WO2008096233A1 - Egg candling facility and method with examination of the blood system of fertilised eggs - Google Patents

Egg candling facility and method with examination of the blood system of fertilised eggs Download PDF

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WO2008096233A1
WO2008096233A1 PCT/IB2008/000253 IB2008000253W WO2008096233A1 WO 2008096233 A1 WO2008096233 A1 WO 2008096233A1 IB 2008000253 W IB2008000253 W IB 2008000253W WO 2008096233 A1 WO2008096233 A1 WO 2008096233A1
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eggs
egg
examination
visiometry
embryos
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WO2008096233B1 (en
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Pierre Robert
Olivier Somville
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Visio Nerf
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Publication of WO2008096233B1 publication Critical patent/WO2008096233B1/en

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    • G—PHYSICS
    • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01N—INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
    • G01N33/00—Investigating or analysing materials by specific methods not covered by groups G01N1/00 - G01N31/00
    • G01N33/02—Food
    • G01N33/08—Eggs, e.g. by candling
    • G01N33/085—Eggs, e.g. by candling by candling

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  • the present invention relates to industrial poultry egg examination techniques which it is agreed to include in the concept of candling eggs.
  • Egg mirage techniques are commonly applied in poultry farming, where they are used, for example, by visiometric examination of eggs, to determine a characteristic state of each, particularly of a physiological order, according to predefined criteria.
  • the invention is more particularly concerned with the examination of eggs during the growth of embryos in fertilized eggs. It aims to improve the conditions and performance of such examinations, including the reliability of the examination results and the nature of the information on the condition of the eggs that can be apprehended. In its preferred modes of implementation, it is advantageously applied to the examination of eggs during incubation, allowing to detect much earlier than other currently known and practiced techniques, the fertilization status of the eggs. eggs individually, and to ascertain on each one to what extent there is present there an embryo having reached a stage of evolution suitable for a predetermined application to which it is normally intended.
  • the invention proposes to perform the mirage of the eggs under conditions allowing the visualization of the blood vessels of the embryos. It advantageously provides for this to examine the eggs under illumination by a green light beam which is focused inside the egg, behind the shell.
  • a green light beam which is focused inside the egg, behind the shell.
  • the subject of the invention is in particular a method for monitoring the incubation of egg batches, particularly in the context of the industrial production of poultry, characterized in that at an early stage of the growth of the embryos, one submits said batch of eggs to a visiometry examination performed under conditions appropriate to the visualization of the blood vessels present in the living embryos.
  • an egg candling installation which is characterized in that, in a set comprising, in a conventional manner, means for driving the eggs, advantageously maintained in the cells of transport lockers, to scroll in rows successive in a visiometry station, it comprises means for illuminating each egg of each current row in said visiometry station by a green light beam focused inside the egg, beyond the shell, in front of a light-sensitive digital image capture camera emanating from each egg thus subjected to illumination, as well as means for automatic processing of the obtained image signals exploiting these signals in visualization of the blood vessels present in the living embryos.
  • the candling of eggs is carried out on the eggs arranged in rows and columns in the cells of lockers which are trained to scroll one after the other through a visiometry post where each egg is brought to intercept a light beam so that we can detect the influence that each egg exerts on the beam that hits it and deduce a characteristic state of the egg.
  • the eggs are examined row by row by means of a series of light-emitting diodes and a series of associated sensors, advantageously of the charge-coupled type and integrated in a CCD camera, which are sensitive to the re-transmitted light from the egg, as it results in particular from an attenuated transmission of the incident light.
  • Fertilized eggs are selected to be directed to incubators and hatchers or to serve as a culture medium for microorganism strains, particularly in the manufacture of vaccines. The most common examination for this purpose takes place, for example in chicken eggs, about ten days from the beginning of incubation of the eggs.
  • the facility developed in accordance with the present invention has the particularity, according to its preferred embodiment for industrial application, to use lighting of each egg subjected to examination by a beam produced by a laser light emitter in the range. of frequencies of the green color.
  • a laser light emitter in the range. of frequencies of the green color.
  • the beam is very directional and that it is easy to ensure very precise focusing of the incident light sent to each egg.
  • the green light it has the advantage of being absorbed by the red blood of the blood vessels present in the fertilized eggs, which makes it a good indicator of contrast. for the detection of blood vessels.
  • the detection of blood vessels takes place at an early stage of egg incubation process, possibly earlier than the "classic examination in white light.
  • the blood vessels in brisk eggs can already be validly detected, without waiting for 10-12 days as is generally considered necessary at present.
  • Sensitivity to blood vessels more precisely in opaqueness contrast between the vessels in which blood flows from the and bottom optics of the liquid zone of the egg, and the detection of these vessels, their density, their location, their distribution, with comparative evaluation against reference values, makes it possible to meet various needs of industrial practice in poultry farming.
  • the reference values in question will have been established in advance by calibration, by operating on sample batches of animals of the same breed and eggs fertilized at the same stage of growth of the embryo.
  • Detection of dead embryos relative to well-living embryos is another major application of the present invention. While the early determination of sex is relevant to the destination of the chick once hatched, and thus serves to distribute the eggs at the end of the incubation to a lot or other for the hatcheries, the distinction between eggs with no embryo or death and live embryo eggs are more directly relevant to the course of incubation.
  • the subject of the invention is therefore a method of monitoring the incubation of batches of eggs, in particular in the context of the industrial production of poultry, characterized in that at a predetermined stage of the growth of the embryos, said batch of eggs is subjected to a visiometry examination performed under conditions suitable for the visualization of the blood vessels present in the living embryos.
  • the visiometry station comprises a digital image capture camera in green light whose operation is controlled in synchronism with laser diodes sending a beam of green light individually to each of the eggs of the row being processed. The same operations are repeated for each row of successive eggs in scrolling, each at its passage in front of a corresponding row of illumination diodes.
  • the eggs are lit from below and examined by transparency, the camera being placed above them. It is advantageous to operate thus when the examination is carried out at a very early stage of incubation, for example within 4-5 days of the beginning of incubation for chicken eggs. On the other hand, a backscatter examination is preferable when operating at a less early stage, for example at 10-1 1 day of incubation in chicken eggs, since the liquid zone of the eggs has become considerably more opaque between time.
  • the illumination is advantageously carried out from above, the light beam being directed towards the upper part of the egg, then occupied by a chamber full of air.
  • the beam is focused beyond the shell as in the previous case, but this time at the level of this tube.
  • the camera is also located above the egg transport plane, preferably so as to view the eggs at an angle to the vertical of the current row, so that it collects a backscatter image corresponding to the light. returned from the relatively thin liquid zone surrounding the inner tube.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Food Science & Technology (AREA)
  • Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
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  • Medicinal Chemistry (AREA)
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Abstract

The invention relates to an egg candling facility and method in which the blood system of fertilised eggs is examined. The invention is used in particular to monitor poultry eggs during incubation, for which purpose the eggs are candled at an early stage of incubation under lighting conditions and image capture conditions that enable the blood vessels in the living embryos to be viewed. The lighting is preferably provided by a green laser light beam focused beyond the shell of each egg.

Description

PROCEDE ET INSTALLATION DE MIRAGE DES OEUFS AVEC EXAMEN DU RESEAU SANGUIN DES OEUFS FECONDES METHOD AND INSTALLATION OF EGG MIRAGE WITH EXAMINATION OF THE BLOOD NETWORK OF THE FERTILIZED EGGS
La présente invention concerne les techniques industrielles d'examen d'œufs de volailles qu'il est convenu d'englober dans la notion de mirage des œufs. Les techniques de mirage des œufs sont couramment appliquées en aviculture, où elles servent notamment, par un examen visiométrique des œufs, à déterminer un état caractéristique de chacun, notamment d'ordre physiologique, en fonction de critères prédéfinis.The present invention relates to industrial poultry egg examination techniques which it is agreed to include in the concept of candling eggs. Egg mirage techniques are commonly applied in poultry farming, where they are used, for example, by visiometric examination of eggs, to determine a characteristic state of each, particularly of a physiological order, according to predefined criteria.
Parmi ces techniques, l'invention s'intéresse plus particulièrement à l'examen des œufs au cours de la croissance des embryons dans des œufs fécondés. Elle vise à améliorer les conditions et performances des examens de ce type, notamment dans la fiabilité des résultats de l'examen et dans la nature des renseignements que l'on peut appréhender concernant l'état des œufs. Dans ses modes de mise en œuvre préférées, elle s'applique avec avantage à l'examen des œufs en cours d'incubation, en permettant de détecter beaucoup plus tôt que d'autres techniques actuellement connues et pratiquées, l'état de fécondation des œufs individuellement, et de vérifier sur chacun dans quelle mesure il y est présent un embryon ayant atteint un stade d'évolution convenable pour une application prédéterminée à laquelle il est normalement destiné.Among these techniques, the invention is more particularly concerned with the examination of eggs during the growth of embryos in fertilized eggs. It aims to improve the conditions and performance of such examinations, including the reliability of the examination results and the nature of the information on the condition of the eggs that can be apprehended. In its preferred modes of implementation, it is advantageously applied to the examination of eggs during incubation, allowing to detect much earlier than other currently known and practiced techniques, the fertilization status of the eggs. eggs individually, and to ascertain on each one to what extent there is present there an embryo having reached a stage of evolution suitable for a predetermined application to which it is normally intended.
Dans un tel contexte, l'invention propose de réaliser le mirage des oeufs dans des conditions permettant la visualisation des vaisseaux sanguins des embryons. Elle prévoit avantageusement pour cela d'examiner les oeufs sous illumination par un faisceau de lumière de couleur verte qui est focalisé à l'intérieur de l'oeuf, derrière la coquille. Parmi ses applications préférées, il figure la sélection des oeufs destinés à constituer le milieu de culture de souches de micro-organismes, notamment dans la production industrielle de vaccins, ou la sélection des oeufs destinés à poursuivre la procédure d'incubation jusqu'à livraison des oeufs à des éclosoirs où naissent les poussins, où encore la sélection des oeufs à orienter vers la production de poulets pour consommation alimentaire ou vers la production de poules pondeuses en fonction du sexe de l'embryon dont la présence a été vérifiée dans chaque oeuf.In such a context, the invention proposes to perform the mirage of the eggs under conditions allowing the visualization of the blood vessels of the embryos. It advantageously provides for this to examine the eggs under illumination by a green light beam which is focused inside the egg, behind the shell. Among its preferred applications is the selection of eggs intended to constitute the culture medium of strains of microorganisms, especially in the industrial production of vaccines, or the selection of eggs intended to continue the incubation procedure until delivery. from eggs to hatcheries where chicks are born, where still the selection of eggs to to direct the production of chickens for food consumption or to the production of laying hens according to the sex of the embryo whose presence has been verified in each egg.
L'invention a en particulier pour objet un procédé de suivi de l'incubation de lots d'oeufs, notamment dans le cadre de la production industrielle de volailles, caractérisé en ce qu'à un stade précoce de la croissance des embryons, on soumet ledit lot d'oeufs à un examen de visiométrie effectué dans des conditions appropriées à la visualisation des vaisseaux sanguins présents dans les embryons en vie.The subject of the invention is in particular a method for monitoring the incubation of egg batches, particularly in the context of the industrial production of poultry, characterized in that at an early stage of the growth of the embryos, one submits said batch of eggs to a visiometry examination performed under conditions appropriate to the visualization of the blood vessels present in the living embryos.
Elle a également pour objet une installation de mirage des oeufs qui se caractérise en ce que, dans un ensemble comportant, de manière en soi classique, des moyens pour entraîner les oeufs, avantageusement maintenus dans les alvéoles de casiers de transport, à défiler par rangées successives dans un poste de visiométrie, elle comporte des moyens d'illumination de chaque oeuf de chaque rangée en cours dans ledit poste de visiométrie par un faisceau de lumière verte focalisé à l'intérieur de l'oeuf, au-delà de la coquille, devant une caméra de saisie d'images numériques sensible à la lumière émanant de chaque oeuf ainsi soumis à illumination , ainsi que des moyens de traitement automatique des signaux d'images obtenus exploitant ces signaux en visualisation des vaisseaux sanguins présents dans les embryons en vie.It also relates to an egg candling installation which is characterized in that, in a set comprising, in a conventional manner, means for driving the eggs, advantageously maintained in the cells of transport lockers, to scroll in rows successive in a visiometry station, it comprises means for illuminating each egg of each current row in said visiometry station by a green light beam focused inside the egg, beyond the shell, in front of a light-sensitive digital image capture camera emanating from each egg thus subjected to illumination, as well as means for automatic processing of the obtained image signals exploiting these signals in visualization of the blood vessels present in the living embryos.
Pour ceux de ses éléments qui sont connus en eux-mêmes dans les techniques de mirage des oeufs, une installation suivant l'invention peut être réalisée notamment comme il est décrit dans le brevet français 97 11 668, la demande internationale de brevet WO 99/14589, ou le brevet français 06 00 018, ou encore comme il est décrit dans des demandes de brevet plus récentes de VisioNerf, telles celles qui portent les numéros 05 13 252 ou 06 00 018. Il n'apparaît donc pas nécessaire d'en reprendre ici le détail .For those of its elements which are known in themselves in the techniques of candling eggs, an installation according to the invention can be carried out in particular as described in the French patent 97 11 668, the international patent application WO 99 / 14589, or the French patent 06 00 018, or as described in more recent patent applications of VisioNerf, such as those bearing the numbers 05 13 252 or 06 00 018. It therefore does not appear necessary to repeat here the detail.
Dans son principe, le mirage des oeufs s'y effectue sur les oeufs disposés en rangées et colonnes dans les alvéoles de casiers qui sont entraînés à défiler l'un après l'autre à travers un poste dit de visiométrie où chaque oeuf est amené à intercepter un faisceau lumineux de manière que l'on puisse détecter l'influence que chaque oeuf exerce sur le faisceau qui le frappe et en déduire un état caractéristique de l'oeuf. Les oeufs sont examinés rangée par rangée au moyen d'une série de diodes électro-luminescentes et d'une série de capteurs associés, avantageusement du type à couplage de charge et intégrés dans une caméra CCD, qui sont sensibles à la lumière ré-émise depuis l'oeuf, telle qu'elle résulte notamment d'une transmission atténuée de la lumière incidente.In principle, the candling of eggs is carried out on the eggs arranged in rows and columns in the cells of lockers which are trained to scroll one after the other through a visiometry post where each egg is brought to intercept a light beam so that we can detect the influence that each egg exerts on the beam that hits it and deduce a characteristic state of the egg. The eggs are examined row by row by means of a series of light-emitting diodes and a series of associated sensors, advantageously of the charge-coupled type and integrated in a CCD camera, which are sensitive to the re-transmitted light from the egg, as it results in particular from an attenuated transmission of the incident light.
C'est ainsi que l'on sait distinguer notamment les oeufs qui ont été fécondés de ceux qui ne le sont pas. Les oeufs non fécondés, ou "oeufs clairs", ne sont plus guère utiles que pour le commerce alimentaire. Les oeufs fécondés sont sélectionnés pour être orientés vers les incubateurs et éclosoirs ou pour servir en milieu de culture de souches de micro-organismes, en particulier dans la fabrication de vaccins. L'examen le plus courant dans ce but se déroule, par exemple chez les oeufs de poule, à une dizaine de jours du début de la mise en incubation des oeufs.This is how we can distinguish between eggs that have been fertilized and those that are not. Unfertilized eggs, or "clear eggs", are hardly any more useful than for the food trade. Fertilized eggs are selected to be directed to incubators and hatchers or to serve as a culture medium for microorganism strains, particularly in the manufacture of vaccines. The most common examination for this purpose takes place, for example in chicken eggs, about ten days from the beginning of incubation of the eggs.
L'installation mise au point conformément à la présente invention a pour particularité, suivant son mode de réalisation préféré pour application industrielle, de faire appel à un éclairage de chaque oeuf soumis à examen par un faisceau produit par un émetteur laser en lumière dans la gamme de fréquences de la couleur verte. En avantage de la lumière laser on exploite le fait que le faisceau est très directif et que l'on peut aisément assurer une focalisation très précise de la lumière incidente envoyée à chaque oeuf. Quant à la lumière verte, elle a l'intérêt d'être absorbée par le sang rouge des vaisseaux sanguins présents dans les oeufs fécondés, ce qui en fait un bon révélateur de contraste . pour la détection des vaisseaux sanguins.The facility developed in accordance with the present invention has the particularity, according to its preferred embodiment for industrial application, to use lighting of each egg subjected to examination by a beam produced by a laser light emitter in the range. of frequencies of the green color. In advantage of the laser light, it is exploited that the beam is very directional and that it is easy to ensure very precise focusing of the incident light sent to each egg. As for the green light, it has the advantage of being absorbed by the red blood of the blood vessels present in the fertilized eggs, which makes it a good indicator of contrast. for the detection of blood vessels.
Conformément au procédé suivant l'invention, cette détection des vaisseaux sanguins a lieu à un stade précoce du processus d'incubation des oeufs, éventuellement plus précoce que " l'examen classique en lumière blanche. En opérant par exemple à 4- ou 5 jours du début d'incubation chez des oeufs de poule, on peut déjà repérer valablement les vaisseaux sanguins dans les oeufs embrypnnés, sans attendre les 1 0-12 jours comme on l'estime généralement nécessaire actuellement.In accordance with the method of the invention, the detection of blood vessels takes place at an early stage of egg incubation process, possibly earlier than the "classic examination in white light. By operating for example 4- or 5 days from the beginning of incubation in chicken eggs, the blood vessels in brisk eggs can already be validly detected, without waiting for 10-12 days as is generally considered necessary at present.
La sensibilité aux vaisseaux sanguins, plus exactement au contraste d'opacité entre les vaisseaux où circule du sang et le fond' optique de la zone liquide de l'oeuf, et la détection de ces vaisseaux, de leur densité, de leur localisation, de leur répartition, avec évaluation comparative par rapport à des valeurs de référence, permet de satisfaire à divers besoins de la pratique industrielle en aviculture. En général , les valeurs de référence en question auront été établies au préalable par étalonnage, en opérant sur des lots échantillon d'animaux de la même race et des oeufs fécondés au même stade de croissance de l'embryon .Sensitivity to blood vessels, more precisely in opaqueness contrast between the vessels in which blood flows from the and bottom optics of the liquid zone of the egg, and the detection of these vessels, their density, their location, their distribution, with comparative evaluation against reference values, makes it possible to meet various needs of industrial practice in poultry farming. In general, the reference values in question will have been established in advance by calibration, by operating on sample batches of animals of the same breed and eggs fertilized at the same stage of growth of the embryo.
Suivant un premier type d'application de l'invention, celle- ci conduit à détecter le sexe de l'embryon considéré d'après la cartographie de l'image des vaisseaux obtenue. C'est ainsi que Von peut notamment, avant l'éclosion et même, le cas échéant, à un stade précoce de l'incubation, orienter sélectivement les oeufs à embryon femelle vers la production de poules pondeuses et orienter sélectivement les oeufs à embryon mâle vers la production de poulets.According to a first type of application of the invention, this leads to detecting the gender of the embryo considered from the mapping of the image of the vessels obtained. Thus, it is possible, in particular, before hatching and even, where appropriate, at an early stage of incubation, to selectively orient the eggs with a female embryo towards the production of laying hens and to selectively orient the eggs with male embryos. to the production of chickens.
Au cours d'un traitement informatique opérant automatiquement sur les images numériques, celles qui sont saisies et exploitées pour la détermination du sexe, ou des images saisies de manière décalée sur le même oeuf, on peut aussi détecter si l'embryon est mort ou mourant pour l'éliminer du circuit d'incubation avant le moment de l'éclosion.During computer processing that automatically works on digital images, those that are captured and used for sex determination, or images that are staggered on the same egg, it is also possible to detect whether the embryo is dead or dying. to remove it from the incubation circuit before the time of hatching.
La détection des embryons morts par rapport aux embryons bien en vie représente un autre grand type d'application de la présente invention . Alors que la détermination précoce du sexe intéresse la destination du poussin une- fois éclos, et qu'elle sert donc à répartir les oeufs en fin d'incubation vers un lot ou un autre pour les éclosoirs, la distinction entre oeufs à embryon inexistant ou mort et oeufs à embryon vivant intéresse plus directement le cours de l'incubation.Detection of dead embryos relative to well-living embryos is another major application of the present invention. While the early determination of sex is relevant to the destination of the chick once hatched, and thus serves to distribute the eggs at the end of the incubation to a lot or other for the hatcheries, the distinction between eggs with no embryo or death and live embryo eggs are more directly relevant to the course of incubation.
Elle permet non seulement d'écarter du circuit d'incubation les oeufs devenus inutiles pour éclosion, donc de mieux rentabiliser les incubateurs et de mieux cerner le taux de fertilité pour chaque lot d'oeufs vendu vers un éclosoir, mais aussi de pouvoir récupérer des oeufs non fécondés ou à embryon mort à temps pour qu'ils soient encore utiles à l'industrie, par exemple en alimentation animale ou pour la confection d'aliments préparés à partir de poudre d'oeuf, en opérant à un stade précoce de la croissance en incubateur. Et en opérant au contraire à un stade tardif de l'incubation, on peut avantageusement éliminer les oeufs à embryon mort ou mourant pour éviter de les envoyer à l'éclosoir et de perturber les conditions d'éclosion, avec les risques de pollution du milieu d'éclosion et l'insécurité sur le taux final de fertilité qui en résultent.It not only makes it possible to exclude from the incubation circuit the eggs that have become useless for hatching, so to make the incubators more profitable and to better determine the fertility rate for each batch of eggs sold to a hatcher, but also to be able to recover the eggs. unfertilized eggs or embryos dead in time for them to be still useful to the industry, for example in animal feed or for the preparation of food prepared from egg powder, operating at an early stage of the production process. growth in incubator. And by operating on the contrary at a late stage of the incubation, it is advantageously possible to eliminate dead or dying embryo eggs to avoid sending them to the hatcher and to disturb the hatching conditions, with the risks of pollution of the environment. outbreak and insecurity on the resulting final fertility rate.
Suivant l'un de ses aspects, l'invention a donc pour objet un procédé de suivi de l'incubation de lots d'oeufs, notamment dans le cadre de la production industrielle de volailles, caractérisé en ce qu'à un stade prédéterminé de la croissance des embryons, on soumet ledit lot d'oeufs à un examen de visiométrie effectué dans des conditions appropriées à la visualisation des vaisseaux sanguins présents dans les embryons en vie.According to one of its aspects, the subject of the invention is therefore a method of monitoring the incubation of batches of eggs, in particular in the context of the industrial production of poultry, characterized in that at a predetermined stage of the growth of the embryos, said batch of eggs is subjected to a visiometry examination performed under conditions suitable for the visualization of the blood vessels present in the living embryos.
Quant au poste de visiométrie, il comporte une caméra de saisie d'images numériques en lumière verte dont le fonctionnement est commandé en synchronisme avec des diodes laser envoyant un faisceau de lumière verte individuellement vers chacun des oeufs de la rangée en cours de traitement. Les mêmes opérations sont répétées pour chacune des rangées d'oeufs successives en défilement, chacune à son passage devant une rangée correspondante de diodes d'illumination.As for the visiometry station, it comprises a digital image capture camera in green light whose operation is controlled in synchronism with laser diodes sending a beam of green light individually to each of the eggs of the row being processed. The same operations are repeated for each row of successive eggs in scrolling, each at its passage in front of a corresponding row of illumination diodes.
De préférence, les oeufs sont éclairés par en dessous et examinés par transparence, la caméra étant placée au-dessus d'eux. On a intérêt à opérer ainsi quand l'examen est réalisé à un stade très précoce de l'incubation, par exemple dans les 4-5 jours du début d'incubation pour des oeufs de poule. Un examen par rétrodiffusion est par contre préférable quand on opère à un stade moins précoce, par exemple à 10-1 1 jours d'incubation chez les oeufs de poule, dans la mesure où la zone liquide des oeufs est devenue nettement plus opaque entre-temps.Preferably, the eggs are lit from below and examined by transparency, the camera being placed above them. It is advantageous to operate thus when the examination is carried out at a very early stage of incubation, for example within 4-5 days of the beginning of incubation for chicken eggs. On the other hand, a backscatter examination is preferable when operating at a less early stage, for example at 10-1 1 day of incubation in chicken eggs, since the liquid zone of the eggs has become considerably more opaque between time.
Pour un examen par rétrodiffusion, l'illumination s'effectue avantageusement par le dessus, le faisceau lumineux étant dirigé vers la partie supérieure de l'oeuf, alors occupée par une chambre pleine d'air. Le faisceau est focalisé au-delà de la coquille comme dans le cas précédent, mais cette fois au niveau de cette chambre à air. La caméra est également située au-dessus du plan de transport des oeufs, de préférence de manière à voir les oeufs en biais par rapport à la verticale de la rangée en cours, de sorte qu'elle recueille une image de rétrodiffusion correspondant à la lumière renvoyée depuis la zone liquide d'épaisseur relativement faible qui entoure la chambre à air.For backscatter examination, the illumination is advantageously carried out from above, the light beam being directed towards the upper part of the egg, then occupied by a chamber full of air. The beam is focused beyond the shell as in the previous case, but this time at the level of this tube. The camera is also located above the egg transport plane, preferably so as to view the eggs at an angle to the vertical of the current row, so that it collects a backscatter image corresponding to the light. returned from the relatively thin liquid zone surrounding the inner tube.
Que l'examen des oeufs par visiométrie ait lieu par transparence ou par rétrodiffusion, l'atténuation différentielle de la lumière verte à la traversée des vaisseaux sanguins contenant du sang frais permet de visualiser ces vaisseaux sur les images saisies. Whether the examination of eggs by visiometry takes place by transparency or by backscattering, the differential attenuation of green light at the crossing of the blood vessels containing fresh blood makes it possible to visualize these vessels on the captured images.

Claims

R E V E N D I C A T I O N S
1. Procédé de suivi de l'incubation de lots d'oeufs, notamment dans le cadre de la production i ndustriel le de volai l les, caractérisé en ce qu'à un stade prédétermi né de la croissance des embryons, on soumet ledit lot d'oeufs à un examen de visiométrie effectué dans des conditions appropri ées à la visualisation des vaisseaux sanguins présents dans les embryons en vie.1. Method for monitoring the incubation of egg batches, in particular in the context of industrial production of poultry, characterized in that at a predetermined stage of the growth of the embryos, said batch is subjected to of eggs to a visiometry examination performed under conditions appropriate to the visualization of the blood vessels present in living embryos.
2. Procédé suivant la revendi cati on 1 , caractérisé en ce que l edit examen de visiométrie est effectué sous éclai rage de lumière verte.2. Process according to claim 1, characterized in that the visiometry examination is carried out under illumination of green light.
3. Procédé selon la revendication 1 ou 2, caractérisé en ce que ledit examen de visiométrie est effectué pour chaque oeuf sous éclai rage par un faisceau de lumière laser.3. Method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said visiometry examination is performed for each egg under illumination by a laser light beam.
4. Procédé selon la revendication 1 ou 2, caractérisé en ce que l edit examen de visiométrie est effectué pour chaque oeuf sous éclai rage par un faisceau de lumière laser de couleur verte qui est focalisé à l'intérieur de l'oeuf.4. Method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the visiometry examination is performed for each egg under illumination by a green laser light beam which is focused inside the egg.
5. Installation de mirage des oeufs caractérisée en ce que, dans un ensemble comportant des moyens pour faire défiler les oeufs par rangées successives dans un poste de visiométri e, elle comporte des moyens d'illumination de chaque oeuf de chaque rangée en cours dans ledit poste de visiométrie par un faisceau de lumière verte focalisé à l'intérieur de l'oeuf, au-delà de la coquill e, devant une caméra de saisi e d'i mages numériques sensible à la lumière émanant de chaque oeuf ainsi soumis à illumination, ainsi que des moyens de traitement automatique des signaux d'i mages obtenus exploitant ces signaux en visualisation des vaisseaux sanguins présents dans les embryons en vie. 5. Apparatus for mirage eggs characterized in that, in a set comprising means for scrolling the eggs in successive rows in a visiometric station e, it comprises means for illuminating each egg of each row current in said visiometry station by a beam of green light focused inside the egg, beyond the shell, in front of a seized camera and digital images sensitive to light emanating from each egg thus subjected to illumination , as well as means for automatically processing the image signals obtained using these signals in visualizing the blood vessels present in the living embryos.
PCT/IB2008/000253 2007-02-06 2008-02-06 Egg candling facility and method with examination of the blood system of fertilised eggs WO2008096233A1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
FR07/00844 2007-02-06
FR0700844A FR2912217A1 (en) 2007-02-06 2007-02-06 METHOD AND INSTALLATION OF EGG MIRAGE WITH EXAMINATION OF THE BLOOD NETWORK OF THE FERTILIZED EGGS

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WO2008096233A1 true WO2008096233A1 (en) 2008-08-14
WO2008096233B1 WO2008096233B1 (en) 2008-10-02

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FR2935051B1 (en) * 2008-08-13 2014-08-22 Egg Chick Automated Technologies EGYPING METHOD AND CORRESPONDING DEVICE

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WO2008096233B1 (en) 2008-10-02

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