A method for preparing a sample of organic material for laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) may include obtaining granular organic material, forming a portion of the granular organic material into a sample pellet, and searing the organic material. The searing may include searing only an exposed end surface of the sample pellet on which LIBS analysis is to be performed. The method may include pressing the seared sample pellet to consolidate the material comprising the seared end surface.

A process for quantifying the amount of unbound metal and bound metal in solution is provided. A process for quantifying the amount of bound metal amino acid chelate and free ligand in a solid (e.g., dry mixture such as an animal feed) is also provided.

A scanner comprises an electromagnetic wave source; and a detector positioned to measure emissions from the electromagnetic wave source, wherein the electromagnetic wave source comprises a first technology, and the electromagnetic wave source is interchangeable with a second electromagnetic wave source comprising a second technology and/or wherein the detector comprises a first technology, and the detector is interchangeable with a second detector comprising a second technology. The scanner can comprise a storage medium having instructions stored thereon to perform a method for training the scanner for an inspection application, the method comprising operating the electromagnetic wave source to generate electromagnetic wave emissions at a plurality of combinations of parameters; moving a conveyor belt to expose product having a plurality of contaminants of different sizes to the emissions generated at more than one combination of parameters; recording attenuated emissions that pass through the product at more than one combination of parameters; and selecting a combination of parameters to use when inspecting for the contaminant.

An animal carcass is moved along a movement trajectory which passes through an inspection zone between at least one X-ray emitter and at least one X-ray detector, which are stationary relative to the inspection zone. X-ray detections are performed at successive moments during movement of the animal carcass through the inspection zone, the animal carcass being made to rotate around an axis of rotation which is transversal to lines of propagation of X-rays emitted by the at least one X-ray emitter in the inspection zone, so that what is obtained is a plurality of two-dimensional radiographic images of the animal carcass in different angular positions around the axis of rotation . The two-dimensional radiographic images are processed to determine a cutting pattern and/or a structure of the animal carcass, such as a position of bones, fat and/or lean parts in the animal carcass.

Provided is a sample-analyzing system used for identifying a target sample from its measurement data obtained using a plurality of analyzing devices including at least one device selected from a fluorescent X-ray analyzer, atomic absorption photometer and inductively coupled plasma emission analyzer as well as at least one device selected from an infrared spectrophotometer and Raman spectrophotometer. The system includes: a storage section for holding measurement data obtained for each of the reference objects using the analyzing devices; a measurement data comparator for comparing, for each analyzing device, the measurement data of the target sample with those of the reference objects and for determining the degree of matching of the target sample with each reference object; an integrated degree-of-matching calculator for calculating an integrated degree of matching from the degrees of matching determined for the analyzing devices; and a comparison result output section for outputting information concerning a predetermined number of reference objects in descending order of the integrated degree of matching.

A method for preparing a sample of organic material for laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) may include obtaining granular organic material, forming a portion of the granular organic material into a sample pellet, and searing the organic material. The searing may include searing only an exposed end surface of the sample pellet on which LIBS analysis is to be performed. The method may include pressing the seared sample pellet to consolidate the material comprising the seared end surface.

An inspection and sorting system sorts conveyed articles. The system is provided with a conveyance device, an X-ray inspection device, and a sorting device. The conveyance device conveys inspection articles. The X-ray inspection device inspects the conveyed inspection articles. The sorting device has an air sorting mechanism that sorts the conveyed inspection articles in a sorting operation. The sorting device has a sorting information receiving component, a reference signal receiving component, and a sorting mechanism control component. The sorting information receiving component receives sorting information relating to the sorting of the inspection articles based on an inspection result of the X-ray inspection device. The reference signal receiving component receives a fixed-interval reference signal relating to the conveyance by the conveyance device. The sorting mechanism control component controls the air sorting mechanism to execute the sorting operation based on the sorting information at a timing adjusted by the reference signal.

Provided is a highly reliable X-ray inspection device having two line sensors, in which accurate inspection results can be obtained even when there is displacement of the mounting position of the line sensors. The X-ray inspection device is provided with a conveyor unit for conveying an article, an X-ray emitter, a first line sensor, a second line sensor, a detection unit, and a corrected-image generation unit. The X-ray emitter emits X-rays to the article conveyed by the conveyor unit. The first line sensor detects, in a low energy band, X-rays that have passed through the article. The second line sensor detects, in a high energy band, X-rays that have passed through the article. The detection unit detects positional displacement of the second line sensor with respect to the first line sensor in horizontal direction and vertical direction.

The present disclosure encompasses embodiments of X-ray computed tomography-based methods for the detection of onion quality factors. Such methods are advantageous in detecting internal damage to onion bulbs due to bacterial and fungal rots and mechanical damage while also providing for the overall assessment of onion bulb quality and market value. Because CT images provide cross-sectional reconstructions of the subject under study, CT scans of onion bulbs can be used not only to detect damage from disease, but also cuts and bruises that increase an onion bulb's susceptibility to disease, and the presence of shoots or seed stems and overall shape of the bulbs.

A removable self-centring magnetically-clampable food-inspection pipe apparatus comprising: a food-inspection pipe with a through-bore having a tubular pipe body through which the through-bore passes, and a first connector part at each end of the pipe body defining first seating surfaces; and second connector parts which each define second seating surfaces and on which each first connector part is respectively slidably demountably seatable, one of the first and/or second connector parts having at least in part a magnetically-attractable material, and the other of the corresponding first and/or second connector parts having a plurality of magnetic elements equi-angularly spaced about a bore axis of the pipe body, poles of consecutive magnetic elements being opposite to each other, so that, as the food-inspection pipe is introduced laterally to the bore axis, the first and second connector parts slidably engage and self-centre the food-inspection pipe. A food-inspection device is also provided in addition to a method of improving hygiene of a food-inspection device.