Analysis apparatus

• US 9,726,614 B2
• Filed: 07/31/2013
• Issued: 08/08/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Takahashi, Tatsuya, Kusakabe, Tomoya
• Primary Examiner(s): Chowdhury, Tarifur
• Assistant Examiner(s): Amara, Mohamed K
• Application Number:
  US14/423,996
• Publication Number:
  US 20150253254A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,469 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 2003/1217 Indexed discrete filters or choppers
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/0205 Optical elements not provided otherwise, e.g. optical manifolds, diffusers, windows
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/3563 for analysing solids; Preparation of samples therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/359 using near infrared light
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/84 Systems specially adapted for particular applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/061 Sources
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/02 Food

Abstract

An analysis apparatus is provided with: a light emitting part, a light dispersing part, a light detecting part, a storage unit, and a control unit. The light dispersing part disperses first reflected light reflected from a food product when the food product has been irradiated with light from the light emitting part. The light detecting part: generates first detection data by detecting the first reflected light dispersed; and, when a food product sample containing known ingredients is irradiated with light from the light emitting part, generates second detection data by detecting second reflected light reflected from the food product sample and dispersed by the light dispersing part. The storage unit stores a regression formula computed using the second detection data as a parameter. The control unit estimates the ingredients contained in the food product using the first detection data and the regression formula stored in the storage unit.

Claims

1. An analysis apparatus capable of analyzing a component contained in an analyzed subject or calories of the analyzed subject, the analysis apparatus comprising:

a light emitter that emits light;

a spectral unit that is configured to disperse first reflection light reflected from the analyzed subject or first transmission light transmitted through the analyzed subject when the light emitter irradiates the analyzed subject with light;

a light detector that detects the first reflection light or the first transmission light dispersed by the spectral unit and generates first detection data that is a voltage value corresponding to an amount of received light, wherein, when the light emitter irradiates an analysis sample with light, in which the analysis sample includes a known component or has known calories, the light detector detects second reflection light, which is reflected from the analysis sample and dispersed by the spectral unit, or second transmission light, which is transmitted through the analysis sample and is dispersed by the spectral unit, and generates second detection data that is a voltage value corresponding to an amount of received light;

a memory that stores a regression equation calculated directly using the second detection data as a parameter; and

an analyzer that estimates the component contained in the analyzed subject or the calories of the analyzed subject directly using the first detection data and the regression equation stored in the memory.

2. The analysis apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a temperature meter capable of measuring temperature of the analyzed subject,

wherein the analyzer corrects the component contained in the analyzed subject or the calories of the analyzed subject based on the temperature of the analyzed subject measured by the temperature meter.

3. The analysis apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a weight meter capable of measuring weight of the analyzed subject,

wherein the regression equation stored in the memory is calculated using the second detection data and the weight of the analysis sample measured by the weight meter as parameters, and

the analyzer estimates weight of the component contained in the analyzed subject using the first detection data, the weight of the analyzed subject measured by the weight meter, and the regression equation.

4. The analysis apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a light transmissive plate on which the analyzed subject is placed, wherein

the light emitter, the spectral unit, and the light detector are located below the plate,

the light emitter irradiates the analyzed subject placed on the plate with light passing through the plate,

the spectral unit disperses first reflection light reflected from the analyzed subject through the plate, and

the light detector detects the first reflection light dispersed by the spectral unit.

5. The analysis apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the analyzed subject is food, and

the component is at least one of protein, fat, and carbohydrate.

6. The analysis apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the spectral unit includes a plurality of optical filters,

each of the optical filters allows transmission of light having a specified wavelength and restricts transmission of light having wavelengths other than the specified wavelength,

the light detector includes a plurality of light reception elements, and

each of the light reception elements receives light transmitted through a corresponding one of the optical filters.