Disclosed herein are methods and systems for distinguishing a nuisance gas from a target gas or group of target gases, which involve a configuration of a light source (120) and paper tape (110) such that light (112) emitted from the light source (120) can reflect off the paper tape (110). The light (112) can emit in at least three wavelengths selected from red, green, blue, and ultra-violet wavelengths, and pattern recognition can be used to identify and/or distinguish the nuisance gas from the target gas or from the group of target gases.

Methods and apparatus of inspection tools for inspecting impurities in vials are provided herein. In some embodiments, an inspection tool for inspecting impurities in vials includes: a motor; a plurality of carts configured to move via the motor to selectively place each of the plurality of carts in an inspection position, wherein each of the plurality of carts includes a vial holder configured to hold a plurality of vials, and wherein each vial holder is configured to spin the plurality of vials on their own respective axes; and a camera configured to take an image of at least one of the plurality of vials of a corresponding cart of the plurality of carts when the corresponding cart is disposed in the inspection position.

An optical scanning system adapted to scan a sample on a chip is provided. The optical scanning system includes at least one optical scanning head, at least one scanning light source, a light receiving device and a processor. Each of at least one optical scanning head includes a focusing light source, a first optical guiding structure, and a control unit. The first optical guiding structure is configured to guide the focusing light emitted from the focusing light source to travel to the sample, and the first optical guiding structure is configured to guide the at least one scanning light emitted from the at least one scanning light source to the sample to generate a secondary light. The control unit is configured to control the first optical guiding structure to keep the focusing light and at least one scanning light focusing on a surface of the chip. The light receiving device receives the secondary light and generates a scanning electronic signal. The processor is electrically coupled to the light receiving device to dispose the scanning electronic signal.

An arithmetic expression used for estimating a target item of a specimen is more easily incorporated into an optical measurement system. An optical measurement instrument includes an optical analysis unit configured to perform an optical analysis on a specimen and measure an intensity of light as a result of the optical analysis, and an arithmetic processing unit configured to download an arithmetic expression from a server device via a network, and perform a quantitative analysis on a target substance contained in the specimen by substituting the result of the optical analysis by the optical analysis unit into the arithmetic expression.

Aspects of the present disclosure relate to a reading apparatus that a well formed from a portion of a housing. The well dimensioned to receive at least a portion of a sterilization indicator having spores. The reading apparatus can also have a heating element thermally coupled to a portion of the well and an excitation source to excite the substance in the sterilization indicator. The reading apparatus can have a sterilization indicator activation circuit for detecting activation of the sterilization indicator. The excitation source is positioned such that light from the excitation source is directed into the well. A color sensor can be positioned adjacent the well to receive reflected light from the sterilization indicator.

An inspection system includes an inspection controller that is electronically connected to a first camera and a second camera, each of which is aligned to cooperatively examine a surface of an object. The first camera defines the first field of view of the object and the second camera defines a second field of view of the object with the first field of view and the second field of view encompassing different areas of the surface of the object. The first camera includes a first clock, and the second camera includes a second clock. The first camera generates a plurality of first images of the object defined by the first field of view and the second camera generates a plurality of second images of the object defined by the second field of view. An inspection controller is programed to synchronize one of the plurality of first images with one of the plurality of second images as defined by a first time stamp assigned by the first clock to one of the plurality of first images matching a second time stamp assigned by the second clock to one of the plurality of second images.

An example system includes a light intensity measuring apparatus couplable to a food processing apparatus and a computing system. The light intensity measuring apparatus includes a chamber configured to receive a water sample from the food processing apparatus, a light source, a detector configured to detect light that has passed through the water sample and measure multiple times intensities of wavelengths of the light to obtain multiple sets of measured intensities of wavelengths, and a communication module configured to provide the multiple sets of measured intensities of wavelengths. The computing system may receive the multiple sets of measured intensities, process the multiple sets to obtain a set of values, apply a first set of decision trees to the set of values to obtain a first result indicating a positive or negative foodborne pathogen detection, generate a notification indicating either the positive of negative detection, and provide the notification.

An in-line method for optically inspecting transparent or translucent containers (3) comprises illuminating each container with a light source that presents light intensity variation in a periodic pattern along at least a first variation direction. A number N greater than or equal to three of images of the container traveling in front of the light source and occupying N different respective positions along the travel path is taken. Between taking successive images, a relative shift between the container and the periodic pattern is created. A geometrical transformation is determined and applied in order to put the pixels belonging to the container in the N successive images of the same container into coincidence. A phase image for each container is constructed using the N registered images of the container. The phase image is analyzed in order to deduce therefrom at least the presence of defects or the quality of the container.

A sexing service-providing system 10 includes irradiation means for irradiating each of hen eggs within a predetermined period of time with light having a predetermined wavelength, imaging means for imaging each of the irradiated hen eggs, means for generating a sexing model using, as training data, a result of separately sexing hen eggs and image data obtained by the imaging of the hen eggs, means for sexing a new target hen egg by inputting the image data obtained for the target hen egg by the irradiation means and the imaging means into the sexing model, discharging means for notifying a control mechanism of an incubator of a result of the sexing and causing the incubator to continue incubation of the hen egg when determined to be a female egg by the sexing, and perform a process of discharging the hen egg when determined to be a male egg by the sexing from the incubator.

Compact and portable, real-time or near real-time, in-line, on-line, at-line, or off-line reagentless detection, identification, and/or quantification spectroscopic methods and sensor systems provide detection and quantification of chemical and biological (CB) materials or analytes (whether harmful or beneficial) at trace quantities and concentrations (e.g., at less than 10 ppb, 10 ppt, or 10 ppq). Some embodiments detect trace volumes of materials of interest that were originally in water or another liquid wherein detection is enhanced by one or more of (1) liquid reduction or elimination, (2) overlaid multi-droplet deposition, (3) analyte spatial separation, and/or (4) creation and storage of analyte sample archives in a readily accessible manner for future re-examination.