Imaging system for sorting poultry meat with wooden breast myopathy

US10596601B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• The United States of America, as represented by the Secretary of Agriculture · US

Inventors

• Seung C. Yoon · Athens, US
• Brian C. Bowker · Bogart, US
• Hong Zhuang · 安丰镇, CN
• Kurt C. Lawrence · Watkinsville, US
• Gerald W. Heitschmidt · Athens, US
• Tae Sung Shin · Athens, US

Key dates

• Filing date: May 15, 2018
• Grant date: Mar 24, 2020
• Expiry date: Jul 14, 2038

Classification

• Technology area (CPC B): Performing Operations; Transporting
• CPC primary: B07C2501/0081
• WIPO field: Chemical engineering
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

The image sorting system sorts normal chicken breast meat fillets from chicken fillets that exhibit wooden breast myopathy (i.e. WB fillets). In the preferred embodiment, a camera and associated controller gather data and construct a digital image of a chicken breast fillet as it travels on a conveyer belt. The digital image is used to calculate a centroid (i.e. center of mass) of the fillet. As the fillet moves over a nose of the conveyor belt and free-falls to a lower conveyor belt, the controller determines the distance between the fillet centroid and a reference point (preferably the conveyer belt axis of rotation). If the distance exceeds a predetermined minimum distance, the fillet is designated a WB fillet.