Method and system for use in monitoring biological material

Abstract

A method and system for measuring metabolic gas concentration. The method includes: applying, via a tunable coherent infrared light source, an infrared light beam to a region of interest, wherein the region of interest is positioned between the tunable coherent infrared light source and a detection module, wherein the region of interest is in fluid communication with a biological material including living cells emitting a metabolic gas; measuring, via the detection module, a plurality of signals based on the application of the infrared light beam to the region of interest, wherein measuring each of the plurality of signals further comprises tuning the tunable coherent infrared light source; and determining the concentration of the metabolic gas based on the plurality of signals.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for measuring metabolic gas concentration, comprising:
 applying, via a tunable coherent infrared light source, an infrared light beam to a region of interest, wherein the region of interest is positioned between the tunable coherent infrared light source and a detection module, wherein the region of interest is in fluid communication with a biological material including living cells emitting a metabolic gas;   measuring, via the detection module, a plurality of signals based on the application of the infrared light beam to the region of interest, wherein measuring each of the plurality of signals further comprises tuning the tunable coherent infrared light source; and   determining the concentration of the metabolic gas based on the plurality of signals.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , the plurality of signals including a first signal, wherein the first signal is captured when wavelengths of the infrared light beam overlap with an absorption peak of the metabolic gas. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , the plurality of signals further including a second signal, wherein the second signal is captured when wavelengths of the substantially monochromatic infrared light beam overlap with a transmission peak of the metabolic gas. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the infrared light beam has a first central wavelength when the first signal is measured, wherein the infrared light beam has a second central wavelength when the second signal is measured, wherein a distance between the first central wavelength and the second central wavelength is less than a distance between two adjacent absorption peaks of the metabolic gas. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein wavelengths of the infrared light beam when the first signal is measured are more absorptive of the metabolic gas than wavelengths of the infrared light beam when the second signal is measured. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the infrared light beam is a substantially monochromatic infrared light beam. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the biological material is enclosed in a sealed container, wherein the concentration of the metabolic gas is determined based further on a gas concentration of an area inside the sealed container and a gas concentration of an area in fluid communication with the sealed container. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the biological material is subject to a fermentation process, further comprising:
 determining at least one action for controlling the fermentation process based on the determined concentration of the metabolic gas.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , the measurement of the plurality of signals and the determination of the concentration of the metabolic gas are performed any of: continuously, and repeatedly. 
     
     
         10 . A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions for causing a processing circuitry to execute a process, the process comprising:
 applying, via a tunable coherent infrared light source, an infrared light beam to a region of interest, wherein the region of interest is positioned between the tunable coherent infrared light source and a detection module, wherein the region of interest is in fluid communication with a biological material including living cells emitting a metabolic gas;   measuring, via the detection module, a plurality of signals based on the application of the infrared light beam to the region of interest, wherein measuring each of the plurality of signals further comprises tuning the tunable coherent infrared light source; and   determining the concentration of the metabolic gas based on the plurality of signals.   
     
     
         11 . A system for measuring metabolic gas concentration, comprising:
 a processing circuitry; and   a memory, the memory containing instructions that, when executed by the processing circuitry, configure the system to:   apply, via a tunable coherent infrared light source, an infrared light beam to a region of interest, wherein the region of interest is positioned between the tunable coherent infrared light source and a detection module, wherein the region of interest is in fluid communication with a biological material including living cells emitting a metabolic gas;   measure, via the detection module, a plurality of signals based on the application of the infrared light beam to the region of interest, wherein measuring each of the plurality of signals further comprises tuning the tunable coherent infrared light source; and   determine the concentration of the metabolic gas based on the plurality of signals.   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , the plurality of signals including a first signal, wherein the first signal is captured when wavelengths of the infrared light beam overlap with an absorption peak of the metabolic gas. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , the plurality of signals further including a second signal, wherein the second signal is captured when wavelengths of the substantially monochromatic infrared light beam overlap with a transmission peak of the metabolic gas. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the infrared light beam has a first central wavelength when the first signal is measured, wherein the infrared light beam has a second central wavelength when the second signal is measured, wherein a distance between the first central wavelength and the second central wavelength is less than a distance between two adjacent absorption peaks of the metabolic gas.