Method and system to monitor tobacco material to detect insect infestation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12543773-B2
Application number	US-202118269343-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 23, 2021
Priority date	Dec 24, 2020
Publication date	Feb 10, 2026
Grant date	Feb 10, 2026

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method to monitor tobacco material to detect insect infestation, the method comprising: —providing tobacco material in a closed space; —measuring the concentration of a semiochemical in the air present in the closed space; —comparing the measured concentration of the semiochemical with a threshold; and—lowering the temperature of the closed space if the concentration of the semiochemical is higher than the threshold.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A method to monitor tobacco material to detect insect infestation, the method comprising:
providing tobacco material in a closed space; measuring the concentration of a semiochemical in the air present in the closed space; comparing the measured concentration of the semiochemical with a threshold; lowering the temperature of the closed space if the concentration of the semiochemical is higher than the threshold associating an identifier to the tobacco material present in the closed space; if the measured concentration of the semiochemical is higher than the threshold, creating a data set comprising the identifier and a value representative of the measured concentration or of the comparison between the measured concentration and the threshold; sending the data set to a management unit; tracking the tobacco material present in the closed space along a supply line.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the semiochemical is one or more of:
(2S,3R,1′S)-2,3-Dihydro-3,5-dimethyl-2-ethyl-6 (1-methyl-2-oxobutyl)-4H-pyran-4-one; (2S,3R,1′R)-2,3-Dihydro-3,5-dimethyl-2-ethyl-6 (1-methyl-2-oxobutyl)-4H-pyran-4-one; (2S,3R)-2,3-Dihydro-3,5-dimethyl-2-ethyl-6-(1-methyl-2-oxobutyl)-4H-pyran-4-one; (4S,6S,7S)-4,6-Dimethyl-7-hydroxynona-3-one; (2S,3S)-2,6-Diethyl-3,5-dimethyl-3,4-dihydro-2H-pyran.

3 . The method according to claim 1 , including:
sending an alarm signal if the measured concentration of the semiochemical is higher than the threshold.

4 . The method according to claim 3 , wherein sending an alarm signal includes one of:
emitting an audible signal; emitting a visual signal; sending a digital text message to an operator or a management unit; sending data relative to the measured concentration or the comparison between the measured concentration and the threshold to an operator or a management unit.

5 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein creating a data set includes one or more of:
creating a data set comprising information of the time at which the comparison has been made; creating a data set comprising information of the geographical location of the closed space.

6 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein providing tobacco material in a closed space includes one or more:
providing the tobacco material in a bale; providing the tobacco material in a warehouse; providing the tobacco material in a transporting carrier; providing the tobacco material in a manufacturing area.

7 . The method according to claim 1 , comprising:
providing the closed space with an emitter; the emitter emitting a signal if the measured concentration of the semiochemical is higher than the threshold; providing a receiver outside the closed space adapted to receive signal sent by the emitter; identifying the closed space as infested when the signal is received.

8 . The method according to claim 1 , comprising:
providing the closed space with a visual indicator having a first status and a second status; displaying the first status in the visual indicator; switching the displayed status from the first status to the second status if the concentration of the semiochemical is higher than the threshold.

9 . The method according to claim 1 , comprising:
measuring the concentration of a volatile substance produced by microbiological activity in the air present in the closed space.

10 . The method according to claim 9 , wherein the air borne volatile substance is one or more of:
1-octen-3-ol; 1,3-octadiene; methyl-2-ethylhexanoate; 2-methylfuran; 3-methylfuran; 3-methyl-1-butanol; 2-methyl-1-butanol; 2-heptene; Dimethylsulfide; 4-heptanone; (5H)-furanone; 3-heptanol; Methoxybenzene.

11 . The method according to claim 1 , comprising:
if the measured concentration of the semiochemical in the air present in the closed environment is higher than the threshold, then:
identifying equipment, storage areas, other tobacco material, transportation carrier along the supply line which has been in contact or in proximity to the tobacco material the semiochemical concentration of which is above the threshold;
disinfecting or lowering the temperature or isolating the identified equipment, storage areas, other tobacco material, or transportation carrier.

12 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the lowering of the temperature of the closed space is started automatically by the management unit upon receipt of the result of the comparison between the concentration of the semiochemical and the threshold, wherein the measured concentration is higher than the threshold.

13 . A system to detect the presence of an infestation in tobacco material, the system comprising:
a closed space adapted to house the tobacco material; a gas sensor adapted to measure the concentration of a semiochemical in the air present in the closed space and adapted to emit a signal representative of the measured concentration; a cooling unit adapted to lower the temperature of the closed space; a control unit connected to the gas sensor and the cooling unit, the control unit being adapted to receive the signal from the gas sensor, to compare it with a threshold and to command the cooling unit to cool the closed space if the signal is above the threshold a data set comprising an identifier associated to the tobacco material present in the closed space and a value representative of the measured concentration or of the comparison between the measured concentration and the threshold; a management unit arranged to receive data from the data set so as to track the infested tobacco material along a supply chain.

14 . The system according to claim 13 , including an air conduit to channel air present in the closed environment towards the gas sensor.

15 . The system according to claim 13 , comprising an alarm unit adapted to emit an alarm signal if the signal is above the threshold.

16 . The system according to claim 13 , wherein the gas sensor is located inside the closed space.

17 . The system according to claim 13 , wherein the control unit is adapted to compare the signal from the gas sensor with a first threshold and a second threshold, the second threshold being higher than the first threshold, and comprising an alarm unit adapted to emit an alarm signal if the signal of a first measurement and a second measurement is above the first threshold and below the second threshold or if the signal of a single measurement is above the second threshold.

Assignees

• Philip Morris Products Sa

Inventors

• Batista Rui Nuno Rodrigues Alves
• Cali Ricardo
• Prestia Ivan
• Sereda Alexandra

Classifications

• G01N2333/43552

  from insects · CPC title

• G01N33/0047

  Organic compounds · CPC title

• A24B15/18

  Treatment of tobacco products or tobacco substitutes · CPC title

• A01M1/026

  combined with devices for monitoring insect presence, e.g. termites (bait stations A01M1/2005; detecting other animals in a given area A01M31/002) · CPC title

• G01N33/0027

  concerning the detector · CPC title