Method and means for detecting pregnancy in domestic farm animal species
First Claim
1. A device for detecting pregnancy in an animal by placing the human finger on the uterine artery of said animal to detect the velocity of blood flow through said uterine artery, said device comprising:
- a finger receptacle comprised of a flexible elastomeric material and shaped to fit over a human finger, said receptacle having a receptacle wall forming a finger cavity, said receptacle wall having an inner surface presented toward said finger cavity and an outer surface facing away from said finger cavity;
a transducer housing attached to said outer surface of said receptacle wall and having rigid outer housing walls forming a transducer cavity, said outer housing walls having terminal edges adapted to engage said uterine artery, said terminal edges defining an opening facing away from said finger cavity and defining an artery engaging plane;
said housing having an inclined surface within said transducer cavity which is inclined with respect to said artery engaging plane;
transducer means attached to said inclined surface within said transducer cavity and positioned for transmitting ultrasonic sound waves away from said finger cavity in a direction which is with respect to said artery engaging plane, and for receiving echo ultrasonic sound waves in response thereto and converting said echo ultrasonic sound waves into an electrical echo signal;
said transducer means comprising at least one piezoelectric member within said transducer cavity for transmitting said ultrasonic sound waves, said piezoelectric member having a planar transducer surface faces away from said finger cavity and which is inclined at a predetermined angle relative to said artery engaging plane;
electrical lead means having first and second ends, said first end being electrically connected to said transducer means; and
analyzing means connected to said electrical lead means for causing said transducer means to transmit said ultrasonic sound waves and for receiving and analyzing said echo signal.
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Abstract
A device for detecting pregnancy in animals comprises a finger receptacle adapted to fit over a human finger. On the outer surface of the receptacle is a transducer housing having a transducer therein for transmitting ultrasonic sound waves and for receiving echo ultrasonic sound waves in response thereto and converting the echo ultrasonic sound waves into an electrical echo signal. Electrical leads carry the echo signal from the transducer to a computer or a strip chart recorder for analyzing and visually displaying indices which provide an indication of the velocity of the blood flow detected in the uterine artery of the animal by the transducer.
The method of the present invention comprises placing the transducer in contact with the uterine artery of the animal, and measuring the velocity of blood flow in the uterine artery. An increase in the blood flow over the animal'"'"'s normal blood flow in the uterine artery is an indication of pregnancy. The blood flow of the uterine artery in one horn of the animal'"'"'s uterus can be compared to the blood flow of the uterine artery in the other horn of the animal'"'"'s uterus to determine whether one of the two uterine horns has a developing embryo therein.
25 Citations
10 Claims
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1. A device for detecting pregnancy in an animal by placing the human finger on the uterine artery of said animal to detect the velocity of blood flow through said uterine artery, said device comprising:
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a finger receptacle comprised of a flexible elastomeric material and shaped to fit over a human finger, said receptacle having a receptacle wall forming a finger cavity, said receptacle wall having an inner surface presented toward said finger cavity and an outer surface facing away from said finger cavity; a transducer housing attached to said outer surface of said receptacle wall and having rigid outer housing walls forming a transducer cavity, said outer housing walls having terminal edges adapted to engage said uterine artery, said terminal edges defining an opening facing away from said finger cavity and defining an artery engaging plane;
said housing having an inclined surface within said transducer cavity which is inclined with respect to said artery engaging plane;transducer means attached to said inclined surface within said transducer cavity and positioned for transmitting ultrasonic sound waves away from said finger cavity in a direction which is with respect to said artery engaging plane, and for receiving echo ultrasonic sound waves in response thereto and converting said echo ultrasonic sound waves into an electrical echo signal; said transducer means comprising at least one piezoelectric member within said transducer cavity for transmitting said ultrasonic sound waves, said piezoelectric member having a planar transducer surface faces away from said finger cavity and which is inclined at a predetermined angle relative to said artery engaging plane; electrical lead means having first and second ends, said first end being electrically connected to said transducer means; and analyzing means connected to said electrical lead means for causing said transducer means to transmit said ultrasonic sound waves and for receiving and analyzing said echo signal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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Specification