Method and system for providing animal health histories and tracking inventory of related drug usage

• US 6,547,726 B2
• Filed: 09/03/1998
• Issued: 04/15/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/1987
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Micro Beef Technologies Ltd (MWI Veterinary Supply Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Micro Beef Technologies Ltd (MWI Veterinary Supply Incorporated)
• Inventors: McKillip, William D., Pratt, William C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gilbert, Samuel G.
• Application Number:
  US09/148,976
• Publication Number:
  US 20010016681A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,685 Days
• Field of Search: 600/300, 128/903, 128/904, 128/898, 705/2, 705/3, 119/108
• US Class Current: 600/300
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 11/006 Automatic identification systems for animals, e.g. electronic devices, transponders for animals identification systems for access to feeding pens A01K1/0209; ear tags with electronic identification means A01K11/004
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 5/02 Automatic devices automatic identification devices for stock A01K11/006
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/10 relating to drugs or medications, e.g. for ensuring correct administration to patients
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/903 Radio telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/904 Telephone telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/92 Computer assisted medical diagnostics

Abstract

A computer-based system for providing up-to-date health histories of animals, for example, in a feedlot. The system includes indicia means associated with each animal for identifying the animal and data entry means coupled to a computer for reading the indicia means to identify the animal to the computer. The data entry means also communicates to the computer treatment data comprising the animal'"'"'s physical condition and any treatment administered to the animal. The computer is programmed to record the identity and associated treatment data and collect the data with previous data to provide the animal'"'"'s health history. The system also displays the identified animal'"'"'s prior health history at the animal'"'"'s location for the operator'"'"'s benefit, which location is typically an animal hospital remote from the computer'"'"'s location. The system may include a second data entry means for determining the net amount of drugs taken for animal treatment from an inventory. The computer is programmed to compare the net amount taken against the amount administered in treatment as communicated by the first data entry means to determine a difference in the amounts.

Claims

1. A system for assisting an operator in selecting a drug treatment for animals selected from a group of retained animals, comprising:

(a) a data entry device entering into a computer animal identification and selected drug treatment information for an identified animal;

(b) a computer providing a health and drug treatment history for the identified animal, a list of drug treatments available for the animal, one or more of the drug treatments requiring a withdrawal period, and withdrawal information for a selected drug treatment as to whether the drug treatment should be administered; and

(c) a data output device in communication with the computer and providing, in response to entry of an animal identification into the data entry device, an identified animal'"'"'s health and drug treatment history and, in response to entry of a selected drug treatment requiring a withdrawal period, the withdrawal information.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the data output device is located adjacent to a drug treatment location for the animal.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the data entry device is located adjacent to a drug treatment location for the animal.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the data output device is located apart from a drug treatment location for the animal.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the data output device is a video terminal.

6. The system of claim 1 including means for electronically identifying the animal to the computer.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the data entry device is located adjacent to a drug treatment location for the animal.

13. The system of claim 6 including means for electronically identifying the animal to the computer.

8. A system for assisting an operator in selecting a drug treatment for animals selected from a group of retained animals, comprising:

(a) a data entry device entering into a computer animal identification and selected drug treatment information for an identified animal;

(b) a compter providing health and drug treatment history for the identified animal, a list of drug treatments available for the animal, one or more of the drug treatments requiring a withdrawal period, and withdrawal information for a selected drug treatment as to when or whether the animal may be released; and

(c) a data output device in communication with the computer and providing, in response to entry of an animal identification into the data entry device, an identified animal'"'"'s health and drug treatment history and, in response to entry of a selected drug treatment requiring a withdrawal period, the withdrawal information.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the data output device is located adjacent to a drug treatment location for the animal.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the data entry device is located adjacent to a drug treatment location for the animal.

11. The system of claim 8 wherein the data output device is located adjacent to a drug treatment location for the animal.

12. The system of claim 8 wherein the data output device is located apart from a drug treatment location for the animal.

14. The system of claim 8 wherein the data entry device is located adjacent to a drug treatment location for the animal.

15. A system for providing health and drug treatment histories for animals selected from a group of retained animals, comprising:

means at an animal treatment location for communicating data about animals between an operator at the location and a computer; and

a computer communicable with the communicating means and programmed for;

storing health and drug treatment history of animals to be treated and a list of available drug treatments and their drug withdrawal periods;

in response to entry of an animal'"'"'s identity into the computer through the communicating means, providing to the operator at the animal treatment location the animal'"'"'s health and drug treatment history; and

in response to entry of a selected drug treatment for the animal into the communicating means, providing to the operator at the animal treatment location a weight-dependent dosage and drug withdrawal information that includes or is derived from a drug withdrawal period.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the withdrawal information in the computer is a drug withdrawal period.

17. The system of claim 15 wherein the withdrawal information in the computer is a drug withdrawal period.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the withdrawal information in the computer includes the number of days, if any, the animal will be late for shipping if the drug is administered.

19. The system of claim 15 wherein the withdrawal information in the computer includes a calculated earliest release date for the animal calculated in response to entry of a selected drug treatment.

20. The system of claim 15 wherein the computer is further programmed to provide a prompt to an operator to enter into the computer a dosage of drugs to be administered and to alert the operator if the entered dosage is outside an allowable range.

21. The system of claim 17 wherein the computer is further programmed to alert the operator if the selected drug treatment to be administered wil affect the shipping date of the animal.

22. The system of claim 15 wherein the computer is further programmed, as part of its providing drug withdrawal information for the selected drug treatment, to display the drug withdrawal period.

23. The system of claim 15 including means for electronically identifying the animal to the computer.

24. A system for assisting an operator to select a drug treatment for animals which are selected from a group of retained animals for treatment at a drug treatment location, the system comprising:

a computer for storing health and drug treatment histories of animals to be treated;

a data entry device for entering into the computer the identity of an animal to be treated at the drug treatment location;

a data output device at the drug treatment location in communication with the computer;

the computer being operable in response to entry of the animal'"'"'s identity, to provide through the data output device at the drug treatment location in the animal'"'"'s health and drug treatment history, the history including prior diagnoses and drug treatments;

the data entry device being operable to enter a diagnosis into the computer;

the computer being operable to store the diagnosis in the computer as an addition to the animal'"'"'s health history;

the computer storing a list of available drug treatments and their drug withdrawal periods and being operable to provide through the data output device to an operator at the drug treatment location a list of available drug treatments;

the data entry device being operable to enable entry of a selected drug treatment into the computer by the operator from the list of available drug treatments;

the computer being operable after entry of a selected drug treatment, to provide to the operator at the drug treatment location through the data output device drug withdrawal information that includes or is derived from a drug withdrawal period;

the computer being operable to store an administered drug treatment as an addition to the animal'"'"'s drug treatment history in response to entry of the administered drug treatment through the data entry device.

25. The system of claim 24 wherein the withdrawal information is a drug withdrawal period.

26. The system of claim 24 wherein the withdrawal information includes an animal shipping date and animal treatment date.

27. The system of claim 24 wherein the withdrawal information includes the number of days the animal will be late for shipping if the drug is administered.

28. The system of claim 24 wherein the computer calculates an earliest release date for an animal following entry of a selected drug treamtment, said withdrawal information including the calculated earliest release date for the animal.

29. The system of claim 24 wherein the drug treatment history provided by the computer at the drug treatment location includes treatment cost.

30. The system of claim 29 including means for comparing through the computer an amount of drugs used in administering selected drug treatments against an amount of drugs taken from inventory for use in such treatments.

31. The system of claim 24 wherein the data entry device for entering into the computer the identity of an animal to be treated at the drug treatment location includes means for electronically identifying the animal to the computer.

32. The system of claim 24 wherein the data output device for providing through the computer at the drug treatment location withdrawal information for the selected drug treatment includes means for displaying the number of days the animal will be late for shipping if the drug is administered and means for promoting an operator to determine if the operator wants to give the drug treatment.

33. The system of claim 24 wherein said computer is operable to provide through the data output device a list of animals and associated shipping status based on drug withdrawal information.

34. The system of claim 24 wherein the computer includes means for calculating when the animal may be released as part of said withdrawal information.

35. The system of claim 24 wherein the computer includes means for calculating an earliest permitted release date related to a drug withdrawal period and means for comparing that date with a date the animal is scheduled to be shipped.

36. The system of claim 35 wherein the computer and the data output device include means for alerting the operator if the release date is later than the shipping date.

37. The system of claim 24 including means for providing through the computer to the data output device drug treatments between two dates.

38. The system of claim 24 including, means operable in response to entry into the computer of an estimated shipping date for a group of animals, for indicating at the date output device whether the group is safe to ship based on the drug withdrawal information for animals within the group.

39. The system of claim 24 including, means operable in response to entry into the computer of a lot number for a group of animals, for indicating at the data output device whether the group is safe to ship based on the drug withdrawal information for animals within the group.

40. The system of claim 24 including, means operable in response to entry into the computer of pen number for a group of animals, for indicating whether the group is safe to ship based on the drug withdrawal information for animals within the group.

41. The system of claim 24 wherein the data entry device includes means for entering an animal weight and the computer includes means responsive to entry of the animal weight and entry of a selected drug treamtment, for providing through the data output device at the drug treatment location a weight-dependent dosage.

42. The system of claim 41 wherein the computer and data output device are operable to alert the operator if the entered animal weight is outside an allowable range.

43. The system of claim 24 wherein the computer, in response to entry of the selected drug treatment, is operable to provide through the computer to the data output device a prompt for an operator to enter into the computer a dosage of drugs to be administered;

and

the computer is further operable to alert the data output device through the computer if the entered dosage is outside an allowable range.

44. The system of claim 24 wherein the data input device operable to enter a diagnosis into the computer includes means for electronically entering sickness codes into the computer.

45. The system of claim 24 wherein the data input device operable to enter a diagnosis into the computer includes means for electronically entering a temperature for the animal.

46. The system of claim 24 wherein the data input device is operable to enter into the computer a destination for the animal after its treatment.

47. The system of claim 24 wherein the data output device is operable to alert an operator, in response to entry of a selected drug treatment into the computer through the data entry device, whether the selected drug treatment in invalid.

48. The system of claim 24 wherein the data output device is operable to alert an operator if a selected drug treatment entered into the computer will affect the release date of the animal.

49. The system of claim 24 wherein the withdrawal information for the selected drug treatment includes a withdrawal period displayed on the data output device.

50. A system for assisting an operator to select a drug treatment for animals that are selected from a group of retained animals for treatment at a drug treatment location, the system comprising:

a computer for storing health and drug treatment histories of animals to be treated;

a data entry device for entering into the computer the identity of an animal to be treated at the drug treatment location;

a data output device at the drug treatment location in communication with the computer;

the computer being operable in response to entry of the animal'"'"'s identity, to provide through the computer at the drug treatment location the animal'"'"'s health and drug treatment history, the history including prior diagnoses and drug treatments;

the data entry device being operable to enter a diagnosis into the computer;

the computer being operable to store the diagnosis in the computer as an addition to the animal'"'"'s health history;

the computer storing a list of available drug treatments and their drug withdrawal periods and being operable to provide to an operator at the drug treatment location through the data output device a list of available drug treatments;

the data entry device being operable to enter the selected drug treatment into the computer;

in response to entry of the selected drug treatment, the computer being operable to alert an operator with drug withdrawal information that includes or is derived from a drug withdrawal period;

the computer being operable to store the administered drug treatment entered through the data entry device as an addition to the animal'"'"'s drug treatment history.

51. The system of claim 50 wherein the computer is operable to alert the operator at the drug treatment location through the data output device.

52. The system of claim 50 wherein the data entry device is operable to enter an animal weight into the computer and, following entry of the selected drug treatment and the animal weight, the computer is operable to provide to the operator at the drug treatment location a weight-dependent dosage.

53. The system of claim 50 wherein the withdrawal information includes a drug withdrawal period.

54. The system of claim 50 wherein the withdrawal information includes an animal shipping date and animal treatment date.

55. The system of claim 50 wherein the withdrawal information includes the number of days the animal will be late for shipping if the drug is administered.

56. The system of claim 50 wherein the withdrawal information includes a calculated earliest release date for the animal and the computer is operable to calculate said date.

57. The system of claim 50 wherein the computer includes means for alerting an operator if an entered animal weight is outside an allowable range.

58. The system of claim 50 wherein the computer includes means for alerting an operator if the dosage of drugs to be administered is outside an allowable range.

59. The system of claim 50 wherein the computer includes means for alerting the operator if the drug treatment being administered will affect the release data of the animal.

60. The system of claim 50 wherein the alert includes a display of the drug withdrawal period on the data output device.

61. The system of claim 50 wherein the data entry device includes means for electronically identifying the animal to the computer.

62. A system for assisting an operator to select a drug treatment for animals which are selected from a group of retained animals for treatment at a drug treatment location, the system comprising:

a computer storing health and drug treatment histories of animals to be treated;

a data entry device for entering into the computer the identity of an animal to be treated at the drug treatment location;

a data output device at the drug treatment location in communication with the computer;

the computer being operable in response to entry of the animal'"'"'s identity, to provide through the computer and data output device at the drug treatment location the animal'"'"'s health and drug treatment history, the history including prior diagnoses and drug treatments;

the data entry device being operable to enter a diagnosis into the computer;

the computer being operable to store the entered diagnosis as an addition to the animal'"'"'s health history;

the computer storing a list of available drug treatments and their drug withdrawal periods;

the computer being operable to provide to an operator at the drug treatment location through the data output device a list of available drug treatments;

the data entry device being operable to enter a selected drug treatment into the computer;

in response to entry of a selected drug treatment, the computer being operable to provide to the operator at the drug treatment location through the data output device withdrawal information that includes or is derived from a drug withdrawal period;

the computer being operable to store the selected drug treatment in the computer as an addition to the animal'"'"'s drug treatment history after entry of the treatment through the data entry device;

the computer being operable to provide through the data output device to an operator at the drug treatment location drug withdrawal information that includes or is derived from a drug withdrawal period.

63. The system of claim 62 wherein the withdrawal information is a drug withdrawal period.

64. The system of claim 62 wherein the withdrawal information includes an animal shipping date and animal treatment date.

65. The system of claim 62 wherein the withdrawal information includes the number of days the animal will be late for shipping if the drug is administered.

66. The system of claim 62 wherein the withdrawal information includes a calculated earliest release date for the animal.

67. The system of claim 62 wherein the computer is operable through the data output device to alert the operator if the drug treatment being administered will affect the release data of the animal.

68. The system of claim 62 wherein the drug withdrawal information includes a display of the drug withdrawal period by the data output device.

69. The system of claim 62 wherein the data entry device includes means for entering into the computer an animal weight and, in response to entry of an animal weight and the selected drug treatment, the computer is operable to provide to the operator through the data output device at the drug treatment location a weight-dependent dosage.

70. The system of claim 62 wherein the data entry device, includes means for electronically identifying the animal to the computer.

71. A system for assisting an operator to provide drug treatment to a group of animals at a drug treatment location, the system comprising:

a data entry device for entering into a computer the identity of animals in the group to be treated;

a computer storing a list of available drug processing orders and their drug withdrawal periods as well as an inventory of available drugs;

a data output device providing through the computer to an operator a list of available processing orders;

the data entry device being operable to select a drug processing order for the animals from the list of processing orders;

the computer being operable to store an entered and administered processing order as an addition to each animal'"'"'s drug treatment history;

the computer being operable following administration and entry of the selected processing order and prior to shipment;

to provide to an operator withdrawal information that includes or is derived from a drug withdrawal period; and

the computer further being operable to decrease the inventory of available drugs stored in the computer by the quantity of drugs used in administering the processing order.

72. The system of claim 71 wherein the withdrawal information is a drug withdrawal period.

73. The system of claim 71 wherein the withdrawal information includes an animal shipping date and animal treatment date.

74. The system of claim 71 wherein the withdrawal information includes a calculated earliest release date for the animal.

75. The system of claim 71 wherein the data entry device is operable to enter into the computer a weight for an animal, and in response to entry of a weight, the computer is operable to alert an operator if the weight is outside an allowable range.

76. The system of claim 71 wherein the data entry device for entering into a computer the identity of animals in the group to be treated is operable to enter into the computer a group identification number.

77. The system of claim 71 wherein the data entry device for entering into a computer the identity of animals in the group to be treated is operable to enter into the computer an individual animal identification number.

78. The system of claim 77 wherein following entry of an animal weight and following entry of a selected drug treatment, the computer is operable to provide to the operator a weight-dependent dosage.

79. The system of claim 71 wherein the computer is operable to provide a list of animals and associated shipping status based on the drug withdrawal information.

80. The system of claim 71 wherein the system also assists in providing individual animal treatments by further comprising:

the computer storing health and drug treatment histories of individual animals to be treated;

the data entry device being operable to enter into the computer at a drug treatment location the identity of each animal to be individually treated;

following entry of an animal'"'"'s identity, the computer being operable to provide through the data output device at the drug treatment location the individual animal'"'"'s health and drug treatment history, the history including prior diagnoses and drug treatments;

the data entry device being operable to enter a diagnosis of the individual animal into the computer;

following entry of the diagnosis, the computer being operable to store the diagnosis as an addition to the animal'"'"'s health history;

the computer storing a list of available drug treatments;

the computer being operable to provide to an operator at the drug treatment location a list of available drug treatments after entry of the diagnosis;

the data entry device being operable to enter a selected drug treatment into the computer;

the computer being operable to store the selected and administered drug treatment in the computer as an addition to the animal'"'"'s treatment history.

81. The system of claim 80 wherein:

the computer stores drug withdrawal periods for the stored list of available drug treatments;

in response to entry of a selected drug treatment, the computer is operable to provide to the operator at the drug treatment location drug withdrawal information that includes or is derived from a drug withdrawal period.

82. The system of claim 81 wherein the computer is operable to alert the operator if a selected and entered drug treatment will affect the release date of the animal.

83. The system of claim 82 wherein the alert includes a display of the drug withdrawal period by the data output device.

84. The system of claim 81 wherein the withdrawal information in the computer includes the number of days the animal will be late for shipping if the drug is administered.

85. The system of claim 81 wherein the displayed withdrawal information for a selected drug treatment includes a display of the number of days the animal will be late for shipping if the drug is administered and a prompt to an operator to determine if the operator wants to give the drug treatment.

86. The system of claim 81 wherein the withdrawal information for a selected drug treatment includes a computer-calculated release date.

87. The system of claim 81 wherein the computer includes means for calculating an earliest permitted release date related to a drug withdrawal period and means for comparing that date with a stored date the animal is scheduled to be shipped, and means for displaying the comparision as part of the withdrawal information provided through the data output device.

88. The system of claim 81 wherein the computer includes means for altering the operator if the release date is later than the shipping date.

89. The system of claim 81 wherein the computer includes means for providing through the data output device individual animal drug treatments between two dates.

90. The system of claim 81 wherein the computer includes means for indicating through the data output device whether a group of animals is safe to ship based on drug withdrawal information for animals within the group.

91. The system of claim 81 wherein the computer, in response to entry of a selected drug treatment, is operable to alert the operator through the data output device if an entered dosage is outside an allowable range.

92. The system of claim 81 wherein the data entry device is operable to enter into the computer a destination for the animal after its treatment.

93. The system of claim 81 wherein the computer, after entry of a selected drug treatment, alerts the operator through the data output device whether the selected drug treatment is invalid.

94. The system of claim 71 wherein the data entry device includes means for electronically identifying the animal to the computer.

95. A system for assisting an operator to provide drug treatment to animals which are selected from a group of retained animals for treatment at a drug treatment location, the system comprising:

a computer for storing health and drug treatment histories of animals to be treated, and an inventory of drugs available for use in drug treatment;

a data entry device for entering electronically into the computer the identity of an animal to be treated at the drug treatment location;

a data output device operable in response to entry of an animal'"'"'s identity, to provide through the computer at the drug treatment location the animal'"'"'s health and drug treatment history, the history including prior diagnoses and drug treatments;

the data entry device being operable to enter a diagnosis into the computer;

the computer being operable to store the entered diagnosis in the computer as an addition to the animal’

s health history;

the computer storing a list of available drug treatments and their drug withdrawal periods;

the computer being operable to provide through the data output device to an operator at the drug treatment location a list of available drug treatments;

the data entry device being operable to enter a selected drug treatment into the computer;

following entry of a selected drug treatment, the computer being operable to provide through the data output device to the operator at the drug treatment location drug withdrawal information that includes or is derived from a drug withdrawal period;

the data entry device being operable to enter into the computer a selected drug treatment, and the computer being operable to store the selected drug treatment as an addition to the animal'"'"'s drug treatment history; and

the computer being operable to decrease the stored drug inventory in the computer by the quantity of the drugs used in the selected and administered drug treatment.

96. The system of claim 95 including:

the data entry device being operable to enter an animal weight and, following entry of a selected drug treatment, the computer being operable to provide through the data output device to the operator at the drug treatment location a weight-dependent dosage; and

in response to entry of a lot number, pen number, or an estimated shipping date for the animal, through the data entry device, the data output device being operable through the computer to indicate whether the animal is safe to ship based on the drug withdrawal information for animals within the group.

97. A system for assisting an operator in providing drug treatment to animals at a drug treatment location, the system comprising:

a data entry device for entering electronically into a computer the identity of animals in the group to be treated;

a computer storing a list of available processing orders and their drug withdrawal periods;

a data output device for providing through the computer to an operator a list of available processing orders;

the data entry device including means for entering a selected processing order into the computer;

the computer storing an administered processing order as an addition to each animal'"'"'s drug treatment history;

the computer decreasing inventory of drugs by the quantity of drugs in the administered processing order;

the computer storing health and drug treatment histories of animals to be treated;

the data entry device being operable to enter electronically into the computer the identity of an animal to be treated individually at the drug treatment location;

following entry of the individual animal'"'"'s identity, the computer being operable to provide through the data output device at the drug treatment location the animal'"'"'s health and drug treatment history, the history including prior diagnoses and drug treatments;

the data entry device including means for entering a diagnosis into the computer;

the computer storing an entered diagnosis of the animal to be treated as an addition to the animal'"'"'s health history;

the computer storing a list of available drug treatments and their drug withdrawal periods;

the computer being operable to provide through the data output device to an operator at the drug treatment location a list of available drug treatments;

the data entry device including means for entering a selected drug treatment into the computer;

the data entry device including means for entering an animal'"'"'s weight and, following entry of the selected drug treatment, the computer being operable to provide to the operator through the data output device at the drug treatment location a weight-dependent dosage; and

the computer storing an administered drug treatment entered in the computer as an addition to the animal'"'"'s drug treatment history.

98. The system of claim 97 wherein the computer provides the list of available processing orders to the operator at the drug treatment location through the data output device.