Optical Property Measurement for Non-Medical Applications

A novel approach to measuring optical properties of various materials, extending the core technology of medical devices to new industries, including food quality monitoring, cut flower freshness evaluation, water contamination detection, fruit ripeness monitoring, and textile quality assessment.

The original patent focused on medical devices for measuring tissue properties. However, the limitations of the original patent lie in its restricted application to medical fields. The new inventive concept addresses this limitation by applying the core technology to various non-medical industries, providing a novel solution for measuring optical properties in these fields.

The new inventive concept comprises a light-guiding cone, an image sensor, and a processing unit. The light-guiding cone is configured to direct light onto a material of interest, measuring its optical properties. The image sensor captures images based on the measured optical properties, and the processing unit analyzes these images to determine the quality, freshness, or contamination of the material. This concept can be applied to various industries, such as food quality monitoring, cut flower freshness evaluation, water contamination detection, fruit ripeness monitoring, and textile quality assessment.

The new claims introduce a novel application of the core technology to non-medical industries, providing an inventive step beyond the original patent's medical focus. The combination of the light-guiding cone, image sensor, and processing unit to measure optical properties in various materials constitutes a new and non-obvious concept.

Alternative embodiments of the inventive concept may include varying the design of the light-guiding cone, using different types of image sensors, or incorporating additional components to enhance the accuracy of the measurements. Variations of the concept could also involve adapting the system for use in other industries, such as pharmaceuticals or cosmetics.

The new inventive concept has significant commercial potential in various industries, including food quality monitoring, agriculture, water treatment, and textile manufacturing. The market for optical property measurement systems in these industries is substantial, with potential applications in quality control, product development, and supply chain management.