Animal health monitoring system

• US 9,060,679 B2
• Filed: 04/21/2014
• Issued: 06/23/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MSD International GmbH (Merck & Co., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Allflex USA Incorporated (Merck & Co., Inc.)
• Inventors: Stewart, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): MCNALLY, KERRI L
• Application Number:
  US14/257,710
• Publication Number:
  US 20140336524A1
• Time in Patent Office: 428 Days
• Field of Search: 340/573.3
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 11/007 Boluses
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2503/40 Animals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0204 of power management
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0209 adapted for power saving
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/08 Sensors provided with means for identification, e.g. barcodes or memory chips
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0008 Temperature signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0015 characterised by features of the telemetry system
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0022 Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0024 for multiple sensor units attached to the patient, e.g. using a body or personal area network
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/01 Measuring temperature of body parts ; Diagnostic temperature sensing, e.g. for malignant or inflamed tissue clinical contact thermometers G01K13/20
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/073 Intestinal transmitters
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/117 Identification of persons methods or arrangements for recognising patterns, e.g. fingerprints, G06F18/00, G06V40/00; identification of persons by analysing their voice or speech G10L17/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6822 Neck
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6861 Capsules, e.g. for swallowing or implanting
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6871 Stomach
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7495 using a reader or scanner device, e.g. barcode scanner

Abstract

Systems and methods for animal health monitoring are described. In one embodiment, an animal health monitoring system includes a ruminant bolus transponder, a high frequency radio frequency transceiver device, and at least one base station including a high frequency radio frequency transceiver, wherein the high frequency radio frequency transceiver device is proximally located to the bolus transponder, wherein the ruminant bolus periodically emerges from a low power dormant state and measures data including at least one sensor measurement including time and date data, wherein the ruminant bolus is configured to store the measured data using the memory connected to the microcontroller in the ruminant bolus, wherein the ruminant bolus periodically emerges from a low power dormant state and transmits the stored data in the memory to the proximally located device via high frequency RF transmission, and wherein the ruminant bolus can be spontaneously activated by a low frequency scanner.

Claims

1. An animal health monitoring system, comprising:

a ruminant bolus transponder comprising at least one physiological sensor, a microcontroller with memory, a low frequency radio frequency identification (RFID) transceiver, and a high frequency radio frequency transmitter;

at least one high frequency radio frequency (RF) transceiver device comprising at least one physiological sensor, a microcontroller, and a high frequency radio frequency transceiver; and

at least one base station comprising a high frequency radio frequency transceiver;

wherein the high frequency radio frequency transceiver device is proximally located to the ruminant bolus transponder;

wherein the ruminant bolus transponder periodically emerges from a low power dormant state and measures data comprising at least one sensor measurement comprising time and date data;

wherein the ruminant bolus transponder is configured to store the measured data using the memory connected to the microcontroller in the ruminant bolus;

wherein the ruminant bolus transponder periodically emerges from a low power dormant state and transmits the stored data in the memory to the proximally located device via high frequency RF transmission; and

wherein the ruminant bolus transponder can be spontaneously activated by a low frequency scanner.

2. The animal health monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the low frequency scanner configures the ruminant bolus transponder to transmit the stored data.

3. The animal health monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the low frequency scanner is configured to reconfigure the ruminant bolus transponder.

4. The animal health monitoring system of claim 3, wherein the low frequency scanner transmits configuration data and time/date synchronization to the ruminant bolus transponder.

5. The animal health monitoring system of claim 1, wherein:

the high frequency radio frequency transceiver device emerges from a low power dormant state at intervals synchronous with the ruminant bolus transponder; and

the high frequency radio frequency transceiver device receives at least one piece of data via high frequency RF transmission.

6. The animal health monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the high frequency radio frequency transceiver device emerges from a low power dormant state and records data comprising at least one sensor measurement associated with current time and date in memory.

7. The animal health monitoring system of claim 1, wherein:

the high frequency radio frequency transceiver device emerges from a low power dormant state at intervals synchronous with the at least one base station; and

the high frequency radio frequency transceiver device transmits stored data records comprising ruminant bolus transponder data and proximal device data via high frequency transmission.

8. The animal health monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the low frequency scanner obtains data stored on the ruminant bolus transponder.

9. The animal health monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the low frequency scanner reads a bolus identification number and sensor data stored in the ruminant bolus transponder.

10. The animal health monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the base station broadcasts polling requests to at least one high frequency radio frequency transceiver device.

11. The animal health monitoring system of claim 10, wherein the base station is configured to broadcast via high frequency RF.

12. The animal health monitoring system of claim 11, wherein a polling request is addressed to at least one high frequency radio frequency transceiver device.

13. The animal health monitoring system of claim 11, wherein the high frequency radio frequency transceiver device responds to the polling request by transmitting requested stored sensor data.