Device for evaluating performance of milk dosing device and / or transverse flow bar

Abstract

The invention relates to a device (100) for evaluating the performance of a milk dosing device (105) / transverse flow bar (110). The device (100) comprises a lateral flow wand (110) arranged to indicate a biomarker in a milk sample. The lateral flow wand (110) includes a sample pad (210), a conjugate pad (230), an indicator zone (250), and a porous membrane (240). A milk sample is applied onto a sample pad (210). A camera (120) is directed to capture an image (300) of the lateral flow bar (110). The controller (130) is configured to: instruct the camera (120) to capture an image (300); receiving the captured image (300); defining a first region (310) of the image (300) of the transverse flow bar (110), the first region substantially depicting a sub-section of the porous membrane (240) upstream of the indication zone (250) in the flow direction; applying image processing to the first region (310); the performance of the milk dosing device (105) is evaluated based on the image processing.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This document discloses a device according to claim 1. More specifically, a device is disclosed, which is arranged to evaluate the performance of a milk dosing device and / or a lateral flow rod. Background Art

[0002] In animal farms, it is important to keep the animals healthy in order to increase milk / meat production. For efficiency reasons, it is very important to inseminate the animals at the optimal moment so that the animals are successfully pregnant, especially in dairy farms. In the case that the animals are not successfully inseminated, milk production will be affected.

[0003] Several biomarker measurements can be made on animals, such as measuring the levels of progesterone, LDH (lactate dehydrogenase), BHB (beta-hydroxybutyrate) and urea. This can yield important information about, for example, estrus detection and / or pregnancy (based on measured progesterone levels) as well as mastitis (based on LDH) and ketosis (based on BHB) in individual animals. In addition, energy balance can be estimated (based on urea).

[0004] The milk analysis device / service module may be arranged to cooperate with the milk extraction apparatus in order to analyse milk samples of the animal, for example at a milking session or periodically before and after a milking session. The milk analysis device / service module may extract the milk sample and provide the milk sample on a lateral flow stick / lateral flow test strip / dry stick. The milk may be diluted with a diluent which may also be used to flush the tube between test sessions. The diluent may be provided in a separate liquid container.

[0005] The lateral flow sticks can be held in a box, for example on a carrier tape in a box disclosed in document WO 2018236271. Thus, the lateral flow sticks can be easily managed on the farm by advancing one lateral flow stick at a time. Typically one lateral flow stick can be used per test sample. The box can include a large number of lateral flow sticks, but when all lateral flow sticks have been consumed, the box with the lateral flow sticks must be replaced with a new one.

[0006] Thus, the farmer / operator is provided with important information about each individual animal. Biomarkers such as progesterone can be measured in a highly automated manner for all individual animals on a farm.

[0007] However, a problem may arise that it is impossible or at least very difficult / time consuming for the farmer to determine whether the milk sample has been applied correctly and / or whether the lateral flow stick is working. As the process is automated, no manual supervision of each individual test session is required.

[0008] One example of a problem that may occur is that no liquid sample (which may contain extracted milk + diluent) is applied to the sample pad of the lateral flow stick.

[0009] Another problem may be that the applied liquid sample does not contain (sufficient amounts of) milk but only / mainly contains diluent.

[0010] Causes could be, for example, blocked tubing, malfunctioning pumps, mechanical damage to the needles supplying the liquid sample to the lateral flow stick, etc.

[0011] However, another problem that may occur is that at least some of the lateral flow rods may not operate as expected.

[0012] The cause may be, for example, improper storage of the lateral flow rod. High temperatures or otherwise improper storage of the lateral flow rod may cause the antibody-treated gold particles of the conjugate pad to burn into the cellulose. The milk sample will then not release enough gold particles to obtain reliable measurements. Other causes may include damage caused by moisture / liquid to the lateral flow rod, the use of low-quality lateral flow rods manufactured by unauthorized third parties (or pirated), and / or the lateral flow rod is too old, etc.

[0013] In cases where lateral flow testing is ineffective due to these or similar issues, correct biomarker measurements may not be made.

[0014] For these reasons, it would be advantageous to find a way to determine that lateral flow tests performed on lateral flow sticks are valid and reliable, preferably without adding additional workload to the farmer to determine validity. Summary of the invention

[0015] It is therefore an object of the present invention to solve at least some of the above problems and to evaluate the performance of a milk dosing device and / or a lateral flow stick when determining the presence of biomarkers in a milk sample extracted from an animal by a lateral flow test.

[0016] According to a first aspect of the invention, the object is achieved by a device arranged to evaluate the performance of a milk dosing device and / or a lateral flow rod. The device comprises a lateral flow rod arranged to indicate a biomarker in a liquid sample comprising a milk sample extracted from an animal by lateral flow measurement. The biomarker may for example be progesterone.

[0017] The lateral flow rod includes: a sample pad for receiving a liquid sample; a conjugate pad containing a conjugate; an indication zone arranged to indicate a biomarker of the liquid sample based on the conjugate; and a porous membrane for receiving a capillary flow of the liquid sample from the conjugate pad, thereby transporting the conjugate dispersed in the liquid sample to the indication zone.

[0018] The apparatus further comprises a milk dosing device configured to: obtain a milk sample from an animal; and apply a liquid sample comprising the milk sample to a sample pad of the lateral flow rod. Furthermore, the apparatus comprises a camera intended to capture an image of the lateral flow rod. Additionally, the apparatus comprises a controller communicatively connected to the camera.

[0019] The controller is configured to generate instructions to the camera to capture an image of the lateral flow rod at a predetermined time period after a point in time when the liquid sample has been applied to the lateral flow rod. The controller is also configured to receive the captured image from the camera. In addition, the controller is configured to define a first area of ​​the image of the lateral flow rod, the first area substantially depicting a sub-section of the porous membrane upstream of the indicator zone in the direction of liquid flow of the applied liquid sample along the longitudinal extension of the lateral flow rod. In addition, the controller is configured to: apply image processing to the first area of ​​the image; and evaluate the performance of the milk dosing device and / or the lateral flow rod based on the applied image processing.

[0020] Image processing of the first region will result in detection of successful or unsuccessful release of the conjugate into the liquid sample and functional capillary flow of the liquid sample with the conjugate through at least a portion of the porous membrane.

[0021] Thus, it can be determined within a few seconds whether the milk metering device and / or the lateral flow rod is fully functional and whether the result of the lateral flow measurement will be reliable.

[0022] This results in an automatic monitoring of the functionality of the milk metering device and / or the lateral flow rod, which leads to an increased reliability of the lateral flow measurement and of the milk metering device and / or the lateral flow rod.

[0023] In a first specific implementation of the apparatus according to the first aspect, the controller may be configured to perform image processing by color or grayscale analysis of the first area.

[0024] The conjugate contained in the conjugate pad has a hue different from white (the typical color of a lateral flow stick). In the case of a gold conjugate, the color is typically red. In a color or grayscale analysis, it can be determined whether the conjugate of the conjugate pad has been dispersed into the liquid sample and transported through at least a portion of the porous membrane.

[0025] In the second embodiment of the device according to the first aspect or any embodiment thereof, the controller may be configured to: perform image processing; and evaluate the performance of the milk dosing device by comparing the color or gray tone on the first area of ​​the captured image with a reference color or gray tone.

[0026] Reference colors or grayscale tones used for comparison may be predetermined and stored in a memory device communicatively connected to the controller.

[0027] In the third implementation of the device according to the first aspect or any implementation thereof, the reference color or gray tone may be obtained from a first image of the first area captured before applying the liquid sample to the sample pad.

[0028] The advantage of using an image of the first area captured before applying the liquid sample is that a robust and robust reference is achieved, which is independent of, for example, color deviations of the porous membrane of different lateral flow rods or of abnormal light conditions at the location of the device. Thus, even very small deviations of the lateral flow rod over time are detectable and can be determined.

[0029] In a fourth embodiment of the device according to the first aspect or any embodiment thereof, the controller may be configured to define a second region of the image of the lateral flow rod, the second region substantially depicting a sub-segment of the conjugate pad. The controller may be further configured to estimate the color or grayscale tone of the conjugate pad on the first region by comparing the color or grayscale tone of the first region with the color or grayscale tone of the second region. Furthermore, the controller may be configured to evaluate the performance of the milk dosing device and / or the lateral flow rod based on the comparison of the color or grayscale tone of the first region with the color or grayscale tone of the second region.

[0030] By making this comparison it can be estimated in a reliable manner whether the conjugate has been released from the conjugate pad (in the second area of ​​the image) and transported to the porous membrane (in the first area of ​​the image) by the liquid sample.

[0031] In the fifth embodiment of the device according to the first aspect or any embodiment thereof, the predetermined time period after the time point when the liquid sample is applied to the lateral flow rod is shorter than the time taken for the liquid sample to propagate from the sample pad via the conjugate pad and the porous membrane to the indication zone of the lateral flow rod by capillary flow, and the incubation time before the indication zone indicates the result.

[0032] The time taken for the liquid sample to propagate through the porous membrane to the indicator zone and to obtain the result of the lateral flow measurement may be at least two minutes, including the incubation time. The above-mentioned predetermined time period may be only a few seconds, such as 5-10 seconds. Thus, it can be detected immediately after the application of the liquid sample that the milk metering device and / or the lateral flow rod is not functioning properly. This enables the lateral flow measurement to be repeated using a new milk sample from the same animal on the sample pad of a new lateral flow rod.

[0033] In a sixth embodiment of the device according to the first aspect or any embodiment thereof, the controller may be configured to repeatedly generate instructions to the camera to capture images of the lateral flow rod. The controller may also be configured to receive the captured images with corresponding timestamps from the camera. Image processing and performance evaluation of the milk dosing device and / or the lateral flow rod is based on comparison of the captured images.

[0034] By taking several images with a camera with time intervals in between, the gradual propagation of the conjugate through the porous membrane can be followed and functional capillary flow can be confirmed.

[0035] In the seventh embodiment of the device according to the first aspect or any embodiment thereof, the controller can be configured to evaluate the performance of the milk dosing device and / or the lateral flow rod by generating a first indicator value based on a color or grayscale analysis of the first area, the first indicator value indicating: successful application of the liquid sample to the sample pad; successful capillary flow of the liquid along the longitudinal extension of the porous membrane; and / or release of the conjugate from the conjugate pad to the liquid sample.

[0036] The first indicator or dosage indicator can be set to a value between -100 and 100. The determined first indicator can be compared with a threshold limit, which can trigger an action. By studying the changes in the first indicator of several lateral flow measurements over a period of time, a degradation of the first indicator can be detected in time and appropriate actions can be triggered, such as, for example, cleaning or replacing a tube, a hose of a dosing module, a needle of a milk dosing device supplying a milk sample, etc.

[0037] In an eighth embodiment of the device according to the first aspect or any embodiment thereof, the device may include a light source directed to illuminate the lateral flow rod when capturing the image. The milk dosing device may be configured to prepare the liquid sample by mixing the obtained milk sample with the diluent before applying the liquid sample comprising milk mixed with the diluent to the sample pad of the lateral flow rod.

[0038] Additionally, the controller may be configured to, if the evaluation of the performance of the milk dosing device indicates capillary flow of liquid through the porous membrane: define a third region of the image of the lateral flow rod, the third region substantially depicting the second sub-segment of the porous membrane; apply image processing to the third region of the image; and evaluate the performance of the milk dosing device based on the applied image processing.

[0039] In the ninth implementation of the device according to the first aspect or any implementation thereof, the third area of ​​the image of the lateral flow rod may include at least one lateral edge of the lateral flow rod.

[0040] In a tenth specific implementation of the apparatus according to the first aspect or any specific implementation thereof, the controller may be configured to apply image processing to the third region of the image by grayscale analysis of the third region of the image. The grayscale analysis may include comparing the intensity of the grayscale of the third region with a reference grayscale. The reference grayscale may be stored in a memory device communicatively connected to the controller. In addition, the controller may evaluate the performance of the milk dosing device based on the grayscale analysis of the third region of the image.

[0041] If during the test the liquid sample contains too little milk or, in extreme cases, only diluent due to a technical malfunction, no reliable test result for milk can be obtained, simply because there is no milk or too little milk in the liquid sample for a reliable test to be possible.

[0042] By estimating the intensity of the grayscale, which corresponds to the reflection and / or absorption of light by the lateral flow rod in the third area of ​​the image, it can be detected whether the liquid sample contains a sufficient amount of milk, or whether the milk / diluent ratio exceeds a threshold limit, to enable a reliable lateral flow measurement based on image processing.

[0043] The grayscale analysis may include determining a grayscale nuance or grayscale intensity of the third region. The determined grayscale nuance may be compared with a reference grayscale. Based on the result of the comparison, the amount of milk in the liquid sample or the milk / diluent ratio of the liquid sample is determined. The darker the grayscale nuance of the third region of the image relative to the amount of diluent, the more milk is contained in the liquid sample.

[0044] In the eleventh specific implementation of the device according to the first aspect or any specific implementation thereof, the controller may be configured to evaluate the performance of the milk dosing device by generating a second indicator value or a milk indicator. The second indicator value / milk indicator may indicate: the amount of milk in the mixture of milk and diluent in the liquid sample, i.e., the milk / diluent ratio of the liquid sample.

[0045] In the twelfth embodiment of the device according to the first aspect or any embodiment thereof, the controller may be configured to perform actions for enhancing the performance of the milk dosing device and / or the lateral flow wand based on the applied image processing.

[0046] Thus, a detected low performance of the performance of the milk metering device and / or the lateral flow rod, which has resulted in the first indicator value and / or the second indicator value being below respective threshold limits, may trigger a performance enhancing action.

[0047] In the thirteenth specific implementation of the device according to the first aspect or any specific implementation thereof, the actions for enhancing the performance of the milk dosing device and / or the lateral flow rod may comprise any of the following: adjusting the length of the incubation time for the lateral flow measurement; discarding the lateral flow rod; and / or cleaning or replacing at least some elements of the milk dosing device. The elements of the milk dosing device to be cleaned may for example comprise tubes, hoses of a dosing module, needles of the milk dosing device supplying the milk sample, etc. Cleaning may be performed by flushing the elements of the milk dosing device with a diluent or possibly some other cleaning liquid.

[0048] Thus, when performance degradation of the milk dosing device and / or the lateral flow rod is detected, performance enhancing actions can be taken before the performance becomes so poor that lateral flow measurement cannot be used.

[0049] For example, when the first indicator value and / or the second indicator value is below a corresponding threshold limit, a performance enhancement action may be triggered.

[0050] Thus, the farmer can be warned to replace the lateral flow rod before it deteriorates to such an extent that it affects the results of the lateral flow test. The farmer is relieved from the pressure of continuously checking the validity of the lateral flow rod.

[0051] In the fourteenth specific implementation of the device according to the first aspect or any specific implementation thereof, the action may include discarding the result of the liquid sample. The action may also include applying a new liquid sample containing milk from the same animal as the discarded liquid sample to a new lateral flow stick.

[0052] Thus, a new milk sample from the same animal can be applied to a new lateral flow stick, thereby ensuring continuous biomarker indication of milk samples from the animal even when there are temporary interruptions in the lateral flow measurement process, for example due to a single malfunctioning lateral flow stick.

[0053] Due to the described aspects, manual intervention, maintenance, worry and work intensity of the farmer are minimized or at least reduced by determining the validity of the results of the lateral flow test.

[0054] Other advantages and additional novel features will become apparent from the following detailed description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0055] Embodiments of the present invention will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0056] Figure 1 An example of an apparatus for measuring biomarker values ​​of a milk sample of an animal is illustrated.

[0057] Figure 2A A lateral flow rod according to one embodiment is illustrated in side view.

[0058] Figure 2B A lateral flow rod according to one embodiment is illustrated in top view.

[0059] Figure 3 Illustrated is a captured image of a lateral flow rod according to one embodiment.

[0060] Figure 4 Elements of a device for measuring biomarker values ​​of an animal milk sample in one embodiment are illustrated. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0061] The embodiments of the present invention described herein are defined as a device that can be implemented in the embodiments described below. However, these embodiments can be exemplified and implemented in many different forms and are not limited to the examples set forth herein; on the contrary, these illustrative examples of the embodiments are provided to make this disclosure thorough and complete.

[0062] Still other objects and features may become apparent from the following detailed description considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It should be understood, however, that the drawings are designed for illustration only and are not intended to define the limitations of the embodiments disclosed herein, for which reference may be made to the appended claims. Further, unless otherwise indicated, the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale and are intended only to conceptually illustrate the structures and procedures described herein.

[0063] Figure 1 An apparatus 100 is illustrated. The arrangement 100 is arranged to evaluate the performance of a milk dosing device 105 and / or a lateral flow rod 110 in connection with the extraction of a milk sample of an animal 101 .

[0064] Animal 101 may be included in a herd of dairy animals at a dairy farm.

[0065] The lateral flow stick 110 is arranged to indicate biomarkers in a liquid sample comprising a milk sample extracted from the animal 101 by lateral flow measurement.

[0066] An "animal" may be any domesticated, milk-producing female mammal of any type, such as cattle, goats, sheep, lactating buffalo, donkeys, yaks, and the like.

[0067] Milk from the animal 101 may be extracted and drained by milking equipment that is part of a milking parlor via a milk line leading to a milk tank or similar milk storage device.

[0068] During milking of the animal 101, or in close connection therewith, a milk sample is transferred from the milking equipment / milk line and provided to the milk dosing device 105. The milk dosing device 105 may include, for example, a tube element for attachment to an interface of the milking equipment / milk line, a pump configured to act on the tube element for conveying the milk sample. The milk dosing device 105 may also include a valve 140, a mixing chamber 155 and a needle 150 for receiving the milk sample via the tube element.

[0069] In some embodiments, the milk sample may be mixed with a diluent in the mixing chamber 155 to form a liquid sample comprising a mixture of milk and diluent. The needle 150 of the milk dosing device 105 may then be aligned with the lateral flow rod 110, and the milk sample / liquid sample is then applied to the lateral flow rod 110 for lateral flow measurement.

[0070] The control of the milk dosing device 105, the alignment of the lateral flow wand 110 with the needle 150 and the application of the milk sample / liquid sample to the lateral flow wand 110 may be performed by the controller 130 with the aid of visual input from the camera 120. The camera 120 is directed to capture an image of the lateral flow wand 110. Optionally, a light source 160 may be applied to ensure proper illumination of the lateral flow wand 110 at least when the camera 120 is capturing an image.

[0071] An advantage of using a dedicated light source 160 included in the apparatus 100 is to ensure that when the camera 120 captures an image of the lateral flow rod 110 there will be sufficient light to enable color or grayscale analysis of the image.

[0072] The lateral flow rod 110 may be included on a carrier 115, which includes a plurality of lateral flow rods 110a, 110b, 110c. The carrier 115 may be embodied as, for example, a carrier tape or a blister pack. In embodiments where the carrier 115 is embodied as a carrier tape, the carrier 115 may be included in a box.

[0073] The controller 130 is communicatively connected to the camera 120 and is configured to generate instructions to the camera 120 to capture an image of the lateral flow rod 110 a predetermined period of time after a point in time when the milk / liquid sample has been applied to the lateral flow rod 110 .

[0074] Figure 2A The lateral flow rod 110 is illustrated as viewed from the side. Figure 2B The lateral flow bar 110 is illustrated as viewed from above.

[0075] The lateral flow bar 110 may include a backing plate 220, which may be made of cardboard, paper or similar material. The backing plate 220 may form a base on which other components of the lateral flow bar 110 may be mounted.

[0076] The lateral flow rod 110 includes a sample pad 210. The sample pad 210 is a portion of the lateral flow rod 110 to which the milk sample / liquid sample is applied through the needle 150. The sample pad 210 may include a porous structure for achieving capillary flow, such as cellulose fibers and / or a woven mesh.

[0077] The lateral flow rod 110 includes a conjugate pad 230 containing a conjugate 270. The conjugate 270 may include antibody-treated gold particles that are dispersed into the milk when the milk sample / liquid sample flows from the sample pad 210 through the conjugate pad 230.

[0078] The conjugate 270 will react with the biomarker to be measured (eg, progesterone in the milk of the applied liquid sample).

[0079] Thus, the conjugate 270 may be embedded in the conjugate pad 230, which may include the glass fiber portion of the lateral flow rod 110. Alternatively, the conjugate pad 230 may include cellulose and / or a surface-modified polyester.

[0080] In addition, the lateral flow stick 110 may include an indicator zone 250 arranged to indicate a biomarker of the milk sample / liquid sample based on the conjugate 270. The lateral flow stick 110 may also include a porous membrane 240 for receiving a capillary flow of the milk sample / liquid sample from the conjugate pad 230, thereby transporting the conjugate 270 dispersed in the milk sample / liquid sample to the indicator zone 250.

[0081] In various embodiments, the porous membrane 240 may include, for example, nitrocellulose membrane, cellulose, glass fiber, polyester, rayon, polymer, glass fiber, woven fiber, nonwoven fiber, chromatographic gel membrane, diatomaceous earth, silica gel, silicon oxide, diatomaceous earth or other filter membranes. The porous membrane 240 may be designed to increase the capillary pumping speed of the liquid through the lateral flow stick 110. The indicator area 250 of the porous membrane 240 may include a test line 251 and a control line 252.

[0082] The test line 251 may be treated with a biomarker reference such as, for example, a progesterone reference, which is bound to the antibody-treated gold particles of the milk sample / liquid sample and thereby causes the test line 251 to change color tone when exposed to milk including progesterone levels below a threshold limit. Thus, when the milk does not have progesterone levels or has low progesterone levels, the test line 251 may change color tone to red / reddish. If / when the animal 101 is in estrus, the progesterone level in the milk sample is close to zero. This color change may then be detected by the camera 120 and may be reported to the farmer and / or stored in a database associated with the identity and / or time reference of the animal 101. This may also trigger the scheduling of an insemination of the animal 101 (in the case where the biomarker is progesterone), or the scheduling of, for example, a veterinary examination (in the case of another biomarker).

[0083] The control line 252 in the indicator area 250 of the porous membrane 240 can be treated with an antibody reference that binds to the antibody-treated gold particles of the milk sample / liquid sample regardless of the progesterone level in the milk, and thereby causes the control line 252 to change color when exposed to milk including the antibody-treated gold particles.

[0084] Therefore, in the event that the control line 252 has changed color but the test line 251 has not changed color, it is generally interpreted that the milk sample / liquid sample has been applied correctly and the conjugate 270 has dispersed into the milk sample / liquid sample, but because the animal 101 is not in estrus, the progesterone level of the milk of the animal 101 is below the threshold limit, resulting in the test line 251 not changing color.

[0085] However, in case the control line 252 does not change color when the milk / liquid sample has been applied after the incubation time, the reason may be a malfunction of the lateral flow rod 110 or the milk dosing device 105. The incubation time may be, for example, about 2 to 5 minutes.

[0086] The lateral flow bar 110 may include an absorbent pad 260. The absorbent pad 260 may include an absorbent configured to absorb excess milk / liquid from the porous membrane 240.

[0087] Figure 3 An image 300 of the lateral flow rod 110 captured by the camera 120 is illustrated.

[0088] The controller 130 is configured to generate an instruction to the camera 120 to capture the image 300 at a predetermined time period after a point in time when the liquid sample is applied to the lateral flow rod 110 via the needle 150 .

[0089] The predetermined time period after the time point when the liquid sample is applied to the lateral flow stick 110 may be shorter than the time taken for the liquid sample to propagate from the sample pad 210 via the conjugate pad 230 and the porous membrane 240 to the indicator area 250 of the lateral flow stick 110 by capillary flow. The predetermined time period may be, for example, 1 second to 30 seconds, such as, for example, 6 seconds. Then, the controller 130 receives the captured image 300 from the camera 120.

[0090] The time it takes for the liquid sample to propagate by capillary flow from the sample pad 210 via the conjugate pad 230 and the porous membrane 240 to the indicator zone 250 of the lateral flow stick 110 can be significantly longer, such as, for example, 2 to 5 minutes, including the incubation time required to ensure that the test line 251 and / or control line 252 of the indicator zone 250 have sufficient time to change color due to the influence of the conjugate 270 dispersed into the milk / liquid sample.

[0091] The controller 130 is configured to define a first region 310 of the image 300 of the lateral flow rod 110. The first region 310 essentially depicts a subsection of the porous membrane 240 upstream of the indicator zone 250. Upstream in the present context means in the direction of liquid flow of the applied liquid sample along the longitudinal extension of the lateral flow rod 110. Then, image processing is applied to the first region 310 of the image 300. The controller 130 is further configured to evaluate the performance of the milk dosing device 105 or the lateral flow rod 110 based on the applied image processing.

[0092] The controller 130 may be configured to perform image processing through color or grayscale analysis of the first area 310 , and may enable the camera 120 to capture a color image or a grayscale image.

[0093] The controller 130 may also be configured to: perform image processing; and evaluate the performance of the milk dosing device 105 by comparing the color or gray tone on the first area 310 of the captured image 300 with a reference color or gray tone.

[0094] The reference color or grayscale tone may be obtained from a first (ie, previously taken) image of the first area 310 captured before applying the liquid sample to the sample pad 210. In other embodiments, the reference color or grayscale tone may be obtained from a database or memory.

[0095] The controller 130 may also be configured to define a second region 320 of the image 300 of the lateral flow rod 110 that substantially depicts a subsection of the conjugate pad 230 .

[0096] The controller 130 may be configured to estimate the color or gray tone of the conjugate pad 230 on the first area 310 by comparing the color or gray tone of the first area 310 with the color or gray tone of the second area 320. In addition, the controller 130 may be configured to evaluate the performance of the milk dosing device 105 and / or the lateral flow rod 110 based on the comparison of the color or gray tone of the first area 310 with the color or gray tone of the second area 320.

[0097] The second region 320 of image 300 substantially covers a subsection of the area of ​​lateral flow rod 110 covering the conjugate pad 230 containing conjugate 270, while the first region 310 of image 300 substantially covers an area of ​​a subsection of the porous membrane 240 upstream of the indicator zone 250 in the direction of liquid flow.

[0098] By comparing the color or grayscale tone of the second area 320 with the color or grayscale tone of the first area 310, the image processing by the controller 130 detects whether the milk sample releases the conjugate 270 or does not release the conjugate 270, respectively.

[0099] In some embodiments, the controller 130 may be configured to repeatedly generate instructions to the camera 120 to capture images 300 of the lateral flow rod 110, for example, at regular time intervals. The controller 130 may then receive the captured images 300 with corresponding time stamps from the camera 120. For example, four images 300 may be taken, the first image 1 second (t-1) before applying the liquid sample (t), the second image 6 seconds (t+6) after the liquid sample has been applied, the third image 12 seconds (t+12) after the liquid sample has been applied, and the fourth image 18 seconds (t+18) after the liquid sample has been applied, and so on.

[0100] Image processing and performance evaluation of the milk dosing device 105 and / or the lateral flow wand 110 by the controller 130 may then be based on a comparison of the captured images 300 .

[0101] The multiple images 300 enable detection of the conjugate 270 flowing through the lateral flow rod 110 by comparing color or grayscale tone changes in different images 300 taken at different times.

[0102] The controller 130 may also be configured to evaluate the performance of the milk dosing device 105 and / or the lateral flow rod 110 by generating a first indicator value based on a color or grayscale analysis of the first area 310 and / or the second area 320 .

[0103] The first indicator value or dosage indicator can indicate: successful application of the liquid sample to the sample pad 210; successful capillary flow of the liquid along the longitudinal extension of the porous membrane 240; and / or release of the conjugate 270 from the conjugate pad 230 to the liquid sample. In some non-limiting embodiments, the first indicator value can be scaled, for example, between -100 and 100.

[0104] The controller 130 may also be configured to define a third region 330 of the image 300 of the lateral flow rod 110 that substantially depicts a second subsection of the porous membrane 240. In some embodiments, the third region 330 may partially overlap at least the first region 310 and / or the second region 320. The third region 330 may also be larger than the first region 310 and / or the second region 320. Preferably, the third region 330 may include at least one lateral edge of the lateral flow rod 110.

[0105] By applying image analysis to determine the intensity of the grayscale close to the lateral edges of the lateral flow rod 110, it can be determined that the milk / liquid sample has traveled all the way to the lateral edges of the lateral flow rod 110, thereby ensuring adequate flow.

[0106] The controller 130 may define a third region 330 of the image 300 when evaluation of the performance of the milk dosing device 105 and / or the lateral flow rod 110 indicates capillary flow of milk / liquid through the porous membrane 240 and when a diluent has been mixed with the milk to form a liquid sample.

[0107] Figure 4 Some details of device 100 are illustrated, such as controller 130 , camera 120 , and light source 160 .

[0108] A light source 160 , communicatively coupled to the controller 130 , may be directed to illuminate the lateral flow rod 110 when the image 300 is captured.

[0109] Then, when the third region 330 of the image 300 of the lateral flow rod 110 has been defined, the controller 130 may apply image processing to the third region 330 of the image 300 .

[0110] The image processing performed by the controller 130 on the third region 330 may include estimating reflection and / or absorption of light from the light source 160 by the surface of the portion of the lateral flow rod 110 within the third region 330 of the image 300 .

[0111] The reflection and / or absorption of light can be estimated by analyzing the grayscale of the third region 330, thereby comparing the intensity of the grayscale of the third region 330 with a reference grayscale. Different nuances of the reference grayscale can be associated with different levels of reflection and / or absorption of light; and / or a second indicator value; or a milk indicator. The intensity of the grayscale of the image 300 can be compared with the reference grayscale, where different grayscale tones are associated with different grayscales. Generally speaking, the darker the grayscale tone of the third region 330, the more milk relative to the diluent is contained in the liquid sample.

[0112] The controller 130 may further be configured to evaluate the performance of the milk dosing device 105 and / or the lateral flow rod 110 based on an estimated reflection and / or absorption of light by the lateral flow rod 110 in the third area 330 of the image 300 .

[0113] The purpose of estimating the reflection and / or absorption of light by the lateral flow rod 110 is to assess whether the liquid sample contains a sufficient amount of milk to perform a reliable lateral flow test. Since milk is an emulsion or colloid of milk fat globules in a water-based fluid, the reflection of light by the surface of the lateral flow rod 110 will be different from the light reflection when the liquid sample contains only a diluent or too little milk. Too little milk in this context means that the mixing ratio of the liquid sample of milk and the diluent has a milk content less than a threshold level.

[0114] The controller 130 may generate a second indicator value or milk indicator indicating the amount of milk in the mixture of milk and diluent in the liquid sample. The second indicator value may, for example, have a value between 0 and 100, wherein 0 means no milk at all in the liquid sample and 100 means no diluent (i.e. only milk) in the liquid sample. The performance of the milk metering device 105 and / or the lateral flow rod 110 may thus be determined by the controller 130 based on the second indicator value.

[0115] The controller 130 may also be configured to perform actions based on the applied image processing for enhancing the performance of the milk dosing device 105 and / or the lateral flow rod 110. In case the first indicator value and / or the second indicator value has been generated, the action may be triggered when the first indicator value and / or the second indicator value is below a predetermined trigger value.

[0116] The actions to be performed may include, for example: adjusting the length of the incubation time for the lateral flow measurement; discarding the lateral flow stick; and / or cleaning at least some elements of the milk dosing device 105 , such as the hose and / or the pump; and / or flushing the needle 150 .

[0117] In case the performance of the lateral flow rod 110 evaluated based on the applied image processing leads to the conclusion that the milk metering device 105 and / or the lateral flow rod 110 is malfunctioning, the lateral flow rod can be discarded. Possibly, a warning can also be issued to the farmer via a warning device.

[0118] In case the performance of the lateral flow rod 110 evaluated based on the applied image processing leads to the conclusion that the milk dosing device 105 has not provided a liquid sample to the lateral flow rod 110, a cleaning action may be triggered. The cleaning action may comprise: cleaning at least some elements of the milk dosing device 105, such as a hose and / or a pump; and / or flushing the needle 150.

[0119] In yet other embodiments, the action may include discarding the results of the liquid sample. In addition, the action may include applying a new liquid sample containing milk from the same animal 101 as the discarded liquid sample to a new lateral flow stick 110.

[0120] Thus, a new lateral flow measurement of milk from the same animal 101 may be performed within a few seconds (eg 5 to 10 seconds) after the first / previous liquid sample has been applied.

[0121] Figure 1 , Figure 2A , Figure 2B , Figure 3 and / or Figure 4 At least some of the embodiments illustrated in or portions thereof may be advantageously combined with each other to obtain additional benefits.

[0122] The terminology used in the description of the embodiments as illustrated in the accompanying drawings is not intended to be limiting of the described apparatus 100. Various changes, substitutions and / or alterations may be made without departing from the embodiments of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.

[0123] As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. As used herein, the term "or" should be interpreted as a mathematical OR, that is, as an inclusive disjunction; rather than as a mathematical exclusive OR (XOR), unless otherwise expressly stated. Additionally, the singular forms "one", "a", and "the" should be interpreted as "at least one", and therefore may also include multiple entities of the same kind, unless otherwise expressly stated. It will be further understood that the terms "include", "include" specify the presence of stated features, actions, integers, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, actions, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or combinations thereof. For example, a single unit of a processor can implement the functions of several items described in a claim. The fact that certain measures or features are described in mutually different dependent claims, shown in different drawings, or discussed in conjunction with different embodiments does not mean that a combination of these measures or features cannot be used to advantage. The computer program may be stored / distributed on a suitable medium, such as an optical storage medium or a solid-state medium provided together with or as a part of other hardware, but may also be distributed in other forms, such as via the Internet or other wired or wireless communication systems.

Claims

1. A device (100) arranged to evaluate the performance of a milk dosing device (105) and / or a lateral flow rod (110); wherein the device (100) comprises: a lateral flow stick (110) arranged to indicate by lateral flow measurement a biomarker in a liquid sample comprising a milk sample extracted from an animal (101); The lateral flow rod (110) comprises: A sample pad (210), the sample pad is used to receive the liquid sample; a conjugate pad (230), the conjugate pad comprising a conjugate (270); an indicator zone (250) arranged to indicate the biomarker of the liquid sample based on the conjugate (270); a porous membrane (240) for receiving the capillary flow of the liquid sample from the conjugate pad (230), thereby transporting the conjugate (270) dispersed in the liquid sample to the indicator area (250); A milk dosing device (105), wherein the milk dosing device is configured to: obtaining a milk sample from the animal (101); and applying the liquid sample including the milk sample to the sample pad (210) of the lateral flow stick (110); a camera (120) directed to capture an image (300) of the lateral flow rod (110); A controller (130) communicatively connected to the camera (120), wherein the controller (130) is configured to: generating an instruction to the camera (120) to capture an image (300) of the lateral flow rod (110) at a predetermined time period after a point in time when the liquid sample has been applied to the lateral flow rod (110); receiving a captured image (300) from the camera (120); defining a first region (310) of the image (300) of the lateral flow stick (110), the first region substantially depicting a subsection of the porous membrane (240) upstream of the indicator zone (250) in a direction of liquid flow of an applied liquid sample along a longitudinal extension of the lateral flow stick; Applying image processing to the first region (310) of the image (300); and evaluating the performance of the milk metering device (105) or the lateral flow rod (110) based on the applied image processing.

2. The apparatus (100) according to claim 1, wherein the controller (130) is configured to perform the image processing by color or grayscale analysis of the first area (310).

3. The device (100) according to any one of claims 1 or 2, wherein the controller (130) is configured to: perform the image processing; and evaluate the performance of the milk dosing device (105) by comparing the color or gray tone on the first area (310) of the captured image (300) with a reference color or gray tone.

4. The device (100) of claim 3, wherein the reference color or grayscale tone is obtained from a first image of the first area (310) captured before applying the liquid sample to the sample pad (210).

5. The device (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the controller (130) is configured to: defining a second region (320) of the image (300) of the lateral flow rod (110), the second region substantially depicting a subsection of the conjugate pad (230); estimating a color or grayscale hue of the conjugate pad (230) on the first area (310) by comparing the color or grayscale hue of the first area (310) to the color or grayscale hue of the second area (320); and Based on the comparison of the color or gray tone of the first area (310) with the color or gray tone of the second area (320), the performance of the milk metering device (105) and / or the lateral flow rod (110) is evaluated.

6. The device (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the predetermined time period after the time point of applying the liquid sample to the lateral flow rod (110) is shorter than the time taken for the liquid sample to propagate from the sample pad (210) via the conjugate pad (230) and the porous membrane (240) to the indication zone (250) of the lateral flow rod (110) by capillary flow, and the incubation time before the indication zone (250) indicates the result.

7. The device (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the controller (130) is configured to repeatedly generating instructions to the camera (120) to capture an image (300) of the lateral flow rod (110); A captured image (300) with a corresponding time stamp is received from the camera (120); and wherein the image processing and the performance evaluation of the milk dosing device (105) and / or the lateral flow rod (110) are based on a comparison of the captured image (300).

8. The device (100) according to any one of claims 2 to 7, wherein the controller (130) is configured to evaluate the performance of the milk dosing device (105) and / or the lateral flow rod (110) by generating a first indicator value based on the color or grayscale analysis of the first area (310), the first indicator value indicating: successful application of the liquid sample to the sample pad (210); successful capillary flow of the liquid along the longitudinal extension of the porous membrane (240); and / or release of the conjugate (270) from the conjugate pad (230) to the liquid sample.

9. The device (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, comprising a light source (160) directed to illuminate the lateral flow rod (110) when the image (300) is captured; and wherein the milk dosing device (105) is configured to prepare the liquid sample by mixing the obtained milk sample with a diluent before applying the liquid sample to the sample pad (210) of the lateral flow rod (110); and wherein The controller (130) is configured, if the evaluation of the performance of the milk dosing device (105) indicates capillary flow of the liquid through the porous membrane (240): defining a third region (330) of the image (300) of the lateral flow rod (110), the third region substantially depicting a second subsection of the porous membrane (240); applying image processing to the third region (330) of the image (300); and The performance of the milk dosing device (105) is evaluated based on the applied image processing.

10. The device (100) according to claim 9, wherein the third area (330) of the image (300) of the lateral flow rod (110) comprises at least one lateral edge of the lateral flow rod (110).

11. The device (100) according to any one of claims 9 or 10, wherein the controller (130) is configured to: Applying image processing to the third region (330) of the image (300) by grayscale analysis of the third region (330), thereby comparing the intensity of the grayscale of the third region (330) with a reference grayscale; and The performance of the milk dosing device (105) is evaluated based on the grayscale analysis of the third area (330) of the image (300).

12. The device (100) according to any one of claims 9 to 11, wherein the controller (130) is configured to evaluate the performance of the milk dosing device (105) by generating a second indicator value, the second indicator value being indicative of the amount of milk in the mixture of milk and diluent in the liquid sample.

13. The device (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the controller (130) is configured to: Actions for enhancing the performance of the milk dosing device (105) and / or the lateral flow rod (110) are performed based on the applied image processing.

14. The device (100) according to claim 13, wherein the action comprises any of the following: adjusting the length of the incubation time for the lateral flow measurement; discarding the lateral flow stick (110); and / or cleaning at least some elements of the milk dosing device (105), such as a hose and / or a pump; and / or flushing the needle (150) with a diluent.

15. The apparatus (100) according to any one of claims 13 or 14, wherein the actions comprise: discarding said result of said liquid sample; as well as A new liquid sample comprising milk originating from the same animal (101) as the discarded liquid sample is applied to a new lateral flow stick (110).

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