Patent ID: 6407813
Filing Date: 2002-06-18
Classification: G01N

Abstract:
Apparatus for measuring component concentration in a dairy product, comprising:a light source for generating a polarized light beam having a direction of polarization; a scattering cell, positioned in the light beam, for receiving a sample of the dairy product, said scattering cell having a first window and a second window, wherein the second window is farther from said light source than the first window, wherein a normal to an exterior surface of the second window is at or near Brewster's angle with respect to the light beam and wherein the direction of polarization of the light beam is parallel to a plane defined by the light beam and the normal to the exterior surface of the second window; a first light detector, positioned at a first angle in a range of about 5Â° to about 45Â° with respect to the light beam, for detecting scattered light from a first component of the dairy product comprising fat having relatively large particle sizes and generating a first detector signal that is representative of concentration of the first component in the sample of the dairy product; and a second light detector, positioned at a second angle in a range of about 130Â° to about 160Â° with respect to the light beam, for detecting scattered light from a second component of the dairy product comprising casein having relatively small particle sizes and generating a second detector signal that is representative of concentration of the second component in the sample of the dairy product.