Cutting/portioning using combined x-ray and optical scanning

A method for processing food items to cut and remove undesirable components from the food items and/or to portion the food items while the food items are being conveyed on a conveyor system, the method comprising:

• (a) conveying the food items on an upstream conveyor section of the conveyor system;
• (b) scanning the food items on the upstream conveyor section with an X-ray scanner to ascertain physical parameters of the food items, the physical parameters comprising a first data set corresponding to shape and/or size parameters of the food items and the location(s) of the undesirable components of the food items to be removed therefrom;
• (c) transferring the food items to a downstream conveyor section of the conveyor system positioned downstream of the upstream conveyor section for further conveyance of the food items;
• (d) scanning the food items on the downstream conveyor section with an optical scanner to ascertain physical parameters of the food items comprising the location of the food items on the downstream conveyor section and size and/or shape parameters of the food items on the downstream conveyor section, at least some of the physical parameters represented by a second data set corresponding to the size and/or shape of the food items;
• (e) using a processor for:
• receiving the first and second data sets;
• comparing portions of the first data set from the X-ray scanner with the second data set from the optical scanner;
• and
• optionally performing translations of the first data set onto the second data set, such translations including one or more of:
• (i) directional translation of the food items;
• (ii) rotational translation of the food items;
• (iii) scaling the size of the food items;
• (iv) shear distortion of the food items;
• locating the undesirable components on the translated food items and/or determining how to portion the translated food items;
• and
• (f) cutting the food item to remove the undesirable components and/or portioning the food items.

A system for processing food items to cut and remove undesirable components from the food items and/or to portion the food items while the food items are being conveyed on a conveyor system, the system comprising:

• (a) a conveyor system comprising an upstream conveyor section for conveying the food items;
• (b) an X-ray scanner positioned at the upstream conveyor section for scanning the food items on the upstream conveyor section to ascertain physical parameters of the food items comprising the location(s) of the undesirable components to be removed from the food items, the ascertained physical parameters represented by a first data set corresponding to the food items and to the location(s) of the undesirable components of the food items;
• (c) the conveyor system comprising a downstream conveyor section positioned downstream of the upstream conveyor section for receiving the food items previously conveyed by the upstream conveyor section and for further conveying the food items;
• (d) a first optical scanner positioned at the downstream conveyor section for scanning the food items on the downstream conveyor section to ascertain physical parameters of the food items comprising the location of the food items on the downstream conveyor section and size and/or shape parameters of the food items on the downstream conveyor section, at least some of the ascertained physical parameters represented by a second data set corresponding to the size and/or shape of the food items;
• (e) a second optical scanner positioned at the upstream conveyor section for scanning the food items on the upstream conveyor section to ascertain physical parameters of the food items comprising size and/or shape parameters of the food items and optionally the location(s) of undesirable components to be removed from the food items, the ascertained physical parameters represented by a third data set corresponding to the size and/or shape of the food items and optionally to the location(s) of the undesirable components of the food items;
• (f) one or more cutters for cutting the food item to remove the undesirable food item components and/or portioning the food item;
• (g) a processor configured for:
• receiving the first, second and third data sets;
• comparing the second data set from the first optical scanner with the third data set from the second optical scanner;
• and
• optionally performing translations of the third data set onto the second data set, such translations including one or more of;
• (i) directional translation of the food item;
• (ii) rotational translation of the food item;
• (iii) scaling the size of the food item;
• (iv) shear distortion of the food item.
• locating the undesirable components on the translated food item and/or determining how to portion the translated food item;
• and
• controlling the one or more cutters for cutting the translated food item to remove the undesirable components and/or portioning the translated food item.