An inspection system is provided for a pre-filled blow-fill-seal (BFS) product. The BFS product comprises a neck that extends along a longitudinal direction and has a coupling portion that protrudes laterally outward with respect to adjacent portions of the neck. The inspection system comprises a controller and a first inspection station, which includes illumination and detection assemblies. Interrogating light from one or more light sources of the illumination assembly is directed at a perimeter of the coupling portion of the neck. The detection assembly has an input optical axis that extends along the longitudinal direction and comprises an imaging device to detect light emitted from the neck. The controller is configured to determine compliance of the BFS product with respect to predetermined criteria based at least in part on the light detected by the imaging device.

The invention relates to a method for optically testing containers, in which a container (10) is conveyed by means of a transport device (30), whereby an image of a side wall surface of the container (10) is generated by means of an inspection unit (40) comprising a camera unit (20) and an illumination unit (34). An inspection volume (24) is spanned by several correspondingly arranged inspection units (40), in which an image of the entire side wall surface (26) of the container (10) is generated in a transmitted light method, an incident light method and/or a dark-field method.

An inspection device which is compatible with in-line inspection of containers and reliably determines the presence or not of a defect of a container, has a lighting system arranged above an installation zone and being capable of providing an incident light beam, an image sensor connected to an image-analysis unit, and an optical system with a first primary reflection surface arranged above the installation zone and interposed between the installation zone and the sensor for forming on the sensor an image of a container ring surface to be inspected. Also included is a second primary reflection surface in the upstream field of vision of the sensor to reflect light beams, directly or indirectly in the direction of the sensor. The first and second primary reflection surfaces determine first and second portions of a downstream field of vision, which overlap in the inspection zone.

An inspection device includes: an irradiator that radiates, before content is placed into the pocket, ultraviolet light toward one face of the container film; imaging devices that take images of the container film from another face side of the container film; and a processor that determines, based on the images, whether the pocket includes a pinhole, at least two of the imaging devices being each disposed on respective sides of the container film in a width direction such that the pocket is placed between the two imaging devices, and while the container film is being conveyed along a conveyance path, the two imaging devices take images of the pocket at a timing when the pocket is located at an upstream-side position, a middle-side position, and a downstream-side position of the conveyance path.

Methods and systems for detecting and monitoring defects in a sealing region of a container, including imaging at least part of the sealing region of the container using a camera operative at a wavelength in the range of 0.76 μm-14 μm; during and/or after the filling of the container with a filling material and prior to sealing of the container being completed; and identifying, based on at least one frame obtained from the imaging, defects in the sealing region.

A method for quality assessment of a sealing section of a package, wherein the package includes at least a robustness layer and a plastic layer. The sealing section is formed by holding a first section and a second section of the package against each other while providing heat such that the plastic layer of the first and second section melt and thereby provide for that the first and second section adhere to each other. The method includes capturing image data depicting the sealing section using a camera, identifying a reference line in the image data, identifying a sealing section boundary line in the image data, determining a sealing section assessment feature set based on the reference line and the sealing section boundary line, and comparing the sealing section assessment feature set with a reference feature set.

A collection bottle that emits light once the lid of the bottle is rotated to its complete closed position is disclosed. An annular chamber concentric to the inner chamber of the collection bottle contains a dye such as fluorophor, a base catalyst, and diphenyl oxalate. A containment device is disposed in the annular chamber. The containment device holds one or more glass or other fragile material encasing vials containing hydrogen peroxide. The containment device is disposed in the vicinity of the bottle screw threads such that when the lid is completely screwed onto the collection bottle, a detent that is disposed above the superior lid screw thread compresses the exterior wall of the annular chamber and containment device, causing rupture of the vial(s) and allowing the hydrogen peroxide disposed therein to mix with the dye, base catalyst and diphenyl oxalate in the annular chamber. The subsequent chemical reaction causes the emission of light, visually indicating full closure of the lid on the collection bottle.

A manufacturing device is used for manufacturing a package including a resin sheet and a predetermined work wrapped with the resin sheet. The manufacturing device includes: a sealing unit that thermally welds overlapping parts of the sheet; and an inspection device that inspects a sealing quality of the sealed portion thermally welded by the sealing unit. The sealing unit makes, by the thermal welding, a thickness of the sealed portion after the thermal welding smaller than a total thickness of the overlapping parts prior to the thermal welding. The inspection device obtains thickness information on the thickness of the sealed portion and determines the sealing quality of the sealed portion based on the thickness information.

An apparatus for determining properties of a laboratory sample container is presented. The apparatus comprises a light source for emitting light to illuminate the laboratory sample container and a number of curved reflecting and/or scattering units. A respective curved reflecting and/or scattering unit comprises a curved shape and is adapted to reflect and/or scatter light of the light source to an outer surface of the laboratory sample container for illuminating the laboratory sample container. The apparatus also comprises a camera adapted to take an image of the laboratory sample container. The image comprises image data related to the laboratory sample container. The apparatus also comprises a control unit adapted to determine the properties of the laboratory sample container based on the image data related to the laboratory sample container.

A method for detecting the angular position of a cap with respect to a bottle is provided. A first image of a cap provided with a first marker and of at least a portion of the bottle with which the cap is associated and which is provided with a second marker is captured. Liquid drops and other possible impurities existing thereon are removed from and/or displaced relative to the cap and bottle portion. A second image of the cap and bottle portion is then captured. The first image and second image are compared to obtain at least one processing which is free from “noise” and interferences due to the liquid drops and on which the positions of the first and second markers can be determined without errors. The relative angular position of the first and second markers are determined. An apparatus suitable to implement the aforesaid method is also provided.