Patent Application
20240192200
The present invention generally relates to a portable device for testing agro-dairy based samples. The invention also describes a system of testing agro-dairy based samples comprising the said portable device. The invention further discloses a method of testing agro-dairy based samples using the said system.
The agricultural sector and dairy sector often need to determine the quality of products like wine, beer, milk, juices, honey etc. These products are an important source of revenue for formers and are usually produced in large volumes but without appropriate quality checks.
Further, ascertaining the quality of products like milk is important for dairy formers as they receive revenue on the basis of milk components such as fat and protein and, commercially, milk of high nutritional content receives the best market price. Also, milk quality is a significant indicator of herd health and, for this, milk testing is invaluable. Milk testing is also useful to check for mastitis, an infection that affects the mammary glands in a milch animal's udder. Cows with mastitis produce lower quantities of milk and their milk also contains a large number of somatic cells (SCs).
Formers do not have easy access to testing laboratories or even the funds to regularly test their products to check for uniformity in quality, presence of contaminants or infections in milch animals. There is a pressing need for rapid testing and frequent screening for early detection of infected animals such that the infected animals can be promptly treated and so that their milk would no longer be pooled into the collection from other healthy animals thereby lowering the overall quality of the pooled milk. As mastitis can be inferred from high somatic cell count (SCC) in milk, there is a need for dairy formers to be able to do tests on the farm itself and obtain quick results.
There is a clear need for a single system to monitor herd health on the farm including screening for mastitis by measuring analytes such as SCC and also determining milk quality at field collection sites by measuring fats, solids-not-fat (SNF) content, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), β-hydroxybutyrate (BHB), antibiotic residues and proteins in raw milk.
Apart from milk, there is a similar need for determining the quality of other agro-based and allied sector products like wine, beer, milk, juices, honey etc. There is a need for a portable testing device that does away with the need for separate lab testing, which involves a time lag in obtaining results and which presents a hurdle for remote rural locations lacking easily accessible laboratories.
Infrared spectroscopy is commonly used to ascertain fat and protein content in a sample while flow cytometry and direct microscopy are often used to determine SCC in milk samples. These ordinarily require trained lab technicians and follow a pay-per-test revenue model.
Research on the fabrication of miniaturized devices has focused on manufacturing with high precision and at low cost especially for emerging markets. There is a need for a miniaturized testing device which is easy to use even by an uneducated person, one that is amenable to a variety of testing requirements using a single device and also one that gives real-time results. The cost benefit to the farmer would also be significant in terms of doing away with payments for each test.
According to an embodiment of the invention there is provided a portable device for testing agro-dairy based samples, said device comprising:
According to another embodiment of the invention, there is provided a system of testing agro-dairy based samples comprising:
According to yet another embodiment of the invention, there is provided a method of testing agro-dairy based samples using the system as described above, comprising the steps of:
In some instances, a reference sample or a blank is run prior to step (c). This is mainly done to account for the matrix or the solution in which the biomarker is present, so that the biomarker concentration can be calculated accurately using a simple model.
In the following detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings that form a part hereof. The embodiments of the invention are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention and it is understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that logical processual changes may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. To avoid detail not necessary to enable those skilled in the art to practice the embodiments described herein, the description may omit certain information known to those skilled in the art. The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense and the scope of the illustrative embodiments are defined only by the claims appended hereinbelow.
The system of the invention comprises a portable testing device which functions as a handheld spectrometer to analyze both solid state chemistry platforms such as colorimetric test strips that react upon the application of various fluids by measuring reflectance, as well as analyze fluids directly by measuring transmission through the sample held in a cuvette. These fluids can be raw milk, beer, wine and other industrial extracts. The device can also measure the color of solid or semi-solid substances by reflectance measurements, and this is useful for small sized fruit, spices or produce whose ripening color determines the time of harvest.
The invention provides a portable, handheld testing device for measuring antibiotic residue, fats, hormones, enzymes, somatic cell counts, solids-not-fats, and proteins in raw milk, said device comprising a chemical sensor i.e. colorimetric test strip, a cuvette and a micro-spectrometer based optical detector. The device reads colorimetric test strips, reflectance of small sized farm produce and measures transmission through fluids, and interfaces with a smartphone through wireless low power Bluetooth (BLE) connectivity and/or WiFi connectivity.
It is known that colorimetric test strips react to fluid samples by a change in the color of the reaction pad. In the device of the invention, a micro-spectrometer sensor that is optically aligned with the reaction pad on the test strip then detects this change. The change in color corresponds to and is then mapped to the somatic cell count or to concentrations of one of several parameters such as antibiotic residue, LDH, fats and proteins among others.
Similarly, the color of solid or semi-solid substances including, but not limited to, small sized fruit, spices or other form produce, can be measured using the portable testing device rather than relying on subjective determinations based on human visual perceptions. By depending on the micro-spectrometric reflectance readings of the color of small sized produce, harvest days can be objectively determined.
Liquids are analyzed using the device by passing a light source through a cuvette containing a sample. An optical detector i.e. micro-spectrometer sensor that is optically aligned with the cuvette holding adaptor then detects the transmission spectrum which in-turn corresponds to and is mapped to concentrations of fats, SNF content, LDH, BHB, antibiotic residues and proteins. The device can also be used to test blood and urine samples.
In one embodiment of the invention, multiple colorimetric test strips can be inserted into the device when multiple sockets are provided on the device with corresponding multiple adaptors, LED light sources and respective optical detectors. Similarly, multiple types of samples can be tested on a single device using different adaptors to hold either a colorimetric test strip and/or a concave shaped holder and/or a cuvette if multiple sockets are provided on the same device with corresponding LED light sources and their respective optical detectors.
The end user will interact with the device through a computer program or an application (app) that will be installed on their mobile phones or computers. Thus, the app would function as the user interface for the end user to perform analyte testing by providing graphical instructions for each step of the process. At the end of testing, the app displays the reading of the parameter being tested, along with trending charts of previous tests conducted by the user. The app, thus, controls the device and processes the raw color sensor data that the device sends to compute the reading. Thus, the device is amenable to advances in technology as the computation, storing, and analysis of the data is done by a suitable app which can be updated from time to time.
The invention also provides a method for analyzing the chemical sensor signal, said method including algorithms to quantify SCC using both a chemical sensor, i.e. through reflectance, and a cuvette i.e. through transmission in a liquid product such as raw milk.
Preferably, the measured output data is stored, analyzed, computed, recorded or used to show trends in the case of the same analytes being tested, or the same parameter being determined, across several samples.
According to an embodiment of the invention, an adaptor for a colorimetric test strip has two slots for insertion of two colorimetric test strips (105, 108), each slot being of a different size to accommodate test strips of different sizes. The slots are positioned such that if two strips were simultaneously inserted into the respective two slots, the strips would be at right angles to each other. However, measurement of reflectance data is only possible if one inserts only one strip at a time in a single adaptor.
The device is housed in an enclosure or case, there being a separate modular cover (103) at the top of the device where the socket (109) for the adaptor (107, 111) is located, which modular cover can be independently opened or fastened shut, and there being a further separate cover (110) at the bottom of the device which can also independently be opened or fastened shut.
According to an embodiment of the invention, the device (100) also has an eject button (104) to release the top modular cover (103) such that one can replace a modular cover of one size with a modular cover of a different size, depending on the size of the adaptor being used for testing. Since this top part of the device enclosed by the modular cover (103) contains the strip/cuvette insertion area, in other words the rail (114) that guides the strip as it is inserted into the device, it allows the device to support strips and cuvettes of various materials or dimensions. This is a unique feature as compared to other analyzers available in the market and allows the device of the present invention to be quickly adapted to support nearly any colorimetric test strip and cuvette, as required, by simply making a new modular cover for the new strip or cuvette dimensions.
The bottom cover (110) and the storage space enclosed by the bottom cover are further described in
An optical window (106) enables the light transmitted through a sample or reflected from a sample to pass through and be detected by the optical detector.
Each of the adaptors are custom designed for and connect the component that they hold i.e. test strip or holder for a solid/semi-solid substance or cuvette, as the case may be, to the main body of the device. At a given point of time, the device can determine reflectance of colour of one test strip or solid/semi-solid substance or transmission through the sample liquid held in one cuvette, but not all simultaneously.
According to an embodiment of the invention, the concave holder for solid or semi-solid substances is used to determine ideal colour of small sized form produce eg fruits like grapes, dates, olives etc, spices like cardamom etc for the purpose of colour measurement such that harvesting is done at the ideal time.
A hard power on/off button (118) is also located internally. The LED light source (119) serves to emit light of a specific wavelength towards the sample being tested. The LED (119) can be on a separate board that couples to the optical block (116) in a way that illuminates the sample and minimizes stray or unwanted light.
The device is affordable and versatile, especially in cost-sensitive emerging markets where the dairy industry is large and mostly comprising small formers who do not have access to quality testing infrastructure. In terms of cost, the farmer would make a one-time investment at the time of purchasing the device, and thereafter, testing costs would be practically negligible as only testing strips would involve a nominal cost. The versatility of the device is evident from it being able to support colorimetric test strips of different sizes, and cuvettes of varying dimensions, being made of different materials or being of varying thickness. Thus, the modular device design not only enables both reflectance and transmission measurements but also accommodates test strips of different dimensions as also different sizes of cuvettes.
The device itself does not have any intelligence. After an initial handshake it receives a configuration from the phone app instructing it to calibrate its optical system in a specific way. This includes the ID(s) of the LED(s) and micro-spectrometer to use i.e. the app determines the wavelength(s) used for the color analysis, the sampling period i.e. the time between successive sensor readings, and the pulse width modulation (PWM) duty cycle relating to the brightness of the LEDs. The device continuously sends raw data as measured by the color sensor to the phone app. The phone app actually does all of the data processing and analysis, and may reconfigure the LED blinking sequence of the device during the test if needed.
This system design provides several unique advantages when compared to similar products in the market. Firstly, it once again allows the user to add support to a new type of test strip, cuvette or chemistry by simply updating the phone app with new analysis algorithms via the usual app update channels (Google Play Store, Apple App Store, etc.) Secondly, this enables a very simple and cost-effective design of the device since it only requires minimal processing and computing capabilities as it is primarily controlled by the app.
The device of the invention is also amenable to analysis and calibration algorithms. By measuring the initial and final test strip at multiple wavelengths, one can correct for variations in manufacturing and activity to provide a more precise and accurate reading. Additionally, by measuring the signal over time, one can speed-up the measurement time by kinetically predicting the result without waiting for the end-point.
Other uses of the device would include testing blood and urine samples from animals and human beings, as also testing a range of samples including, but not limited to, fuels, solvents, paints, industrial effluents, dyes, and gemstones.
The following experimental examples are illustrative of the invention but not limitative of the scope thereof:
A DeLaval Cell Counter was used as a reference analyzer. Out of the 210 samples tested, 78 samples were referenced on the DeLaval Cell Counter. Holstein Fresians and other breeds were used to obtain samples for testing.
The samples were tested about three to six hours after milking from the cow. The SCC test using the device and method of the present invention showed good correlation versus the DeLaval Cell Counter with R2=0.88 and 94% and 86% of the samples agreeing with the DeLaval Cell Counter measurements in the healthy and mastitis-infected categories, respectively as shown in Table 1. In particular, Table 1 shows the agreement of the SCC values binned correctly by the SCC test using the device and method of the present invention versus DeLaval Cell Counter. It may be noted that the term, ‘Infected’ includes both subclinical and clinical mastitis—infected cows
Overall, the SCC test using the device of the present invention has a sensitivity of 86% and specificity of 94% versus the DeLaval Cell Counter device. Table 2 shows the sensitivity and specificity statistics for the SCC test using the device and method of the present invention for the samples processed at the sites
In
LDH is an enzyme present in milk when cells are damaged during an udder infection. LDH is correlated to SCC, but is not as easily affected by other conditions such as stress, nutrition, parity, or stage of lactation. LDH levels often rise earlier than somatic cell counts, making it an excellent marker for early detection of udder infections. There are many widely accepted indicators of intramammary infection (IMI) in the dairy animal including somatic cell counting (SCC) and electrical conductivity measurement (EC), but an up-and-coming indicator is LDH. It is the producer-defined herd health management strategy and business need that determines which test of IMI is best suited for the dairy animal and herd. Somatic cell counting is a valuable tool in determining the presence or absence of mastitis in a dairy animal or when screening a bulk tank, but an alternative test to somatic cell counting is the LDH test, a quick dipstick test for the enzyme. Some research suggests that LDH is just as or more effective than SCC at screening for subclinical and clinical mastitis with the benefit of less expense and earlier detection.
The data provided here is from a study that aimed to utilise LDH test strips on the device of the present invention, in order to use LDH as an indicator of udder infection or mastitis (similar to the SCC test). The device and method of the invention estimates the LDH levels in the milk samples based on enzymatic colorimetric reaction and reflectance photometry (similar to the SCC test). In the data provided hereinbelow, the study aimed to understand and correlate the LDH test results with the SCC values from the DeLaval Cell Counter. As shown in Table 3 below, the study involved data collection from 57 cow milk samples in total, out of which 25 samples were healthy and the rest 32 of them were mastitis-infected (based on a SCC cut-off of <500,000 cells/mL categorized as ‘healthy cow’ and >500,000 cells/mL as ‘mastitis-infected cow’).
The study found a considerable relation between the two indicators, with the statistics of sensitivity and specificity standing at 81% and 76% respectively. Thus, the LDH test on the device of the present invention, using the method of the present invention, can be used as an alternative test method for earlier detection of mastitis or other IMI, at a lower cost and shorter testing time. This also shows that the device of the present invention offers a robust platform to integrate and perform various tests for a diverse range of biomarkers in the milk.
The above examples are non-limiting. The invention is defined by the claims that follow:
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 202141021044 | May 2021 | IN | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/IN22/50440 | 5/6/2022 | WO |
