Flexible Laser Sensor Wrap for Consumable Product Monitoring
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Solution Overview
Problem
Consumable products stored in sealed containers face quality degradation due to chemical reactions and environmental conditions, and there is a need for a system to monitor and communicate data on their parameters such as manufacturer, batch, and environmental conditions like temperature, oxygen, and gas concentrations.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising a label or closure with sensors, a processor, and memory that uses laser detectors to non-invasively sense parameters of consumable products, storing data that can be accessed by an interrogator unit, allowing for monitoring and communication of product conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional sealing methods are used for consumable products, then manufacturing simplicity is maintained, but product quality degradation occurs due to exposure to environmental conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The monitoring system is nested within the container structure itself. Sensors are integrated into the closure or container wall, and the memory device is housed within the same structure, creating a compact nested arrangement that monitors product conditions without adding external complexity
Solution Approach 2:
A memory device acts as an intermediary between the sensors and the external world. The memory device stores sensor data and communicates it to external devices through wireless or wired connections, mediating the information flow while maintaining product sealing
2Loss of information
If no monitoring system is attached to the container, then device complexity is minimized, but loss of information about product parameters occurs
Solution Approach 1:
Sensors continuously monitor product parameters (temperature, pressure, light exposure, oxygen levels) and store data in the memory device before any quality degradation becomes apparent. This preliminary data collection enables proactive quality assessment and authentication
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates a digital copy of the product's physical condition history through sensor data. This information copy is stored in the memory device and can be accessed by consumers to verify product authenticity and quality without physically altering the product
3Stability of the object's composition
If laser detectors are used to non-invasively sense product parameters, then product integrity is maintained, but device complexity increases due to additional sensing components
Solution Approach 1:
Traditional mechanical sampling or invasive testing methods are replaced with optical sensing. Laser detectors use light to non-invasively measure product parameters such as gas composition, temperature, and pressure through the container wall or headspace, eliminating the need to open or physically contact the product
Solution Approach 2:
The laser detection system serves multiple functions: it measures gas composition (oxygen, carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, TCA), monitors temperature and pressure changes, and detects product authenticity. This multi-functional approach consolidates what would otherwise require separate sensing systems
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
Enables reliable monitoring and communication of consumable product parameters, ensuring quality tracking and authentication, and providing consumers with data on product conditions, thereby enhancing product integrity and consumer confidence.
Implementation Method 1
The laser-detector pair is configured to pass laser light through the container to reflect from a reflector affixed to the outer surface of the container opposite the laser-detector pair to non-invasively sense parameters of the consumable product
Implementation Method 2
a second flexible substrate affixed directly to an outer surface of a body of the container and including a second laser-detector pair configured to pass laser light through the consumable product in the container to reflect from a second reflector affixed to the outer surface of the body of the container opposite the second laser-detector pair to non-invasively sense parameters of the consumable product including one or more of dissolved concentrations of oxygen, carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide and TCA
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method are provided to monitor, store and communicate data on parameters of a consumable product stored in a sealed container. In one embodiment, the system includes a flexible wrap affixed to an outer surface of a neck of the container. The wrap includes a first laser-detector pair to pass laser light through a headspace inside the container to reflect from a first reflector affixed to the outer surface of the container to non-invasively sense first parameters of the consumable product. The system further includes a flexible label affixed directly to the outer surface of a body of the container, the label including a second laser-detector pair to pass laser light through a liquid inside the container to non-invasively sense second parameters of the consumable product. The system generally further includes an interrogator to communicate with the flexible wrap and flexible label to access the data.