Texas Instruments Introduces Real-Time Sensor for Food & Beverage
Texas Instruments (Dallas) has introduced its new Spreeta technology which, when combined with a TI digital signal processor (DSP), allows real-time, on-site sensing and control in applications that include food and beverage processing. This type of distributed electronic sensing enables new quality control applications and could change testing methods from analyzing suspect samples in a central lab to real-time inspection.
A surface plasmon resonance sensor integrates all the features needed for real-time, direct sensing of chemical and biological substances. In a single electronic component smaller than a matchbox, the technology combines multiple semiconductor technologies, including an integral CMOS (complementary metal oxide semiconductor) chip for signal quantification. When coupled with a DSP (specialized integrated circuits that are often 10 times faster or more than general-purpose microprocessors) in a measurement product, the sensor solution can provide immediate measurement and analysis in any setting, such as on the factory floor. With the proper encoding, the sensor can effectively detect properties such as sweetness and poor quality, and specific substances ranging from proteins to explosives. "The real-time processing capability of DSPs, coupled with our unique Spreeta technology, will allow food and beverage processors, as well as vendors, to more effectively monitor their product quality and make immediate adjustments at the first sign of a quality issue," said Rick Carr, Strategic Business Manager for Analytical Sensors at Texas Instruments and an inventor of the core technology.
Food and Beverage Applications
Spreeta technology represents a new solution to the problem of detecting contaminants in food. The specificity and sensitivity of the sensor components coupled with its connectivity provide a method for rapid screening to detect pathogenic and chemical contaminants in food products, for example, measuring the quality of cooking oil in deep fryers.For carbonated soft drinks, the sensor components can be used to detect and control the concentration of carbonated water and syrup.
The same technology can monitor the processing of wine and beer. Electronic monitoring of the sugar concentration during the brewing and fermentation processes can provide process control necessary for a quality product each time. The technology can also be used to monitor fruit juices for contaminates and milk for antibiotics or hormones.
Evaluation Kits
Texas Instruments offers a complete miniature integrated surface plasmon resonance (SPR) evaluation kit that includes a liquid sensor and all the components needed to interface the sensor to a PC: sensor control box, sensor cable, serial communications cable and software. Also supplied is a flow cell.
The evaluation kit features a comprehensive Windows program that allows maximum sensor versatility and advanced data analysis algorithms. The kit comes complete and ready to use.
Flow Cell Assembly
Side plates are clamped directly onto the Spreeta Sensor. The Fluidic as sembly is bolted to the side plates. The Flow Cell Channel is formed in the Gasket material and is 2mm x 10mm x <0.5mm. (This dimension depends on the degree of compression of the gasket material.) Fluidic connections are based on the fact that a teflon tube of a given diameter forms a leak-free slip-fit when inserted into a smaller hole in a teflon block.
In addition, a black box has been provided that can be used to house the Flow Cell Assembly and block ambient light. Spreeta distributed analytical sensor applications can be licensed from TI and the agreement tailored to each customer's specific application. Texas Instruments provides DSP and mixed signal/analog technologies to more than 30,000 customers in the computer, wireless communications, networking, Internet, consumer, digital motor control and mass storage markets worldwide.
For more information contact Texas Instruments Inc., Semiconductor Group, Literature Response Center, P.O. Box 172228, Denver, CO 80217. Tel: 800-477-8924, ext. 4500.