Inspection apparatus and inspection system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019056370-A1
Application number	US-201716079447-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 17, 2017
Priority date	Feb 26, 2016
Publication date	Feb 21, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

An inspection apparatus includes a container, first and second detectors, and a controller. The container stores a specimen. The first detector detects a substance emitted by the specimen stored in the container. The second detector detects a different component than the substance in the atmosphere inside the container. The controller corrects the result of detection of the substance by the first detector on the basis of the component detected by the second detector and judges a quality of the specimen.

First claim

1 . An inspection apparatus comprising:
a container configured to store a specimen; a first detector configured to detect a substance emitted by the specimen stored in the container; a second detector configured to detect a different component than the substance in an atmosphere inside the container; and a controller configured to correct a result of detection of the substance by the first detector, on the basis of the component detected by the second detector, and judge a quality of the specimen.

2 . The inspection apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the component is moisture.

3 . The inspection apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the inspection apparatus executes a refresh process of the container before the first detector detects the substance.

4 . The inspection apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the inspection apparatus executes a refresh process of the container after the first detector detects the substance.

5 . The inspection apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the refresh process includes at least one of degassing the container, deodorizing the container, resetting the first detector, and resetting the second detector.

6 . The inspection apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a memory configured to store information associating a substance emitted by a specimen and a quality of the specimen; wherein the controller refers to the information stored in the memory to judge the quality of the specimen stored in the container.

7 . The inspection apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a notification interface configured to provide notification of information related to the quality judged by the controller.

8 . The inspection apparatus of claim 1 , wherein
the specimen is a food product; and as the quality of the food product, the controller is configured to judge at least one of whether the food product is spoiled, whether the food product is ripe, a degree of aging of the food product, a freshness of the food product, a production area of the food product, and an extent of residual pesticide in the food product.

9 . An inspection system comprising:
a detection apparatus; and an inspection apparatus; wherein the detection apparatus comprises a container configured to store a specimen, a first detector configured to detect a substance emitted by the specimen stored in the container, a second detector configured to detect a different component than the substance in an atmosphere inside the container, and a communication interface configured to transmit information related to the substance detected by the first detector and information related to the component detected by the second detector to the inspection apparatus; and the inspection apparatus comprises a communication interface configured to receive the information related to the substance and the information related to the component from the detection apparatus and a controller configured to, on the basis of the received information related to the substance and the received information related to the component, correct a result of detection of the substance by the detection apparatus on the basis of the component and judge a quality of the specimen.

Assignees

• Kyocera Corp

Inventors

• Yamasaki Hirohide
• Kobori Shinichi

Classifications

• G01N2291/0215

  Mixtures of three or more gases, e.g. air · CPC title

• G01N33/02 Primary

  Food · CPC title

• G01N29/022

  Fluid sensors based on microsensors, e.g. quartz crystal-microbalance [QCM], surface acoustic wave [SAW] devices, tuning forks, cantilevers, flexural plate wave [FPW] devices (microdevices per se B81B) · CPC title

• A23L5/00

  Preparation or treatment of foods or foodstuffs, in general; Food or foodstuffs obtained thereby; Materials therefor · CPC title

• G01N2291/02845

  Humidity, wetness · CPC title