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Apparatus and method for detecting disease in dairy animals

  • US 9,766,263 B2
  • Filed: 04/28/2011
  • Issued: 09/19/2017
  • Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2010
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. An Apparatus for detecting udder disease in a dairy animal, the apparatus comprising:

  • at least one accelerometer for attachment to a leg of the dairy animal; and

    a processor operable to;

    determine a measure of activity of the dairy animal to which the accelerometer is attached based on measurements from the accelerometer, wherein the determined measure of activity is a motion index calculated based on a measured net acceleration, minus an offset for gravity, of the accelerometer, summed over a period of time;

    determine a measure of feeding of the dairy animal from a second sensor in a region of head or neck of the dairy animal, the measurement from the second sensor distinguishing feeding from activity associated with walking or kicking, anddetermine that the diary animal has the udder disease from a change in the measure of activity of the dairy animal based on the measurements from the at least one accelerometer and also the measure of feeding of the dairy animal obtained from the second sensor, and thereby detect the udder disease in the dairy animal based upon the determination.

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