Abstract: Apparatuses for imaging food products are provided. An apparatus includes a first and second conveyor, the first conveyor configured to move a flexible food product at a first speed, the second conveyor configured to move the flexible food product at a second speed greater than the first speed, a receiving portion of the second conveyor positioned in a downward direction relative to the first conveyor to receive the flexible food product, thereby flipping the flexible food product and stretching the flexible food product for imaging. An apparatus may include a guide mechanism to guide the food product to be flipped. An apparatus may move a plurality of food products and spread apart the plurality of food products for imaging. An apparatus may include a receiving structure having a low-friction receiving surface for stretching or spreading apart food products.

Abstract: A device and system for optically analyzing food products is provided. The device comprises first and second imaging devices respectively sensitive to first and second wavelengths; the imaging devices include a line-scan camera to acquire images of food products at a line in a food-path-facing direction, and a line-scan spectrometer to acquire spectroscopic images at the line. The device includes an optical filter configured to: convey the first wavelengths from the line to the first imaging device; and convey the second wavelengths from the line to the second imaging device. The device includes a frame to align the optical filter and respective optical axes of the first and second imaging devices, relative to each other and the food-path-facing direction, such that the first imaging device and the second imaging device are optically aligned via the optical filter to image the line.

Abstract: A lighting apparatus which indicates a condition and positions of a product moving along a conveyor is provided. The lighting apparatus includes one or more sensors configured to capture a condition reading of the product and a position reading of the product; a line of lights configured for installation proximate to the conveyor and along the path of the conveyor, the lights of the line of lights configurable between different visual states; a controller to determine a condition of the product based on the condition reading, determine an initial position of the product based on the position reading, generate a schedule for controlling visual states of the lights of the line of lights to indicate the condition of the product and positions of the product, and control the visual states of the lights of the line of lights according to the schedule.

Abstract: A lamp for illuminating food products along a line is provided. The lamp comprises: a housing having a longitudinal axis and an opening along the longitudinal axis; a light source located in the housing along the longitudinal axis; a reflector positioned in the housing along the longitudinal axis, the reflector to reflect light from the light source through the opening and focus the light along the line; a removeable frame attached to the housing around the opening, the removeable frame having an aperture aligned with the opening along the longitudinal axis; a glass window in the aperture; a transparent polymer film in the aperture at an outward facing side of the glass window, each of the glass window and the transparent polymer film extending into the removeable frame past a perimeter of the aperture; and a seal between the transparent polymer film and the perimeter of the aperture.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for increasing the accuracy of a spectrometer system corrects for light source quality, exposure time, distortion in y direction, distortion in x direction, temperature dependence, pixel alignment variability, dark pixels, bad pixels, pixel read noise, and pixel dark current noise. The method and apparatus produces an algorithm for optimizing spectral data and for measuring a sample within the spectrometer system using the optimization algorithm. The spectrometer apparatus comprises a composite external light source, a source light collector, an illumination light structuring component, a sample, a sample light collector, a spectrometer light structuring component, a light dispersing engine, photo detectors, an electrical signal converter, a data preprocessing unit, and a data analyzer.

Abstract: A spectrum analyzer for the simultaneous analysis of electromagnetic radiation delivered to it from either multiple sources or from a linear segment along a source surface, and arranged as either continuous or discrete set of points along a short piece of a straight line referred to herein as a slit. In one embodiment of the invention, the optical design of the dispersing part of the analyzer provides essentially stigmatic spots for any spectral band up to one octave wide in the spectral range of about 400 nm to about 2500 nm.

Abstract: A spectrum analyzer for the simultaneous analysis of electromagnetic radiation delivered to it from either multiple sources or from a linear segment along a source surface, and arranged as either continuous or discrete set of points along a short piece of a straight line referred to herein as a slit. In one embodiment of the invention, the optical design of the dispersing part of the analyzer provides essentially stigmatic spots for any spectral band up to one octave wide in the spectral range of about 400 nm to about 2500 nm.

Abstract: The present invention provides a fiber optic termination assembly and a method for assembling such an assembly. A pair of like aperture-forming elements are arranged in a reciprocal fashion to form an aperture to contain a fiber optic bundle. The reciprocal arrangement of the like aperture-forming elements results in a desired positioning of the fiber optic bundle within the termination assembly. Improved tolerances permit adaptation of the termination assembly to applications in which only a few strands of optical fibers need to be arranged and positioned.