Flexible Container Concentration Measurement via Variable Path Length
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for determining the concentration of ingredients in closed containers with flexible walls are imprecise due to unknown optical properties of the container walls, which cause interference in spectroscopic measurements, especially when the containers or ingredients scatter optical radiation, leading to errors in concentration determination.
Innovation Solution
The solution involves conducting spectroscopic measurements with different transmission path lengths through the medium, allowing for the minimization of container wall influences by varying the distance between the container walls, and using a computing unit to form a quotient of measurements at different thicknesses, which eliminates the wall's impact on the measurement results.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If spectroscopic measurements are made through flexible container walls, then concentration determination is possible, but measurement precision deteriorates due to unknown optical properties of the walls
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the transmission path length variable by mechanically adjusting the distance between container walls, allowing dynamic measurement at multiple path lengths. This dynamic adjustment enables the system to eliminate wall influence through mathematical processing without requiring separate wall characterization measurements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the measurement parameter (transmission path length) to multiple values, allowing the determination of concentration independent of wall properties. By measuring at different path lengths and processing the data appropriately, the wall's optical properties are eliminated from the calculation.
2Measurement precision
If traditional transmission measurement is used, then measurement setup is simple, but measurement precision deteriorates when container walls or ingredients scatter optical radiation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent adds the dimension of variable path length to the measurement system. By measuring absorbance at multiple path lengths and analyzing the relationship, the system can distinguish between absorption and scattering effects, enabling accurate concentration determination even in strongly scattering conditions.
3Reliability
If calibration is performed with predetermined concentrations, then concentration determination is possible, but reliability deteriorates when measurement situation changes due to different container wall properties
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the wall influence from the measurement equation by using multiple path length measurements. The wall's optical properties appear as constant factors that can be eliminated through the mathematical relationship between measurements at different path lengths, making the system adaptable to different container walls.
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
This approach enables accurate determination of ingredient concentrations by isolating the container wall's influence, improving measurement precision and reducing errors caused by varying container properties, even when the containers have different wall structures or materials.
Implementation Method 1
spectroscopic methods can be used that use the absorption and/or scattering of the contents to determine the desired parameters
Implementation Method 2
which, based on the length of the x-ray path, knowledge of the entrance intensity and the molecular extinction of the ingredient, can determine its concentration from the measurement of the exit intensity (Lambert-Beer law)
Implementation Method 3
Another problem arises when the containers or the ingredients scatter optical radiation
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a non-destructive and non-invasive method for determining the concentration or other parameters of constituent substances in fluids, which method is capable of minimizing the optical interfering influences, which are unknown but constant during the individual measurement, of the vessel wall on the measurement result or the evaluation, in that measurements are carried out with different through-radiation path lengths and quotient calculations eliminate the influences of the vessel wall. Wide-area illumination and detection ensure that non-linearities occurring during said measurements do not interfere with the accuracies of the determination.