Animal health care system

• US 7,184,822 B2
• Filed: 02/26/2004
• Issued: 02/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Tanita Corporation (Tanita)
• Original Assignee: Tanita Corporation (Tanita)
• Inventors: Kasahara, Yasuhiro, Shiokawa, Takashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Hindenburg; Max
• Assistant Examiner(s): TOWA, RENE T
• Application Number:
  US10/785,998
• Publication Number:
  US 20040167386A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,097 Days
• Field of Search: 600/506, 600/547, 600/554
• US Class Current: 600/547
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 29/00 Other apparatus for animal husbandry
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2503/40 Animals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0537 Measuring body composition by impedance, e.g. tissue hydration or fat content
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/107 Measuring physical dimensions, e.g. size of the entire body or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1072 measuring distances on the body, e.g. measuring length, height or thickness A61B5/1076 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4869 Determining body composition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4872 Body fat
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/704 Tables
• CPC Class Codes: A61D 3/00 Appliances for supporting or fettering animals for operative purposes fettering in slaughter houses A22B1/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 17/08 for weighing livestock
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 19/50 having additional measuring devices, e.g. for height

Abstract

Disclosed is an animal health care system, comprising: a weight input unit; an impedance measurement unit; an inter-leg distance input unit; and a health assessment data calculation unit. According to the present invention said weight input unit enters weight value of an animal, and said impedance measurement unit includes impedance measurement electrodes each for contacting with a root of each leg of the animal and measures impedance between front and rear legs of the animal. Furthermore, said inter-leg distance input unit enters the distance between the roots of front and rear legs of the animal, and said health assessment data calculation unit calculates health assessment data, based on the weight value of the animal, the impedance between front and rear legs of the animal, and the distance between the roots of front and rear legs of the animal.

Claims

1. An animal health care system, comprising:

a weight input unit;

an impedance measurement unit;

an inter-leg distance input unit; and

a health assessment data calculation unit, wherein

said weight input unit is configured to enter a weight value of an animal,

said impedance measurement unit includes a plurality of impedance measurement electrodes for respectively contacting a root of each leg of the animal, and said impedance measuring unit measures impedance between front and rear legs of the animal,

said inter-leg distance input unit is configured to enter the distance between the roots of front and rear legs of the animal, and

said health assessment data calculation unit is configured to calculate health assessment data based on the weight value of the animal, the impedance between front and rear legs of the animal, and the distance between the roots of front and rear legs of the animal,

wherein said weight input includes a restriction unit configured to place and keep at least one of the chest, abdomen and roots of the legs of the animal in position, and to measure and enter the weight of the animal, and

wherein said restriction unit includes a lift unit for changing a height of the restriction unit for restricting the animal such that the legs of the animal are not in contact with any part of the health care system other than the restriction unit.

2. An animal health care system according to claim 1, wherein said impedance measurement electrode comprises one of a flexible electrically conductive material including an electrically conductive resin, a flexible electrically conductive material including an electrically conductive rubber, an electrically conductive member having a spherical portion, and an electrically conductive member having a spring-like portion for contacting the skin of the animal.

3. An animal health care system according to claim 1 in which said impedance measurement electrodes each have a plurality of projected portions formed on a surface thereof for making sure to contact the skin of the animal irrespective of presence of body hair.

4. An animal health care system according to claim 1 in which said impedance measurement electrode has a cushion material including either of sponge and cloth, provided on the surface thereof for providing water-keeping capability.

5. An animal health care system according to claim 1 in which said impedance measurement electrode includes a constant pressure unit for producing constant pressure to make contact with the animal at the level of not stimulating the animal.

6. An animal health care system according to claim 1 in which said health assessment data calculation unit calculates the health assessment data by taking into account at least one of morphologic measurement data including body length, body height, girth of trunk, girth of chest or girth of waist of the animal.

7. An animal health care system according to claim 1 in which said restriction unit comprises the inter-leg distance input unit, said restriction unit includes contact portions for respectively contacting the root of each leg of the animal, and said restriction unit is configured to automatically measure and enter the distance between the contact portions.

8. An animal health care system according to claim 1 in which said restriction unit comprises the impedance measuring unit, and includes contact portions for respectively contacting the root of each leg of the animal, each contact portion comprising of one of the impedance measurement electrodes.

9. An animal health care system according to claim 1 in which said restriction unit has a width or height for receiving the animal, which can be adjusted according to the size of the animal.

10. An animal health care system according to claim 1 in which said restriction unit includes a flexible net or meshed sheet configured to let at least four legs of the animal pass through, and frames configured to secure the net at any condition from a spread condition to a folded condition.

11. An animal health care system according to claim 10 in which said frames are secured to said lift unit, and said lift unit is configured to narrow the spacing between two said frames with an increasing height of the lift unit.

12. An animal health care system according to any one of claims 1–

6, 7–

8 and 9–

11 in which said health assessment data calculated by the health assessment data calculation unit is body water mass of the animal.

13. An animal health care system according to any one of claims 1–

6, 7–

8 and 9–

11 in which said health assessment data calculated by the health assessment data calculation unit is fat free mass of the animal.

14. An animal health care system according to any one of claims 1–

6, 7–

8 and 9–

11 in which said health assessment data calculated by the health assessment data calculation unit is body fat mass of the animal.

15. An animal health care system according to any one of claims 1–

6, 7–

8 and 9–

11 in which said health assessment data calculation unit includes a “

BCS”

(Body Condition Score) estimation unit for estimating “

BCS”

based on the health assessment data calculated.

16. An animal health care system according to any one of claims 1–

6, 7–

8 and 9–

11 in which said health assessment data calculation unit includes an adiposity judgment unit for judging the degree of adiposity of the animal based on the health assessment data calculated.

17. An animal health care system, comprising:

a fat free data input unit;

a body temperature related data input unit;

a body temperature correction factor derivation unit; and

a metabolism calculation unit, wherein

said fat free data input unit enters fat free data of a dog,

said body temperature related data input unit enters body temperature related data of the dog,

said body temperature correction factor derivation unit derives a body temperature correction factor based on at least one of a kind of dog and a body build of the dog, and

said metabolism calculation unit calculates a metabolism of the dog based on said fat free data and said body temperature correction factor.

18. An animal health care system according to claim 17 in which said fat free data is fat free mass or amount of muscle.

19. An animal health care system according to claim 17 in which said fat free data is derived from weight value and body fat data.

20. An animal health care system according to claim 17 in which said body build of the dog is body mass index estimated from a weight value.

21. An animal health care system according to claim 17 in which said metabolism calculation unit includes a body hair data input unit for entering body hair data of the dog, and calculates the metabolism of the dog by taking into account of the body hair data entered thereby.

22. An animal health care system according to claim 17 in which said metabolism calculation unit includes an age input unit for entering the age of the dog, and calculates the metabolism of the dog by taking into account of the age.

23. An animal health care system according to claim 17 in which said metabolism calculation unit includes a thermal insulation effect factor derivation unit for deriving thermal insulation effect factor based on the body fat rate of the dog when it is entered thereto, and calculates the metabolism of the dog by taking into account of said thermal insulation effect factor.

24. An animal health care system according to claim 17 in which said metabolism calculation unit calculates at least one of a basal metabolism and a metabolism in rest condition.

25. An animal health care system according to claim 17 in which said metabolism calculation unit includes an action data input unit for entering action data of the dog and a total energy consumption calculation unit for calculating total energy consumption of the dog based on the metabolism and the action data.

26. An animal health care system according to claim 25 in which said action data is action indices each indicating ordinary action of the dog with a plurality of steps.

27. An animal health care system according to claim 25 in which said action data is exercise data measured by an exercise monitoring device including at least one of a pedometer and an accelerator.

28. An animal health care system according to claim 25 in which said total energy consumption calculation unit includes an adiposity related data input unit for entering adiposity related data of the dog, a target weight reduction setting unit for setting target weight reduction, and a proper value calculation unit for calculating at least one of proper intake energy or proper consumption energy relative to said target weight reduction, based on said total energy consumption, said adiposity related data and said target weight reduction.

29. An animal health care system according to claim 28 in which said adiposity related data is weight value and body fat data of the dog.

30. An animal health care system according to claim 19 or 29 in which said body fat data is body fat mass or body fat rate calculated using at least one of impedance value of the dog, body condition score or morphologic measurement data.

31. An animal health care system according to claim 28 in which said target weight reduction is a general standard value for adiposity that is automatically set as the target.

32. An animal health care system according to claim 28 in which said target weight reduction is set by a measurement person who manually enters the numerical value.

33. An animal health care system according to claim 25 in which said total energy consumption calculation unit includes an ambient temperature input unit for entering ambient temperature, and calculates total energy consumption by taking into account of the ambient temperature.

34. An animal health care system according to claim 33 in which said ambient temperature is set in advance for every season or every month so that it is automatically entered.