摘要 |
An on-line somatic cell analyser and a method for evaluating the quantity of somatic cells present in a sample of milk are provided. A flow cell is connected to a milking hose and admits a constant volume of sampled milk into a flow chambe r. A probe with two electrodes is positioned in a zone of optimal sensing inside the flow chamber and provides a modulated signal with an intensity value correspondin g to the number of sodium ions present in the sample. A detection unit receives the modulated signal and generates a ion count signal whenever the number of sodium ions i s above a reference value. A control unit converts the ion count signal into a somat ic cell count (SCC) score. A step graph comprising a plurality of SCC thresholds defining a plurality of milk categories is stored in a memory and used by the control unit to classify the sample in a quality category according to the SCC score of the sample. A set of parameters characterizing the respective milk quality category, including presence of either infectious or environmental mastitis, are finally displayed.
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