Patent ID: 9575000
Date: 2017-02-21
CPC Classifications: G01N

Claim:
1. An apparatus for detecting a drop of follicle fluid falling into a test tube, the apparatus comprising: a test tube for storing follicle fluid, wherein the test tube has a cork fitted at open-end of the test tube, and wherein the cork has a passage allowing an inlet tube, carrying the follicle fluid, to pass through the test tube; a pair of optical devices positioned at an opposite side of the test tube, wherein the opposite side indicates a position on the test tube where an incoming follicle fluid flow breaks into a drop and detaches from the inlet tube, and wherein the pair of the optical devices comprises a first optical device and a second optical device, and wherein the first optical device emits a beam of light of a pre-defined intensity, through the test tube, towards the second optical device; a signal processing circuitry, coupled with the test tube, to detect first and subsequent drops of the follicle fluid by monitoring an intensity of the beam of light received by the second optical device, comparing the intensity of the beam of light with the pre-defined intensity, and detecting the first and subsequent drops of the follicle fluid in the test tube based upon a difference between the pre-defined intensity and the intensity being determined as greater than a pre-defined intensity threshold value; and wherein the apparatus further comprises an alert mechanism for generating an audio alert and a visual alert for indicating to an operator that the first and subsequent drops of the follicle fluid are falling into the test tube.