Monitoring of frying oil quality using combined optical interrogation methods and devices
First Claim
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1. A method of optically monitoring multiple parameters of an oil sample, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing an oil-absorbent sampling substrate;
wherein the sampling substrate contains a plurality of first test zones comprising a first optical property that is responsive to a first parameter of the oil, and at least one second test zone comprising a second optical property that is responsive to a second parameter of the oil;
contacting the oil with the sampling substrate such that a sample of the oil is brought into contact with at least a portion of each of the first test zones and at least a portion of the at least one second test zone;
interrogating the first test zones by a first optical method so as to receive a set of first signals from the first test zones;
combining the set of first signals from the first test zones into a combined signal;
correlating the combined signal with the first parameter of the oil;
interrogating the at least one second test zone by a second optical method so as to receive a second signal,wherein the second optical method is different from the first optical method; and
,correlating the second signal with the second parameter of the oil.
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Abstract
Herein are disclosed methods and devices for optically monitoring multiple parameters of an oil sample. In one embodiment, the methods and devices can be used for determining the quality of cooking or flying oil in terms of the free fatty acid content and total polar compound content of the oil. The methods use an optical absorbtive/reflective property in evaluating the free fatty acid content, and use optical fluorescence in evaluating the total polar compound content, with both measurements using a single sampling substrate and a single measuring device.
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23 Claims
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1. A method of optically monitoring multiple parameters of an oil sample, the method comprising the steps of:
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providing an oil-absorbent sampling substrate; wherein the sampling substrate contains a plurality of first test zones comprising a first optical property that is responsive to a first parameter of the oil, and at least one second test zone comprising a second optical property that is responsive to a second parameter of the oil; contacting the oil with the sampling substrate such that a sample of the oil is brought into contact with at least a portion of each of the first test zones and at least a portion of the at least one second test zone; interrogating the first test zones by a first optical method so as to receive a set of first signals from the first test zones; combining the set of first signals from the first test zones into a combined signal; correlating the combined signal with the first parameter of the oil; interrogating the at least one second test zone by a second optical method so as to receive a second signal, wherein the second optical method is different from the first optical method; and
,correlating the second signal with the second parameter of the oil. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A system for measuring at least two parameters of an oil sample;
- the system comprising;
an oil-absorbent sampling substrate, wherein the sampling substrate contains a plurality of first test zones comprising a first optical property that is responsive to a first parameter of the oil, and at least one second test zone comprising a second optical property that is responsive to a second parameter of the oil; and
,an optical interrogation device, wherein the device comprises means to interrogate each of the first test zones of the sampling substrate by a first optical mechanism and receive a set of first signals therefrom, and to means to interrogate the at least one second test zone of the sampling substrate by a second, different optical mechanism and receive a second signal therefrom, wherein the device further comprises means to combine the set of first signals from the first test zones into a combined signal, and means to correlate the combined signal with the first parameter of the oil; and
,wherein the device further comprises means to correlate the second signal with the second parameter of the liquid sample. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
- the system comprising;
Specification