Milk Analysis Tape Imaging for Low-Reagent Milking Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing milking systems face challenges in achieving high throughput while minimizing the use of reagents, particularly enzymes or biological products that are difficult to produce and require significant resources.
Innovation Solution
The system employs a camera device with a field of view that captures multiple reagent pads, allowing extended reaction time by keeping a reagent pad in view for more than one sampling period, thereby reducing the need for high reagent concentration and enabling efficient analysis over a longer timeframe.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the sampling and analysis device samples and analyses milk at a high throughput rate, then the time period between consecutive milkings is reduced, but the reaction time in the reagent pad becomes insufficient, requiring higher reagent concentration
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by capturing multiple images of the reagent pad at different time points during the reaction process. This allows the analysis to be based on image sequences rather than requiring a single high-concentration reagent reading, thereby extending the effective reaction time window and reducing the need for high reagent concentration to achieve reliable detection
Solution Approach 2:
The camera device continuously monitors the reagent pad throughout the reaction process by capturing multiple images over time. This continuous observation ensures that the reaction progress is tracked without interruption, allowing for accurate analysis even with lower reagent concentrations that would otherwise be insufficient for high-throughput operations
2Quantity of substance
If less reagent is used in the reagent pad, then resource consumption is reduced, but the reaction time increases, lowering the throughput through the milking system
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements periodic imaging at optimized time intervals during the reaction process. By capturing images at specific periodic moments rather than requiring continuous high-concentration reagent monitoring, the system achieves accurate analysis with lower reagent usage while maintaining throughput efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the traditional mechanical/chemical approach of increasing reagent concentration to speed up reaction with an optical/imaging approach. The camera-based detection system substitutes for chemical intensity enhancement, allowing low reagent concentration to be compensated by sophisticated image capture and analysis timing
3Duration of action of moving object
If the camera device captures multiple reagent pads in its field of view, then extended reaction time is achieved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The camera device is designed to serve multiple functions: it captures images of multiple reagent pads simultaneously, tracks reaction progress over time, and provides data for quantitative analysis. This multi-functionality justifies the added complexity by eliminating the need for separate timing mechanisms or multiple individual camera systems
Solution Approach 2:
The system merges the functions of multiple cameras or multiple imaging systems into a single camera device with an extended field of view. By combining these functions into one device, the patent reduces overall system complexity compared to using multiple separate imaging systems, while still achieving extended reaction time monitoring
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 enhances throughput by allowing for more time-efficient analysis, reducing reagent usage, and improving measurement precision and accuracy, particularly in voluntary robotic milking systems.
Implementation Method 1
a tape that is lengthwise provided with a series of consecutive reagent pads that are configured to provide a detectable response in the presence of at least one substance in the sample
Implementation Method 2
a camera device operably connected to the control unit, and arranged to obtain an image of said reagent pad supplied with said droplet of the sample
Data Source
AI summary
A milking system with a milking device, a milking control, a milk line in fluid connection with the milking device, and a sampling and analysis device to take a sample of the milk from the milk line and to analyse milk from the sample are disclosed. The milking control is arranged to control the milking device on the basis of the analysis. The sampling and analysis device includes a control unit, a tape reel provided with a tape that is lengthwise provided with a series of consecutive reagent pads that provide a detectable response in the presence of a substance in the sample, a tape mover to move the tape, a dosing device to supply a part of the sample onto a reagent pad on the tape, and a camera to obtain an image of the reagent pad supplied with the droplet, and an analysis device to analyse the obtained images to provide to the milking control device an indication of a presence or concentration of said substance. The camera has a field of view that contains a plurality of reagent pads of the series of consecutive reagent pads. This allows to observe the reaction in the reagent pad for a much longer time. In turn, this allows to use much less reagent material, such as expensive enzymes, in the pads. It is particularly useful when observing double layer reagent types.