Portable Spectrometer with Rotating Sample Stage for Scattering Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for measuring traits in agricultural and food products are time-consuming, expensive, and labor-intensive, necessitating the need for rapid and accurate tools to assess quality effectively.
Innovation Solution
A portable spectrometer system coupled with chemometric analysis methods, including a NIR spectrometer, sample stage, motor, and external processor, which rotates the sample stage to minimize scattering effects, allowing for quick and accurate measurement of traits in food products by processing data using algorithms like partial least squares regression.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional phenotypic analysis methods are used to measure traits in agricultural and food products, then measurement accuracy can be maintained, but the process becomes time-consuming, expensive, and labor-intensive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical phenotypic analysis methods with a spectroscopic system that uses light interaction with samples. The spectrometer measures spectral data rapidly without physical manipulation or lengthy preparation, enabling quick trait determination while maintaining accuracy through computational chemometric analysis
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces spectral data as an intermediary between the sample and the trait measurement. Instead of direct observation or complex chemical analysis, the system measures light absorption/reflection spectra and uses chemometric algorithms to derive trait information, enabling rapid and non-destructive assessment
2Measurement precision
If spectroscopy measurement is performed without sample rotation, then measurement process is simpler, but scattering effects reduce measurement accuracy
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the sample stage rotatable to dynamically change the measurement geometry. By rotating the sample during spectroscopy measurement, the system averages out scattering effects from heterogeneous sample structures, improving measurement precision without requiring complex sample preparation
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs periodic rotation of the sample stage during measurement. The motor rotates the sample through multiple positions in a periodic manner, allowing the spectrometer to collect spectral data from different angles and aggregate the information to minimize scattering artifacts
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 rapid, accurate, and cost-effective measurement of traits in food products, such as amino acid profiles, within seconds, facilitating quick quality assessment and value pricing, and is applicable to various crops and ingredients.
Implementation Method 1
measuring a spectrum of the sample within a wavelength range using the spectrometer in the system
Implementation Method 2
adjust the rotational position of the motor to distribute near infrared (NIR) spectra about a specimen to minimize a spectroscopy scattering effect
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed herein are systems and devices for use in determining a level of a trait in an agriculture or food product sample. Further disclosed is a portable spectrometer system coupled with chemometric analysis methods to determine a level of a trait in an agriculture or food product sample, the portable spectrometer system comprising: a spectrometer; a sample stage adjacent the spectrometer; a motor coupled to the sample stage; and a system housing enclosing the motor and the spectrometer; wherein rotation of the motor rotates the sample stage, and wherein the motor is controllable in response to spectroscopy requirements.