Spectrometric measurements during blending / mixing

Abstract

A mixing bin for the blending of materials (e.g., pharmaceuticals, foodstuffs, etc.) bears a spectrometer which monitors the characteristics of the material being tumbled within the bin interior to thereby obtain an indication of the degree to which the material is mixed. An accelerometer also rides on the mixing bin with the spectrometer, and it monitors the position of the mixing bin as it rotates. The accelerometer measurements can then be used to trigger the taking and/or recordation of spectrometer measurements at times during which the material within the bin falls against the spectrometer's input window, thereby promoting greater accuracy in spectrometer measurements, and/or at the same bin position, thereby promoting greater uniformity between spectrometer measurements.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A is a schematic depiction of an exemplary mixing bin 100 which is tumbled about its rotational axis 102 to blend a mixing substance 10 within the bin interior 104, with the mixing bin 100 bearing a spectrometer 110 which takes measurements from the bin interior 104, and also bearing an accelerometer 118 which measures the acceleration (and velocity/position) of the mixing bin 100, with these measurements being wirelessly transmitted to a remote data recorder 122.

FIG. 1B is a schematic illustration of the measurements of the accelerometer 118 at each of its measurement axes, and also the measurements of the spectrometer 110, over a revolution of the mixing bin 100.

FIG. 2 is a schematic depiction of an exemplary mixing bin 200 which is tumbled about its rotational axis 202 to blend a mixing substance 20 within the bin interior 204, with the mixing bin 200 bearing a spectrometer 210 which takes measurements from the bin interior 204, and also bearing an accelerometer 218 which measures the acceleration (and velocity/position) of the mixing bin 200, with these measurements being recorded on an onboard data recorder 222.

Claims

1. An analysis device for measuring properties of materials during mixing, the analysis device including: a. a molecular spectrometer;b. a spectrometer housing at least substantially surrounding the molecular spectrometer, the spectrometer housing having a spectrometer input window defined therein for admitting light to be analyzed;c. an accelerometer situated within the spectrometer housing.

2. The analysis device of claim 1 wherein the molecular spectrometer is actuated to generate spectrometer measurements in response to accelerometer measurements generated by the accelerometer.

3. The analysis device of claim 2 wherein the accelerometer measurements include amplitude and frequency.

4. The analysis device of claim 2 wherein the molecular spectrometer is continuously rotated about at least one axis.

5. The analysis device of claim 1: a. further comprising a data recorder; andb. wherein the data recorder records both: (1) spectrometer measurements from the molecular spectrometer, and(2) accelerometer measurements from the accelerometer, the accelerometer measurements being recorded at least substantially simultaneously with the spectrometer measurements,as the molecular spectrometer is continuously rotated about at least one axis.

6. The analysis device of claim 1: a. further comprising a data recorder; andb. wherein the data recorder records spectrometer measurements from the molecular spectrometer in response to accelerometer measurements from the accelerometer.

7. The analysis device of claim 6 wherein the data recorder wirelessly receives spectrometer measurements from the molecular spectrometer.

8. The analysis device of claim 1 wherein the accelerometer is an n-axis accelerometer, n being greater than or equal to 2, wherein the accelerometer measures acceleration about n axes.

9. The analysis device of claim 1 wherein: a. the spectrometer has a control board therein, andb. the accelerometer is situated on the control board.

10. The analysis device of claim 1 wherein: a. the spectrometer housing includes an exterior mounting face, the mounting face being adapted for mounting to a mixing bin, andb. the accelerometer measures acceleration along at least an axis oriented perpendicular to the mounting face.

11. The analysis device of claim 1: a. further comprising a light pipe extending from the spectrometer input window;b. wherein the spectrometer housing includes an exterior mounting face, the mounting face being adapted for mounting to a mixing bin.

12. The analysis device of claim 1 further comprising: a. a wireless transmitter in communication with the molecular spectrometer, the wireless transmitter wirelessly transmitting spectrometer measurements; andb. a wireless receiver remote from the wireless transmitter, the wireless receiver wirelessly receiving spectrometer measurements from the wireless transmitter.

13. The analysis device of claim 12 wherein the wireless transmitter: a. is also in communication with the accelerometer, andb. also wirelessly transmits accelerometer measurements.

14. The analysis device of claim 1: a. further comprising a mixing bin having a bin interior opening onto a bin port;b. wherein the spectrometer housing is adapted to mount to the bin with the spectrometer input window at the bin port, such that the spectrometer input window is aligned with the bin interior.

15. The analysis device of claim 14 further comprising a drive rotating the mixing bin about at least one axis.

16. The analysis device of claim 1 further comprising: a. a mixing bin having a bin interior opening onto a bin port, andb. a light pipe extending from the bin port to the spectrometer input window.

17. The analysis device of claim 3 further comprising a drive rotating the mixing bin about at least one axis.

18. An analysis device for measuring properties of materials during mixing, the analysis device including: a. a mixing bin;b. a drive actuatable to rotate the mixing bin about at least one axis;c. a molecular spectrometer situated on the mixing bin; andd. an accelerometer mounted in fixed relation to the mixing bin to rotate therewith.

19. The analysis device of claim 18 wherein the accelerometer is also situated on the mixing bin.

20. The analysis device of claim 19 wherein the accelerometer is situated within the spectrometer.

21. The analysis device of claim 18: a. further comprising a spectrometer housing at least substantially surrounding the molecular spectrometer, the spectrometer housing: (1) being situated on the mixing bin, and(2) including a spectrometer input window defined therein for admitting light to be analyzed;b. wherein: (1) the mixing bin has a bin interior opening onto the bin port, and(2) the spectrometer input window is optically coupled to the bin port, whereby the spectrometer input window may receive light from the bin port.

22. The analysis device of claim 21 wherein the spectrometer input window is mounted immediately adjacent to the bin port.

23. The analysis device of claim 21 further comprising a light pipe extending between the spectrometer input window and the bin port.

24. The analysis device of claim 18 further comprising: a. a wireless transmitter in communication with the molecular spectrometer and rotating with the mixing bin, the wireless transmitter wirelessly transmitting spectrometer measurements; andb. a wireless receiver spaced from the wireless transmitter, wherein the wireless receiver: (1) wirelessly receives spectrometer measurements from the wireless transmitter, and(2) does not rotate with the mixing bin.

25. The analysis device of claim 24 wherein the wireless transmitter: a. is also in communication with the accelerometer, andb. also wirelessly transmits accelerometer measurements to the wireless receiver.

26. The analysis device of claim 18: a. further comprising a data recorder; andb. wherein the data recorder records spectrometer measurements from the molecular spectrometer in response to accelerometer measurements from the accelerometer.

27. An analysis method comprising: a. situating a mixing substance in a mixing bin, the mixing bin including: (1) a molecular spectrometer situated thereon; and(2) an accelerometer mounted in fixed relation to the mixing bin to rotate therewith;b. rotationally driving the mixing bin about at least one axis; andc. recording spectrometer measurements from the molecular spectrometer in response to accelerometer measurements from the accelerometer.

28. The analysis method of claim 27 wherein the accelerometer measurements include amplitude and frequency.

29. The analysis method of claim 27 wherein: a. the molecular spectrometer includes a spectrometer input window opening onto the interior of the mixing bin; andb. spectrometer measurements are recorded in response to accelerometer measurements corresponding to any times at which the mixing substance rests in alignment with the spectrometer input window during rotation of the mixing bin.

30. The analysis method of claim 27 preceded by the steps of: a. situating a reference substance in the mixing bin;b. rotationally driving the mixing bin about at least one axis;c. recording both: (1) reference spectrometer measurements from the molecular spectrometer, and(2) reference accelerometer measurements from the accelerometer, the reference accelerometer measurements being recorded at least substantially simultaneously with the reference spectrometer measurements;d. identifying the reference accelerometer measurements corresponding to the maximum reference spectrometer measurements; ande. removing the reference substance from the mixing bin, wherein the method of claim 27 is subsequently performed with spectrometer measurements being recorded in response to accelerometer measurements corresponding to the maximum reference spectrometer measurements.

31. The method of claim 30 further comprising the step of recording: a. the reference accelerometer measurements corresponding to the maximum reference spectrometer measurements, andb. the amount of the reference substance in the mixing bin.

32. The method of claim 30 further comprising the step of recording the type of mixing bin used when recording the reference spectrometer measurements and reference accelerometer measurements.