METHOD OF VALIDATING A CLEANING PROCESS

• US 20130229516A1
• Filed: 11/14/2011
• Published: 09/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ian Jones
• Original Assignee: Ian Jones
• Inventors: Jones, Ian
• Granted Patent: US 9,692,989 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/143
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/35 using infrared light G01N21/39 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/3563 for analysing solids; Preparation of samples therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/3577 for analysing liquids, e.g. polluted water
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/359 using near infrared light
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/94 Investigating contamination, e.g. dust G01N21/85 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/33 Transforming infrared radiation cameras or camera modules for generating image signals from infrared radiation H04N23/20; circuitry of SSIS for transforming infrared radiation into image signals H04N25/20

Abstract

A method of validating or verifying a process for cleaning a surface contaminated with at least one chemical substrate, comprising the steps of: capturing an infrared image of the surface using infrared chemical imaging; utilising at least one algorithm to interpret the captured image to extract an infra-red signal from the at least one chemical substrate to determine the amount of the at least one chemical substrate present on the surface; and determining if the amount of the at least one detected chemical substrate exceeds a threshold value, thereby indicating that a repeat cleaning process is required or thereby indicating that no further cleaning is required.

Claims

1-21. -21. (canceled)

22. A method of validating or verifying a process for cleaning a surface contaminated with at least one chemical substrate, comprising the steps of:

(i) capturing an infrared image of the surface using infrared chemical imaging;

(ii) utilizing at least one algorithm to interpret the captured image to extract an infra-red signal from the at least one chemical substrate to determine the amount of the at least one chemical substrate present on the surface; and

(iii) determining if the amount of the at least one detected chemical substrate exceeds a threshold value, thereby indicating that a repeat cleaning process is required or thereby indicating that no further cleaning is required.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein at least one of the steps (ii) or (iii) is carried out in situ at the location of the surface.

24. The method of claim 22 wherein the amount of detected chemical substrate is determined by comparing with a standard.

25. The method of claim 22 wherein the pixel saturation for the detected chemical substrate is compared to a standard consisting of the pixel saturation of a known concentration of chemical substrate.

26. The method of claim 22 wherein the algorithm of step (ii) performs a signal to noise enhancement step.

28. A method of validating or verifying a cleaning process of a surface comprising:

(i) capturing an image of the surface using Infrared Chemical Imaging,

(ii) utilizing at least one algorithm to interpret the captured image thereby determining the amount of substance present on the surface,

(iii) determining if the amount of detected substance, if any, exceeds a threshold value.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the Infrared Chemical Imaging is Near-Infrared Chemical Imaging or Mid-Infrared Chemical Imaging.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein the image is captured by staring imager configuration.

31. The method of claim 28, wherein the image is captured by pushbroom acquisition.

32. The method of claim 28, wherein the captured image comprises a hyperspectral data cube and wherein a first algorithm is used for pre-processing the hyperspectral data cube and a second algorithm is used for partial least squares discriminant analysis.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the first algorithm excludes a background from the captured image.

34. The method of claim 32, wherein the second algorithm calculates an amount of chemical substance present on said surface based on spectral data per pixel.

35. The method of claim 28, wherein the surface is the surface of any machine or equipment used in manufacturing, any work surface, the surface of any machine, instrument, a tool or utensil used in the manufacture of pharmaceuticals or medicine, or the surface of any laboratory equipment or machinery.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein the surface is stainless steel, glass, Perspex or any other typical manufacturing or laboratory equipment surface.

37. The method claim 28, wherein the substance is any contaminant, an active ingredient, a residue, a detergent, a product, a microbe or any other contaminant

38. A method of assessing homogeneity of blended materials or a tablet comprising:

(i) capturing an image of the material or tablet using Infrared Chemical Imaging;

(ii) utilizing at least one algorithm to interpret the captured image thereby assessing homogeneity of the material or a tablet.

39. The method of claim 38 wherein:

homogeneity is assessed for said tablet; and

said utilizing step detects the presence or absence of a counterfeit pharmaceutical tablet.

40. The method of claim 38 wherein the Infrared Chemical Imaging is Near-Infrared Chemical Imaging or Mid-Infrared Chemical Imaging.