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This Phase I SBIR project will evaluate the feasibility of utilizing mid-infrared absorption spectroscopy for continuously monitoring the somatic cell count in milk. The somatic cell count in milk is widely used as a predictor of the health of a cow. If the somatic cell counts could be monitored on a daily basis, the onset of mastitis can be identified and the effective treatment for the sick cows started immediately.
The two innovative features of the proposed technique are (1) a high frequency lead selenide array to obtain the mid-infrared absorption coefficients of milk at multiple wavelengths, and (2) a deconvolution algorithm to quantify the somatic cell count in milk in the presence of interference from other constituents. During the Phase I project, mid-infrared absorption signature will be obtained for a period of two weeks from calibrated milk obtained from many cows. These will be used to develop and evaluate a chemometrics algorithm that can quantify the somatic cell count. A multi-wavelength sensor will be designed and evaluated during the Phase II project. At the conclusion of the Phase I and Phase II project, a reliable somatic cell sensor will be developed for immediate commercialization.
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Mastitis is the most costly dairy cattle disease. In herds without an effective mastitis program, approximately 40% of the cows are infected in an average of two quarters, leading to an estimated loss of $200 per cow per year. Somatic cell counts are closely correlated with the prevalence of mastitis in cows. Currently, somatic cell counts in cows are obtained monthly. If the dairy farms were able to monitor the somatic cell counts of individual cows on a daily basis, at least 70% of the revenue loss due to mastitis can be recovered. Therefore, the commercial potential of a reliable somatic cell sensor is high.