PATENT CLAIM ANALYSIS

Application Number: 16214548
Application Type: Utility
Filing Date: 2018-12
Publication Date: 2019-04
Patent Classification: ["426", "041000"]

Abstract:
A method for preparing a modified whey protein concentrate (WPC) or whey protein isolate (WPI) is described. It involves (a) providing an aqueous WPC or WPI solution having a protein concentration of 15-50% (w/v), at a pH of 4.7-8.5; (b) heat treating the solution to more than 50 DEG C for a time that allows protein denaturation to occur; the heat treating comprising heating the solution while under conditions of turbulent flow. At the end of the heat treatment, the heat treated material may be promptly transferred to a drier or to be mixed with other ingredients. The heat-treated WPC or WPI is not subjected to a mechanical shear process prior to the transfer other than where liquid is converted into droplets to facilitate drying. The modified WPC is useful in the manufacture of food and drinks where a high protein content is desired without undesirable changes in texture.

Claim (Index 36):
A method for preparing a mixture comprising a liquid whey protein concentrate (WPC) or whey protein isolate (WPI), comprising:\n (a) providing an aqueous WPC or WPI solution having a protein concentration of 15-50% (w/v), at a pH of between 5.5 and 8.5; (b) pressurizing the provided aqueous solution into a flow path; (c) heat treating the pressurized solution to more than 50\u00b0 C., for a time that allows protein denaturation to occur, said time being less than about 120 s; the heat treating comprising heating the solution while under conditions of turbulent flow with a Reynold's number of at least 500 and wherein the volume weighted mean particle size D[4,3] of the whey protein particles in the pressurized solution is less than about 10 \u03bcm and the pressurized solution is not subjected to a mechanical shear process to break up particles within the solution; and (d) at the end of the heat treatment,\n either (i) transferring the heat treated material directly to a mixer to be mixed with at least one other ingredients, including at least one of the group consisting of milk, skim milk, fat, a carbohydrate, milk retentate, or skim milk retentate, or (ii) transferring the heat treated material promptly to a drier and drying the heat treated WPC or WPI; \n wherein the heat-treated WPC or WPI is not subjected to a mechanical shear process to break up particles within the solution prior to either the optional drying step or the optional mixing step other than a mechanical shear wherein liquid is converted into droplets to facilitate drying.

Metadata:
- Claim Count in Document: 59.0
- Percentile: 98.0
- Lexical Diversity: 1.69
- Patent Class: 426.0
- Transitional Phrase Type: open
- Component Type: 1
- Foreign Priority: True
- Related Applications: ['10149339', '12294038', '14355803', '14337085', '10070406']

Analysis Scores:
- 35 USC 101 Eligibility (BERT): 0.7275378984927495
- 35 USC 102 Novelty (BERT): 0.5124535295526785
- Combined Prediction Score: 0.7060294615987425
- Mean Citation Score: 274.678628
- Max Citation Score: 285.65283
- Similarity Product: 199.9314212153256

Labels:
- Claim Label 101: 1
- Claim Label 102: 1
- Claim Label 103: 0
- Claim Label 112: 1
- Combined Label: 1
- Label 101 Adjusted: 1

Dataset: test