PORTABLE DEVICE AND METHOD FOR IMPROVED MEAT TENDERIZATION

• US 20150024666A1
• Filed: 07/19/2013
• Published: 01/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tenderbuck, LLC
• Original Assignee: Tenderbuck, LLC
• Inventors: Hughes, Robert S. Jr.
• Granted Patent: US 9,585,405 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 452/141
• CPC Class Codes: A22B 5/0088 Electric stimulation of carcasses

Abstract

Systems, computer instructions stored in non-transitory machine readable mediums, and methods are disclosed herein. A portable system for electrically stimulating meat is provided. The system includes a portable housing configured to house a battery power supply. The system further includes a first end connector configured to attach to a target of tenderization, and a second end connector configured to attach to the target of tenderization. The system additionally includes a circuitry electrically coupling the battery power supply to the first and the second end connectors, the circuitry disposed in the portable housing, wherein the circuitry comprises a microprocessor programmed to derive a first electrical condition and to electrically stimulate the target through the first and the second end connectors only when the first electrical condition is not met.

Claims

1. A portable system for electrically stimulating meat comprising:

a portable housing configured to house a battery power supply;

a first end connector configured to attach to a target of tenderization;

a second end connector configured to attach to the target of tenderization; and

circuitry electrically coupling the battery power supply to the first or the second end connectors, the circuitry disposed in the portable housing, wherein the circuitry comprises a processor programmed to derive a first electrical condition and to electrically stimulate the target through the first and the second end connectors only when the first electrical condition is not met.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first electrical condition comprises a short between the first end connector and the second end connector.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the microprocessor is programmed to derive a second electrical condition and to electrically stimulate the target only when the first and the second electrical conditions are not met.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the second electrical condition comprises a high resistance between the first end connector and the second end connector.

5. The system of claim 1, first end connector or the second end connector comprises a clamp.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the clamp comprises a spring bias clamp.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the spring bias clamp comprises a rounded edge biased normally closed.

8. The system of claim 1, comprising a first and a second switch communicatively coupled to the circuitry, wherein the first button is configured to turn on the circuitry, turn off the circuitry, or a combination thereof, and wherein the second button is configured to transmit a first signal to the microprocessor to indicate start of electrical stimulation, and wherein the first button is configured to transmit a second signal to the microprocessor to indicate stop of the electrical stimulation, the second signal overriding the first signal.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the microprocessor is programmed to electrically stimulate by delivering a first plurality of electrical pulses.

10. A non-transitory machine readable medium comprising instructions executable by portable electrical stimulator system and configured to:

charge at least one capacitor to a voltage between 10 and 30 volts;

electrically couple the at least one capacitor to a first lead and to a second lead;

discharge a current incoming from the capacitor through the first and the second leads; and

determine whenever the discharge took less than a first time, and when the discharge took less than the first time, to provide indications that a resistance is undesirably low.

11. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 10, wherein the first time comprises less than or equal to 0.1 seconds.

12. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 10, wherein the instructions configured to determine if the discharge took less than the first time comprise instructions configured to determine if the discharge is taking longer than a second time when the discharge did not take less than the first time, and if the discharge is taking longer than a second time, to provide indications that a resistance is undesirably high.

13. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 10, wherein the instructions configured to determine when the discharge is taking longer than a second time comprise instructions configured to provide indications that a resistance is at a desirable value when the discharge is not taking longer than the second time.

14. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 10, wherein the second time comprises greater than or equal to 0.2 seconds.

15. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 13, comprising instructions configured to charge at least one capacitor to greater than 20 volts when the discharge is not taking longer than the second time.

16. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 15, comprising instructions configured to deliver a plurality of electrical pulses via the first and the second leads to electrically stimulate a target.

17. A portable system for electrically stimulating meat comprising:

a power supply circuit configured to provide power;

a microprocessor circuit coupled to the power supply circuit and programmed to derive a first electrical condition and to electrically stimulate a target only when the first electrical condition is not met;

an inverter circuit coupled to the microprocessor circuit and configured to charge at least one capacitor to a DC voltage of 20 volts or more; and

a stimulator circuit coupled to the microprocessor circuit and configured to deliver a first plurality of electrical pulses having a first polarity to electrically stimulate the target.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the stimulator circuit is configured to deliver a second plurality of electrical pulses having a second polarity opposite the first polarity.

19. The system of claim 17, comprising a status indication system coupled to the microprocessor circuit and configured to visually indicate the first electrical condition.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the first electrical condition comprises a low resistance condition, a high resistance condition, or a combination thereof.