Time-Resolved Reflectance Spectroscopy Applied to the Nondestructive Monitoring of the Internal Optical Properties in Apples

Time-resolved reflectance has been used for the nondestructive measurement of optical properties in apples. The technique is based on the detection of the temporal dispersion of a short laser pulse injected into the probed medium. The time distribution of re-emitted photons interpreted with a solution of the diffusion equation yields the mean values of the absorption and reduced scattering coefficients of the medium. The proposed technique proved useful for the measurement of the absorption and scattering spectra of different varieties of apples, revealing the spectral shape of chlorophyll. No major variations were observed in the experimental data when the fruit was peeled, showing that the optical properties measured were those of the pulp. With this technique the change in chlorophyll absorption during storage and ripening could be followed. Finally, a compact prototype working at few selected wavelengths was designed and constructed, demonstrating potentialities of the technique for industrial applications.