BACKGROUND
Knowing the optical properties of a material below the layer able to be visualized via machine without contact, invasion, or destruction of the material is highly useful for quality control or monitoring purposes. Unfortunately, current technology cannot provide the ability to non-destructively identify and assess properties beneath the surface of a tissue. As a result, the default for color inspection in fields such as the meat industry relies on destructive visual inspection, an expensive and labor-intensive process. Advancing optical measurement (e.g., color) for sub-surface analysis would be a strong benefit to industrial processes.
SUMMARY OF TECHNOLOGY
Researchers at OSU have developed an apparatus and method of assessing sub-surface tissue properties, including absorption and reduced scattering spectra. Broadly, this is accomplished by measuring the spectral diffuse reflectance of light from the tissue over an area surrounding the localized illumination, while excluding the smaller area directly adjacent to said localized illumination. More specifically, this system employs a method of blocking the smaller area of illumination which may be combined with the method of collecting the smaller area of illumination, acquire the spectral diffuse reflectance of light over the area that is not blocked, and then uses an algorithm to process the spectral diffuse reflection data into sub-surface optical properties such as color. Being able to assess subsurface color via this novel apparatus and method will greatly increase quality control potential, especially in the meat industry, where knowing color of meat is critical to ensuring quality through a non-destructive and non-invasive fashion, with a possibility to automate a traditionally hand-done process.
POTENTIAL AREAS OF APPLICATION
- Meat industry
- Meat retail
- Industries dependent on sub-surface color inspection
MAIN ADVANTAGES
- Non-contact sub-surface capabilities
- Currently only market solution
STAGE OF DEVELOPMENT