Method and Apparatus for Rapid Fat Content Determination

A method of rapidly and accurately determining the fat and oil content of a sample that also contains moisture in amounts that would otherwise preclude NMR determination of the fat and oil content, the method comprising:

• placing the sample on a sample pad that is substantially transparent to microwave radiation and that is free of atoms that would interfere with or mask the NMR response of the protons in the fats and oils in the sample;
• weighing the sample and the sample pad;
• thereafter drying the sample by subjecting the sample and sample pad to electromagnetic radiation in the microwave frequencies;
• transferring the entire sample and sample pad to an NMR analyzer;
• measuring the NMR response of the sample to identify the NMR response of protons associated with fats and oils;
• comparing the NMR response of the sample with the known NMR responses of similar samples of known fat and oil content to determine the fat and oil content in the sample;
• and
• quantitatively determining the fat and oil content in the sample prior to drying.

A method of rapidly and accurately determining the fat and oil content of a plurality of samples that also contain moisture in amounts that would otherwise preclude NMR determination of the fat and oil content, the method comprising:

• weighing a first sample;
• drying the first sample by subjecting the sample to electromagnetic radiation in the microwave frequencies;
• transferring the entire first sample to an NMR analyzer;
• measuring the NMR response of the first sample to identify the NMR response of protons in the sample that are associated with fats and oils;
• comparing the NMR response of the first sample with the known NMR responses of similar samples of known fat and oil content to determine the fat and oil content in the sample;
• and
• repeating the above steps for a second sample.

(Amended) An apparatus for rapidly and accurately determining the fat and oil content of moisture-containing samples, the apparatus comprising:

• a sample pad for receiving a sample containing fat and oil that is substantially transparent to microwave radiation and is free of atoms that would provide a chemical shift that would interfere with or mask the chemical shift of the protons in the fats and oils in the sample;
• a source of microwave radiation for drying the sample;
• a cavity in wave communication with said source of microwave radiation for receiving the sample and said sample pad;
• a balance with at least its pan in said cavity for weighing the sample and said sample pad;
• and
• a proton pulse NMR analyzer for determining the proton pulse NMR relaxation of the sample and said sample pad.

(Amended) An apparatus for rapidly and accurately determining the fat and oil content of moisture-containing samples, the apparatus comprising:

• a sample pad for receiving a sample containing fat and oil that is substantially transparent to microwave radiation and is free of atoms that would provide a chemical shift that would interfere with or mask the chemical shift of the protons in the fats and oils in the sample;
• a source of microwave radiation for drying said sample, said source being driven by a resonant inverter for adjustably supplying power to said source of microwave radiation;
• a cavity in wave communication with said source of microwave radiation for receiving said sample and said sample pad;
• a balance with at least its pan situated within said cavity for weighing said sample and said sample pad;
• a proton pulse NMR analyzer for determining the proton pulse NMR relaxation of said sample and said sample pad;
• and
• a processor for quantitatively assessing the fat and oil and moisture components of the sample prior to drying of the sample.