Management program for the benefit of a companion animal

• US 8,366,642 B2
• Filed: 03/02/2009
• Issued: 02/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mars Incorporated
• Original Assignee: IAMS Company (Mars Incorporated)
• Inventors: Lepine, Allan John, Ditmer, Dennis Richard, Halsey, Lori Lee, Burr, John Russell
• Primary Examiner(s): DOUGHERTY, SEAN PATRICK
• Application Number:
  US12/395,935
• Publication Number:
  US 20100222710A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,436 Days
• Field of Search: 600/587, 600/592, 600/595, 119/72
• US Class Current: 600/595
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 29/00 Other apparatus for animal husbandry
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 29/005 Monitoring or measuring activity, e.g. detecting heat or mating
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2503/40 Animals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1038 Measuring plantar pressure during gait
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1126 using a particular sensing technique

Abstract

A management program for the benefit of a companion animal can maintain, enhance or improve the health and well-being of the companion animal. The management program can include recommendations for dietary modification, supplement administration, weight loss/management plans, physical activity recommendation, veterinary intervention and combinations thereof.

Claims

1. A management program for a companion animal, the program comprising:

a. collecting footfall data of the companion animal by ambulating the companion animal from a first region of a pressure detection unit to a second region of the pressure detection unit;

b. analyzing the footfall data and converting said footfall data into movement data;

utilizing the movement data in a biological age equation from a representative class of animals, and determining a biological age for the companion animal;

c. comparing the biological age to a chronological age of the companion animal; and

d. using the comparison of the biological age to the chronological age to make changes for the companion animal to maintain, improve or enhance the biological age of the companion animal

wherein the biological age equation is determined at least in part based on at least one of body size and breed of the companion animal.

2. The management program of claim 1 wherein the movement data is selected from the group consisting of number of pressure sensors activated in a given paw placement, pressure peak, pressure mean, pressure time, step length, stride length, step time, stride time, swing time, stance time, distance, ambulation time, velocity, step count, cadence, step time of all four paws, step length measured individually on each leg, cycle time measured individually on each leg, stride length measured individually for each leg, stride velocity measured individually on each leg, swing percentage of cycle measured individually on each leg, swing time measured individually for each leg, stance percentage of cycle measured individually for each leg, stance time measured individually for each leg, number of pressure sensors measured individually for each leg, mean pressure, center of gravity, and combinations thereof.

3. The management program of claim 1 further comprising a step of providing a personalized report to an owner, a breeder, or a caregiver of said companion animal.

4. The management program of claim 3 wherein said personalized report comprises information selected from the group consisting of biological age of said companion animal, movement data of said companion animal, footfall data of said companion animal and combinations thereof.

5. The management program of claim 1 wherein the changes made for the companion animal are selected from the group consisting of dietary modification, supplement administration, weight loss/management plans, physical activity recommendations, veterinary intervention, and combinations thereof.

6. The management program of claim 1 wherein the biological age equation is from a representative class of animals comprising no known physical ailments.

7. The management program of claim 1 wherein the biological age equation is from a representative class of animals comprising known physical ailments.

8. The management program of claim 1 wherein the biological age of the companion animal is determined again at a subsequent moment in time.

9. The management program of claim 8 wherein the biological age of the companion animal that was determined at the subsequent moment is compared with the biological age.