determine the diffusion coefficient (i.e., diffusion constant) of the particles. The method 400 may perform other steps, including determining an optimal detection angle for the egg.

[0060] The shape and size of the blastoderm floating on the yolk are different between fertile and infertile eggs. The blastoderm (also called germ layer) in fertile eggs is visually seen as a symmetrical ring, while the blastoderm (also called germ layer) in infertile eggs looks like an asymmetrical solid spot. There have been some studies to identify possible sex-differentiating features before hatching. It is known that approximately 40,000 to 60,000 blastoderm cells can be obtained in the blastoderm of an egg. Female birds are heterogametic, with one Z and one W sex chromosome, while male birds have two Z chromosomes. The Z chromosome has a DNA content that is approximately three times higher than the W chromosome. Therefore, the total DNA amount in male avian cells will be higher than the total DNA amount in female avian cells.

[0061] The application of multivariate methods for spectral feature selection has produced promising results in areas such as tumor identification or classification of different cell types. Further, considering that the blastodisc of male eggs is denser than that of female eggs, the spectral scattering pattern is expected to be different and may explain the statistical differences observed by spectral and image features extracted from hyperspectral images. Therefore, discriminative features for fertility and sex detection may be discovered based on light scattering measurements.

[0062] Light scattering occurs when light "hit" a small object (particle or molecule) and thereby changes its direction. The ability of scattering particles to scatter light depends on their density and size. This is the process when incident energy light is absorbed by an object and then emits energy light. The angle, frequency and intensity (i.e. power) of light scattering can be measured to determine the particle size and density of the material. Angle-resolved scattering measurements capture light according to the scattering angle, and reverse the angle to deduce the average size of the scattering object via a computational light scattering model such as Mie scattering theory, which predicts the angle based on the size of the scattering sphere. Combining these techniques allows the average scattered size and average particle size of an object to be measured. In addition, multi-scattering properties that can be calculated by the average value of the single sphere scattering efficiency obtained from Mie scattering theory are also used to predict the structure of the object. Therefore, egg fertility and sex detection methods have been developed based on the size and structure of the blastoderm predicted using different light scattering measurements and patterns.

[0063] Light scattering can vary with particle size and / or density. The intensity of scattered light in different directions can strongly depend on the wavelength of the incident light as well as the size, shape and composition of the particles. The effectiveness of scattering depends on the size parameter x, which is defined as Where r is the radius (or particle size) of the spherical particle and λ is the wavelength of the incident light. The blastoderm, which typically has 40,000-60,000 blastoderm cells, appears as a single small white mass for infertile eggs, or as a larger white disk with double rings for fertile eggs. The diameter of the blastoderm can vary from less than 1 mm to 4 mm. This indicates that the size parameter of the blastoderm is greater than 1500, which means that Mie scattering (x=0.2 to 2000) or geometric optics (x>2000) may be effective depending on the size of the GD. The light intensity in the scattered image can be a function of the scattering angle, and the angle can be inverted to derive the average size of the scattering object, i.e., the scattering size. The scattering size can also be measured using a scattering cross section, which can be determined by dividing the power of the scattered light by the intensity of the incident light.

[0064] As described above, in some embodiments, prediction of egg fertility and sex of unhatched eggs is based on identifying and characterizing the light scattering pattern of the egg blastodisc (or other cells in mitochondrial DNA). Therefore, during scanning, the blastodisc should be in the field of view (FOV) of the camera. The egg can be scanned with its "big" end facing up. The "big" end is considered to be the end with the larger diameter of the two ends of the egg. It is desirable to ensure that the blastodisc is located at the top of the big end of the egg so that its light scattering pattern is properly recorded and measured. Typically, the blastodisc in an egg may be randomly located anywhere on the surface of the yolk. In some embodiments, the egg processing protocol stipulates that the blastodisc is located on the top (big end) of the egg and in the field of view of the camera.

[0065] Figure 5 An example of a protocol (e.g., method) 500 for treating an egg so that its germinal disc is located at the top (big end) of the egg according to some embodiments is illustrated in a flow chart. The method 500 may be performed by an egg handling system. The egg may be placed 510 in a tray with its big end facing upward. For example, the egg handling system may be configured to receive the egg in a manner such that the egg falls into a proper position in a support of an egg holding device. The egg may then be stored 520 at about 18 to 20 degrees Celsius for at least three days. The egg (e.g., support holding the egg) may be positioned 522 at a first angle (e.g., about 45 degrees) for a first period of time (e.g., the first about 24 hours). For example, an actuator of the egg handling system may rotate the support at about 45 degrees. Fig. 6AAn example of an egg 600 positioned at a 45 degree angle according to some embodiments is illustrated. Next, an egg (e.g., a stand holding an egg) is positioned 524 at a second angle (e.g., flat; the stand may be in a horizontal position so that the egg is in a vertical position with the "large" end facing up) for a second period of time (e.g., the next approximately 48 hours). For example, a timer may indicate that the stand has been at approximately 45 degrees for a first period of time (e.g., approximately 24 hours), which triggers the actuator to rotate the stand to a horizontal (flat) position. Alternatively, the stand may be set to rotate at a predetermined time. It should be understood that the egg may be placed at an angle of approximately 45 degrees for more than 24 hours and then placed in a vertical position (i.e., a flat stand) for more than 48 hours. Alternatively, when the stand or tray is flat, the stand or tray may hold the egg at a desired first angle and then rotate to an angle so that the egg is then in a vertical position in the stand or tray. Other angles for the stand and tray may be used. Figure 6B An example of an egg 650 positioned in a vertical position according to some embodiments is illustrated. At this point, the blastoderm should be located at the top (large end) of the egg.

[0066] An experiment was conducted to investigate the effectiveness of the protocol 500 on the location of the blastoderm in the egg. A total of 100 newly laid fertile eggs were received from a local egg farm over the course of one month. Upon arrival, the eggs were stored for three days. Fifty eggs were stored according to the protocol, while the remaining 50 eggs were stored only in the vertical direction at the same room temperature with the big end facing up for three days. After three days of storage, the eggshell of each egg was carefully peeled from the center of the top (big end) of the egg to one side of the boundary defined by the FOV of the camera to assess the location of the corresponding blastoderm. For eggs stored according to the protocol, 43 of 44 eggs (98%) showed a blastoderm that was just at the top of the egg when the egg was opened and inspected. For eggs that were not stored for three days at 45 degrees, 38 of 43 eggs (88%) had blastoderm at the top of the egg. Thus, the experiment shows that by applying the egg treatment protocol 500, the possibility of locating the blastoderm on the top of the egg and in the FOV of the camera can be increased. Thus, protocol 500 can improve the performance of egg fertility and sex detection methods that are developed based on the detection of the light scattering properties of the blastoderm.

[0067] Figure 7An example of a method 700 of analyzing light scattering according to some embodiments is illustrated in a flow chart. The method includes receiving 710 angle, frequency, and intensity data of light scattering obtained from a photon detector 120 from an egg illuminated using a light source 110. For example, the egg can be placed in an egg holder and on a conveyor. The light source 110 can be positioned to align with the photon detector 120 (e.g., an HSI camera). The light source 110 will illuminate the egg at the small end, and the large end of the egg will be in the FOV of the photon detector. The light scattering data can then be analyzed 720 to identify a blastoderm. The light scattering data is analyzed 722 to identify features of materials present. Next, the features (e.g., size, shape, orientation, etc.) of each material in the light scattering data are compared 724 with known features of the blastoderm to identify the blastoderm from any other materials or particles present in the light scattering data. Next, the fertility and / or sex of the egg is determined 730 based on the size and structure of the identified blastoderm. The features of the identified blastoderm are compared 732 with known fertility features of the blastoderm. For example, in an infertile egg, the scattered image data of the blastoderm egg may show features associated with a blastoderm that looks like a white papule, while in a fertile egg, the scattered image data of the blastoderm may show features associated with a blastoderm that looks like a white hollow disk with a white papule in the center. Similarly, the features of the identified blastoderm are compared 734 with known sex features of the blastoderm. Thus, the identified blastoderm data is compared with known blastoderm features to distinguish between fertile and infertile eggs and male and female eggs. Other steps may be added to the method, including following the blastoderm placement scheme 500, and using a conveyor subsystem to separate the differentiated eggs based on egg type.

[0068] Figure 8 800 is a schematic diagram of a computing device such as a server or other computer in a device. As depicted, the computing device includes at least one processor 802, memory 804, at least one I / O interface 806, and at least one network interface 808.

[0069] Processor 802 may be an Intel or AMD x86 or x64, PowerPC, ARM processor, etc. Memory 804 may include a suitable combination of internal or external computer memory such as random access memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM), compact disk read only memory (CDROM).

[0070] Each I / O interface 806 enables the computing device 800 to be interconnected with one or more input devices (such as a keyboard, a mouse, a camera, a touch screen, and a microphone) or one or more output devices (such as a display screen and a speaker).

[0071] Each network interface 808 enables the computing device 800 to communicate with other components, exchange data with other components, access and connect to network resources, service applications, and execute other computing applications by connecting to a network (or multiple networks) capable of carrying data, including the Internet, Ethernet, plain old telephone service (POTS) lines, public switched telephone network (PSTN), integrated services digital network (ISDN), digital subscriber line (DSL), coaxial cable, fiber optic, satellite, mobile, wireless (e.g., Wi-Fi, WiMAX), SS7 signaling network, fixed line, local area network, wide area network, etc.

[0072] The foregoing discussion provides example embodiments of the subject matter of the present invention. Although each embodiment represents a single combination of inventive elements, the subject matter of the present invention is considered to include all possible combinations of the disclosed elements. Thus, if one embodiment includes elements A, B, and C, and a second embodiment includes elements B and D, the subject matter of the present invention is also considered to include other remaining combinations of A, B, C, or D, even if not explicitly disclosed.

[0073] Embodiments of the devices, systems, and methods described herein may be implemented in a combination of hardware and software. These embodiments may be implemented on programmable computers, each of which includes at least one processor, a data storage system (including volatile memory or non-volatile memory or other data storage elements or combinations thereof), and at least one communication interface.

[0074] Program code is applied to input data to perform the functions described herein and generate output information. Output information is applied to one or more output devices. In some embodiments, the communication interface can be a network communication interface. In embodiments where components can be combined, the communication interface can be a software communication interface, such as an interface for inter-process communication. In other embodiments, there can be a combination of communication interfaces implemented as hardware, software, and combinations thereof.

[0075] Throughout the above discussion, many references will be made to servers, services, interfaces, portals, platforms, or other systems formed by computing devices. It should be understood that the use of these terms is considered to mean one or more computing devices having at least one processor configured to execute software instructions stored on a computer-readable tangible non-transitory medium. For example, a server may include one or more computers operating as a network server, database server, or other type of computer server in a manner that implements the described roles, responsibilities, or functions.

[0076] The technical solution of the embodiment may be in the form of a software product. The software product may be stored in a non-volatile or non-transient storage medium, which may be a compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), a USB flash drive, or a removable hard disk. The software product includes a plurality of instructions that enable a computer device (a personal computer, a server, or a network device) to execute the method provided by the embodiment.

[0077] The embodiments described herein are implemented by physical computer hardware, including computing devices, servers, receivers, transmitters, processors, memory, displays, and networks. The embodiments described herein provide useful physical machines and specially configured computer hardware arrangements.

[0078] Although the embodiments have been described in detail, it should be understood that the various changes, substitutions, and alterations could be made herein.

[0079] Moreover, the scope of the present application is not intended to be limited to the particular embodiments of the process, machine, manufacture, composition of matter, means, methods and steps described in the specification.

[0080] It will be understood that the above-described and illustrated examples are exemplary only.

Claims

1. An egg analysis system comprising: a light source for illuminating the eggs; Hyperspectral imaging cameras; processor; as well as a memory storing instructions which, when executed by the processor, configure the processor to: actuating the light source to illuminate the egg; receiving an image of the egg from the hyperspectral imaging camera; and The image is analyzed.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein: The light source provides light capable of covering a field of view (FOV) of the hyperspectral camera.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein: The FOV is approximately 16 cm x 2.5 cm.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein: The light source provides a high spectral intensity light source at the wavelength of the light source.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein: For spectral intensity, the wavelength range is at least 120mW·sr -1 cm -2 ·nm -1 .

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein: The light source provides uniform illumination to each egg within the FOV.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein: The uniform illumination varies by less than ten percent.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein: The light source provides "cold" light which generates slight heat over long periods of time.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein: The light source provides high stability over long periods of operation.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein: The long-term operation is about 8 hours or more.

11. The system according to claim 1, wherein: The light source provides a long lamp life.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein: The long life is greater than 1000 hours.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein: The light source comprises two or more halogen lamps, wherein each halogen lamp comprises: 250W QTH lamp; Light source housing; Light power supply; Fiber optic bundle focusing assembly; Liquid light guides; and Light guide collimation probe.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein: The light source includes a light emitting node that emits light at a wavelength including approximately one of the following wavelengths: 860 nm; 1050 nm; or 1250 nm.

15. The system according to claim 1, comprising: a photon detector for detecting fluctuations in scattered light emitted from the egg; and Wherein, the at least one processor is configured to: receiving scattered light data from the photon detector; digitizing the scattered light data; and The digitized scattered light data is analyzed.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein: The at least one processor is configured to: Receiving angle, frequency and intensity data of the scattered light; identifying a blastodisc of the egg; and At least one of the fertility or sex of the egg is determined based on the size and structure of the germinal disc.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein: To identify the blastodisc of the egg, the at least one processor is configured to: analyzing the light scattering data to identify characteristics of the materials present; and The identified characteristics of the material present are compared to known characteristics of the embryonic disc.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein: To determine the fertility of the egg, the at least one processor is configured to compare the identified characteristics of the blastoderm to known fertility characteristics of blastoderms.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein: To identify the embryonic disc, the at least one processor is further configured to: receiving the eggs in a tray; actuating the tray to position the egg at a first angle for a first period of time, wherein a large end of the egg is higher than a small end of the egg; as well as The tray is actuated to position the egg in a vertical position with the large end facing upward for a second period of time.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein: Implement at least one of the following: The first angle is approximately 45 degrees; The first period of time is approximately 24 hours; or The second period of time is approximately 48 hours.

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