Racehorse athletic condition measuring instrument

• US 4,671,296 A
• Filed: 12/27/1984
• Issued: 06/09/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/1984
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Louis F. Aitken
• Original Assignee: Louis F. Aitken
• Inventors: Aitken, Louis F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Yasich, Daniel M.
• Application Number:
  US06/686,758
• Time in Patent Office: 894 Days
• Field of Search: 374/163, 374/141, 374/142, 374/143, 128/674, 128/675, 128/680, 128/681, 128/687, 128/716, 128/724, 128/736, 128/689, 128/690, 128/14, 128/19, 128/721, 128/714, 128/748, 128/671
• US Class Current: 600/484
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02055 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular condition and temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/024 Detecting, measuring or recording pulse rate or heart rate A61B5/0205, A61B5/021 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0816 Measuring devices for examining respiratory frequency measuring frequency of electric signals G01R23/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/222 combined with detection or measurement of physiological parameters, e.g. heart rate
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/42 Detecting, measuring or recording for evaluating the gastrointestinal, the endocrine or the exocrine systems A61B1/00, A61B5/4857, A61B5/486, A61B5/4866, A61B5/4869 take precedence

Abstract

In an instrument designed to provide a quantitative measurement of the athletic condition of racehorses, a pressure sensitive transducer is mounted on a rectal probe, which is of a size and shape to be inserted into the rectal cavity of a racehorse. Circuitry is provided to separate the components in the signal produced by the transducer caused by respiration and caused by the cardiovascular pulse. The cardiovascular pulse rate and the respiration rate are calculated from these two components and displayed on a console connected to the probe. The instrument is also provided with a thermocouple on the rectal probe, which is connected in a conventional electronic thermometer circuit, which controls a display on the console of the instrument to provide an indication of the temperature of the racehorse.

Claims

1. An instrument for quantitatively determining the athletic condition of a horse comprising a probe sized and shaped to be inserted into the rectal cavity of a horse, pressure sensing means mounted on said probe, connected in an electrical circuit and operable to sense pressure variations in a rectal cavity of a horse when said probe is inserted in such rectal cavity, and means in said electrical circuit responsive to the pressure variations sensed by said pressure sensing means to selectively indicate the cardiovascular pulse rate of the horse.

2. An instrument, as recited in claim 1, further comprising means responsive to the pressure variations sensed by said pressure sensing means when said probe is inserted in the rectal cavity of a horse, to indicate the respiration rate of the horse.

3. An instrument, as recited in claim 2, further comprising temperature sensing means mounted on said probe and, operable to sense the temperature within the rectal cavity in which said probe is inserted, and means to indicate the temperature sensed by said temperature sensing meals.

4. An instrument, as recited in claim 1 further comprising temperature sensing means on said rectal probe to sense the temperature within the rectal cavity in which said probe is inserted, and means to indicate the temperature sensed by said temperature sensing means.

5. An instrument for quantitatively determining the athletic condition of a horse comprising a probe sized and shaped to be inserted into the rectal cavity of a horse, pressure sensing means mounted on said probe connected in an electrical circuit and operable to sense the pressure variations in the rectal cavity of a horse when said probe is inserted to such rectal cavity, and means in said electrical circuit responsive to the pressure variations sensed by said pressure sensing means to indicate selectively the respiratory rate of the horse.

6. An instrument, as recited in claim 5, further comprising temperature sensing means mounted on said probe to sense the temperature within the rectal cavity of the horse in which said probe is inserted, and means responsive to the temperature sensed by said temperature sensing means to indicate the temperature in the rectal cavity of the horse.

7. A method of quantitatively determining the athletic condition of a horse comprising inserting a pressure sensitive transducer which is connected to an electrical indicating unit into the rectal cavity of the horse and selectively deriving the cardiovascular pulse rate of the horse from the pressure variations sensed by the pressure transducer.

8. A method as recited in claim 7, further comprising deriving the respiration rate of the horse from the pressure variations sensed by the transducer.

9. A method of quantitatively determining the athletic condition of a horse comprising inserting a pressure sensing transducer which is connected to an electrical indicating unit into the rectal cavity of the horse, and selectively deriving the respiration rate of the horse from the pressure variations sensed by said transducer.