Flowing Cell Assembly Crush Inspection Using High-Speed Imaging
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional cell crush inspection methods cannot meet the faster production requirements of modern cell production lines, as they require stopping the cell assembly for image capture, which disrupts the production flow.
Innovation Solution
A method using a high-speed image acquisition device, such as a line scan camera, to capture images of flowing cell assemblies, followed by image feature extraction and similarity matching with a preset crush model to identify defects without halting the production line.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional image acquisition methods are used to capture cell images, then image quality can be ensured, but the production line must be stopped which reduces productivity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements continuous image acquisition during cell transport without stopping the production line. The high-speed camera captures images of cells as they move through the inspection area, maintaining continuous production flow while performing quality inspection. This resolves the contradiction by eliminating the need to halt the production line for inspection purposes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces mechanical stopping and positioning mechanisms with an optical inspection system. Instead of using mechanical means to stop cells for inspection, the system uses high-speed imaging and image processing algorithms to detect crush defects during motion. This substitution of mechanical intervention with optical-digital methods enables inspection without production interruption.
2Productivity
If the production line speed is increased to meet higher production demands, then productivity improves, but the time available for crush inspection decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The inspection process operates continuously during cell transport without interruption. The high-speed camera captures images at rates synchronized with the production line speed, ensuring that inspection time is not lost even as production rate increases. The continuous operation mode eliminates idle inspection time that would occur with stop-start conventional methods.
Solution Approach 2:
The system rapidly captures and processes images during the brief moment cells are in the inspection zone. The high-speed imaging and automated image processing algorithm quickly analyze each cell for crush defects while moving, skipping the time-consuming steps of stopping, manual inspection, and resumption. This rushing through the inspection process at high speed maintains both productivity and inspection quality.
3Productivity
If high-speed image acquisition is implemented to maintain production flow, then productivity is maintained, but the complexity of the inspection system increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex mechanical inspection systems with an optical-digital approach. The high-speed camera system with automated image processing algorithms substitutes for mechanical measurement and inspection devices. This substitution reduces mechanical complexity while enabling high-speed operation, as optical systems have no moving parts and can operate at much higher speeds than mechanical systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates digital copies (images) of the cells during transport and performs inspection on these copies rather than requiring direct physical measurement. This copying approach allows parallel processing of multiple cells and eliminates the need for complex real-time mechanical measurement systems, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining inspection capability.
Data Source
AI summary
The present application relates to a method, apparatus and system for inspecting a cell crush, a computer device, a storage medium, and a computer program product. The method may include: acquiring images of a flowing cell assembly by a high-speed image acquisition device; extracting image features from the images of the cell assembly; performing similarity matching between the image features and a preset crush model to obtain a similarity matching result; and obtaining a cell crush inspection result based on the similarity matching result.