MXPA99009199A - Somatic cell analyser - Google Patents

Abstract

An on-line somatic cell analyser and a method for measuring a somatic cell count (SCC) are provided. A flow cell is connected to a milking hose and admits a constant volume of sampled milk into the flow chamber. A probe with two electrodes is positioned in a zone of optimal sensing inside the flow chamber, and provides a modulated signal according to the number of sodium ions present in the sample. A control unit receives the modulated signal, generates an ion count, and compares same with a plurality of SCC thresholds for classifying the sample in a quality category. A set of parameters characterizing the respective quality category, as well as the presence of mastitis in the animal, are finally displayed.

Description

SOMATIC CELL ANALYZER DEVICE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION.

Field of the invention The present invention relates in general to the analysis of milk quality, and in particular to a somatic cell analyzer device, fully integrated in line.

Description of the prior art.

The main cause of loss in the dairy industry is an infection, known as mastitis, that occurs in the animal's udder. Mastitis is caused by contagious pathogens that invade the udder and produce toxins that are harmful to the mammary glands. In general, mastitis begins in a quarter. Somatic cells, predominantly white cells and epithelial cells, enter the mammary gland as a result of damage to the lining upon violation by infection or chemical irritation. The counting of the somatic cells extracted in the milk becomes a widely used measure of the inflammation of the mammary gland. Somatic cells can be counted by a laborious microscopic, direct method, in stained milk spots or cell numbers can also be estimated by direct chemical tests. Other methods indirectly measure somatic milk cells or by determining the concentration of the various byproducts of the inflammatory response. The somatic cell count (SCC), which is the number of white cells per milliliter of milk, is increased in the volumetric tank as mastitis spreads in the herd. SCC scores are used as an international standard in determining the quality and price of milk. Most market organizations and regional authorities regularly measure the SCC in volumetric tank milk and use these scores for penalty deductions and / or incentive payments. The high SCC scores indicate the presence of mastitis in the herd and is reflected in the average volumetric tank score. The SCC of the volumetric tank is a good indicator of the overall health of the udder and a good means to evaluate the control program. mastitis. There is also a high correlation between SCC of volumetric milk and the average of individual animal counts. It is not uncommon for a few problem animals to be responsible for more than 50% of the somatic cells in the volumetric tank, particularly in small flocks. It should be noted that animals with high milk production and intermediate SCC levels may have a significantly higher percentage of SCC contribution to tank score than some high SCC cows with low production. For high quality milk, the SCC should be less than 200,000 cells / ml. Acceptable milk has SCC scores of 200,000 to 500,000 cells / ml. For infected animals, SCC scores of milk are between 600,000 to 1.2M cells / ml. When an animal in the herd becomes infected with infectious pathogens, a rapid drop in milk production will be noted in the space of 2 or 3 days. A high level of bacteria in an animal causes an increased level of somatic cells in the milk. "An increased level of somatic cells in milk gives Ppr result in poor quality dairy products that are more difficult to process.Approximately 80% of the losses attributed to a clinical episode include the disposal of non-salable milk and a decreased production of milk. The additional losses are incurred by the farmer, such as premature rejection and the costs of replacement heifers or veterinary services and the cost of the drugs.The estimated loss is "184 US dollars per episode. Only in the United States of America, it is pointed out that more than 1 billion US dollars is lost due to mastitis. Procedures for prevention of milk production are less efficient especially when mastitis is in a subclinical phase and there are no visible signs of disease, special efforts have been made in each milk production to detect clinical mastitis in individual animals, before they become clinical episodes. Milk production is also affected by the presence of environmental pathogens of mastitis in animals. - In general, less than 10% of the quarters in a herd are infected with environmental pathogens of mastitis. Environmental mastitis causes a decrease in milk production, but not only at a medium level, where the SCC is between 350,000"to 500,000 cells / ml.Statically, the risk factor for an animal with environmental pathogens of The mastitis obtains infectious mastitis toxins is 60% .The composition of the milk was influenced by many factors such as soil, food and water.It can also vary during milking, during the day and with the season. Milk and sodium ions that passively transport from secretory cells to milk are more common in milk, chloride ions are also found in milk, but they have a higher concentration in the animal's blood and extracellular fluids than in milk. The concentration of potassium ions is relatively lower in milk and the concentrations of sodium and chloride ions are relatively high.Martitis has a marked effect in the composition of milk. In general, the ionic concentration in mastitic milk is higher than in normal milk. The electrical conductivity is higher in mastitic milk than in normal milk. In normal milk, the electrical conductivity is approximately 3.1 iliSiemens / cm. An electrical conductivity of the milk of approximately 3.3 mS / cm indicates an infected quarter. The increase in electrical conductivity is due to an increase in the concentration of sodium and chloride ions. Mastitis is correctly detected by measuring changes in the electric conductivity of milk. The electrical conductivity is generally measured with a DC or AC circuit that has a probe placed in the milk flow. The most sensitive part of this online method is the probe. The probe generally includes two electrodes to which an AC or DC current is supplied to create an electrical circuit through the milk. The conductivity of the milk is evaluated to measure the current variations in the set of circuits included in the probe. However, the readings are often inaccurate, due to deposits of colloidal materials in the milk at the electrodes and also due to polarization. Polarization occurs because some of the ions that move towards the electrodes are not neutralized and, consequently, a misalignment or leakage current between the electrodes is generated. The presence of the leakage current results in inaccurate conductivity readings. U.S. Patent No. 3,762,371 issued to Joshua Creer 'Quayle et al. in 1973, describes an apparatus and a method to compare the inductance of liquid currents to detect mastitis. In this patent, the suction tits that couple the cup of a milking appliance have a hemispherical chamber provided with four conductivity measuring cells. Each measuring cell includes a spiral. The spirals induce currents in the milk stream from a quarter. The spirals are placed on the arms of a four-arm electric bridge that is balanced before the test. The induced currents change the impedance of the spiral, depending on the electrical conductivity of the milk. An inequilibrium of the bridge during the test is due to variations in the conductivity of the milk. However, the system described in the aforementioned patent is somewhat complicated and not suitable for online measurements. In addition, the system is based on the projection that mastitis occurs first in a room, and mastitis that occurs simultaneously in two or more rooms can not be detected. ~ United States Patent No. 5, 416,417 issued to Eli Peles in 1995, describes a method for determining the onset of mastitis by comparing the electrical conductivity of milk from an individual animal in milking with an average conductivity value previously recorded for the same animal. The average value corresponds to readings made during a predetermined period of time ^ A deviation between the measured electrical conductivity and the average value is determined at least_ once a day. Deviations of approximately 15% are considered as an indication of the onset of mastitis. This method does not provide an exact indication about the type of mastitis or the degree of infection. U.S. Patent No. 5, "302,903 issued to Hendrik J. De Jong in 1994, describes a flow-through mastitis detector comprising two electrodes positioned at the bottom of a measuring chamber.The electrodes have a handle with a large head protruding inside the measuring chamber, above, and flush with the bottom surface, to avoid the formation of areas where bacterial colonies may develop This detector is not placed in an area of optimal perception. The flow of milk is discontinued and obstructed by the measuring chamber, and milk fat / protein can accumulate. * around the electrodes causing current leakage. It can also be difficult to clean the detector. Accordingly, there is a need for an improved somatic cell analyzer device, online.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a milk analyzer device that mitigates totally or in part the disadvantages of the prior art. It is another object of the present invention to provide an apparatus and method for counting the somatic cells present in milk and for determining the amount of milk according to international standards.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a device and a method for measuring a reliable, specific parameter in the composition of the milk that gives a reliable SCC online. It is still another object of the present invention to provide an accurate indicator of SCC capable of discriminating between an alpha SCC score recorded during the initial stage, for subclinical mastitis due to infectious pathogens, and the same high SCC score recorded over a period of time. prolonged time, for clinical mastitis due to environmental pathogens. According to one aspect of the invention, a somatic cell analyzer device is provided online. A "flow cell that has an inlet, an outlet and a flow chamber are connected to the milking hose and admits a constant liquid under test in the flow chamber." A probe with two electrodes is placed inside the flow chamber in an area of optimal perception and provides a signal modulated according to the number of sodium ions present in the sample The analyzer device comprises a detection means for providing an ion detection signal representing the number of sodium ions in the sample and to generate an ion account. "A means of control for receiving the ion count and for comparing it with a plurality of quality thresholds and for classifying the sample into a quality category is also provided. Finally, a set of parameters characterizing the respective category of quality are displayed, In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a method is provided for the online measurement of the somatic cells present in the milk, comprising the steps of inserting a flow cell in the milk flow to provide a sample, measure an ion detection signal that represents the number of sodium ions in the sample, measure an ion count based on the ion detection signal, convert the real-time SCC ion count, and compare real-time SCC with a plurality of SCC thresholds to classify milk into a quality category The present invention provides an easy-to-use online somatic cell analyzer device by a farmer, who exhibits SCC scores that are international standards for evaluating the quality of milk.The device of the present invention can be Open at very low cost.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The present invention will be better understood from the following description with reference to the drawings, where: Figure 1A is a graph that graphs the SCC against detections of sodium ions in the case of infectious mastitis; Figure IB is a graph that graphs the SCC against the detections of sodium ions in the case of environmental mastitis; Figure 1C is a calibration chart of sodium-SCC ion detections used by the somatic cell analyzer device of the present invention; Figure 2 is a block diagram of the somatic cell analyzer device of the present invention; Figure 3A is a sectional view of parts of the flow cell of the present invention; Figure 3B is a schematic diagram of the analyzer device, with the flow cell connected to a milking line; Figure 4 is a sectional, longitudinal view of the flow cell of Figure 3A along lines 4-4"of Figure 3A; Figure 5 is a cross sectional view of the flow cell throughout of line 5-5 'of Figure 3A: Figure 6 is an illustrative view of the sequences displayed by "the analyzer device in the milk quality operation mode; and Figure 7 is an illustrative view of a sequence displayed by the analyzer when it is adjusted for both milk quality and milk production modes of operation.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED MODALITY.

Milk has electrolytic properties.

The number of sodium ions in milk chemistry seems to be the most reliable indicator of mastitis. First, the number of sodium ions is highly compared to the number of any other ion present in milk and therefore, sodium ions can be counted more accurately. Second, the number of sodium-ions is not affected by other factors that impact the conductivity of the milk, except somatic cells. In addition, variations in the conductivity of milk can give, with proper calibration, variations in the number of somatic cells in milk. Based on this direct dependency, the present invention measures the conductivity of a constant volume of milk and exhibits an SCC score. General and special tests were designed to test selected samples of milk with and without sodium ions. The results of more than 2000 milkings were used to calibrate the somatic cell analyzer device of the present invention, by transforming the milk conductivity variations into a number of sodium ion detections, and then correlating a somatic cell count to number of detections of sodium ions. Based on the experimental work and the laboratory tests, a method and a somatic cell analyzer device have been developed to count the sodium jie ions present in the milk, the analyzer device that is calibrated to directly display the number of somatic cells / ml of milk according to the number of sodium ions detected.

Case 1: Infectious mastitis.

Figure 1A is an experimental graph illustrating the relationship between the number of sodium ions detected in the milk, shown in the abscissa, and the SCC scores shown in the milking. The chart includes results from animals that developed infectious mastitis, and the data were shown during a one-week interval. The word "animal" refers to any animal that produces milk. The graph shows that an increase in sodium ions in milk is directly related to a rapid increase in the number of somatic cells, which is characteristic of infectious mastitis present in an animal. The line pi, at p6 interpolates the experimental results shown at the discrete points pa a p6. This graph shows how infectious mastitis develops, generally in less than a week.

Infectious mastitis causes an increase in the number of sodium ions and a corresponding increase in the number of somatic cells in milk. The increase in somatic cells is combined with a substantial decrease in milk production. As such, when the SCC reaches the level of positive 400,000 cells / ml in a short period of time, the animal must be isolated and antibiotic treatment is required.

Case 2: Environmental mastitis Environmental mastitis develops over a period of 10 days to 4 months. Experiments show that ^ in the case of environmental mastitis, the increase in the density of sodium ions in milk is less dramatic in comparison in infectious cases. The SCC, is practically constant to positive 300,000 cells / ml during a prolonged period of time. This is partly due to the fact that milk production does not decrease as much as in infectious cases. As shown in Figure IB, the detections of sodium ions are in excess of 2,000 in section p7 = p8, but the SCC falls below the level of 400,000 cells / ml. Despite the small SCC scores, when an animal presents more than 2,000 detections of sodium over a prolonged period, it requires special attention to determine the cause of the high sodium ion count. It can be caused by a scarce water pond, an infection of the paw, pneumonia or E-coli bacteria that generally spread on hot summer days. In any case, the sodium ions account will decrease when improving sanitary conditions only, without using antibiotics.

Calibration protocol In practice, accurate measurement of SCC scores is not critical. Therefore, the present invention proposes the use of several levels of significant SCC scores, as shown in the stepped graph of Figure 1C. The two different Pi-pe and 7-Ps sections of the graph in Figure 1C help identify when an animal is infected with mastitis, how -lf Severe is the infection, and what kind of pathogens have been introduced into the udder. The graph of Figure 1C also illustrates how the somatic cell analyzer device is calibrated. Each SCC score is characteristic of a milk qualityT The seven scores of SCCs exhibited by the analyzer device were selected for the reasons set forth below: "-200,000 cells / ml" denotes an uninfected animal with less than 200,000 cells / ml and corresponds to a dot pa shown in Figures 1A and = 1C. An SCC score of -200,000 cells / ml exhibited for the pi point indicates the absence of sodium ions in the milk and a very low number of somatic cells in the milk. This milk would qualify for a prize. "+225,000 cells / ml" denotes an animal with more than 200,000 cells / ml and corresponds to the p2 point shown in Figures 1A and 1C. This animal should be observed closely and supervised. "300,000 cells / ml" corresponds to the points p3 shown in figures 1A and 1C and p? shown in Figures IB and 1C. This score can be associated with mastitis either infectious or environmental, depending on the number of sodium ions detected and also taking into account the length of time for the animal to reach and maintain this SCC. "+500,000 cells / ml" is the level of Canadian rejection of somatic cells and corresponds to the p point shown in Figures 1A and 1 C. This milk should be discarded. "+750,000 cells / ml" is the level of North American rejection of somatic cells and corresponds to the p5 point shown in Figures 1A and 1Cf. "+ 1,000,000 cells / ml" is used more for the laboratory test and corresponds to the p6 point shown in Figures 1A and 1C. At this level the composition of the milk is visibly altered. Six thresholds of sodium ion detections corresponding to the SCC scores identified above have been determined experimentally. The detection thresholds for sodium are 0; 10; 40; 500; 1,100; and 2,000 respectively. An additional score of this SCC • "+300,000 cells / ml ENV MAS", section P7-P8 of figures IB and 1C, is identified with environmental mastitis. An SCC score of +300,000 cells / ml associated with a number of detections of sodium ions in excess of 2,000 is relevant for animals with clinical environmental mastitis. The seven SCCs and the related thresholds are shown in table 1 for easy reference.

Table 1 The following is a description of the mode of the invention. Figure 2 is a block diagram of a fully integrated, in-line, somatic cell analyzer device 10 of the present invention. The device 10 comprises a power supply (not shown), a control unit 40, a sodium ion detector 50 and a crystallization screen 60. Figure 2 also shows a flow cell 20 connected to the milk circuit for continuous sampling of the milk, as will be detailed in conjunction with Figures 3A, 3B, 4 and 5. The sodium ion detector 50 comprises a probe 30 that fits into a plastic support and is placed inside the cell. flow 20. Probe 30 has two electrodes 25 and 26, in direct contact with milk, and is biased with a signal provided by oscillator 51 on wire 16. Oscillator 51 applies alternating current with determined voltage and frequency to the probe 30. It has been determined through experiments that a peak-to-peak signal of 5 V at 4.92 Khz. , is optimal for variations of perception ^ of the impedance between electrodes 25 and 26. In the operation, the impedance between electrodes 25-and 26 varies due to variations in the conductivity of the liquid. Therefore, the signal received from the oscillator 51 is modulated by the zone 30 in accordance with the milk conductivity between the electrodes 25 and 26. An input of a differential amplifier 56 is connected to the probe 30 on the line 18, so as to receive the modulated signal, and the other input receives a fixed reference voltage (Vref) • The differential amplifier 56, compares the modulated signal with the reference voltage Vref and produces an ion detection signal each time the modulated signal is greater than Vref. A counter 58, connected to the output of the differential amplifier 56, enters during the period when the ion signal is present, and produces a variable count signal (V accounts). The counter 58 measures the percentage of time "ON" during the which the modulated signal remains higher than Vref and increases the V count every 10 msec. The Vref is selected to give a Vccount = 0 for milk with less than 200,000 cells / ml and it is assumed that in this case no sodium ions are detected by zone 30. Counter 58 is set to zero before detector 50 begins sampling. ~ The control unit 40 receives the signal Find And convert it to a weight to be displayed on the display screen 60. The control unit 40 controls the operation of the detector 50, compares the counter count 58 with the sodium ion detection thresholds corresponding to each section p ^. - p1 +? of the graph of Figure 1C, and provides an SCC score to the display screen 60. As described above with Figures 6 and 7, the control unit 40 also receives information from a milk weight detector 45 that provides data that read the composition of milk. The control unit 40 has two modes of operation specifically the milk quality mode, = where the SCC scores are displayed, and the milk production mode, where the milk production parameters are displayed. The body of the animal can act as a large capacitor causing a voltage difference between the ground of the stable and the ground of device 10. This difference can be from 1 to 3 volts, varying from stable to stable, and can cause contamination of the electrode. The optocouplers 53-55 are provided to isolate the sensing circuit 50 from the power source The galvanic isolation of the sodium ion detector 50 reduces the deflection current and increases the accuracy of the measurement A thermistor is also embedded 42 in a plastic holder and placed inside the flow cell 20, close to the probe 30. The thermistor 42 is connected to the control unit 40 through a wire 15, to provide constantly to the unit 40 with online measurements of milk temperature The temperature is updated once every second and rounded to the nearest 0.5 ° C when it is displayed The monitoring of the temperature in the milking is an important parameter for the decision to handle of the herd because it allows detecting animals that are infected or under tension, and take appropriate action Figure 3A is a view with separation of parts of the flow cell 20, showing an left tad 21 and a right half 22. It is to be understood that the left half 21 and the right half 22 are defined in relation to the view of figure 3A. The position d_e the flow cell during sampling is irrelevant. When the left and right halves are assembled, the portion 27 'of the left half 21 and the portion 27"' of the right half 22 form a frustoconical flow chamber 27 shown in Fig. 4 in further detail. defined by a large base wall 29, a side wall 31, and a small base that forms an outlet 23. An inlet 24 is provided in the right half 22 to receive the milk along an X-X 'axis, as indicated by the arrow A. The probe 30 is placed inside the chamber 27 on the opposite side of the side wall 31 with respect to the inlet 24. The portion 23 'of the left half 21 and the portion 23"of the right half 22 form, when assembled, the cylindrical outlet 23 which defines the axis YY ". The milk is discharged from the flow cell 20 through the outlet 23, as indicated by the arrow B. Figure 3B shows the device 10 and the flow cell 20 connected to the milk circuit. In general, the milk pipe 70 travels along the milking stall parallel to the vacuum line 72. Modern stables are also provided with an alternating current of 24 volts AC (not shown) to supply power to the cups 74"Coupling of Tits" suction Coupling cups 74 are attached to line 70 with a hook 76 or the like, provided with a handle 78 for moving cups 74 in and out of the milking position Hook 76 also supports the analyzer device 10 at a height suitable for readability When the device 10 of the present invention is not used, the "coupling cups 74 are connected to the pipe _70 by a milking hose 11. When using the analyzer device 10, the flow cell 20 is inserted between the milking hose 11 and the pipe 70 when connecting the milking pipe 11 to the inlet pipe 24 and a pipe insertion hose 80 is provided between the outlet 23 and the pipe 70. preferentially, insertion hose 80 is permanently attached to outlet 23. The inner diameter of tubes 24 and 23 is a standard 5/8 inch, while the outer diameter is 7/8 inch, to adjust to the normal diameter of the milk hose. The flow cell 20 is preferably made of plastic by injection molding. The flow cell 20 shows all the rooms through the milking hose 11. The flow chamber 27 has an interior shape with improved flow dynamics, specially designed for accurate sampling. There are no milk flow obstructions that provide a continuous flow within the flow cell 20. The interior shape of the flow chamber 27 also provides a constant number of drops per volume of milk, despite the flow velocity. This uniform distribution of the milk droplets within the flow chamber 27 was increased in the vacuum during milking, provides exact measurements and one sampling at a time for the milk, as it enters the 20 flow cell. Chamber 27 is also selected to minimize impurities and accumulate milk fat around electrodes 25 and 26, by this minimization of the bypass current. Figure 4 is a sectional, longitudinal view along the lines 4-4 'of Figure 3A showing the probe 30 within the flow chamber 27. The axes of the inlet 24 and the outlet 23 are perpendicular to each other , defining an intersection point ~~ C in the center of the flow chamber 27. The probe 30 protrudes into the chamber 27 through the side wall 31 on a bank diametrically opposite the inlet tube 24. The probe 30 it comprises a unitary plastic support 32 with the wall 31 of the flow cell 20. It is important that the electrodes 25 and 26 have a defined surface exposed for contact with the milk. The tips 35, 36 of the electrodes 25 and 26 are protruding through the plastic bed 32 into the flow chamber 27 with a height of approximately 1/20 of an inch. The tips 35, 36 best shown in Figure 5, have co-planar, flat ends exposed to milk flow. Preferably, electrodes 25 and 26 contact the milk in an area adjacent to point C, which is considered the optimal perception zone, because in this area the milk swirl is designed to create a virtually free zone of foam around the electrodes 25 and 26, and the accuracy of the measurements is improved. The other ends of the electrodes 25 and 26 extend through the plastic support 32 out of the flow chamber 27 and are provided with clamps 33, 34 for connecting to the wires 16 and 18. The thermistor 42 locates near the electrodes 25 and 26, as shown in Figures 4 and 5. A plastic cover 28 is provided on the outside of the flow chamber 27 to protect the electrical conditions Figure 5 is a sectional, cross-sectional view along lines 5-5 'of Figure 3A. The electrodes 25 and 26 can be positioned symmetrically with respect to the X-X 'axis at a distance "d" from each other. A V-shaped portion 39 is formed between the electrodes 25 and 26. A distance "d" is chosen as small as it is allowed to mold the sections and cleaning factors. A length of approximately 1/25 of an inch is considered large enough to avoid the formation of deposits between the electrodes and adequate to clean the flow cell after sampling. A suitable material for the electrodes 25 and 26 may be a 304 1/16 inch stainless steel. In the operation, the analyzer continuously displays the data according to the SCC that is used as the international standard, as discussed later. The analyzer device of the present invention can also display the amount of milk, percentage of butter fat, percentage of protein, milking time and the end of milking.

MILK QUALITY MODE The milk quality mode displays the somatic cell count and the milk temperature. After turning on, the analyzer device 10 sequentially displays the information on the display screens 1, 2, and 3, as shown in FIG. 6. After the milk flow is imitated, the display screen 4 shows a Rotating disk in upper right vats of display screen 60 indicating that device 10 is in operation, and milk temperature is displayed.At the end of milking, the analyzer device indicates one of the display screens 5 a 12, which corresponds to the seven SCC scores If the reading is greater than 500.00 cells / ml, the lamps 85 and 86 will flash in the analyzer device 10 indicating a high somatic cell count.

Mode of milk production and milk quality mode.

In milk production mode, milk weight, milking time, protein and fat content exhibit in addition to SCC and milk temperature *. The constant volume of the flow through cell 20 multiplied by the milking time provides the weight of the milk. The analyzer device 10 can be adjusted for the milk quality mode-only, for the milk production mode only, or for both modes, as shown in Figure 7.

The analyzer device 10 is shown at a much larger scale in Figure 3B, to better illustrate the controls and the display screen. The somatic cell analyzer device 10 of the present invention is in fact a compact, 145x105 cm box weighing half a kilogram. The LCD display screen 60 and the red lamps 85, 86 are mounted inside the case under a transparent front surface 90. A connection switch 88, a reset button 84 and a read button 82 are also placed on the surface 90. The analyzer device 10 is fixed to the hook 76 at a desired height. The connection switch 88 is used to switch modes when entering new parameters and by modifying some parameters of the existing operational amplifier through the computer program. This new circuit system leans to the percentage of the components in the milk. This inclination causes a maximum difference in the account speed of 1.5%. Milk of higher component level has a different viscosity causing a given amount of milk to act on probe 30 slightly longer. This makes a greater account per unit of milk.

Normal fat varies from about 3.6% to about 5.0%. The normal protein varies from about 2.9% to about 4.0%. The control unit 40 predefines the values at an average value of 4.2% for the fat, and 3.4% for the protein. Since the fat and protein always move in proportion and that the outer values are close and the circuitry is tilted to the components of the milk, the device 45 can calculate a weight value for the fat and the protein. That averaging technique provides a level of accuracy of 0.05% by weight and consequently, makes the device 10 also useful for managing the feeding and data collection of the nutrition requirements. In use, the farmer has to restart the analyzer device before each milking by simultaneously pressing the read button 82 and the reset button 84, and then start milking. The analyzer device 10 will know the end of the milking and the rancher has to press the read button 82 to display the results. The connection switch 88 may alter the displayed results according to the milk quality mode or the milk production mode. An alarm is set and the lamps 85, 86 will flash if the SCC is more than +500,000 cells / ml. The alarm can be adjusted for any value of the SCC, according to the needs of the user. Numerous modifications, variations and adaptations can be made to the particular embodiments of the invention described above, without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended definitions.

Claims (19)

REVINDICAC IONES

1. A somatic cell analyzer device for the online somatic cell count (SCC), characterized in that it comprises: a flow cell for receiving a milk sample; a detection means for providing an indication of the number of sodium ions in the sample and generating an ion count signal when the number of somatic cells is greater than an assumed reference to indicate the absence of somatic cells in the sample; a control means for receiving the ion count signal, comparing it with a plurality of quality thresholds corresponding to a plurality of quality categories, and classifying the sample into a quality category; a means to indicate a set of parameters that characterizes the quality category.

2. A somatic cell analyzer device according to claim 1, characterized in that the detection means comprises: means for generating an alternating current signal; - a probe with two electrodes placed in the flow cell to modulate the alternating current signal according to the number of sodium ions in the sample and to provide a modulated signal; a comparator for comparing the modulated signal with the reference to produce an ion detection signal; and a counter to convert the ion detection signal into the ion count signal.

3. A somatic cell analyzer device according to claim 2, characterized in that the probe comprises: a first electrode with a first end for receiving the alternating current signal; a second electrode with a first end to provide the modulated signal; and a means for electrically isolating the electrodes from each other along their bodies, minus a tip at a second end of the first and second electrodes.

4. An analyzer device according to claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises a temperature sensing means for providing a temperature measurement to the control means.

5. A somatic cell analyzer device according to claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises a milk weight detector for providing the control means with data of the components of the sample.

6. A somatic cell analyzer device according to claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises means for galvanically isolating the detection means.

7. A somatic cell analyzer device according to claim 1, characterized in that the flow cell comprises: a flow chamber for adjusting the probe; an entry for the connection to one. first hose to admit a constant flow of the sampled liquid into the flow chamber; and an outlet for connection to a second hose to discharge the liquid under test from the flow chamber. _

8. A somatic cell analyzer device according to claim 7, characterized in that the flow chamber is frusto-trophic in shape, characterized in that it comprises: a large base comprised of a continuous wall; a side wall provided with the inlet and with the means for electrically insulating the electrodes, placed opposite the entrance; and a small base provided with the exit.

9. A somatic cell analyzer device according to claim 3, characterized in that the means for electrically isolating the electrodes comprises a first support, and wherein the flow chamber further comprises a second support for the temperature sensing medium. placed near the first support.

10. A somatic cell analyzer device according to claim 9, characterized in that the axes of the entrance and the exit intersect at a center for optimal perception.

11. A somatic cell analyzer device according to claim 11, characterized in that the tips of the electrons have co-planar ends, equally spaced apart with respect to the center of optimal perception.

12. An analytical device for ssmatic cells according to claim 10, characterized in that the first support comprises: a plastic body having a V-shaped portion defined asymmetrically between the tips for supporting the electrodes, and for exposing a predetermined surface of the tips -

13. A somatic cell analyzer device according to claim 2, characterized in that the "alternating current signal has 5 volts at approximately 4.92 kHz.

14. A method for online measurement of the somatic cell count (SCC) using a somatic cell analyzer, characterized in that it comprises the steps of: preparing a sodium ion-SCC bill graph by measuring a multitude of milk samples under laboratory conditions; modifying the graph to a stepped graph that comprises a plurality of SCC thresholds, each SCC threshold corresponding to a range of sodium ion accounts and defining a milk quality category; store the stepped graph in a memory of the analyzer device; insert a flow cell in the milk flow to receive a milk sample; measure an ion count signal that represents the sodium ion account number in the sample; convert the ion count signal into a real-time SCC; and comparing real-time SCC with a plurality of SCC thresholds to classify milk into one of the quality categories.

15. A method according to claim 15, characterized in that the step of converting comprises: preparing an SCC-ion count chart by measuring a plurality of samples under laboratory conditions; and modifying the SCC-ion account graph to a stepped graph where each SCC threshold corresponds to an ion count interval.

16. A method according to claim 15, characterized in that the step of comparing comprises: placing a probe of the somatic cell analyzer device in the flow cell; apply the alternating current signal to the probe to obtain a modulated signal that has information on the number of sodium ions in the sample; generating an ion detection signal based on the modulated signal; and converting the ion detection signal into the ion count signal.

17. A method according to claim 16, characterized in that the step of measuring comprises: placing a probe of the somatic cell analyzer device in the flow cell; apply an alternating current signal to the probe to obtain a modulated signal that has information on the number of sodium ions in the sample; and convert the modulated signal into the ion count.

18. A method according to claim 15, characterized in that it further comprises the step of placing a thermistor in the flow cell to measure the temperature of the sample.

19. A method "according to claim 15, characterized in that it further comprises: declaring a source of milk infected with infectious mastitis when the analyzer device indicates an SCC corresponding to infectious mastitis, and declaring a source of milk infected with environmental mastitis when the analyzer device indicates an SCC that corresponds to environmental mastitis.