Consumer food testing device providing remote monitoring

• US 8,211,715 B1
• Filed: 11/15/2011
• Issued: 07/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Harrogate Holdings New Jersey Inc.
• Original Assignee: Harrogate Holdings, Ltd., Co.
• Inventors: Royds, Robert B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sakelaris, Sally
• Application Number:
  US13/296,379
• Time in Patent Office: 231 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 436/807
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/023 Sending and receiving of information, e.g. using bluetooth
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/027 Digital display, e.g. LCD, LED
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/06 Auxiliary integrated devices, integrated components
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0663 Whole sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0825 Test strips
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/508 rigid containers not provided for above
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/8483 Investigating reagent band test-element handling not specific to a test method G01N33/4875; analytical elements specific to chemical analysis of biological material G01N33/52; autometer with reagent band G01N35/04
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2223/618 food
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/02 Food
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/569 for microorganisms, e.g. protozoa, bacteria, viruses
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 50/30 Against vector-borne diseases, e.g. mosquito-borne, fly-borne, tick-borne or waterborne diseases whose impact is exacerbated by climate change
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 436/807 Apparatus included in process claim, e.g. physical support structures
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/25125 Digestion or removing interfering materials
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/25375 Liberation or purification of sample or separation of material from a sample [e.g., filtering, centrifuging, etc.]

Abstract

A consumer food testing device for testing for the presence of harmful contaminants in a food sample, includes a system for producing a visual cue upon detection of a harmful chemical, biological, and/or ionizing radiation contaminant; and a processing system responsive to the detection of a harmful contaminant, for transmitting the global position of the consumer testing device, the identity of the harmful contaminant, and the time and date to a remote monitoring facility.

Claims

1. A method for providing a unitary reusable consumer device for testing for the presence of harmful contaminants in a food sample, and directly transmitting unsafe findings to a remote monitoring facility, comprising the steps of:

forming in a substrate a vessel comprising an interior receiving area having an open top, said interior receiving area being adapted to hold a food sample;

forming in said substrate a holding well within and opening from a top portion of said substrate;

configuring said holding well to receive and store a food liquifier during inoperative states of said device;

installing a hinge mechanism having one end secured to said liquefier, and another end secured into said substrate between said liquefier and said vessel, said hinge mechanism being adapted for rotating said liquefier from said holding well to said vessel, for positioning said blade assembly within said interior receiving area, for liquefying a food sample contained therein;

installing at least one harmful contaminant detector into said substrate proximate said vessel for producing an output signal indicative of the presence of a harmful contaminant in the food sample;

installing a global positioning sensor (GPS) into said substrate, for providing a signal indicative of the geographic location of said device;

installing a microprocessor into said substrate;

installing transmission means into said substrate, for directly transmitting data from said device to a remote monitoring facility; and

programming said microprocessor for responding to both said output signal from said at least one harmful contaminant detector, and said GPS signal, for operating said transmission means to transmit data directly to said remote monitoring facility to advise of the detection of a harmful contaminant in a food sample, and the geographic location of the food sample.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said at least one harmful contaminant detector is a radiation detector located proximate said vessel for detecting radiation emitted from food in said vessel, for indicating the presence or absence of harmful ionizing radiation in the food sample, wherein harmful radiation is indicated by amounts exceeding normal background levels of a radioactive agent.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said installing steps for at least one harmful contaminant detector further includes the steps of:

forming in said substrate a test assay supply compartment for containing at least one test assay, the test assay comprising at least one assay reagent having an affinity for at least one harmful contaminant; and

forming in said substrate a visual means for reading a test assay activated by a food sample, for detecting a color change in a target zone of said test assay indicative of a particular harmful contaminant in said food sample, said visual means outputting a signal to said microprocessor indicative of the presence or absence of the harmful contaminant.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein said installing steps for at least one harmful contaminant detector further includes the steps of:

forming in said substrate a test assay supply compartment for containing at least one test assay, the test assay comprising at least one assay reagent having an affinity for at least one harmful contaminant; and

forming in said substrate a visual means for reading a test assay activated by a food sample, for detecting a color change in a target zone of said test assay indicative of a particular harmful contaminant in said food sample, said visual means outputting a signal to said microprocessor indicative of the presence or absence of the harmful contaminant.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of installing said transmission means, further includes the steps of:

installing a multiplexor in said substrate for multiplexing said GPS signal and an output signal from said microprocessor indicative of a detected harmful food contaminant, to provide a multiplexed output signal; and

installing a transmitter in said substrate that is receptive of said multiplexed output signal, and responsive to a transmit signal from said microprocessor, for transmitting said multiplexed output signal to said remote monitoring facility.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the step of transmitting is either directly via a cell phone network to said remote monitoring facility, or indirectly via said cell phone network through the Internet to said remote monitoring facility.

7. The method of claim 5, further including the step of:

installing in said substrate a receiver for receiving signals indicative of the present date and time; and

programming said microprocessor to be receptive date and time signals to provide a date/time signal to said multiplexor, for multiplexing with said GPS signal and said food contaminant signal, for transmission to said remote monitoring facility.

8. The method of claim 1, further including the steps of:

installing first and second indicator lights on said substrate; and

programming said microprocessor to turn on said first indicator light if a given food sample is tested safe, and to turn on said second indicator light if a given food sample is tested unsafe.

9. The method of claim 7, further including the steps of:

installing a display on said substrate; and

programming said microprocessor to normally display the date and time, and further to display upon completion of a test “

Dispose Of Food”

when a food sample is tested to be contaminated by unsafe bacteria, chemical, or radioactive agents.

10. The method of claim 2, further including the step of including a radiation detector capable of detecting at least I-131, Cs-137, and Cs-134, wherein upon detecting harmful radiation, said radiation detector further includes in its output signal an indication as to whether the radiation source is one of Iodine-131 (I-131), or Cesium 137 (Cs-137), or Cesium 134 (Ce-134).

11. The method of claim 3, wherein said at least one test assay is configured for detecting E. coli strain 0104:

H4, and another is configured for detecting E. coli strain 0157;

H7.

12. The method of claim 7, further including the steps of:

installing a UPC/QRC reader in said substrate;

moving a UPC/QRC code label on a food package across a scan window of said UPC/QRC reader, which provides in response a data signal to said microprocessor, the data signal identifying the food in the food package, its origin, and date of packaging; and

responsive to the signal from said reader, said microprocessor feeds an analogous data signal to said multiplexor for multiplexing with said GPS signal, said signal indicative of a harmful food contaminant, and said date/time signal, for transmission to said remote monitoring facility.

13. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of selecting the radiation detector from the group consisting of a Geiger counter, a scintillation counter, a photo multiplier, an ionization chamber, a semiconductor detector, a radiation dosimeter and combinations thereof.

14. The method of claim 2, further including installing an indicator assembly on said substrate that is operatively associated with the radiation detector and microprocessor for informing the user of the presence of the radioactive agent.

15. The method of claim 3, further including the step of installing a timer in said substrate for tracking and measuring the time necessary to complete the detection process of the corresponding test assay.

16. The method of claim 3, wherein the test assay is a chromatographic assay.

17. The method of claim 16, further including the step of selecting the chromatographic assay from the group consisting of a dipstick assay, a flow through assay, a lateral flow assay, and combinations thereof.

18. The method of claim 3, wherein the assay reagent exhibits a particular affinity for a harmful contaminant selected from the group consisting of a biological agent, a chemical agent, a food allergen and combinations thereof.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the biological agent is a pathogen.

20. The method of claim 19, further including the step of selecting the pathogen from the group consisting of Escherichia spp., Bacillus spp., Clostridium spp., Campylobacter spp., Salmonella spp., Listeria monocytogenes, Shigella spp., Streptococcus spp., Vibrio spp., Staphylococcus spp, Yersinia spp., and strains thereof, and combinations thereof.

21. The method of claim 20, further including the step of selecting the pathogen from the group consisting of E. coli 0104:

H4, E. coli O157;

H7, Bacillus anthracis, Bacillus cereus, Clostridium botulinum, Clostridium perfringens, Campylobacter jejuni, Salmonella enteritidis, Salmonella typhi, Vibrio cholerae, Vibrio parahemolyticus, Vibrio vulnificus, Staphylococcus aureus, Yersinia enterocolitica and combinations thereof.

22. The method of claim 18, further including the step of selecting the chemical agent from the group consisting of pesticides, toxins, ricin, botulin, aflatoxins, pyrrolizidine alkaloids, scombrotoxins, neurotoxin, mycotoxins, ochratoxin A toxins, patulin toxins, fusarium toxins, fumonisins, trichothecenes, deoxynivalenol and zearelenone, marine toxins, ciguatera toxin, shellfish toxin, and tetrodotoxin, cyanide, nicotine, dioxin, polychlorinated phenyls, furans, heavy metals, arsenic, lead, and mercury, histamine, histadine, and the combinations thereof.

23. The method of claim 18, further including the step of selecting the food allergen from the group consisting of almond, egg, gliadin, hazelnut, milk, peanut, soy residues and combinations thereof.

24. The method of claim 3, wherein said at least one test assay includes a plurality of assay reagents capable of detecting and producing visual cues for the presence of a plurality of harmful contaminants, respectively.

25. The method of claim 3, further comprising a plurality of test assays, each for detecting and producing a visual cue of a different harmful contaminant, respectfully, that may be present in the food sample.