REGISTERING OF PHYSIOLOGICAL PARAMETERS BASED ON IMAGE ANALYSIS OF LIGHT REFLECTION
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Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus includes a housing with a flexible wall having an outer side configured to contact an external body surface of an animal and an inner side with a light reflective surface towards an interior of the housing. A light source illuminates the light reflective surface, and an image registering part captures image data representing the light reflective surface. A data processing part receives the image data, and based thereon produces at least one signal indicative of at least one physiological parameter of the animal. The apparatus may be arranged on the animal such that the outer side of the flexible wall contacts a neck region of the animal and the data processing part derives a primary signal representing a chewing related parameter.
5 Citations
35 Claims
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1-14. -14. (canceled)
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15. An apparatus (110) that registers signals indicative of physiological parameters of an animal (A) based on illumination of a surface and analysis of light reflections from the surface, said apparatus comprising:
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a housing with a flexible wall (210) having an outer side and an inner side, the inner side of the flexible wall containing a light reflective surface oriented towards an interior of the housing, wherein the outer side of the flexible wall is configured to contact an external body surface (AS) of the animal (A) and exert a pressure sufficient that mechanical waves, originating from internal organs in the animal and causing vibrations of the external body surface of the animal, cause flexing of the light reflective surface; a light source (220) that, in use, illuminates the light reflective surface such that light from the light source is reflected off the light reflective surface, the light reflected off the light reflective surface representing the vibrations of the external body surface of the animal; an image registering part (230) with a sensor (235) that, in use, captures the light reflected off the light reflective surface and extracts image data (D) from the captured light, the image data (D) representing the vibrations of the external body surface of the animal; and a data processing part (240) connected to receive the image data (D) from the image registering part, and, based on processing the received image data (D), produces a time-varying signal (S(t)) based on a strongest light reflected off the light reflective surface at each of a series of points in time, the time-varying signal (S(t)) being indicative of at least one physiological parameter of the animal (A). - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A method for registering signals indicative of physiological parameters of an animal (A) based on illumination of a surface and analysis of light reflections from the surface, said method comprising:
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placing an apparatus (110) comprising a housing, with the flexible wall (210) having an outer side and an inner side, around a neck of the animal such that the outer side of the flexible wall (210) contacts an external body surface (AS) of the animal (A), wherein the inner side of the flexible wall contains a light reflective surface oriented towards an interior of the housing, the outer side of the flexible wall is placed in contact the external body surface (AS) of the animal (A) so as to exert a pressure sufficient that mechanical waves, originating from internal organs in the animal and causing vibrations of the external body surface of the animal, cause flexing of the light reflective surface, and the apparatus further comprises i) a light source (220) that illuminates the light reflective surface such that light from the light source is reflected off the light reflective surface, the light reflected off the light reflective surface representing the vibrations of the external body surface of the animal, ii) an image registering part (230) with a sensor (235) that captures the light reflected off the light reflective surface and extracts image data (D) from the captured light, the image data (D) representing the vibrations of the external body surface of the animal, and iii) a data processing part (240) that receives the image data (D) from the image registering part, and, based on the received image data (D), produces a time-varying signal (S(t)) based on a strongest light reflected off the light reflective surface at each of a series of points in time, the time-varying signal (S(t)) being indicative of at least one physiological parameter of the animal (A); with the light source, illuminating the light reflective surface from the interior of the housing; with the image registering part, capturing the light reflected off the light reflective surface and extracting image data (D) from the captured light, the image data (D) representing the vibrations of the external body surface of the animal; and with the data processing part, processing the image data (D) to produce a time-varying signal (S(t)) based on the strongest light reflected off the light reflective surface at each of a series of points in time, the time-varying signal (S(t)) being indicative of at least one physiological parameter of the animal (A). - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 35)
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30. A non-transitory computer readable medium (M) having a program recorded thereon, the program when executed on a computer controls an apparatus (110) to register signals indicative of physiological parameters of an animal (A), wherein said apparatus comprises:
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a housing with a flexible wall (210) having an outer side and an inner side, the inner side of the flexible wall containing a light reflective surface oriented towards an interior of the housing, wherein the outer side of the flexible wall is configured to contact an external body surface (AS) of the animal (A) and exert a pressure sufficient that mechanical waves, originating from internal organs in the animal and causing vibrations of the external body surface of the animal, cause flexing of the light reflective surface; a light source (220) that illuminates the light reflective surface such that light from the light source is reflected off the light reflective surface, the light reflected off the light reflective surface representing the vibrations of the external body surface of the animal; an image registering part (230) with a sensor (235) that captures the light reflected off the light reflective surface and extracts image data (D) from the captured light, the image data (D) representing the vibrations of the external body surface of the animal; and a data processing part (240) connected to receive the image data (D) from the image registering part, and, based on processing the received image data (D), produces a time-varying signal (S(t)) based on a strongest light reflected off the light reflective surface at each of a series of points in time, the time-varying signal (S(t)) being indicative of at least one physiological parameter of the animal (A). - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34)
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Specification