DESC:FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The invention relates in general to fibre analysis, and more specifically to an improved fibre analysis system which exhibits improved efficiency by sequential reagents processing for Crude Fibre Determination.

BACKGROUND
[0002] The determination of fibre content in food for animal consumption, commonly referred to as crude fibre content, is crucial for evaluating its nutritional value to animals. Crude fibre, also known as plant fibre, plays a pivotal role in animal nutrition, contributing to various health benefits such as lowering cholesterol and blood glucose levels, improving intestinal transit time, stimulating gut flora growth, and alleviating constipation. Given its importance, the analysis of fibre content in every food and feed item is imperative.
[0003] Crude fibre acts as a significant index influencing feed quality and plays a crucial role in the growth process of livestock and poultry. It helps in shortening the time food passes through the digestive tract, enhancing digestive function, and reducing production costs by utilizing feed agricultural products rich in crude fibre. However, crude fibre alone cannot directly provide nutrition to animals; its proportion must be finely balanced to promote animal growth, increase yield, and improve animal quality, highlighting the necessity for accurate measurement.
[0004] The pursuit of understanding food's nutritional content, including dietary fibre, has a rich history dating back to the mid-19th century. Early techniques relied on crude methods, prompting advancements such as the Weende system, which introduced standardized procedures for crude fibre determination. Subsequent advancements in analytical chemistry and instrumentation led to the development of modern Crude Fibre Analyzers.
[0005] Various methods have been developed for fibre analysis in feed and food, including widely accepted techniques such as crude fibre analysis (AOAC method 962.09) and neutral detergent fibre (NDF) and acid detergent fibre (ADF). These methods typically rely on gravimetric procedures and filtration to separate the fibre fraction. The prior arts have introduced filter bags to enhance filtration and enable batch processing, improving efficiency and accuracy. However, existing procedures involve labor-intensive and time-consuming tasks, such as individual handling and filtering, limiting efficiency.
[0006] Conventionally, fibre analysis in laboratories involves manual processes or automated methods with rotating vessel arrangements, both of which have drawbacks such as human errors, energy inefficiency, poor agitation, and equipment wear and tear. Additionally, conventional crude fibre measuring instruments face challenges including sample variability, efficacy of digestion reagents, moisture interference, large equipment footprints, difficulties in liquid addition during boiling, delayed heating of pure water, and instrument calibration. Despite improvements in safety, stability, and simplicity, existing instruments encounter issues like challenging liquid addition and forced use of purified water in low-temperature conditions, leading to test result deviations. Addressing these challenges requires continuous innovation and meticulous attention to detail to ensure the accuracy and reliability of crude fibre analysis in animal feed.
[0007] The current state of the art in fibre analysis requires significant investment in equipment and commitment to labor-intensive procedures. There is a continuing need in this field for a procedure and instrument/system that significantly improves the efficiency of fibre analysis, minimizes equipment investment, and ensures equivalent analysis quality compared to standard procedures. This invention is therefore directed towards providing an improved Fibre Analyser which is relatively simple and is highly effective for its intended purpose.

SUMMARY
[0008] Embodiment of the present disclosure present technological improvements as solutions to one or more of the above-mentioned technical problems recognized by the inventor(s) in conventional systems.
[0009] An object of the present invention is to provide an enhanced fibre analyser for food and feed samples for determining the fibre content in a given food sample.
[0010] Another object of the present invention is to provide an enhanced method and apparatus for crude fibre analysis, offering improved accuracy, efficiency, and reliability, thereby advancing the field of animal nutrition and contributing to animal health and well-being.
[0011] Yet another object of the invention is to provide an enhanced apparatus for crude fibre analysis offering better productivity without consuming much time.
[0012] The fibre analyzer apparatus (100) described in the subject invention comprises a vessel (106) positioned on a base (104) with a conductive top surface and an integrated heater, controlled by a dedicated controller (102). A key feature is the vessel's compatibility with a spacer tray (110), accommodating glass spacers (218) to hold fibre bags (304) containing powdered sample food or feed residue (306). These fibre bags (304), made of fine mesh nylon or similar material, can each hold 1gm to 5gm of residue.
[0013] The vessel (106) is equipped with a lid (112) featuring dosing and condenser ports (114, 116) and a draining mechanism (108). The lid (112) is secured onto the vessel (106) using a clamp (120) and can be linearly displaced as needed via a sliding bush assembly (122) and a stand (124). Additionally, the lid (112) includes an actuating means, preferably a motor (118) and a stirrer (126), to facilitate reagents agitation. The patent also outlines the operation of the analyzer (100) in sequential stages: acidic solution immersion, drainage, water wash, alkaline solution immersion, and final water wash. Each stage involves controlled heating, stirring, and reagents management to process the sample effectively. Once the process is complete, the residue in the fibre bags (304) is dried and weighed to determine crude fibre content.
[0014] These and other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of the invention. It will be appreciated that features of the present disclosure are susceptible to being combined in various combinations without departing from the scope of the present disclosure as defined by the below mentioned detailed description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
[0015] The summary above, as well as the following detailed description of illustrative embodiment, is better understood when read in conjunction with the appended drawings. For the purpose of illustrating the present disclosure, example constructions of the disclosure are shown in the drawings. However, the present disclosure is not limited to specific methods and instrumentalities disclosed herein. Moreover, those in art will understand that the drawings are not to scale. Wherever possible, like elements have been indicated by identical numbers.
[0016] Embodiment of the present disclosure will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the following diagrams wherein:
[0017] Figure 1A and 1B illustrate exploded views of the fibre analyser apparatus in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0018] Figure 2 illustrates an exploded view of a vessel of Figure 1A and 1B, and a spacer, a spacer tray, and an actuating means contained in the vessel in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0019] Figure 3 illustrates a schematic view of the vessel of Figure 2 in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0020] Further the figures depict various embodiments of the present subject matter for purposes of illustration only. One skilled in the art will readily recognize from the following discussion that alternative embodiment of the structures and methods illustrated herein may be employed without departing from the principles of the present subject matter described herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0021] The following detailed description illustrates embodiment of the present disclosure and manners by which they can be implemented. The words "comprising," "having," "containing," and "including," and other forms thereof, are intended to be equivalent in meaning and be open ended in that an item or items following any one of these words is not meant to be an exhaustive listing of such item or items or meant to be limited to only the listed item or items. It must also be noted that as used herein and in the appended claims, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" include plural references unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.
[0022] The person skilled in the art will recognize many variations, alternatives, and modifications of the embodiment of the present disclosure. It should be understood that this invention is not limited to the particular methodology, protocols, and the like, described herein and as such may vary. The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiment only and is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention, which is defined solely by the claims.
[0023] A preferred embodiment of an automatic fibre analyser (100) of the present disclosure for food and feed samples will now be described in detail with reference to Figure 1 to Figure 3. The preferred embodiment does not limit the scope and ambit of the present disclosure. The fibre analyser apparatus (100) is configured to perform analysis of crude fibre in each food or feed content using filter bag approach which attempts to reflect the material that enters the large intestine by removing starch, protein, and fat and obtaining a residue that is then dried and weighed.
[0024] The fibre analyser 100 comprises a vessel (106) seated on a base (104) having a conductive top surface and a heater provided in connection with the top surface. The top surface of the base (104) is configured to receive the vessel (106) thereon to enable heating of the reagents in the vessel (106). Further, the base (104) includes a controller (102) configured to facilitate actuation and deactuation of the analyser (100).
[0025] The fibre analyser (100) includes a vessel (106) configured to be nested in a spacer tray (110). The spacer tray (110) is configured to receive a plurality of glass spacers (218) along the periphery of the vessel (106). The vessel (106) is configured to receive at least 8 spacers (218). Each spacer (218) is configured to receive a fibre bag (304) therein. The fibre bag (304) is a fine mesh bag configured to receive a sample food or feed residue (306) therein. The fibre bag (304) is of nylon or a cloth of similar kind. The mesh size of the fibre bag (304) ranges from 30 microns to 80 microns. Each bag (304) is configured to receive 1gm to 5gm of powdered sample food or feed residue (306).
[0026] The vessel (106) is coupled with a lid (112) having a pair of ports (114,116) configured thereon. A first port (114) of the pair of ports, is configured to act as a dosing funnel to allow passage of the reagents (302) therethrough. A second port (116) of the pair of ports, includes a condenser configured to facilitate fumes to escape therethrough as well as to maintain the volume of the reagents. A draining means (108) is also configured on the vessel (106). The draining means (108) includes a stopper, or a valve configured to facilitate drainage of the reagents. The lid (112) is configured to be coupled/rest on the vessel (106) with the help of a clamp (120). The lid (112) is adapted to be configured to displace linearly as required with the help of a sliding bush assembly (122) provided on a stand (124) extending from the base (104). The lid (112) is further provided with an actuating means. In an embodiment, the actuating means includes a motor (118) provided on the lid (112) and a stirrer (126) extending from the motor (118).
[0027] Figure 2 and 3 illustrates an exploded view of a vessel (106). The motor shaft (202) includes a motor coupler (204) having a plurality of first pair of engagement teeth (206) that are coupled to the plurality of second pair of engagement teeth (208) on stirrer coupler (210) when the lid (112) is dropped down to the vessel (106). The stirrer (126) includes a plurality of blades (214) that acts as a radial turbine when the stirrer (126) is rotated in the reagents (302), to create a turbulent flow of the reagents in the vessel (106). The tip (216) of the stirrer (126) is configured to rest on the base (104) of the spacer tray (110).
[0028] The vessel (106) along with the spacer tray (110) having fibre bags (304) housed in glass spacers (218) is placed on the heater. In a working configuration of the analyser (100), the vessel (106) is configured to work in four stages. The vessel (106) is configured to receive a plurality of reagents therein in a sequential order. In the first stage, the acidic solution is introduced in the vessel (106) till the immersion of the sample food and feed in the acidic solution. The acidic solution is heated and stirred for a predetermined period. The reagent is heated for about 25-30 mins. In the second stage, the reagent is drained out from the drainage port. Hot Water is introduced to wash off any remnants of the acidic solution from the vessel (106) and maintain the pH of the sample food or feed by switching off the heater and switching on the stirrer for 5 min. The water is drained out after completing 2 cycles of washing process.
[0029] In the third stage, the alkaline solution is introduced in the vessel till the immersion of the sample food and feed in the alkaline solution. The alkaline solution is heated and stirred for a predetermined period. The reagent is heated for about 25-30 mins. In the fourth stage, the reagent is drained out from the drainage port. Hot Water is introduced to wash off any remnants of the alkaline solution from the vessel (106) and maintain the pH of the sample food or feed by switching off the heater and switching on the stirrer for 5 min. The water is drained out after completing 2 cycles of washing process. After that the Lid is opened and spacer tray is removed from the vessel. Next step includes Drying, burning and weighing the residue remaining in the fibre bags (304) to determine crude fibre content.
[0030] A person skilled in the art will recognize many variations, alternatives, and modifications of the embodiment of the present disclosure. Continuous trials are being performed to get the desired best result for the invention. This apparatus is not limited to the analysis of crude fibre for animals, it can be used for analyzing plant samples and for spices also.
[0031] The present invention has both technical as well as economic significance with respect to the conventional fibre analyzers. The analyser (100) helps in reducing the manpower required and increases productivity to perform the analysis while compared to the conventional manual method. The overall time required for performing the analysis is significantly reduced due to movement of water by the stirrer rather than movement of the spacers, as done in conventional analysers. This reduction in the overall time is directly proportional to the efficiency of the analyser (100), which is hence comparatively better than conventional analysers. Also, since the agitation is achieved through a stirrer, the mass required to rotate is less, thereby achieving a better overall efficiency and a better agitation.
[0032] While a particular embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, modifications thereof will readily occur to those skilled in the art. It is understood that the various embodiment, details and composition of the fibre analyser described above and illustrated in the attached drawings may be interchanged among the various embodiment while remaining within the scope of the invention. Additionally, it is understood that various modifications could be made to any of the elements described herein above while remaining within the scope of the invention.
,CLAIMS:We Claim:
1. A fibre analyser apparatus (100) for the analysis of crude fibre content in food or feed samples, comprising:
a base (104) having a conductive top surface and a heater provided in connection with the top surface, wherein a vessel (106) is seated on the said base (104) to enable heating of reagents (302) in the said vessel (106);
a spacer tray (110) configured to nest within the said vessel (106) and receive a plurality of glass spacers (218) along the periphery of the said vessel (106), wherein each spacer (218) is configured to receive a fibre bag (304) containing sample food or feed residue (306);
a lid (112) is coupled to the said vessel (106) through a coupling mechanism wherein the said lid (112) has a first port (114) and a second port (116) for reagents introduction and fume escape, respectively.
an actuating means (118) provided on the lid (112) to facilitate agitation within the vessel (106);
a draining means (108) configured on the vessel (106) to facilitate drainage of reagents from the vessel (106); and
a controller (102) integrated into the base (104) to facilitate actuation and deactuation of the analyser (100);

2. The fibre analyser apparatus (100) of claim 1, wherein a first port (114) acts as a dosing funnel for reagents like acidic solution, alkaline solution, and water.

3. The fibre analyser apparatus (100) of claim 1, wherein the second port (116) acts as a condenser configured to facilitate fumes to escape therethrough as well as to maintain the volume of the reagents.

4. The fibre analyser apparatus (100) of claim 1, wherein the spacer tray (110) is configured to receive atleast 8 glass spacers (218).

5. The fibre analyser apparatus (100) of claim 1, wherein the said actuating means comprises a motor (188) and a stirrer (126) provided on the lid (112), the said stirrer (126) includes blades (214) acting as a radial turbine to create turbulent flow within the vessel (106).

6. The fibre analyser apparatus (100) of claim 1, wherein the coupling mechanism comprises of a motor shaft (202) that includes a motor coupler (204) having a plurality of engagement teeth (206) coupled to the plurality of engagement teeth (208) on a stirrer coupler (210) when the lid (112) is dropped down to the vessel (106)

7. The fibre analyser apparatus (100) of claim 1, wherein the fibre bags (304) are made of nylon or a similar cloth material.

8. The fibre analyser apparatus (100) of claim 1, wherein the said drainage means (108) comprises a valve for facilitating drainage of reagents.

9. A method for analysing crude fibre content in food or feed samples (306) using the fibre analyser apparatus (100) of claim 1, comprising:
a. Introduction of acidic solution into the vessel (106) containing sample food or feed residue;
b. Heating and stirring the acidic solution for a predetermined period;
c. Draining the acidic solution and washing the vessel (106) with hot water;
d. Introducing alkaline solution into the vessel (106) containing sample food or feed residue;
e. Heating and stirring the alkaline solution for a predetermined period;
f. Draining the alkaline solution and washing the vessel (106) with hot water; and
g. Drying, burning and weighing the residue remaining in the fibre bags (304) to determine crude fibre content.

Dated this 23rd Day of May 2023
BOROSIL TECHNOLOGIES LIMITED
By their Agent & Attorney

(Adheesh Nargolkar)
of Khaitan & Co
Reg No IN-PA-1086