The present disclosure concerns a system (100) for determining a gender of a fertile egg. The system utilizes measured data (20) indicative of radiation responses of an egg to illumination with at least two wavelengths. The radiation responses include transmissions of the illumination through at least a portion of the egg and/or reflections of the illumination from the egg. The system (100) is configured and operable to process the received measured data (20), to determine the variation over time of a relation between the intensities of the radiation responses at the at least two wavelengths, and to generate gender data based thereon.

A method for the inactivation and inactivation testing of xenoantigens in foods of vegetable and animal origin, comprising the following steps: making up a solution with a food of vegetable or animal origin as a solvent and one or more phenolic compounds, polyphenolic compounds and derivatives thereof, comprising phenylpropanoids, as a solute, for the inactivation of at least part of the xenogeneic epitopes from said food, incubating samples of the food of vegetable or animal origin with the addition of an antibody aimed at a xenoantigen epitope that is present in the food, separating the resulting immune complex created owing to the bond between antigen and antibody, preparing a well plate for the E.L.I.S.A. test with coating with xenoantigen epitope, adding, in the wells, supernatant taken from the samples, the supernatant containing the part of antibody that has not bonded with epitopes, a column of wells being adapted to define a reference value that corresponds to the maximum signal between antibody and epitopes, completing the plate with a secondary antibody conjugated with an enzyme, or other molecule, adapted to chromatically highlight any presence of anti-xenoantigen antibody, reading the plate, determining the presence of anti-xenoantigen antibody that has remained free in the solutions of the samples, comparing the absorbance values detected in the reference column with the values in the other columns of samples of the plate.

The egg sorting device includes an image data acquisition unit that acquires image data representing an image obtained by photographing an egg; a first determination unit that determines a state of an egg according to image data acquired by the image data acquisition unit by a learning model trained using training data including information indicating a state of an egg and image data related to the egg; and a decision unit that decides a classification of the egg according to a determination result of a state of an egg.

A system for determining the gender and/or fertility status of avian eggs including a sampling apparatus and an electromagnetic radiation transmitter and detector. In certain embodiments, the transmitter operates in the terahertz range. The sampling apparatus can be coupled to an avian egg. The sampling apparatus includes a vacuum source, a gas collection device, and a membrane that can be positioned in the passageway coupling the vacuum source to the gas collection device. The membrane is capable of capturing volatile organic compounds. The sampling apparatus applies a vacuum from the vacuum source to the gas proximate to the avian egg and directs the gas captured from the vicinity of the egg toward the membrane. Subsequently, the membrane is positioned within the electromagnetic radiation emitted by the transmitter, generating a spectrum which can be analyzed to determine whether the egg is fertile or infertile, and if fertile, whether the egg is male or female. In an embodiment, the captured volatile organic compounds are transferred to a sample chamber where the captured gas is analyzed.

A system for determining the gender and/or fertility status of avian eggs including a sampling apparatus and an electromagnetic radiation transmitter and detector. In certain embodiments, the transmitter operates in the terahertz range. The sampling apparatus can be coupled to an avian egg. The sampling apparatus includes a vacuum source, a gas collection device, and a membrane that can be positioned in the passageway coupling the vacuum source to the gas collection device. The membrane is capable of capturing volatile organic compounds. The sampling apparatus applies a vacuum from the vacuum source to the gas proximate to the avian egg and directs the gas captured from the vicinity of the egg toward the membrane. Subsequently, the membrane is positioned within the electromagnetic radiation emitted by the transmitter, generating a spectrum which can be analyzed to determine whether the egg is fertile or infertile, and if fertile, whether the egg is male or female. In an embodiment, the captured volatile organic compounds are transferred to a sample chamber where the captured gas is analyzed.

A method and apparatus for monitoring a product is provided, the sensor includes a first sensor element formed from a first biodegradable material and having a first sensor element height, wherein the first sensor element height changes in response to a first parameter of interest of the product.

An egg identification system for determining viability of an avian egg is provided. Such a system includes an emitter assembly configured to emit electromagnetic radiation having a predetermined wavelength toward an egg. A detector assembly is spaced-apart from the emitter assembly and configured to detect electromagnetic radiation transmitted through the egg. A light controlling assembly is positioned proximate to the emitter assembly. The light controlling assembly includes an absorbing layer configured to absorb electromagnetic radiation at the predetermined wavelength. The absorbing layer defines an opening through which electromagnetic radiation emitted from the emitter assembly is capable of passing therethrough toward the egg. A processor is configured to process an output signal of the detector assembly to determine viability of the egg. An associated method is also provided.

An object of the present invention is to provide a simple method of detecting a protein in a liquid, which requires less labor or cost as compared with a conventional method. In the present invention, it has been found that coloring a protein by a color reaction specific to the protein, performing filtration using a filter which easily adsorbs a protein to concentrate the protein on the filter, and checking coloration allows for simply and easily detecting and measuring a protein. In addition, it has been found that filtering a protein using a filter, concentrating the protein on the filter, then coloring the protein by a color reaction specific to the protein, and checking the protein allows simply and easily detecting and measuring a protein.

An object of the present invention is to provide a simple method of detecting a protein in a liquid, which requires less labor or cost as compared with a conventional method. In the present invention, it has been found that coloring a protein by a color reaction specific to the protein, performing filtration using a filter which easily adsorbs a protein to concentrate the protein on the filter, and checking coloration allows for simply and easily detecting and measuring a protein. In addition, it has been found that filtering a protein using a filter, concentrating the protein on the filter, then coloring the protein by a color reaction specific to the protein, and checking the protein allows simply and easily detecting and measuring a protein.

The present invention relates to a method for determining a characteristic of one or more eggs in an automated manner, comprising the steps of: a. extracting a sample from one or more eggs in an automated manner; i. holding and transferring the sample through one or more instruments to a unit for holding one or more samples; ii. ejecting an aliquot from the sample by applying sound or light energy to at least an amount of the sample; iii. entraining the ejected aliquot in a gas or liquid stream; and iv. transporting the ejected aliquot to a mass spectrometer using the gas or liquid stream; and b. analyzing the sample or an aliquot thereof in an automated manner in a mass spectrometer for the absence or presence and the amount of one or more molecules, to determine one or more characteristics of the egg.