System and method for monitoring and evaluating solid and semi-solid materials
US6919556B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Feb 24, 2003 |
| Grant date | Jul 19, 2005 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Feb 24, 2023 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01N2021/656
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
An system and method for monitoring and evaluating solid and semi-solid materials. In an embodiment adapted for pharmaceutical manufacturing, a rotating platter is provided which contains a plurality of chutes. Manufactured items from an earlier section of the manufacturing process are deposited upon the rotating platter, and are separated for analysis by the plurality of chutes. Mounted near the edge radius of the platter is a Raman probe, which focuses photons from a laser onto each of the manufactured items. The manufactured items radiate photons according to Raman scattering principles, which are collected by the Raman probe and analyzed by a computer against a template file. The computer operates upon the chutes to sort and release the manufactured items according to a criteria. Thus, an in-process monitoring and evaluation system may be utilized to inspect and sort manufactured items in real time.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.