High pressure processing pressure sensor

• US 10,585,080 B2
• Filed: 07/08/2019
• Issued: 03/10/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ChromaticTechnologies lncoporated
• Original Assignee: Chromatic Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Wang, Ruizheng, Owen, Timothy J., Small, Lyle D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Huls, Natalie
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jenkins, Jermaine L
• Application Number:
  US16/504,696
• Publication Number:
  US 20190331650A1
• Time in Patent Office: 246 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 3/015 by treatment with pressure variation, shock, acceleration or shear stress or cavitation
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 5/40 Colouring or decolouring of foods
• CPC Class Codes: A23V 2002/00 Food compositions, function of food ingredients or processes for food or foodstuffs
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/0291 Housings; Spectrometer accessories; Spatial arrangement of elements, e.g. folded path arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 11/002 by thermal means, e.g. hypsometer
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 11/02 by optical means
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 7/00 Measuring the steady or quasi-steady pressure of a fluid or a fluent solid material by mechanical or fluid pressure-sensitive elements G01L11/004 takes precedence; transmitting or indicating the displacement of mechanical pressure-sensitive elements by electric , e.g., photoelectric or magnetic means G01L9/00; measuring differences of two or more pressure values G01L13/00; measuring two or more pressure values simultaneously G01L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 31/22 using chemical indicators G01N31/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 31/226 for investigating the degree of sterilisation

Abstract

A pressure sensor and its use for visually determining whether a preselected pressure threshold has been achieved, for example during high pressure processing treatment of a foodstuff. The pressure sensor includes a contained color-changing system having a dye, a developer, and a solvent; upon achievement of the preselected pressure threshold, the dye and the developer interact, resulting in a visible color change. Further, the visible color change can be retained upon a decrease in pressure and upon an increase in temperature, thereby effectively recording the achievement of the preselected pressure threshold during the high pressure processing treatment.

Claims

1. A pressure sensor for visually determining whether a pressure threshold has been achieved, said pressure sensor comprising:

a color-changing system comprising;

a dye;

a developer; and

a solvent;

wherein said color-changing system is contained such that said dye, said developer, and said solvent are encapsulated together;

wherein said developer variably interacts with said dye according to the pressure of said color-changing system; and

wherein upon achievement of said pressure threshold, said dye and said developer interact, resulting in a visible color change.

2. The pressure sensor of claim 1, wherein said dye comprises a leuco dye.

3. The pressure sensor of claim 2, wherein said leuco dye changes between a substantially colorless state and a visibly colored state.

4. The pressure sensor of claim 3, wherein upon achievement of said pressure threshold, said leuco dye changes from said substantially colorless state to said visibly colored state.

5. The pressure sensor of claim 4, wherein said visibly colored state is retained upon said decrease in pressure from said pressure threshold.

6. The pressure sensor of claim 1, wherein said color-changing system is encapsulated within a capsule to provide an encapsulated color-changing system.

7. The pressure sensor of claim 6, wherein said color-changing system is encapsulated within a microcapsule to provide a microencapsulated color-changing system.

8. The pressure sensor of claim 7, wherein upon achievement of said selected pressure threshold, said microcapsule need not rupture to produce said visible color change.

9. The pressure sensor of claim 7, wherein upon achievement of said selected pressure threshold, said visible color change occurs within said microcapsule.

10. The pressure sensor of claim 1, wherein said color-changing system is incorporated into a coating.

11. The pressure sensor of claim 1, wherein said color-changing system is incorporated into an ink.

12. The pressure sensor of claim 1, wherein said coloring-changing system comprises a reversible color-changing system.

13. The pressure sensor of claim 12, wherein said reversible color-changing system comprises a color-memory property which facilitates retention of said visible color change upon a decrease in pressure from said pressure threshold to record said achievement of said pressure threshold.

14. The pressure sensor of claim 1, wherein said color-changing system comprises a thermochromic color-changing system.

15. A method for visually determining whether a pressure threshold has been achieved during high pressure processing treatment of a foodstuff, comprising:

reliably associating a pressure sensor with said foodstuff, said pressure sensor comprising;

a color-changing system comprising;

a dye;

a developer; and

a solvent;

wherein said color-changing system is contained such that said dye, said developer, and said solvent are encapsulated together;

wherein said developer variably interacts with said dye according to the pressure of said color-changing system; and

wherein upon achievement of said pressure threshold, said dye and said developer interact, resulting in a visible color change.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said coloring-changing system comprises a reversible color-changing system.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said reversible color-changing system comprises a color-memory property which facilitates retention of said visible color change upon a decrease in pressure from said pressure threshold to record said achievement of said pressure threshold.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein said color-changing system comprises a thermochromic color-changing system.

19. A method for indicating achievement of a pressure threshold during high pressure processing treatment of a foodstuff, comprising:

reliably associating a pressure sensor with said foodstuff, said pressure sensor comprising;

a color-changing system comprising;

a dye;

a developer; and

a solvent;

wherein said color-changing system is contained such that said dye, said developer, and said solvent are encapsulated together;

wherein said developer variably interacts with said dye according to the pressure of said color-changing system; and

wherein upon achievement of said pressure threshold, said dye and said developer interact, resulting in a visible color change.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein said coloring-changing system comprises a reversible color-changing system.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein said reversible color-changing system comprises a color-memory property which facilitates retention of said visible color change upon a decrease in pressure from said pressure threshold to record said achievement of said pressure threshold.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein said color-changing system comprises a thermochromic color-changing system.