UV Fluorescence Insect Detection System
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for identifying sick or dead insects in industrial insect rearing and breeding are inefficient, relying on visual inspection which can take up to seven days to detect mortality, leading to late intervention and contamination of entire insect groups.
Innovation Solution
The use of ultraviolet and/or visible light irradiation combined with photodetectors to detect fluorescent radiation emitted by terminally ill or dead insects, allowing for early identification before visible symptoms appear.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If visual inspection methods are used to identify dead insects, then the detection method is simple and requires minimal equipment, but the detection time is delayed up to seven days and contamination spreads to entire insect groups
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual visual inspection with an automated optical detection system using UV light sources and photodetectors. This substitution enables continuous, real-time monitoring of insect groups, reducing detection time from days to moments while automatically identifying dead individuals through fluorescence signals without human intervention.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces UV light as an intermediary substance that interacts with dead insects to produce fluorescent signals. This intermediary enables the detection system to indirectly identify dead insects by detecting the fluorescence they emit under UV illumination, rather than requiring direct visual observation of physical changes.
2Reliability
If early detection of dead insects is implemented, then contamination can be prevented and production safety is improved, but the complexity of the detection system increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces unreliable manual inspection with a dependable automated optical system that continuously monitors insect groups. This system provides consistent, objective detection based on fluorescence signals, eliminating human error and ensuring reliable early detection of dead insects to prevent contamination spread.
Solution Approach 2:
The detection system operates autonomously by automatically illuminating insect groups with UV light, detecting fluorescence signals from dead insects, and generating alerts without requiring manual intervention. This self-service capability ensures continuous monitoring and immediate detection, enhancing production safety while minimizing operational complexity.
3Measurement precision
If photodetectors are used instead of visual inspection, then detection accuracy and speed are improved, but the cost and complexity of the system increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces imprecise human visual inspection with photodetectors that objectively measure fluorescence intensity. This substitution enables accurate quantitative detection of dead insects based on their fluorescent signals, providing precise measurement capabilities that exceed human visual discrimination while maintaining system simplicity through automated operation.
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 detection of sick or dead insects days before visible symptoms emerge, preventing widespread contamination and ensuring timely corrective action in insect production processes.
Implementation Method 1
use ultraviolet light, and in some instances, either UV or visible spectrum light to irradiate the insects, wherein dead or terminally ill insects emit the fluorescence radiation that live and healthy insects do not
Data Source
AI summary
Combining UV and/or visible light, a conveyor, a computer and photodetectors is an efficient and cost-effective way to determine if any reared and breeding insects are sick and/or dead. A pool of insects placed on a conveyor allows sick and/or dead insects that are present in the pool to be detected because they move into a beam of UV and/or visible light, wherein they emit light (e.g., fluorescent light), which can be detected by photodetectors. The computer that may be operationally attached to the UV and/or visible light, the photodetectors, and the conveyor may be able to ascertain an exact position where the one or more sick and/or dead insects is/are.