Patent Publication Number: US-10786792-B2

Title: System and method for micro dosing

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The present application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/348,738 entitled “System and Method for Micro Dosing” filed on Nov. 10, 2016 which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 14/733,770, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,011,375 filed Jun. 8, 2015, which issued on Jul. 3, 2018, which is a divisional of U.S. application Ser. No. 13/594,675, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,440,205, filed on Aug. 24, 2012, which issued on Sep. 13, 2016, which are hereby incorporated by reference. 
    
    
     FIELD OF TECHNOLOGY 
     The present disclosure relates in general to systems and methods for micro dosing. 
     BACKGROUND 
     One prior colorant is based on a natural silicate known as mica combined with titanium dioxide. This creates a range of colors with metallic sheen, from silver to gold. Titanium dioxide coated mica powder (herein referred to as “colored mica”) is easy to apply and is widely used for various food applications (e.g., the coating of jelly beans, gums, the decoration of chocolate, biscuits, ice-cream and beverages). Colored mica can be mixed with various liquids to create a shiny and shimmering finish to the liquid. This gives the beverage a distinctive look and creates great consumer appeal visually. However, colored mica contaminates the beverage process and bottle filling equipment as it is extremely difficult or impossible to remove. There are various existing attempts at solutions to try and overcome this problem which will be discussed below. However, none of the existing attempts have proven satisfactory as all have disadvantages that render them unsatisfactory. 
     One prior attempt at a solution is to use dedicated production equipment for liquids requiring colored mica and separate equipment for liquids that do not require colored mica. This avoids cross-product contamination due to residual suspended solids from beverages with colored mica. However, this requires additional equipment at an economically unfeasible cost. This also greatly underutilizes the equipment for both processes. 
     Another prior approach requires aggressive, invasive and expensive cleaning of production equipment between products that require colored mica and those that do not. However, this adds to cost and time to disassemble, clean and/or replace components such as seals and gaskets in processing and bottle filling equipment that have been contaminated. 
     Some manufacturers add mixture modifiers such as gum or sugar to hold the solid particles in suspension for bottle filling. This may eliminate some of the difficulty of cleaning the equipment since residual solids would be prevented from settling in the equipment. However, the addition of solution modifiers creates sanitation issues due to potential pests and microbes and may also create a less temperature-stable mixture. Furthermore, there is an additional cost involved in cleaning and operational complexity in removing these modifiers from the equipment. Further, once material like colored mica is introduced into a filling system, it is virtually impossible to remove. 
     Another attempt at a solution is to use recirculating filling systems that maintain fluid velocities at all times to prevent colored mica from settling in the equipment. However, these systems are expensive. Additionally, these systems may stop unexpectedly (e.g., due to power losses) that leads to colored mica settling and contaminating the process equipment. 
     Therefore, there is a pressing need for a system and method for addition of materials that are difficult to clean and/or clear from a filling system. The present system and method solves these problems with a micro dosing system and method. One of the advantages of micro dosing is to avoid the contamination of a primary filling or supply system. 
     The foregoing examples of the related art and limitations related therewith are intended to be illustrative and not exclusive. Other limitations of the related art will become apparent to those of skill in the art upon a reading of the specification and a study of the drawings. 
     SUMMARY 
     The following aspects and embodiments thereof described and illustrated below are meant to be exemplary and illustrative, not limiting in scope. 
     A system and method of micro dosing is disclosed. The system and method is particularly useful with bottling and conveying systems. The system includes a supply tank designed to keep suspended solids in a homogenous mixture; a portable dosing assembly to inject micro-doses of the mixture into pre-filled bottles or containers; a recirculation assembly to circulate the mixture from the supply tank to the portable dosing assembly and back to the supply tank; a power and controls operation assembly to supply the system with power, to provide the system with electromechanical control and to provide a user interface; and a portable or fixed stand to hold the supply tank, the portable dosing assembly, the recirculation assembly and the power and controls operation assembly. 
     In one embodiment, a micro-dosing system is contemplated. In a preferred embodiment, the micro dosing system is portable. The system includes a supply or mixing tank, a dosing assembly, a recirculation assembly, a power and/or control assembly, and a dosing stand. In an embodiment, the portable dosing assembly includes a dosing pump or servo doser to inject micro-doses of the micro dose blend into containers such as bottles pre-filled with a substance to which the micro dose is added. 
     In an embodiment, the recirculation assembly is fluidly coupled to the supply tank and the dosing assembly. In an embodiment, the recirculation assembly is configured to circulate the micro dose blend from the supply tank to the dosing assembly and/or back to the supply tank. In an embodiment, the recirculation assembly comprises a product pump, which may be a peristaltic pump, for drawing the dose blend from the supply tank and pumping the dose blend to the dosing assembly. In an embodiment, the product pump includes a variable-frequency drive motor for controlling the rotational speed of the peristaltic pump. In an embodiment, the recirculation assembly includes an umbilical bundle for fluid and/or wiring transport. 
     In an embodiment, the power and/or control operation assembly is configured to supply the system with power, to provide the system with an electromechanical control, and/or to provide a user interface. In an embodiment, the power and controls operation assembly includes a power supply. In an embodiment, the power and controls operation assembly includes a compact logic programmable logic controller for providing the system with electromechanical control. In an embodiment, the power and controls operation assembly includes a human-machine interface (HMI) control panel for providing a user interface. In one embodiment, the HMI control panel includes an operating and monitoring screen for user-controlled operation and monitoring. 
     In an embodiment, the umbilical bundle includes a dose supply tube fluidly coupled to the supply tank and the dosing assembly, for supplying the dose blend from the supply tank to the dosing assembly; a dose return tube fluidly coupled to the dosing assembly and the supply tank, for returning the mixture from the dosing assembly to the supply tank; and a bottle sensor cable for automating an electromechanical control of a bottle sensor photo eye. 
     In an embodiment, the dosing stand is configured to hold the supply tank, the dosing assembly, the recirculation assembly, and/or the power and controls operation assembly. In a further embodiment, the dosing stand is portable and comprises at least two wheels. In another embodiment, the dosing stand comprises at least two legs for securing the dosing stand in a working position. In yet another embodiment, the dosing stand comprises a hose rack for securing or holding an umbilical bundle, for example. 
     In an embodiment, the supply tank includes an agitator or mixer for mixing and/or blending the micro dose blend. Preferably, the agitator keeps the micro dose blend in a suspension. In another embodiment, the agitator includes a variable-frequency drive motor for controlling the rotational speed of the agitator. In a further embodiment, the supply tank includes a hinged lid for access to the supply tank, e.g., for adding the dose blend and/or cleaning. In one embodiment, the hinged lid includes at least three sealed ports having a discharge outlet, a return inlet, and a filtered vent. 
     In an embodiment, the dosing assembly includes a mobile stand for holding pre-filled bottles or containers. In another embodiment, the dosing pump is positioned on a support stand coupled to the dosing stand. In a further embodiment, the dosing pump further comprises a servo controller to inject the correct or desired amount of micro dose blend into the pre-filled bottles by controlling the position and/or speed of the dosing pump. In yet another embodiment, the dosing assembly includes a bottle sensor photo eye for detecting an opening of a pre-filled bottle. 
     In another embodiment, a method for micro-dosing individual bottles or containers is contemplated. In an embodiment, the method includes (i) mixing and/or blending a solid material in a liquid to form a homogenous suspension in a supply tank, (ii) circulating the suspension from the supply tank to a dosing assembly, (iii) injecting micro doses of the suspension into pre-filled bottles with a portable dosing, and (iv) circulating the suspension not injected back to the supply tank. In an embodiment, the method further includes agitating the homogeneous suspension in the supply tank. In another embodiment, the method further includes adjusting a flow of the suspension through the system to maintain the solid in suspension. In a further embodiment, the method includes detecting the presence of an opening of the pre-filled bottle prior to injecting the micro doses into pre-filled bottles or containers. 
     The above and other preferred features, including various novel details of implementation and combination of events, will now be more particularly described with reference to the accompanying figures and pointed out in the claims. It will be understood that the particular system and methods described herein are shown by way of illustration only and not as limitations. As will be understood by those skilled in the art that the principles and features described herein may be employed in various and numerous embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention. As can be appreciated from the foregoing and following description, each and every feature described herein, and each and every combination of two or more of such features, is included within the scope of the present disclosure provided that the features included in such a combination are not mutually inconsistent. In addition, any feature or combination of features may be specifically excluded from any embodiment of the present invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The accompanying figures, which are included as part of the present specification, illustrate the presently preferred embodiments and together with the general description given above and the detailed description of the preferred embodiments given below serve to explain and teach the principles described herein. 
         FIG. 1  illustrates a diagram of the micro bottle dosing system, according to one embodiment. 
         FIG. 2  illustrates an exemplary process for micro-dosing individual bottles of the present system, according to one embodiment. 
         FIG. 3  is a diagram of an exemplary connection assembly for connecting/coupling the supply tube to the dosing pump. 
         FIG. 4  is a system assembly of a micro bottle dosing system, according to one embodiment. 
         FIG. 5  is a diagram of an exemplary assembly for adding material to the mix tank, according to one embodiment. 
         FIG. 6  is a diagram of an exemplary connection assembly for connecting/coupling the supply and return tubing. 
         FIG. 7  is a diagram of an exemplary mechanism for adjusting the height of a servo dosing pump on a stand. 
         FIG. 8  is a diagram of an exemplary tank having a discharge valve and secondary diaphragm pump. 
         FIG. 9  is a diagram of an exemplary control system having an optical encoder. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     It will be appreciated that for simplicity and clarity of illustration, where considered appropriate, reference numerals may be repeated among the figures to indicate corresponding or analogous elements. In addition, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the example embodiments described herein. However, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that the example embodiments described herein may be practiced without these specific details. 
     Measurements, sizes, amounts, etc., are often presented herein in a range format. The description in range format is merely for convenience and brevity and should not be construed as an inflexible limitation on the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the description of a range should be considered to have specifically disclosed all the possible subranges as well as individual numerical values within that range. For example, description of a range such as 10-20 inches should be considered to have specifically disclosed subranges such as 10-11 inches, 10-12 inches, 10-13 inches, 10-14 inches, 11-12 inches, 11-13 inches, etc. 
       FIG. 1  illustrates a diagram of the micro bottle dosing system  100 , according to one embodiment. “Micro dosing” as used herein refers to the process of adding small quantities of a material to a system. In the context of a bottling system, micro dosing generally refers to addition of small quantities of a material during the bottling procedure. Typically, the micro dose is added to the container (e.g., a bottle) after the container is partially filled. The micro dose is typically a liquid or a mixture of liquid and solid. The system  100  generally interacts with a bottle conveying system. Typically, a dosing pump, such as a Hibar servo pump, and bottle sensor are positioned after a standard bottle filler, above a bottle transporting feed screw that is before the bottle closure machine (such as a cork inserter or screw capper). The dosing system includes a dosing stand  101 , a mixing-blending-supply tank system  102 , a recirculation system  103 , a dosing assembly system  104 , and a power controls operation system  105 . The dosing stand  101  may be a stainless steel stand that is eighteen inches wide with a depth of eighteen inches and a height of sixty inches, according to one embodiment. It will be appreciated that the dosing stand  101  may be formed of any suitable material such as, but not limited to, metals and plastics. Suitable metals include, but are not limited to stainless steel, carbon steel or other steel alloys, and titanium. It will be appreciated that the dosing stand may be fabricated of more than one material. It will be further appreciated that the dosing stand  101  may be any size and shape suitable for interacting with a bottle conveying system as known in the art. Preferably, the stand is portable so that it may be used with alternate bottle conveying systems and/or at alternate sites. In this embodiment, the base of the dosing stand  101  includes at least two wheels  106  for tilting and rolling the dosing system  100  and two legs  107  for securing the stand in the working position. It will be appreciated that the dosing stand  101  may further be positioned on three, four or more wheels for portability. Where the dosing stand  101  includes three or more wheels, it will be appreciated that the stand may not include separate legs. The dosing stand  101  may further include one or more devices to lock the stand in the working position such as, but not limited to, one or more wheel locks. In another embodiment, the dosing stand  101  is compact to aid portability and/or for ease in interacting with the bottle conveying system. The dosing stand  101  may also include at least one hose rack  108  for supporting an umbilical bundle. The umbilical bundle is used for transporting the dose blend  110  and/or for electrical wiring purposes. The umbilical bundle may be any suitable length including, but not limited to, about ten to thirty feet, according to one embodiment. The fluid transport portion of the umbilical bundle comprises fluid connectors to connect the supply tank system  102  to the recirculation system  103 , the recirculation system  103  to the dosing assembly  104 , and the dosing assembly  104  to the supply system  102 . It will be appreciated that the umbilical bundle may not be contiguous, but instead comprise parts for connecting the separate assemblies/systems. 
     The mixing-blending-supply tank system  102  includes a supply tank  109  filled with a dose blend  110 , a lid  111 , at least two sealed ports  112   a ,  112   b , and a filtered vent  112   c . In one embodiment, the lid  111  is hinged. The supply tank  109  may be any suitable size required for holding a suitable amount of the dose blend. In embodiments, the supply tank is about a 0.1-25 gallon supply tank. The supply tank is a 10 gallon supply tank, according to one specific, but non-limiting, embodiment. In other embodiments, the supply tank holds about 1-20, about 2-20, about 5-20, about 1-5, about 1-10, about 5-10, about 10-15, or about 10-20 gallons. Suitable supply tanks may be fabricated by Laciny Bros, Inc. (St. Louis, Mo.) or JVNW, Inc. (Canby, Oreg.). 
     In one non-limiting embodiment, the dose blend  110  is a homogenous suspension of the dose material in a suitable liquid phase. In one non-limiting embodiment, the dose blend  110  comprises colored mica particles in a mixture of alcohol, water and/or citric acid. It will be appreciated that the dose blend  110  may be a suspension of other suspended solids in a mixture of other liquids, according to other embodiments. The dose blend may comprise any liquid or material that would require cleaning between use of a filling system. In particular, the dose blend may be any liquid or material that requires extensive or excessive cleaning to remove the material from a filling system before using the system with a further material. In other embodiments, the dose blend may be any liquid or material that would contaminate a further material used in the filling system. The system will be described hereafter with regard to a suspension of colored mica although it will be appreciated that the description is applicable to any suitable dose blend. 
     In an embodiment, the supply tank  109  includes a removable and/or hinged lid  111  for adding materials and/or cleaning. The lid  111  further includes at least two sealed ports  112   a  and  112   b  for the discharge and return of the dose blend and a filtered inlet  112   c  to atmosphere or inert gas  110 . It will be appreciated that the sealed ports  112   a ,  112   b  and/or filtered inlet  112   c  may be positioned in the supply tank  109  as well as in the lid  111 . The supply tank  109  preferably includes an agitator  113 . In one embodiment, the agitator  113  has a variable-speed motor (such as an AC-VFD or DC with speed controller) to provide the various speeds preferred for mixing ingredients and/or maintaining a homogenous mixture for extended times and/or for cleaning the system. It will be appreciated that any suitable agitator and/or variable speed motor may be included as part of the tank design and manufacture. In embodiments, the agitator may be one as manufactured by Laciny or JVNW. The VFD motor controls the rotational speed of an alternating current (AC) electric motor by controlling the frequency of the electrical power supplied to the motor. This keeps the dose blend  110  in motion by shaking and/or stirring the supply tank  109  so that the colored mica powder will be continuously and/or homogenously suspended in the dose blend  110 . The agitator  113  may include any motor system that maintains the colored mica particles suspended in the dose blend  110 . 
     The recirculation assembly  103  includes a pump  114 , such as a peristaltic pump, preferably with a variable speed controlled motor. Suitable pumps are available from Watson-Marlow Pumps. A flow assembly may maintain the mixture flow in such a way that the heavy mica particles are kept in suspension with a sufficient mixture velocity. Higher mixture velocity prevents the particles from settling. Sufficient mixture supply pressure is required to the dosing pump infeed to provide consistent dose volumes in each bottle. This is accomplished with designed maximum clearances and minimum flow velocities to direct, regulate and control, and/or maintain the homogenous mixture flow from the supply tank to the portable dosing assembly and back to the supply tank. The hose rack  108  holds at least a portion of the umbilical bundle, according to one embodiment. The umbilical bundle typically includes two sections of dose supply tubes or hoses  116   a  and  116   b , a dose return tube or hose  117 , and a bottle sensor cable  118 . The dose supply tube  116   b  is connected to the dosing pump  121  by any suitable means including, but not limited to, a feed screw  119 . In another embodiment, the dose supply tube  116   b  is connected to the dosing pump via an assembly of parts  119 . Any suitable connection(s) between the second section of the dose supply tube  116   b  and the dosing pump  121  are contemplated. One exemplary connection assembly is shown in  FIG. 3 . The first section of the dose supply tube  116   a  transports the dose blend  110  from the supply tank  109  to the peristaltic pump  114  and the second section of the dose supply tube  116   b  transports the dose blend  110  from the peristaltic pump  114  to the dosing pump  121 . The peristaltic pump  114  draws the dose blend  110  from the supply tank  109  through the first section of the dose supply tube  116   a  and pumps it through the second section of the dose supply tube  116   b  in the direction toward the dosing pump  121  as shown in the flow direction of the dose blend  110  in  FIG. 1 , according to one embodiment. The peristaltic pump  114  includes a circular pump casing with a rotor. The rotor includes a number of rollers which are attached to the external circumference to relax and compress the flexible tube in the pump casing. When the flexible tube relaxes, the dose blend  110  is drawn from the supply tank  109  through the first section of the dose supply tube  116   a  and moves to the peristaltic pump  114 . When the rotor turns, a portion of the flexible tube compresses and closes to push the dose blend  110  out of the peristaltic pump  114  through the second section of the dose supply tube  116   b  in the direction towards the dosing pump  121 . The pump  114  may be used to direct, regulate and/or control the flow of the dose blend  110  from the supply tank  109  to the dosing pump  121  and back to the supply tank  109 . The recirculation system  103  may make use of plug-in fittings that require no tools, according to one embodiment. 
     As noted above, the dose supply tube  116   b  may be operatively and/or fluidly connected or coupled to the dosing pump  121  by any suitable coupling or connector. An exemplary connection assembly is shown in  FIG. 3 . It will be appreciated that this connection assembly is for illustrative purposes only and is not limiting. The dose supply tube  116   b  is connected to the proximal end of a flow tube  300  by a straight fitting  302 . In an embodiment, the flow tube  300  comprises an inner flow tube  308  for flow of the dose supply to the dosing pump and an outer flow tube  306  that at least partially covers the inner flow tube  308 . An exemplary inner flow tube  308  is a ¼″ stainless steel tube and an exemplary outer flow tube  306  is ½″ stainless steel tube. It will be appreciated that any suitable size tube may be used for the inner and outer flow tubes. Preferably, the outer flow tube  306  has a circumference that is larger than the inner flow tube  308  to allow flow of the dose blend between the tubes. It will further be appreciated that any suitable material may be used for the inner and outer flow tubes as well as the connectors including, but not limited to carbon steel or other steel alloys, stainless steel, galvanized steel, copper, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or other polymers. The flow tube  300  is further connected or coupled to the product return tube  117 . In an exemplary embodiment, the flow tube  300  is connected or coupled to the product return tube  117  by a T-fitting. An exemplary T-fitting is a heat exchanger T-fitting. The distal end of the flow tube  300  is connected or coupled to the dosing pump  121  through a suitable connector or plug  310 . This configuration allows the dose blend to flow into the dosing pump  121  or back to the dose blend supply tank  109 . If a bottle is positioned for filling from the dosing pump  121 , the dose blend flows from the product supply tube  116   b  through the inner flow tube  308  and into the dosing pump  121 . If a bottle is not positioned, or not properly positioned, the dose blend may flow from the product supply tube  116   b  through the inner flow tube  308 , into the outer flow tube  306  and to the product return tube  117 . The area at the distal end of the inner flow tube  308  is generally an area of high turbulence and constant flow. 
     The portable dosing assembly  104  preferably includes a mobile stand  120  and a dosing pump  121  fixed on a filler-closure support stand  122 . In one embodiment, the mobile stand moves the pre-filled bottles  124  towards the dosing pump  121  after they convey from a filling machine. The dosing system  121  includes a bottle sensor cable  118  and powers a bottle sensor  123  such as a photo eye. One suitable sensor is available from Allen-Bradley. The sensor  123  detects the presence of a bottle opening  125  before the dosing pump  121  injects micro-doses of the dose blend  110  as an existing conveying system advances a pre-filled bottle  124 . The pre-filled bottles  124  may be filled to nearly 100% (e.g., 99.5% full), according to one embodiment. It will be appreciated that the bottle may be filled more or less depending on the size of the container and/or the amount of dose blend added. According to one embodiment, the dosing pump  121  may make use of a servo controller that uses error-sensing negative feedback to correct and control the position, speed and/or other parameters so that the correct amount of micro-doses are injected into the bottles  124  (such as with the Hibar P series metering pump). It will be appreciated that any volume of micro-dose may be injected depending on the material injected. As an example, the Hibar P series pump is capable of dispensing 0 ml to about 20 ml. It will further be appreciated that the speed of the conveyer will affect the maximum dose size. A conveyer with a lower speed allows for a larger dose while a conveyer with a higher speed allows for a smaller dose. In non-limiting embodiments, the micro dose comprises about 0.1-5 ml of the dose blend. In further embodiments, the micro dose comprises about 0.5-1 ml, about 0.5-5 ml, or about 1-5 ml of the dose blend. The dosed bottles are conveyed via a feed screw to the closure machine (such as a corker or capper). 
     The power controls operation assembly  105  includes a power supply  126 , a compact logics programmable logic controller (PLC)  127 , and/or a human-machine interface (HMI) control panel  128  with an operating and monitoring screen, according to one embodiment. One suitable PLC and HMI control panel may be obtained from Allen Bradley. The power controls operation assembly  105  provides the dosing system  100  with power, electromechanical control and/or a user interface. The PLC  127  provides electromechanical control of the bottle sensor  123  and dosing pump  121  on the assembly line and is generally immune to electronic noise and resistant to vibration and impact. The HMI control panel  128  provides a user interface between the user and the dosing system  100  for controlled operation and monitoring. 
       FIG. 2  further illustrates an exemplary process for micro-dosing individual bottles of the present system, according to one embodiment. A process for micro-dosing individual bottles  200  begins with filling the supply tank with dose blend  201 . In one embodiment, the supply tank is filled manually, via measuring implements from bulk drums, buckets, bags and/or tot bins. The peristaltic pump draws the dose blend from the supply tank  202  through the dose supply tube and delivers it to the dosing pump  203 . Hence, the dosing pump is filled continuously with the dose blend from the supply tank through a connector  119  such as a uniquely designed group of fittings. After the pre-filled bottles convey through a filling machine, the sensor, which is attached to the dosing pump, determines if a bottle opening is detected  204 . If the sensor detects the presence of a bottle opening  204 , the dosing pump injects a micro-dose of colored mica into the bottle  205 . If a bottle opening is not detected, the dose blend flows through the dose return tube back to the supply tank  206  where the process  200  is repeated. This ensures that there is a continuous flow of the homogenous dose blend from the supply tank to the dosing pump so that the dosing pump injects a micro-dose of dose blend into each individual pre-filled bottle whenever the sensor detects a bottle opening. 
       FIG. 4  illustrates a diagram of a micro bottle dosing system  400 , according to one embodiment. The dosing system includes a dosing stand  401 , a mixing tank  402 , a recirculation assembly  403 , a dosing assembly system  404 , and a power controls operation system  405 . The dosing stand  401  may be a stainless steel stand that is about 39.75 inches wide with a depth of 77.75 inches and a height of 67.75 inches, according to one embodiment. It will be appreciated that the dosing stand  401  may be formed of any suitable material such as, but not limited to, metals and plastics. Suitable metals include, but are not limited to stainless steel, carbon steel or other steel alloys, and titanium. It will be appreciated that the dosing stand may be fabricated of more than one material. It will be further appreciated that the dosing stand  401  may be any size and shape suitable for interacting with a bottle conveying system as known in the art. Preferably, the stand is portable so that it may be used with alternate bottle conveying systems and/or at alternate sites. In this embodiment, the base of the dosing stand  401  includes four wheels  406  for rolling the dosing system  400 . The wheels may have locks to secure the stand in the working position. It will be appreciated that the dosing stand  401  may further be positioned on two or more wheels for portability. Where the dosing stand  401  includes two wheels, it will be appreciated that the stand may include separate legs for support. The dosing stand  401  may further include one or more devices to lock the stand in the working position such as, but not limited to, one or more wheel locks. In another embodiment, the dosing stand  401  is compact to aid portability and/or for ease in interacting with the bottle conveying system. The dosing stand  401  may also include at least one hose rack for supporting an umbilical bundle. The umbilical bundle is used for transporting the dose blend  410  and/or for electrical wiring purposes. The umbilical bundle may be any suitable length including, but not limited to, about ten to thirty feet, according to one embodiment. The fluid transport portion of the umbilical bundle comprises fluid connectors to connect the mixing tank  402  to the recirculation system  403 , the recirculation assembly  403  to the dosing assembly system  404 , and the dosing assembly system  404  to the mixing tank  402 . It will be appreciated that the umbilical bundle may not be contiguous, but instead comprise parts for connecting the separate assemblies/systems. 
     The mixing tank  402  is filled with a dose blend and includes at least two sealed ports  412   a ,  412   b  for connecting hoses. The mixing tank  402  is also connected to a tank flash overflow  413  and a check valve  414 . The mixing tank  402  may be any suitable size required for holding a suitable amount of the dose blend. In embodiments, the mixing tank is about a 0.1-25 gallon supply tank. The mixing tank is a 15 gallon tank, according to one specific, but non-limiting, embodiment. In other embodiments, the mixing tank holds about 1-20, about 2-20, about 5-20, about 1-5, about 1-10, about 5-10, about 10-15, or about 10-20 gallons. Suitable tanks may be fabricated by Laciny Bros, Inc. (St. Louis, Mo.) or JVNW, Inc. (Canby, Oreg.). 
     In one non-limiting embodiment, the dose blend is a homogenous suspension of the dose material in a suitable liquid phase. In one non-limiting embodiment, the dose blend includes colored mica particles in a mixture of alcohol, water and/or citric acid. It will be appreciated that the dose blend may be a suspension of other suspended solids in a mixture of other liquids, according to other embodiments. The dose blend may comprise any liquid or material that would require cleaning between use of a filling system. In particular, the dose blend may be any liquid or material that requires extensive or excessive cleaning to remove the material from a filling system before using the system with a further material. In other embodiments, the dose blend may be any liquid or material that would contaminate a further material used in the filling system. The system will be described hereafter with regard to a suspension of colored mica although it will be appreciated that the description is applicable to any suitable dose blend. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , a mixer  414  is attached to the mixing tank  402 . In one embodiment, the mixer  414  includes a mixing funnel assembly  415  that extends into the mixing tank  402 . The mixing funnel assembly  415  mixes ingredients and/or maintains a homogenous mixture for extended times and/or for cleaning the system. The mixer  414  operates at  350  revolutions per minute and has three impellers mounted on the mixing shaft. It will be appreciated that any suitable agitator and/or variable speed motor may be included as part of the tank design and manufacture. The mixing funnel assembly  415  keeps the dose blend in motion by shaking and/or stirring the mixing tank  402  so that the colored mica powder will be continuously and/or homogenously suspended in the dose blend. The mixing funnel assembly  415  may include any motor system that maintains the colored mica particles suspended in the dose blend. 
     The recirculation assembly  403  includes a product pump  416 , such as a peristaltic pump, preferably with a variable speed controlled motor. Suitable pumps are available from Watson-Marlow Pumps. A flow assembly may maintain the mixture flow in such a way that the heavy mica particles are kept in suspension with a sufficient mixture velocity. Higher mixture velocity prevents the particles from settling. Sufficient mixture supply pressure is required to the dosing pump infeed to provide consistent dose volumes in each bottle. This is accomplished with designed maximum clearances and minimum flow velocities to direct, regulate and control, and/or maintain the homogenous mixture flow from the supply tank to the portable dosing assembly and back to the supply tank. 
     The system includes a concentrated dose hose  417 . The concentrated dose hose  417  is connected to the product pump  416  by any suitable means including, but not limited to, a sanitary compression clamp  601  and hose clamp  601 . In another embodiment, the concentrated dose hose  417  is connected to the product pump via an assembly of parts. A first end of the concentrated dose hose  417  transports the dose blend from the mixing tank  402  to the product pump  416  and then the dose blend is transported from the product pump  416  to a servo doser  421 . The product pump  416  draws the dose blend from the mixing tank  402  through the first end of the concentration dose hose and pumps it through the hose in the direction toward the servo doser  421  as shown in the flow direction of the dose blend in  FIG. 1 , according to one embodiment. The product pump  416  may be a peristaltic pump that includes a circular pump casing with a rotor. The rotor includes a number of rollers which are attached to the external circumference to relax and compress the flexible tube in the pump casing. When the flexible tube relaxes, the dose blend is drawn from the mixing tank  402  through the first end of the concentration dose hose  417  and moves to the first pump  416 . When the rotor turns, a portion of the flexible tube compresses and closes to push the dose blend out of the first pump through the hose in the direction towards the servo doser  421 . The product pump  416  may be used to direct, regulate and/or control the flow of the dose blend from the mixing tank  402  to the servo doser  421  and back to the supply tank  402 . The recirculation assembly  403  may make use of plug-in fittings that require no tools, according to one embodiment. 
     As shown in  FIG. 6 , one embodiment couples the concentration dose hose  417  to the product pump  416  with inlet and discharge sanitary compression clamps  601  (suitable sanitary clamps are available from Alpha Laval, Inc. among others and are commonly referred to as Tri-Clover clamps in the trade). Upon a blockage the sanitary compression clamps  601  may be removed without the use of tools to improve speed of repairs. The section of the concentration dose hose  417  that resides within the peristaltic pump casing  416  is subject to additional wear from the flexing action of the rotor. According to one embodiment spare sections of concentration dose hose  417  with sanitary compression fittings  416  pre-attached are available near the system to further speed repairs. 
     As noted above, the concentration dose hose  417  may be operatively and/or fluidly connected or coupled to the servo doser  421  by any suitable coupling or connector. An exemplary connection assembly is shown in  FIG. 6 . It will be appreciated that this connection assembly is for illustrative purposes only and is not limiting. 
     In one embodiment, the servo dosing pump  421  is connected to the mobile stand  101  through a height adjust assembly  707  as shown in  FIG. 7 . The height adjust mechanism allows the servo dosing head distance from the top of the bottle to be adjusted to avoid splash-back and optimize dose timing. The adjustment mechanism utilizes a hand wheel  708  attached to dual miter gears  709 . The miter gears cause rotary motion on threaded shaft  710  which in turn raises or lowers threaded bracket  711 . 
     The mobile stand moves a pre-filled bottle  701  towards the servo doser  421  after they convey from a filling machine. The system includes a sensor having a bottle sensor cable  702  and a bottle sensor reflector  703 . One suitable sensor is available from Allen-Bradley. The sensor detects the position of a bottle opening before the servo doser  421  injects micro-doses of the dose blend as an existing conveying system advances a pre-filled bottle  701 . The pre-filled bottles  701  may be filled to nearly 100% (e.g., 99.5% full), according to one embodiment. It will be appreciated that the bottle may be filled more or less depending on the size of the container and/or the amount of dose blend added. According to one embodiment, the servo doser  421  may make use of a servo controller that uses error-sensing negative feedback to correct and control the position, speed and/or other parameters so that the correct amount of micro-doses are injected into the bottles  701  (such as with the Hibar P series metering pump). It will be appreciated that any volume of micro-dose may be injected depending on the material injected. As an example, the Hibar P series pump is capable of dispensing 0 ml to about 20 ml. It will further be appreciated that the speed of the conveyer will affect the maximum dose size. A conveyer with a lower speed allows for a larger dose while a conveyer with a higher speed allows for a smaller dose. In non-limiting embodiments, the micro dose comprises about 0.1-5 ml of the dose blend. In further embodiments, the micro dose comprises about 0.5-1 ml, about 0.5-5 ml, or about 1-5 ml of the dose blend. The dosed bottles are conveyed via a feed screw to the closure machine (such as a corker or capper). 
     In one embodiment the nozzle  713  design utilizes a uniform orifice with a diameter of about 0.062 Inch. The selection of nozzle diameter and taper are dependent upon the viscosity of the micro dose blend and the viscosity of the liquid in the dosed bottle. When a dose is delivered a smaller orifice will cause the dose to be delivered at a higher pressure which may aid in preventing back splash in liquids near the viscosity of water. In further embodiments, nozzle orifices of about 0.093, 0.125, 0.156 and 0.187 are used to provide the optimum dose profile. 
     According to one embodiment, dripping from the nozzle  713  is limited by creating a minimal suck back on the servo dosing pump  416  after the dose is delivered. When the dose is delivered there is period near the end of the delivery where the servo pump is decelerating, near the end of the deceleration the micro dose no longer has sufficient velocity to escape the nozzle and begins to pool on the surface. Once the servo pump has stopped it will reverse slightly to pull this excess material back into the nozzle to prevent a drip. 
     In one embodiment the dosing head is affixed to a slide assembly  712  as shown in  FIG. 7 . The slide assembly allows the dosing head to retract through the action of a pneumatic cylinder  705  and position the nozzle over a catch basin  704  during periods of inactivity. While inactive, the material that is in the chamber of the dosing pump may begin to separate therefore the dosing pump will periodically eject a dose into the catch basin. The frequency of the dose ejection in one specific but not limiting embodiment is 15 seconds. The position of the slide assembly may be monitored by proximity sensors  706  to ensure proper location position is achieved. 
     In operation it may be required to take samples of the dose blend for analysis or inspection. In one embodiment a sanitary sample valve  603  is included in the concentrator dose return line  417  as shown in  FIG. 6 . The sample valve relieves on the return pressure from the product pump to allow a portion of the return flow to be bled off into a sample container. One such valve is available from Waukesha Cherry-Burrell. 
     The tank may contain a sanitary discharge valve  801  and secondary diaphragm pump  802  that is used for evacuating the system after a production run and sanitizing the system as shown in  FIG. 8 . Suitable sanitary discharge valves are available from ASEPCO and diaphragm pumps are available from Wilden. 
     In another embodiment an optical encoder  901  may be added to the control system to further enhance the accuracy of the dose delivery within the opening of the bottle as shown in  FIG. 9 . The optical encoder may be mounted on the feed screw mechanism conveying the bottle through the micro doser. The encoder will provide a precise position of the bottle relative to the dosing servo pump allowing the micro dosing to occur at higher production rates. 
     According to one embodiment, a process for micro-dosing individual bottles  701  begins with filling the mixing tank  402  with dose blend. In one embodiment, the mixing tank is filled manually, via measuring implements from bulk drums, buckets, bags and/or tot bins. The product pump  416  draws the dose blend from the mixing tank through the concentration dose hose  417  and delivers it to the servo doser  421 . Hence, the servo doser is filled continuously with the dose blend from the mixing tank. After the pre-filled bottles convey through a filling machine, the sensor, which is attached to the dosing pump, determines if a bottle is detected. If the sensor detects the presence of a bottle, the dosing pump injects a micro-dose of colored mica into the bottle  701 . If a bottle is not detected, the dose blend flows through the dose return tube back to the mixing tank  402  where the process is repeated. This ensures that there is a continuous flow of the homogenous dose blend from the supply tank to the dosing pump so that the dosing pump injects a micro-dose of dose blend into each individual pre-filled bottle whenever the sensor detects a bottle. 
     The example embodiments have been described herein above regarding the maintaining of suspended colored mica particles in a mixture in a batching mixing-blending-supply tank, supplying the colored mica mixture via a pumped, agitated recirculation system to a dosing pump, which is used to inject micro doses into moving pre-filled bottles after they convey from a filling machine and prior to bottle closure. Various modifications to and departures from the disclosed example embodiments will occur to those having ordinary skill in the art. For example, mixtures with other suspended solids can be supplied to a dosing pump via a pumped, agitated recirculation system. 
     While a number of exemplary aspects and embodiments have been discussed above, those of skill in the art will recognize certain modifications, permutations, additions and sub-combinations thereof. It is therefore intended that the following appended claims and claims hereafter introduced are interpreted to include all such modifications, permutations, additions and sub-combinations as are within their true spirit and scope.