Optical compositional analyzer apparatus and method for detection of ash in wheat and milled wheat products

• Main Authors: REED; DAVID S, PSOTKA; JAMES J
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 02.11.1993
• Edition: 5
• Subjects: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIRCHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES; MEASURING; PHYSICS; TESTING

An optical analyzing apparatus (20) for obtaining a quantitative correlation spectroscopy measurements of an analyte concentration in a multiple constituent sample (24). The optical analyzing apparatus (20) employs a correlation spectroscopy algorithm which uses preselected wavelength light energy from both the visible light spectrum and the near-infrared (NIR) light spectrum to analyze multiconstituent samples. The optical analyzing apparatus (20) comprises a light emitter mechanism (22) formed for irradiating the sample (24) with a predetermined first wavelength of light energy in the visible light spectrum and a predetermined second wavelength of light energy in the NIR spectrum. The first wavelength is selected to be active in response to the presence of the analyte while the second wavelength is selected to be active in response to the presence of at least one of the remaining constituents in the sample (24). A detector mechanism (50) is positioned to detect one of optical reflectance and transmissivity of the sample (24) after irradiation at the first and second wavelength, whereby the detected one of reflectance and transmissivity can be used in correlation spectroscopy algorithms to obtain a value of the concentration.