Fish-Shaped Calibration Target for Ultrasonic Sea Lice Treatment
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Sea lice and other ectoparasites pose significant challenges in aquaculture due to their difficulty in removal and potential damage to fish, especially as they embed in mucus or between scales, and existing ultrasonic devices may inadvertently harm fish due to challenges in targeting and energy distribution.
Innovation Solution
A self-calibrating ultrasonic sea lice treatment station with distributed ultrasonic transducers and a calibration target that mimics a fish's shape, equipped with sensors for precise energy prediction and beam-forming, uses filaments with segmented polygon or closed curve cross-sections to minimize unintended energy scattering, allowing for focused and safe removal of sea lice.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If ultrasonic signals are used to remove sea lice from fish, then sea lice removal effectiveness is improved, but risk of damage to fish increases
Solution Approach 1:
The ultrasonic energy is focused locally at the sea lice location rather than being distributed uniformly. The system determines the location of sea lice on fish and generates ultrasonic signals that converge specifically at the louse location, creating high energy density only where needed to remove the parasite while keeping surrounding areas at safe energy levels for the fish
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs repeated self-calibration to determine propagation parameters that account for how ultrasonic signals propagate through water. This feedback mechanism allows the system to adjust and refine the focusing of ultrasonic energy to accurately target sea lice while avoiding damage to fish, with calibration targets providing reference data for continuous improvement of targeting precision
2Measurement precision
If ultrasonic signals are focused to target sea lice precisely, then targeting accuracy is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The calibration target serves multiple functions: it mimics a fish's shape and physical properties for realistic calibration, contains sensors distributed at known locations to measure ultrasonic energy and provide feedback, and enables determination of propagation parameters. This multi-functional design achieves high targeting accuracy without proportionally increasing device complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs automatic self-calibration using the calibration target to determine propagation parameters. The process is automated, with the system continually calibrating itself to maintain accurate targeting without requiring manual intervention or complex external calibration equipment
3Measurement precision
If calibration target is mounted in the treatment station, then calibration accuracy is improved, but wave distortion increases
Solution Approach 1:
The calibration target is mounted using thin filaments with segmented polygon or closed curve cross-sections. These thin, flexible mounting structures minimize interference with ultrasonic wave propagation, reducing wave scattering and distortion while still providing stable mounting. The filament design allows ultrasonic waves to pass through with minimal disruption, maintaining calibration accuracy without significant wave distortion
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system effectively and safely removes sea lice by accurately targeting and focusing ultrasonic energy, reducing the risk of damage to fish while maintaining precision and accuracy through continuous self-calibration and closed-loop feedback.
Implementation Method 1
ultrasonic signals may be used to generate cavitation bubbles that form under and around sea lice
Implementation Method 2
ultrasonic signals may be used to generate cavitation bubbles that form under and around sea lice, allowing water rushing past the fish and natural motion of fish to dislodge the lice
Implementation Method 3
The calibration target may be embedded with sensors at various locations to measure intensity and rates of phonon propagation
Implementation Method 4
ultrasonic signals, even without cavitation bubbles, may also traverse along sea lice to sweep the sea lice off fish
Data Source
AI summary
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer-storage media, for obtaining initial parameters for ultrasonic transducers around a calibration target. The calibration target can include a fish-shaped structure, sensors placed at different locations of the fish-shaped structure, a processor that receives sensor values from the sensors, and a transmitter that outputs sensor data from the calibration target based on the sensor values. The calibration target can be fixed at a particular position relative to the ultrasonic transducers by a filament coupled to both the calibration target and a support structure. Sensor data can be obtained from the calibration target at the particular position relative to the ultrasonic transducers, and relative locations of the sensors can be determined. Parameters for the ultrasonic transducers around the calibration target can be adjusted based on the sensor data and the respective locations of the sensors.