INFORMATION SYSTEM FOR ANIMALS

• US 20100261981A1
• Filed: 10/23/2008
• Published: 10/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: AGIS Automatisering BV
• Original Assignee: AGIS Automatisering BV
• Inventors: Griffioen, Gerard Marie
• Application Number:
  US12/740,463
• Publication Number:
  US 20100261981A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/301
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2503/40 Animals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0219 Inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes, tilt switches
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0022 Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02055 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular condition and temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02438 with portable devices, e.g. worn by the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1112 Global tracking of patients, e.g. by using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/145 Measuring characteristics of blood in vivo, e.g. gas concentration, pH value; Measuring characteristics of body fluids or tissues, e.g. interstitial fluid, cerebral tissuemeasuring of blood pressure or blood flow A61B5/02; non-radiation detecting or locating of foreign bodies in blood A61B5/06
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4839 combined with drug delivery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6817 Ear canal
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 7/00 Instruments for auscultation
• CPC Class Codes: A61D 17/002 for detecting period of heat of animals, i.e. for detecting oestrus for humans A61B10/0012
• CPC Class Codes: A61D 7/00 Devices or methods for introducing solid, liquid, or gaseous remedies or other materials into or onto the bodies of animals for reproduction or fertilisation A61D19/00 ; devices for implanting pellets, radon seeds or the like A61M37/0069
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 31/00 Devices for introducing or retaining media, e.g. remedies, in cavities of the body A61M25/00 takes precedence ; introducing or retaining ophthalmic products into the ocular cavities A61F9/0008

Abstract

There is disclosed an information system (1) for use with animals, comprising a base station (2) and a number of units (3) being in wireless communication with said base station, which ear units are to be placed in the animal'"'"'s ear. The ear units are provided with one or more sensors (5) for periodically measuring quantities such as temperature, sound, (ruminating) activity, movement, heart rate and/or biochemical values, at least in the ear, and they are provided with an activable transmitter for transmitting, upon activation of said transmitter, individual sensor measurement data to the base station in a manner which leads to a reduced energy consumption. The ear unit may be provided with more than one sensor, which sensors are disposed at different locations, for measuring the same quantity at several positions or depths in the ear, so as to make it possible to reliably diagnose any impending disorders of the animal. The ear unit may furthermore comprise a cavity for receiving and gradually delivering medicines or health-promoting substances.

Claims

1. An information system for use with animals, comprising a base station and a number of units being in wireless communication with said base station, which ear units are to be placed in the animal'"'"'s ear and which are provided with one or more sensors for periodically measuring quantities such as temperature, sound, (ruminating) activity, movement, heart rate and/or biochemical values, at least in the ear, and which are connected to an activable transmitter for transmitting, upon activation of said transmitter, individual sensor measurement data to the base station.

2. A system according to claim 1, characterised in that the ear unit is provided with a processor which is arranged for activating the transmitter when a measurement establishes the existence of individual sensor measurement data that fall outside a normal range.

3. A system according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the ear unit is provided with more than one sensor, which sensors are disposed at different locations, for measuring the same quantity at several positions or depths in the ear.

4. A system according to any one of claims 1-3, characterised in that the base station and the ear units are connected to or provided with transceivers.

5. A system according to claim 4, characterised in that one or more of the transceivers are configured as a relaying unit.

6. A system according to any one of claims 1-5, characterised in that the ear unit comprises a cavity which is open towards the ear canal or which is porous, which cavity can be filled with a medicinal and/or health-promoting substance.

7. A system according to claim 6, characterised in that the system is arranged for influencing the amount of substance being released in blood vessels of the ear canal from the base station, for example by regulating or opening one or more closed parts of the cavity.

8. An ear unit suitable for use in the information system according to any one of claims 1-7, characterised in that the ear unit has a certain degree of stiffness between the parts of the ear unit to be provided between helix and concha in the ear.

9. An ear unit according to claim 8, characterised in that said stiffness ranges between shore 35 and 75, in particular between shore 50 and 70, more in particular around shore 60-65.

10. Signals suitable for use in the system according to any one of claims 1-7 and/or the ear unit according to claim 8 or 9, characterised in that said signals comprise signals delivered by said at least one sensor and an activating signal for the transmitter to be activated and de-activated therewith.