A model-based method of inspecting a specimen for presence of one or more artifacts (e.g., a clot, bubble, and/or foam). The method includes capturing multiple images of the specimen at multiple different exposures and at multiple spectra having different nominal wavelengths, selection of optimally-exposed pixels from the captured images to generate optimally-exposed image data for each spectra, computing statistics of the optimally-exposed pixels to generate statistical data, identifying a serum or plasma portion of the specimen, and classifying, based on the statistical data, whether an artifact is present or absent within the serum or plasma portion. Testing apparatus and quality check modules adapted to carry out the method are described, as are other aspects.

An inspection system having a light source able to illuminate a transparent cylinder, a mask able to block at least part of the light from the light source, the light source and the mask arranged such that, when the transparent cylinder is positioned in the system for inspection, the light source, the mask and the transparent cylinder are substantially aligned along an inspection axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said transparent cylinder and the mask is interposed between the light source and the transparent cylinder to prevent illumination of a first portion of the transparent cylinder having a width smaller than the diameter of the transparent cylinder while allowing illumination of a second portion of the transparent cylinder, the mask configured to provide a contrast with a particle present in the first portion of the cylinder and illuminated by light refracted by the second portion of the cylinder.

An inspection system for detecting a particle in a transparent cylinder having a longitudinal axis and a diameter includes a light source able to illuminate a transparent cylinder, a mask able to block at least part of the light coming from the light source, the light source and the mask being arranged such that, when the transparent cylinder is positioned in the system for inspection, the light source, the mask and the transparent cylinder are substantially aligned along an inspection axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said transparent cylinder and the mask is interposed between the light source and the transparent cylinder so as to prevent illumination of a first portion of the transparent cylinder having a width smaller than the diameter of the transparent cylinder while allowing illumination of a second portion of the transparent cylinder, the mask being configured to provide a contrast with a particle present in the first portion of the transparent cylinder and illuminated by light refracted by the second portion of the transparent cylinder.

A method of characterizing a serum and plasma portion of a specimen in regions occluded by one or more labels. The characterization method may be used to provide input to an HILN (H, I, and/or L, or N) detection method. The characterization method includes capturing one or more images of a labeled specimen container including a serum or plasma portion from multiple viewpoints, processing the one or more images to provide segmentation data including identification of a label-containing region, determining a closest label match of the label-containing region to a reference label configuration selected from a reference label configuration database, and generating a combined representation based on the segmentation information and the closest label match. Using the combined representation allows for compensation of the light blocking effects of the label-containing region. Quality check modules and testing apparatus and adapted to carry out the method are described, as are other aspects.

A continuous quality control device for containers in a roto-revolutionary movement consists of making said containers pass in front of lighting means, capturing by at least one single sequential image capturing device each of said containers in rotation, obtaining an optical reconstruction of said containers and controlling their quality according to said optical reconstruction, characterised in that said lighting means is equipped with stroboscopic control means that allows the illumination of said containers in counterphase from at least two different angles of incidence and the capturing of at least two overlapping images in the same angular rotation position of said container in its own housing with respect to said image capturing device.

Provided are a terahertz wave detection device and a terahertz wave detection system to execute checking at high speed with high sensitivity and accuracy and to execute omnidirectional inspection without requiring a large checking system. A flexible array sensor (30) includes: a terahertz wave detection element (10) having a flexible single-walled carbon nanotube film (11), and a first electrode (12) and a second electrode (13) disposed to face each other on a two-dimensional plane of the single-walled carbon nanotube film (11); and a flexible substrate (20) having flexibility to support the terahertz wave detection element (10) so as to be freely curved. The flexible substrate (20) is preferably formed in a curved or cylindrical shape, so that the terahertz wave detection elements (10) are arrayed on the flexible substrate 20 formed in a curved or cylindrical shape.

A device for automatically orienting containers to be labeled entering a labeling machine, which includes at least one emitter device, which is adapted to emit electromagnetic radiation toward the containers, elements of detecting the electromagnetic radiation reflected by the containers, and processing and control elements adapted to identify the position of the optically detectable defects on each one of the containers; the emitter device including a lighting module with an emitting face which has at least one first emitting portion and is associated with a plurality of first sources of electromagnetic radiation of a first type which are designed to activate/deactivate the first emitting portion; the emitting face of the lighting module further including a second emitting portion, and an associated plurality of second sources of electromagnetic radiation of a second type, different from the first type, which are designed to activate/deactivate the second emitting portion.

The invention provides a device for optically inspecting high temperature glass containers (2), the device comprising a lighting system (7) having a light-emitting surface that is adapted to emit both: a flash first light flux during a flash duration of less than 1 ms and at a wavelength longer than 650 nm; and also a bottle-scanning second light flux having wavelengths shorter than 650 nm and for a duration of not less than 2 s, the lighting system (7) being controlled: to emit the flash light flux so that the camera can take images of each container while back-lit by said flash light flux; and to emit the bottle-scanning light flux that is perceived by a human eye as being continuous.

A glass container inspection system an inspection area disposed along a conveyor belt and a computing system. The conveyor belt moves a plurality of glass containers through the inspection area. The inspection area has a plurality of cameras and a plurality of light sources, and the computing system is in communication with the plurality of cameras. The plurality of cameras are configured to capture images of a finish of each of the glass containers as the glass containers move through the inspection area, and the plurality of light sources are configured to produce light proximate a field of view of each camera of the plurality of cameras. The computing system is configured to analyze the captured images and determine if the finish of each of the glass containers has a defect.

An umbilicus-driven centrifuge includes a yoke configured to orbit a midsection of the umbilicus around a rotational axis at a first speed so as to cause a separation chamber associated with the umbilicus to rotate about the rotational axis at a second speed that is approximately double the first speed. An optical monitoring system directly monitors the separation chamber, with a light source oriented to emit light toward the separation chamber and a light detector oriented to receive at least a portion of the light after the light has passed through the separation chamber. A controller receives a plurality of signals from the light detector, then compares the period or frequency of the signals to an expected period or frequency. The controller determines that the umbilicus is experiencing an irregularity when the period or frequency is different from the expected period or frequency.