The present invention relates to a system for automated bleeding of living fish, i.e.

anaesthetized Fish, according to the preamble of claim 1.

Background

New requirements are constantly set for the aquaculture industry and equipment vendors. The requirements come from authorities controlling the regulations. Use of living cooling tanks for anaesthetizing fish will be forbidden in Norway in the near future. For the many refining installations it is thus required large technological adjustments in the near future. The end customers are engaged to have high raw material quality, and that farmed fish of ethical reasons are treated gently. The aquaculture industry sets constantly higher requirements for efficiency and capacity, which requires renewal/improvement of existing systems. At the same time they must stay within the existing regulations with regard to environmental security, hygiene conditions and animal welfare. The industry thus requests new effective technological solutions which can handle large amounts of farmed fish or wild captured fish, and at the same time keep the costs low, maintain ethical slaughtering and ensure high product quality.

The know solution for processing fish are mainly related to already processed fish, so that they are in the shape of fish pieces or filets, and they will thus have substantial lacks if they are to be used on living fish, even though they are anaesthetized, as the known solutions are not suitable for automated bleeding of fish. There also exist systems which are related to meat pieces or similar systems for recognition of fish with view to determining the volume or quality of fish.

From US 2008245243 A it is known an apparatus and a method for trimming the surface of meat.

WO 07022782A describes a method and system for the cutting-up items, such as pieces of meat.

From US 2006288833 A it is known a robot with parallel axes and fixed motors for a water jet cutter.

US 2005176357 A describes a method for trimming a piece of slaughtered animal.

From JP 6278087 A it is known a method and device for automatic cutting of large fish.

US 5142160 A describes a method and device for determining the volume of an object on a flat background.

From US 4748724 A it is known a system for use in video imaging and processing of transverse fish sections. It is in the market today demanded an automatic system for bleeding of living fish, but anaesthetized fish, which is effective and reliable. The system must ensure correct hit point, something which is important to provide good bleeding and to avoid cut damages of the filet. The system must also maintain requirements of ethical handling of the fish. None of the present solutions will be suitable for such a task.

The system must handle a continuous flow of living, but anaesthetized fish. The system must be able to separate this flow into single individuals. This requires accurate detection and accurate bleeding. There exist no systems today meeting the requirement for humane/ethical bleeding of fish and a system which accurately bleeds fish automatically, i.e. without manual engagement of humans, is accordingly sought.

Object

The main object of the invention is to provide a system which fulfills the above mentioned objects, and which entirely and partly solves the above mentioned problems and requirements. It is further an object of the present invention to provide a system for accurate, effective and fully automatic, i.e. without manual operation of humans, bleeding of living fish, but anaesthetized fish, which system is arranged for gently and ethical bleeding of fish.

It is further an object of the present invention to provide a system which can process a flow of living fish, but anaesthetized fish, separate this fish by detecting the fish for accurate bleeding of the fish.

It is further an object to provide a system which can be extended in relation to the amount of fish being supplied for bleeding.

Finally, it is an object of the present invention that the system is arranged for automation of next/further process steps for processing fish.

The invention

A system according to the invention is described in claim 1. Preferable features of the system are described in the claims 2-8. A system according to the invention includes three main parts in the form of a transport unit, a detection unit and a bleeding mechanism. The system is further connected to a supply unit/system for supplying living, but anaesthetized fish. The fish is preferably anaesthetized by means of electrical stunning or by a mechanical stunner. The fish is preferably supplied to the transport unit some scattered in the lateral and longitudinal direction of the transport unit, so that fish are distributed over the transport unit, both in lateral and longitudinal direction, and that it is orientated with the head or tail in the longitudinal/movement direction of the transport unit. The fish is preferably supplied so that two fishes are not lying over each other.

The transport unit is preferably an endless belt run by an electric motor.

The detection unit includes one or more illumination sources, one or more cameras and one control unit, such as a computer. The illumination source is, for example, a laser line generator, arranged perpendicular to the transport unit, having a given distance above the transport unit, and arranged a given distance from the bleeding mechanism of the system. The camera is a preferably arranged behind the illumination source, seen in the longitudinal direction of the transport unit, which camera is arranged at the same height above the transport unit as the illumination source, so that they provide a given angle in relation to each other. It is thus achieved a 3D measurement of the passing fish, i.e. an orthographical map. The orthographical map can next be used to find the optimal bleeding point from the geometry of the fish in three dimensions, to find boundary lines between touching fish, and make it possible to estimate size of the fish already as one has scanned the first part of the fish, so that the bleeding point can be calculated well before the fish reaches the bleeding mechanism. The system can also use a second camera in addition. This is preferably arranged together with the illumination source. The computer process data sent from the camera and calculates the bleeding point.

The bleeding mechanism preferably includes one or more bleeding knives or similar, preferably pneumatically driven, which bleeding knives are movable in the lateral direction of the transport unit, and in the vertical direction. The bleeding mechanism preferably includes several bleeding knives arranged one after another in the longitudinal direction of the transport unit. The bleeding mechanism can of course also include several knives in the lateral direction if appropriate.

The system further includes a control unit, which receives information from the transport unit about the speed of the belt, and information from the detection unit about the position of fish on the transport unit and accurate detection of the fish. The control unit is preferably provided with means and/or software/algorithms for controlling the transport unit and bleeding mechanism, and for calculating accurate bleeding point of detected fish.

The control unit can further be arranged for controlling the supply of fish to the system by controlling the speed of the transport unit and/or controlling the amount of fish which is supplied to the transport unit.

The above described system is preferably arranged after an electric or mechanical stunner, so that all fish which is supplied to the transport unit is living, but anaesthetized.

The system works in the way that living, but anaesthetized fish, are supplied to the transport unit. The anaesthetized fish is transported by the transport unit towards a bleeding mechanism. On the way towards the bleeding mechanism the fish passes the detection unit where the fish is detected as described above. The information is next used by the control unit to determine the optimal bleeding point for the individual fish. The information is next sent to the bleeding mechanism, which activates the bleeding knife/knives for accurate bleeding of the individual fish.

Further preferable features and details of the system will appear from the following example description.

Example

The invention will below be described in detail with references to the attached drawings, where:

Figure 1 is a principle drawing of a system according to the invention, seen from the side,

Figure 2 is a principle drawing of a system according to the invention, seen from above, and Figure 3 is a block diagram of a system according to the invention.

References are now made to Figures 1 and 2 which are principle drawings of a system according to the invention, seen from the side and above, respectively. A system according to the invention includes three main parts in the form of a transport unit 10, a detection unit 20 and a bleeding mechanism 30.

The transport unit 10 is preferably formed by an endless transport belt 11, preferably of metal or similar, and which is run by a driving unit 12, such as an electric motor, see Figure 2.

The detection unit 20 includes, for example, an illumination source 21 and a camera 22.

The bleeding mechanism 30 is arranged a given distance above the transport belt 11, which bleeding mechanism 30 includes one or more bleeding knives 31 or similar, which bleeding knives 31 or similar are arranged movable in the lateral direction of the transport belt 11, and in the vertical direction. The bleeding mechanism 30 preferably includes several bleeding knives 31, arranged one after another in the longitudinal direction of the transport belt 11. The bleeding knives 31 are preferably pneumatically driven to provide sufficient rapidity. By that the bleeding knives 31 are movable in the lateral direction of the transport belt 11 it is possible for the bleeding knives 31 to bleed fish 13 which are positioned over the entire lateral direction of the transport belt 11. It should be mentioned that the bleeding knives 31 can be actuated independent of each other.

The system is further connected to a supply unit/system (not shown) for supplying living, but anaesthetized fish. This is preferably in the form of an electric or mechanical stunner, which supplies living, but anaesthetized fish 13 to the transport belt 11. This is prior art and is not further described herein. Reference is now made to Figure 3 which is a block diagram of a system according to the invention. For controlling the system according to the invention, the system includes a control unit 40, such as a PLS, computer or similar, which control unit 40 is provided with means and/or software/algorithms for controlling the transport unit 10 and bleeding mechanism 30. The control unit 40 is further provided with means and/or software/algorithms for recognition/detection of fish, and determination of accurate bleeding point based on information from the detection unit 20.

Reference is again made to Figure 2. As mentioned above the detection unit 20 includes an illumination source 21 in the form of, for example, a laser line generator and a camera 22 in the form of, for example, a 3D camera. The illumination source 21 is preferably arranged

perpendicular to the transport belt 11, with a given distance above the transport belt 11, for example, 1 meter, and is arranged a given distance, for example, ca. 30 cm, in front of the bleeding mechanism 30, i.e. the first bleeding knife 31.

After the illumination source, seen in the longitudinal direction of the transport belt, the camera 22 is arranged. The camera 22 is preferably arranged at the same height above the transport belt 11 as the illumination source 21, so that the camera 22 forms a given angle towards a laser line generated by the illumination source 21, for example, of 25 degrees. The generated laser line is used to provide the camera 22 with a fixed reference. This picture methodology provides a 3D measurement of the fish 13 passing, i.e. a form of an orthographical map. The formed

orthographical map can next be used to find the most optimal bleeding point from the geometry of the fish 13, in three dimensions. The orthographical map is also used to find boundary lines between fishes in contact 13. Fishes 13 in contact have the special properties that they form a concave area (opposite to the fish which is entirely convex (with a possible exception around pectoral fins)). It can thus be determined if several fishes lies side by side, in contact, or partly overlapping.

By the use of a mechanical stunner in front of the transport belt, it will automatically be some distance between the individual fishes 13. By the use of an electrical stunner in front of the transport belt it will be preferable to use higher speed of the transport belt than of the electric stunner to achieve an acceleration effect for scattering the fish 13 in the longitudinal direction of the transport belt 11 of the system.

Orthographical information also makes it possible to estimate the size of the fish already as one has scanned the first part (10 cm) of the fish, so that the bleeding point can be calculated and determined well ahead of the fish 13 reaching the bleeding mechanism 30. Based on information from the detection unit 20, i.e. the illumination source 21 and camera 22, the control unit 40 can perform an accurate calculation of the optimal bleeding point for the individual fish 13.

The information is also sent to the bleeding knife/knives 31 of the bleeding mechanism which accurately stabs the fish 13 by positioning in the lateral direction and rapidly bleeding the fish 13 as it is passing the bleeding knife/knives 31, by a vertical movement of the bleeding knife/knives 31.

The control unit 40 can further be arranged to control the speed of the transport belt 11 depending on how large amount of fish 13 being supplied, based on information from means 50 for supplying fish 13. The control unit 40 may further be arranged to control the amount of fish 13 which is supplied to the transport belt 11 by controlling the means 50 for supplying fish, so that there is not supplied more fish than the bleeding mechanism 30 can process.

Modifications

The transport unit may be provided with means for scattering the fish in lateral and longitudinal direction of the transport unit, so that the fish are distributed both in lateral and longitudinal direction of the transport unit, and orientated with head or tail in the lateral and longitudinal direction of the transport unit.

The fish supplied to the transport unit is preferably anaesthetized, but the system may also include means for anaesthetizing fish.

The system according to the invention may be upgraded for more accurate determination of the bleeding point by providing a second camera, for example, a 2D camera, arranged side by side with the illumination source, for providing information about other parameters of the fish. In this way it can be determined a more accurate bleeding point from, for example, the gill cover, and that it provides possibilities for quality control/sorting, such as determining art, quality, sexually mature fish, etc.

The bleeding mechanism may include several bleeding knives or similar in the lateral direction if desirable.