Patent Application
20160058379
The present invention relates to apparatuses and methods for monitoring vital signs and health of animals, and, more particularly for monitoring the health and vital signs of animals of the Equidae family, such as horses, and doing so using a specially designed band or collar.
When animals are sick they tend by nature to withdraw and hide their symptoms since they feel defenseless. This behavior makes detection of diseases and treatment of the animal significantly more difficult. In addition, certain diseases may develop acutely and deteriorate into life-threatening conditions very quickly. Therefore, early detection may be of paramount medical significance. Yet, most horses are kept in facilities such as a barn, where continuous professional observation is limited or does not exist. For these animals, acute and serious medical conditions may be detected late in the disease process.
Colic, a disease contracted by horses, is defined as abdominal pain. There are a variety of different causes of colic, some of which can prove fatal without surgical intervention. Colic surgery is usually an expensive procedure since it is a major abdominal surgery, often with intensive aftercare. Among domesticated horses, colic is the leading cause of premature death. The incidence of colic in the general horse population has been estimated as 4-20% over the course of their lifetime.
If a horse that contracts colic is not promptly treated, the horse can die within hours. Although it is standard medical practice to check the vital signs of a sick horse, this tends to occur too late, for example because it takes time to summon a veterinarian, and for the veterinarian to reach the horse. Early detection is often not achieved, yet it has a profound impact on prognosis. In fact, the most important factor affecting prognosis is time elapsed since the onset of clinical signs. In addition, it is very important in order to achieve less suffering of the animal and less likelihood of a severe disease, which can develop if detection occurs late.
Monitoring the vital signs of race horses or breeding horses is important for the additional reason that these horses constitute an economic asset and their fitness and soundness affects their value.
There is a compelling need to have an apparatus and method that will provide early detection and diagnosis of animals such as horses or other members of the Equidae family, and to do so accurately and efficiently without interfering with the comfort and behavior of the animal.
One aspect of the present invention is a system for monitoring vital signs of an animal of a Equidae family, comprising a band having a working surface configured to wrap around one or more of (a) a neck of the animal and (b) at least one leg of the animal; a sensor array comprising at least one sensor element situated along a circumference of the band, the at least one sensor element including at least one of (i) an accelerometer configured to measure at least one accelerometer-measured bioparameter of the animal from among: resting patterns, activity patterns, movement patterns, position patterns, lameness, kicking, stomping, lifting leg, pawing and (ii) a non-accelerometer sensor configured to measure at least one of the following non-accelerometer-measured bioparameters of the animal: temperature, pulse rate, respiration rate; one or more remote or local processors configured to receive (a) sensor output data from the sensor array concerning the measured one or more bioparameters and (b) reference data concerning the measured one or more bioparameters of the animal or of a population of the animal, the one or more remote or local processors configured to determine whether a specific medical condition is suspected by at least one of the following: (i) scoring at least two bioparameters relative to the reference data and comparing a cumulative score of all scored bioparameters to a threshold cumulative score or to a threshold cumulative range; or (ii) identifying an abnormal pattern in at least one bioparameter from among the at least one of (I) the accelerometer-measured bioparameters and (II) the non-accelerometer-measured bioparameters, the one or more remote or local processors configured to send an alert if at least one specific medical condition is suspected.
A further aspect of the present invention is a system for monitoring vital signs of an animal of an Equidae family, comprising a band having a working surface configured to wrap around one or more of (a) a neck of the animal and (b) at least one leg of the animal; one or more accelerometers situated along a circumference of the band and configured to measure at least one bioparameter of the animal from among: resting patterns, activity patterns, movement patterns, position patterns, lameness, kicking, stomping, lifting leg, pawing, one or more remote or local processors configured to receive (a) sensor output data from the one or more accelerometers concerning the measured bioparameters and (b) reference data concerning the measured bioparameters of the animal or of a population of the animal, the one or more remote or local processors configured to determine whether a specific medical condition is suspected by at least one of the following: (i) scoring at least two bioparameters and comparing a cumulative score of all scored bioparameters to a threshold cumulative score or to a threshold cumulative range; or (ii) identifying an abnormal pattern in at least one accelerometer-measured bioparameter, the one or more remote or local processors configured to send an alert if at least one specific medical condition is suspected.
A still further aspect of the present invention is a method of monitoring an animal of an Equidae family to determine a suspicion of a specific medical condition in the animal, comprising providing a band on the animal configured to wrap around one or more of (a) a neck of the animal and (b) at least one leg of the animal, the band including a sensor array comprising at least one sensor element situated along a circumference of the band, the at least one sensor element including at least one of (i) an accelerometer configured to measure at least one accelerometer-measured bioparameter of the animal from among: resting patterns, activity patterns, movement patterns, position patterns, lameness, kicking, stomping, lifting leg, pawing and (ii) a non-accelerometer sensor configured to measure at least one of the following non-accelerometer-measured bioparameters of the animal: temperature, pulse rate, respiration rate; one or more local or remote processors receiving (a) sensor output data from the sensor array concerning the measured one or more bioparameters and (b) reference data concerning the measured one or more bioparameters of the animal or of a population of the animal, the one or more remote or local processors configured to determine whether a specific medical condition is suspected by at least one of the following: (i) scoring at least two bioparameters relative to the reference data and comparing a cumulative score of all scored bioparameters to a threshold cumulative score or to a threshold cumulative range; or (ii) identifying an abnormal pattern in at least one bioparameter from among the at least one of (i) the accelerometer-measured bioparameters and (ii) the non-accelerometer-measured bioparameters; and the one or more remote or local processors sending an alert if at least one specific medical condition is suspected.
These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following drawings, descriptions and claims.
Various embodiments are herein described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:
The following detailed description is of the best currently contemplated modes of carrying out the invention. The description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention, since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims.
The present invention generally provides a system for monitoring vital signs of animals in the family (a term used to describe a biological classification) Equidae, preferably those animals within the genus equus, such as horses, and determining a suspicion of a specific medical condition. A band may have a working surface configured to wrap around a portion of the animal, for example, one or more of (a) a neck of the animal and (b) at least one leg of the animal. A sensor array may comprise at least one sensor element situated along a circumference of the band, the at least one sensor element including at least one of (i) an accelerometer configured to measure at least one accelerometer-measured bioparameter of the animal from among: resting patterns, activity patterns, movement patterns, position patterns, lameness, kicking, stomping, lifting leg, pawing and (ii) a non-accelerometer sensor configured to measure at least one of the following non-accelerometer-measured bioparameters of the animal: temperature, pulse rate, respiration rate. Preferably, the sensor array comprises at least two sensor elements including the accelerometer and at least one non-accelerometer sensor. One or more remote or local processors are configured (i.e. programmed by software or data instructions stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium) to receive (a) sensor output data from the sensor array concerning the measured one or more bioparameters and (b) reference data concerning the measured one or more bioparameters of the animal or of a population of the animal, the one or more remote or local processors are configured (i.e. by software or data instructions stored on a computer-readable medium) to determine whether a specific medical condition is suspected by at least one of the following: (i) scoring at least two bioparameters relative to the reference data and comparing a cumulative score of all scored bioparameters to a threshold cumulative score or to a threshold cumulative range this second prong wouldn't apply to pulse alone; or (ii) identifying an abnormal pattern in at least one bioparameter from among the at least one of (i) the accelerometer-measured bioparameters and (ii) the non-accelerometer-measured bioparameters (or preferably where the sensor array has both, from among the accelerometer-measured bioparameters and the non-accelerometer-measured bioparameters). The one or more remote or local processors may be configured (i.e. programmed by software or data instructions) to send an alert if at least one specific medical condition is suspected.
For example, the at least one specific medical condition may be one or more of colic, laminitis or lameness. The at least one sensor element may be a piezoelectric sensor, an acoustic sensor, a temperature sensor, a proximity sensor.
The band may comprise a layer of an elastic material and may be configured to measure at least one bioparameter from the following bioparameters: temperature, heart rate, respiration rate, movement and positions. In some versions, At least one acoustic concentrator, in the form of a bump, may project toward the neck or other body portion of the animal from the working surface at the one or more regions along the circumference. In addition, at least one acoustic balancer may project from the rear surface at the one or more regions along the circumference. The at least one acoustic balancer may be situated at a region along the circumference at least partly behind and preferably directly behind the at least one acoustic concentrators.
The band or collar may have sensor elements that can be activated remotely to check vital signs of the animal (such as respiration, pulse, temperature, movement and positions) and a processor that can interpret the results of multiple vital sign readings. The band or collar may also have a two way communication device attached or integrated thereto that can alert the animal's owner, a veterinarian or the authorities, when appropriate, that the animal is suffering from a particular condition or is exhibiting suspicious behavior or movements. This way, a veterinarian can remotely take a particular vital sign measurement when alerted of the data by signalling the processor to actuate a particular sensor element. The sensor elements that may be embedded in the band of the collar may gather data that can be processed on the collar itself or transmitted to a remote terminal, which can be a home computer, a hand-held device, or a main server computer. In order to dramatically improve the system gain, sensitivity and signal to noise ratio (SNR), an elastic layer may absorb noise from friction due to movement of the animal's head.
In contrast to prior art bands or collars for horses, which are typically located under the saddle, or in one case at the underside of the tail, the entire band of the present invention may be situated on the neck or on one or more legs (for example adjacent and above the hoof of the leg), or on both the neck and one or more legs of the animal, for example a horse or other animal of the Equidae family. In contrast to prior art animal bands or collars, which do not measure vital signs, the band of the present invention may measure vital signs of the animal. For example, it may measure, heart rate, respiration rate, temperature, movement, body positions etc. In contrast to the prior art monitoring systems that may utilize multiple sensors, which may generate many alerts over a short period of time, sometimes even simultaneously, a situation that may overload the system, increase its cost or limit its applicability, the system and method of the present invention may avoid these drawbacks not just by sensing a large number of bioparameters of the animal, but also by fusing the sensed data together. As an example, a combination of pulse data (i.e. elevated heart rate) and movement data (that the animal is at rest) and possibly time of day (that it is night time) may lead to early diagnosis of colic, whereas any one of the parameters above alone would not suffice to achieve such early detection. The system of the present invention may combine skin temperature near the hoof area of the horse (measured by a temperature sensor) with an exaggerated bounding pulse in the leg(s) (measured by a piezoelectric sensor). This may greatly decrease the risk that a false alarm will be generated. In further contrast to prior art monitoring systems, in which alerts may be produced unreliably if the animal is in a specific environment, or in a certain state or context that may mask a healthy condition, the system and method of the present invention may combine certain sensor data with data identifying the specific environment or state of the animal, thereby avoiding a false alarm. For example, if the multiple sensors merely detect bioparameters including pulse rate, then a false alarm for a particular medical condition like acute or chronic pain may result, whereas the system of the present invention may combine that pulse rate data with movement and position data identifying whether the animal is excited or running, which could explain the increased pulse rate without illness. Likewise, other states, environments or contexts such as exercising in hot weather could create a false alarm for a medical condition whose suspected diagnosis is grounded in part on increased temperature. Similarly, sleeping could create a false alarm for a medical condition whose suspected diagnosis is grounded in part on low pulse rate. Accordingly, the one or more processors of the system of the present invention may combine the pulse rate and other sensor data together with data identifying the state or environment of the animal, in order to reach a much more reliable determination as to whether the particular medical condition is suspected and thereby reduce the chance of a false suspected diagnosis and alarm. In still further contrast to prior art monitoring systems, the system of the present invention may include one or more remote and local processors. For example, a local processor on a band or collar may relay data to a remote processor in a server computer located in cyberspace. The system of the present invention, in contrast to the prior art, may interpret the interdependence of the vital sign measurements made by the sensor array to arrive at a suspicion of a medical diagnosis that may be relayed to a veterinarian, the animal's owner and/or to the authorities. Alternatively, the system of the present invention may relay a fitness of the horse or other animal to a trainer who may adjust a training regimen of the horse, for example a race horse. In still further contrast to the prior art, the band or collar may have two-way communication so that a veterinarian can instruct the band or collar to measure a particular vital sign remotely. In still further contrast to the prior art animal collars, in which signal to noise ratio precludes remote telecommunication reception of vital sign parameters, the band or collar of the present invention may include a layer of elastic that improves the signal to noise ratio by absorbing friction from constant movement of the horse or animals's head. In contrast to the prior art band or collars, the band or collar of the present invention may also have a GPS and communications system for alerting remote personnel so that if the animal is out of a designated area, or if a captive animal in a zoo escapes its enclosure, an immediate alarm can be sounded and an alert transmitted to designated authorities and veterinarians. In further contrast to prior art methods and appartuses of monitoring the animals' vital signs, which may interfere with the animal's behavior or cause irritation, for example because the band or collar has to be too tight, or which may not be sufficiently effective in capturing the low frequency sounds made by the animal, due to the fur of the animal around the neck or leg of the animal, the collar and method of the present invention may provide an effective method of monitoring the vital signs and diagnosing the health condition of the animal accurately without adversely affecting the behavior or comfort of the animal. Despite its accuracy, the band or collar may only need to gently touch the animal's leg(s) or neck, at several points around the neck. In still further contrast to the prior art animal bands or collars, in which signal to noise ratio precludes remote telecommunication reception of vital sign parameters, the band or collar of the present invention may include a layer of elastic material that may improve the sensitivity, gain and signal to noise ratio by absorbing friction from constant movement of the animal's head. In still further contrast to the prior art collars, which may not be accurate in capturing the low frequency sounds made by the animal, the band or collar and method of the present invention may utilize an acoustically enhanced band or collar for positioning on a neck or at least one of the leg's of the animal may have a working surface and a rear surface, at least one and preferably at least two acoustic concentrators projecting toward the leg(s) or neck of the horse from the working surface on one side of the at least one sensor element and at least one and preferably at least two acoustic balancers projecting from the rear surface on the other side of the at least one sensor. An acoustic balancer may be positioned at least partly behind a corresponding acoustic concentrator, and in some preferred embodiments the positioning maybe such that most or all of the acoustic concentrators have an acoustic balancer at least partly behind it on opposite sides of the band. In further contrast to prior art bands or collars, in which the structure of the device does not optimize capturing the low frequency sound by creating a balanced acoustic signal that is readable and able to be parsed, the band or collar of the present invention may have enhanced ability to convert low mechanical pulses to electrical signals of reasonable magnitude for transmission to the processor and thereby capture the low frequency sound effectively as a balanced acoustic signal that is readable and able to be parsed. Furthermore, in contrast to the prior art, the acoustic enhancers (concentrators and balancers) of the band or collar of the present invention may perform this function while simultaneously reducing total noise by reducing relative movement between the band or collar and the animal's head when the animal's head or leg(s) moves. The acoustic concentrators in the form of bumps may prevent occasional rotation of the band/collar relative to the leg(s) or neck of the animal. Instead, the band or collar of the present invention may move with the animal's leg(s) or head when the animal turns its head or moves its leg(s) up or down, due to the inward facing acoustic concentrators. Keeping the band/collar at the desired place may be critical both for the accuracy of the acoustic sensor and for the accuracy of the acceleration/position sensor that may be on the band/collar. As a result of the acoustic concentrators and acoustic balancers in a preferred embodiment of the system 11 of the present invention, the signal to noise ratio expressed using the logarithmic decibel scale may be at least 20 dB and in some preferred embodiments between 20 dB and 40 dB. The typical pulse amplitude is between 300 and 500 mV, as defined, by the gain setting of the amplifier (not shown). By having a better signal to noise ratio, in contrast of the prior art, the system of the present invention may be better able to provide reliable data that passes a quality assurance test, and hence may be able to provide a reliable suspicion of a medical condition with fewer sensors.
The principles and operation of a system, apparatus and method for an animal band or collar for health & vital signs monitoring, alert and diagnosis may be better understood with reference to the drawings and the accompanying description.
As seen from
In one preferred embodiment, system 11 may include a sensor array comprising at least one sensor element situated along a circumference of the band, the at least one sensor element including at least one of (i) an accelerometer configured to measure at least one accelerometer-measured bioparameter of the animal from among: resting patterns, activity patterns, movement patterns, position patterns, lameness, kicking, stomping, lifting leg, pawing and (ii) a non-accelerometer sensor configured to measure at least one of the following non-accelerometer-measured bioparameters of the animal: temperature, pulse rate, respiration rate.
The sensor array may comprise at least two sensor elements situated along a circumference of the band 20, the at least two sensor elements including an accelerometer and a non-accelerometer sensor. The at least two sensor elements may comprise at least three or at least four or at least five or at least six or at least seven (or more) sensor elements distributed at different points along the circumference of the band.
System 11 may also comprise one or more remote (40A) or local processors 40 configured to receive (a) sensor output data from the sensor array concerning the measured bioparameter(s) and (b) reference data concerning the measured bioparameters of the animal or of a population of the animal.
The one or more remote or local processors may include one or more local processors 40 and/or one or more remote processor 40A.
The one or more local or remote processors 40, 40A may be configured to determine whether a specific medical condition is suspected by utilizing at least one of the following: (i) scoring at least two bioparameters relative to the reference data and comparing a cumulative score of all scored bioparameters to a threshold cumulative score or to a threshold cumulative range; or (ii) identifying an abnormal pattern in at least one bioparameter from among the accelerometer-measured bioparameters and the non-accelerometer-measured bioparameters (or if there only at least one sensor in the sensor array, then (ii) identifying an abnormal pattern in at least one bioparameter from among the at least one of (I) the accelerometer-measured bioparameters and (II) the non-accelerometer-measured bioparameters).
The one or more remote or local processors may be configured to send an alert if at least one specific medical condition is suspected. Accordingly, as seen in
Note that if the one or more local or remote processors of system 11 consist solely of local processors 40 (i.e. processors situated in or on or at band/collar 20), then the system 11 can also be described as an apparatus or device 20, which apparatus or device may be described as a band or collar 20 having various components. On the other hand, if the system 11 includes at least one remote processor 40A, or even one remote device such as a commutation device, the system 11 is not an apparatus but includes an apparatus such as a band 20 or collar 20.
In system 11, the one or more processors 40, 40A may be configured to combine the identifying of the abnormal pattern in the at least one bioparameter with identifying abnormal patterns in at least one other bioparameter. For example, the identifying of the abnormal pattern in the at least one bioparameter involves identifying said abnormal patterns in at least one accelerometer-measured bioparameter and identifying abnormal patterns in at least one non-accelerometer-measured bioparameter.
If, for example, the specific medical condition is colic and the abnormal pattern in the at least one accelerometer-measured bioparameters is an abnormal pattern of movement comprising at least one of pawing; kicking; stomping; lifting leg; repeatedly lying down and rising; rolling or thrashing; change in activity level (i.e. lethargy, pacing or a constant shifting of weight when standing); stretching or abnormal posturing; or dorsal recumbency in foals, the abnormal pattern of movement may be sensed by the accelerometer.
In preferred embodiments, the sensor output data from the sensor array concerning the bioparameters may be tested to see if it passes a quality assurance test. The quality assurance test may be based on a threshold level of signal to noise ratio. Accordingly, the at least one acoustic concentrator and at least one balancer that are utilized in a preferred embodiment may greatly improve the signal to noise ratio and allow the data to pass the quality assurance test. In certain other preferred embodiments, the quality assurance test may be based on a pattern recognition. In still other preferred embodiments, the bioparameters are to see if they pass a quality assurance test, wherein the quality assurance test is based on whether a quantity of data points of the data is sufficiently high.
The following is an example of certain logic used in combining data from different sensors (data fusion) by the one or more local or remote processors in accordance with certain preferred embodiments. For the medical condition of colic, a non-accelerometer sensor senses pulse data (“A”) and detects elevated pose rate. This detection is considered a necessary component for detecting this condition in accordance with this preferred embodiment. At the same time, the accelerometer sensor senses activity data (“B”) to confirm that the elevated pulse data pattern must happen while the animal is resting. According to this logic, pulse data+activity (A+B) parameters are necessary components. (A+B) parameters may even be considered as sufficient components, if the data relating to them is considered of good enough quality (high confidence), i.e., if the incoming data receives a passing score when subjected to one or more quality assurance tests.
If, on the other hand, the activity and position incoming data (A+B) is merely of medium quality or of borderline confidence, and hence inconclusive, then supplemental data from the following other sensors that may sense other parameters may support a suspicion of colic. The supplemental data may be position data that shows for example the horse rolling on its back. This is a strong supportive component for a suspicion of colic. The supplemental data may be respiration data that shows increased respiration rate at rest—this is a supportive component for a suspicion of colitis. The supplemental data may be data concerning sounds from an acoustic accelerometer, i.e. whinnying, grunting. This is a supportive component for a suspicion of colic. In sum, in this preferred embodiment, A+B at a level of good score on a quality assurance test would yield an alert. Furthermore, A+B at a level of a medium score on a quality assurance test plus one or more supplemental data would yield an alert.
In one preferred embodiment, for the medical condition of colic, laminitis and/or lameness, each parameter and basic/background attributes may be assigned a pre-determined score. No one parameter is necessary but rather a sufficient accumulation of supporting parameters. The scores of all parameters are summed and if at any time the cumulative score passes a threshold score, then an alert is generated.
In one preferred embodiment, for the specific medical condition of colic the abnormal pattern in the at least one accelerometer-measured bioparameters is an abnormal pattern of movement comprising at least one of pawing; kicking; repeatedly lying down and rising; rolling or thrashing; change in activity level including lethargy or pacing or a constant shifting of weight when standing; stretching or abnormal posturing; or dorsal recumbency in foals sensed by the accelerometer. In this case, the non-accelerometer-measured bioparameters may be at least one of elevated body temperature measured by a temperature sensor, change in the degree of gut sounds measured by a sound sensor, groaning measured by a sound sensor and loss of appetite measured by a proximity sensor.
In one preferred embodiment, the one or more remote or local processors may be configured to determine a suspicion of all (a) colic, (b) laminitis and (c) lameness based on at least one of movement, pulse, temperature and respiration, wherein pulse means pulse rate or pulse rhythm. In other preferred embodiments, the one or more remote or local processors may be configured to determine a suspicion of any one or two of (a) colic, (b) laminitis and (c) lameness based also on at least one of movement, pulse, temperature and respiration, wherein pulse means pulse rate or pulse rhythm.
In one preferred embodiment, wherein the at least one specific medical condition is laminitis, the one or more remote or local processors are configured to base a suspicion of laminitis at least in part on scoring at least two bioparameters from among (i) loss of appetite, (ii) decreased activity (iii) abnormal standing posture, (iv) walking with a slow, crouching, short-striding gait, (v) elevated skin temperature above the hoof area on the lower leg (i.e. up to 20 centimeters from the hoof), (vi) an exaggerated and bounding pulse in the leg, (vii) severe pain (viii) increased pulse rate (ix) increased respiratory rate, and (x) an increased amount of time lying down, and comparing a cumulative score of all scored bioparameters to a threshold cumulative score or to a threshold cumulative range.
In one preferred embodiment, wherein the at least one specific medical condition is lameness, the one or more remote or local processors are configured to base a suspicion of lameness at least in part on scoring the at least two bioparameters from among (i) shifting weight, (ii) abnormal positions, (iii) head bobbing, (iv) decreased activity, (v) pain, (vi) bounding pulses, wherein “(i)” through “(iv)” are measured by the accelerometer and “(v)” through “(vi)” are measured by a piezoelectric sensor.
In the present invention in general, reference to configuring the one or more local or remote processors refers to programming the one or more local or remote processors with software or programmable data instructions. The software or programmable data instructions referred to in the present invention is normally stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium or memory storage and is executed by the one or more local or remote processors.
In general, the one or more local or remote processors may be configured to determine whether each of the at least two bioparameters exceeds a threshold level or range. Alternatively, the one or more remote or local processors may be configured to determine whether a new parameter that is a function of a combination of each of the at least two relevant bioparameters, and may be configured to determine if the new parameter exceeds a threshold level or range.
In general, in order to combine data received from a sensor to include information about environments or states of the animal, the sensor array may be configured to measure at least one of the following characteristics of the animal for output to the one or more remote or local processors: skin temperature on the leg above the hoof or on the neck, heart rate, respiratory rate, the degree of gut sounds and changes in said degree, movement patterns including pawing, kicking, repeatedly lying down and rising, rolling, thrashing, changes in activity level (i.e. lethargy, pacing or a constant shifting of weight when standing), stretching, abnormal posturing, groaning, loss of appetite, dorsal recumbency in foals, decreased activity, abnormal standing posture, a slow, crouching, short-striding gait when forced to walk, an exaggerated or bounding pulse in the leg(s), severe pain, increased pulse rate, increased respiratory rate, increased amount of time lying down, shifting weight, abnormal positions, head bobbing, pain or bounding pulses.
For example, for the specific medical condition of colic, the one or more remote or local processors may be configured to base a suspicion of colic at least in part on scoring at least two bioparameters from among the following clinical signs, where the clinical sign(s) may be detected by the sensor identified in the parenthetical expression following that clinical sign(s): elevated body temperature as determined by skin temperature on one or more legs above the hoof or else on the neck (temperature sensor); elevated heart rate (piezoelectric sensor); elevated respiratory rate (piezoelectric sensor); change in the degree of gut sounds (sound or acoustic sensor); movement patterns including pawing (accelerometer); kicking (accelerometer); repeatedly lying down and rising which may become violent when the colic is severe (accelerometer); rolling, thrashing (accelerometer); changes in activity level: lethargy, pacing or a constant shifting of weight when standing (accelerometer), stretching, abnormal posturing (accelerometer); groaning (sound sensor); loss of appetite (accelerometer, proximity sensors); and dorsal recumbency in foals (accelerometer).
Likewise, for the specific medical condition, of laminitis, the one or more remote or local processors are configured to base a suspicion of laminitis at least in part on scoring at least two bioparameters from among (i) loss of appetite (sound sensors); (ii) decreases activity (acceleromter); (iii) abnormal standing posture (accelerometer); (iv) if forced to walk, the horse shows a slow crouching, short-striding gait (accelerometer); (v) skin temperature near the hoof are may be elevated (temperature sensor); (vi) an exaggerated or bounding pulse in the leg (piezoelectric sensor); (vii) severe pain (viii) increased pulse rate (piezoelectric sensor); (ix) increased respiratory rate (piezoelectric sensor); and (x) increased amount of time lying down (accelerometer), comparing a cumulative score of all scored bioparameters to a threshold cumulative score or to a threshold cumulative range; and measuring a persistence over time of either the cumulative score or the abnormal pattern.
If the accelerometer is an acoustic accelerometer configured to measure is sounds, it may be configured to measure a presence of at least one or at least two horse sounds (or sounds of other members of the equidae family), or in other preferred embodiments, at least three horse animal sounds, or at least four horse sounds (or in other preferred embodiments at least five or at least six or seven or eight or at least nine or ten or eleven) among groaning, whinnying, grunting.
If the animal is a horse, the system may be configured to determine a suspicion of at least one or at least two or at least three, or at least four of the following specific medical conditions of horse: colic, laminitis, lameness, fitness of race horses.
In certain preferred embodiment of the system of the present invention, instead of both accelerometers and other sensors, the sensors of system 11 may be limited to one or more accelerometers situated along a circumference of the band. The one or more accelerometers may include acoustic accelerometers and non-acoustic accelerometers. The one or more accelerometers may be configured to measure at least one bioparameter of the animal from among: resting patterns, activity patterns, movement patterns, position patterns, lameness, kicking, stomping, lifting leg, pawing. If the sensors are limited to one or more accelerometers, the one or more remote or local processors may be configured to receive (a) sensor output data from the one or more accelerometers concerning the measured bioparameters and (b) reference data concerning the measured bioparameters of the animal or of a population of the animal, the one or more remote or local processors configured to determine whether a specific medical condition is suspected by at least one of the following: (i) scoring at least two bioparameters and comparing a cumulative score of all scored bioparameters to a threshold cumulative score or to a threshold cumulative range; or (ii) identifying an abnormal pattern in at least one accelerometer-measured bioparameter.
As seen from
Band 20 may is located on the neck of the animal and/or (as seen from
In order to protect band 20 and keep it in place, in certain preferred embodiments, band 20 is closed inside a boot that a horse wears. In other preferred embodiments, the band 20 is wrapped with an elastic wrapping or bandage that the horse wears.
As seen from
As seen from
Each acoustic concentrator 22 may have a concentrator base end 23, which refers to the base of the acoustic concentrator adjacent the working surface 20a, (see
In a preferred embodiment, in which we consider an acoustic concentrator 22 and an acoustic balancer 24 to constitute a “pair” as shown for example in
If there are two sensors elements, then the sensors 30 may be connected in parallel electrically (the at least one sensor element 30 may comprise two physically separated sensors connected electrically). One can also define the two sensor elements 30 as one distributed sensor element. Positioning two sensors 30 on the two sides of the neck of the animal may provide a guaranteed contact with the body regardless of movement or position.
In one preferred embodiment used in the system or method of the present invention, band 20 may have at least two acoustic concentrators 22, projecting toward a neck or other portion of the animal from the working surface 20a at the one or more regions along the circumference of the band 20 that the at least one sensor element may be situated in. Likewise, band 20 may have at least two acoustic balancers 24 projecting from the rear surface 20b at the one or more regions along the circumference of band 20 that the at least one sensor element may be situated in. As seen from
The acoustic concentrator 22 may touch the skin of the animal and absorb the noise from friction while conducting the signal and may penetrate the fur on the neck of the animal (or on the leg(s)) without causing the animal discomfort. This may be arranged by configuring the height of the projection (its length from the sensor element 30 substantially perpendicularly toward the neck of the animal) and thereby controlling how far the acoustic concentrator projects toward the direction of the neck of the animal. The comfort of the animal may be verified by testing the band on various horses or other animals of the Equidae family (i.e. zebras, donkeys).
In one preferred embodiment used in the system or method of the present invention, as shown in
The neck is a particularly suitable portion of the animal to monitor since it not only allows listening acoustically to two major blood vessels (arteries) but also monitoring a breathing pipe (the windpipe). It has also been found that the legs of a horse is a particularly suitable portion of the animal to monitor since large blood vessels are located in the back of the leg above the hoof, which allows capturing the pulse and respiration easily, and with a favorable signal to noise ratio.
As shown in
At least one sensor element 30 may be situated at one or more regions along a circumference of the band 20, and the at least one sensor element 30 may be configured to measure at least one bioparameter from the following bioparameters: temperature, heart rate, respiration rate, movement. As shown in
As also shown in
One or two or preferably all of the at least one acoustic concentrator 22 are wider at a concentrator base end 23 adjacent the working surface 20a than at a concentrator top end 25. For example, in
The acoustic concentrators 22 may be designed to optimize the acoustic transmission of sound vibrations from the animal's neck to the sensor element 30 in the band 20. In order to accomplish their purpose, the acoustic concentrators 22 and acoustic balancers 24 of the collar 20 may vary in terms of their size and in terms of their shape. With regard to their shape, an important aspect of their shape is the configuration of the base end of the acoustic concentrator or balancer. The base end of the acoustic concentrator (concentrator base end) and the base end of the acoustic balancer (balancer base end) are each closer to the sensor element 30 than the respective top ends (concentrator top end and balancer top end).
As shown in
In one preferred embodiment, there are at least four sensor elements 30. Each sensor element 30 may be a strip of two inches to six inches in length depending on the size of the collar 20. In a preferred embodiment, there are at least two acoustic concentrators for each sensor element. For example, in one preferred embodiment where the sensor element is two and three-quarters inches, there may be four acoustic concentrators for that sensor 30. Acoustic concentrators 22 and acoustic balancers 24 may be located at the opposite sides of the sensor, as shown in
The acoustic concentrators and the acoustic balancers may be integrally formed with the band and may be made of the same material as the band. For example, the bumps (acoustic concentrators and acoustic balancers) may be formed at the same time that the band is formed. Preferably, each of the at least two acoustic concentrators 22 are shaped like a bump, for example like a bump that diminishes in diameter from the concentrator base end to the concentrator top end. Likewise, in a preferred embodiment, each of the acoustic balancers is shaped like a bump, for example like a bump that diminishes in diameter from the balancer base end to the balancer top end. The bumps, in a preferred embodiment, may be mostly hollow except for particular structural elements in particular shapes that may fill the void of the hollow.
The acoustic concentrators 22 (or one particular acoustic concentrator of the at least one acoustic concentrator) and the acoustic balancers 24 (or one particular acoustic balancer of the at least one acoustic balancer) may be mathematically elliptical, for example substantially circular, in at least one dimension. Preferably, they may be substantially circular in two dimensions. As shown in
As shown in
In one preferred embodiment of the concentrator base end 23 and the balancer base end 27, shown respectively in
In certain other preferred embodiments, the acoustic concentrators and acoustic balancers are solid, as shown in
Depending on the shape, the bumps comprising the acoustic concentrators and acoustic balancers may have a diameter of between 5 and 7 millimeters. Depending on the shape, the acoustic concentrators and acoustic balancers may also have a height of between 5 and 7 millimeters.
As a result of the acoustic concentrators and acoustic balancers in a preferred embodiment of the system 11 of the present invention, the signal to noise ratio expressed using the logarithmic decibel scale may be at least 20 dB and in some preferred embodiments between 20 dB and 40 dB. The typical pulse amplitude is between 300 and 500 mV, as defined by the gain setting of the amplifier (not shown).
In general, sensor elements 30 may be at least one sensor element 30 designed or configured to measure at least one bioparameter from among temperature, heart rate, respiration rate and movement. Alternatively, the sensor element may be for measuring a different vital sign. There could be more sensor elements and more bioparameters. For example, the at least one sensor element 30 may comprise at least two sensor elements 30 that may be configured or designed to measure at least two bioparameters from among temperature, heart rate, respiration and movement. Alternatively, the at least two sensor elements 30 may be for measuring at least two bioparameters from among temperature, heart rate, respiration rate and movement (or alternatively other vital signs). One sensor element may measure multiple bioparameters, for example, in the case of an acoustic sensor that measures respiration rate and heart rate. The at least two sensor elements may comprise four or more sensor elements designed to measure four or more bioparameters or specifically those four: temperature, heart rate, respiration rate and movement. In some preferred embodiments, the array of sensor elements 30 are designed to measure one or two bioparameters (in other preferred embodiments three or four) from the following bioparameters: temperature, heart rate, respiration rate, movement (for example horizontal and vertical movement) and positions.
The sensor elements 30 may be designed or configured to measure at least two different vital sign bioparameters as well as to measure certain bioparameters, such as movement, that may be useful in understanding the horse's vital signs when combined with other vital sign bioparameters. Each of the various sensor elements 30 on the band 20 may be designed for measuring a different vital sign parameter or in some cases there may be more than one sensor element measuring a particular vital sign bioparameter or more than one vital sign measured by a particular sensor element 30.
A sensor array (see
A sensor array may also include a microphone 30c. A sensor array may further include a microphone to listen to special noises made by an animal, for example a horse. Accordingly, the sounds picked up by a microphone may be interpreted by one ore more local processors 40 having an associated memory storage 67 (
The sensor array 30 may also include a gyroscope 30d for capturing the vertical and/or horizontal movement of the animal. In the case of horses, there are numerous basic postures that provide information as to what the horse is doing and thereby assist in interpreting vital sign measurements to arrive at a tentative diagnosis. The following basic horse postures that may be detected by sensor elements 30, for example a gyroscope, an accelerometer and/or a magnetometer: lying down, lying on back, shifting weight, pawing, stomping, kicking, thrashing, turning head around for biting at flanks, standing on back legs, jumping, trotting, running, eating/drinking, limping hind leg, limping front leg, head bobbing, turning to lick, and stretching. The processor 40 make receive this information from the sensors 30 and utilize it in reaching a conclusion that it transmits remotely to the appropriate destination.
Each of the sensors 30 may be activated, de-activated, fine-tuned, set for predetermined repeated intervals or otherwise calibrated or controlled remotely, and in some embodiments also manually by a person located at the collar 20. “Remotely” means remote from the collar 20 and may include by a person in a vital sign monitoring station or a remotely stationed veterinarian or a medical center or the owner or the authorities or any other suitable location.
Band 20 may further include a remotely-actuatable speaker (not shown) for communicating sounds to the animal remotely and may include a remotely actuatable light (such as an LED or other light source) for illuminating the animal to those seeking to locate it. The speaker and light may also be actuatable manually in person. The speaker and light may be situated on or attached to the band 20 and may be included in a sensor array (even though the light is not a sensor).
As seen from
Controller 49 may also include a memory storage 67 for storing health information history of the animal, the memory storage accessible by the processor 40. The memory storage can be a flash memory or other memory storage devices known in the art.
As shown in
The band 20 and/or server computer or other part of the system such as the one or more local or remote processors may issue an alert based on predefined parameters (e.g. unique prior knowledge regarding the specific animal) and/or behavioral (e.g. erratic or uncharacteristic movements) or vital signs parameters. The specific measurements of the animal (height, length, weight etc.) and relevant history, as well of the population of animals of that species or breed or type, may be loaded into the device and/or the system during a registration procedure. The unique identification data of the animal can also include: the animal's name, owner's names, trainer's names, personal details (address, phone number etc.), medical information concerning the animal and any other relevant data. The information may be included in the processing by the one or more local or remote processors 40, 40A when the one or more local or remote processors 40, 40A analyze data from the sensor elements 30.
A GPS device may be incorporated into band or collar 20. The OPS device could take the form, for example, of an integrated circuit or an RFID. Other location awareness technology may also be incorporated into the band 20.
The receiving unit 68 attached to or incorporated into the band 20 may be a smart phone, mobile (and/or hand-held) device, or any other communication/messaging device, or a specifically designed receiver or reader. The receiving unit 68 may be connected to the band or collar 20 in a wired and/or wireless manner as mentioned above. The receiving unit 68 may be detachable from the band 20 for direct connection to a computer terminal, in order to enable faster or more secure downloading of stored (and in some cases processed) sensor data.
The band 20 and/or system may gather analytical information including statistics, trend analysis, comparative analysis etc. regarding particular horses, particular breeds of horses or other species of animals from the Equidae family. The system may incorporate a social network for other animal owners or trainers for the purpose of sharing information.
The vital sign and/or other physiological data acquired from sensor elements 30 may be further combined with information from other sensor elements 30 such as temperature, respiration rate and pulse and other available data such as the time of day, the ambient temperature, the animal's normal behavior, the context etc. The processor 40 may reach conclusions about the presence of a high probability of medical conditions suffered by the animal. If the sensor input indicates decreased or change in activity relative to the time of day and sounds of pain, an alert may be transmitted.
A method may also include, in some embodiments, a step of transmitting vital sign measurements to the animal owner, a veterinarian, a remote computer server or the authorities when the vital sign measurement exceeds a threshold level. Accordingly, processor 40 may be programmed to compare data received from the sensor elements to threshold levels of respiration rate, heart rate, temperature, movement, blood pressure, and/or other physiological data, such as noises made by a horse. Furthermore, the processor may have access to software in controller 49 that utilizes a function or a formula to relate combinations of the sensor element data. For example, if a horse moves in a certain way and utters a certain noise, that may trigger a particular alert or diagnosis. In addition, the programmer 40 may have access to its own data comparing the physiological data of a particular vital sign or combination of vital signs to the average vital sign data for horses or other species of the Equidae family, taking into consideration that breed and that geographical location, and taking into consideration the ambient temperature and the medical history of the animal. The controller/processor may transmit an alert to the animal owner and/or trainer, to a veterinarian or to the authorities.
A processor 40 affixed to the collar 20 may be in electronic communication with each of the at least two, or at least three or at least four sensor elements. The processor 40 may control a timing of an “ON” status of each sensor sufficient to trigger taking of a vital sign measurement. Memory storage 67 (
As seen from
Method 100 may also include a step 120 of one or more local or remote processors receiving (a) sensor output data from the sensor array concerning the measured one or more bioparameters and (b) reference data concerning the measured one or more bioparameters of the animal or of a population of the animal, the one or more remote or local processors configured to determine whether a specific medical condition is suspected by at least one of the following:
(i) scoring at least two bioparameters relative to the reference data and comparing a cumulative score of all scored bioparameters to a threshold cumulative score or to a threshold cumulative range; or
(ii) identifying an abnormal pattern in at least one bioparameter from among the at least one of (i) the accelerometer-measured bioparameters and (ii) the non-accelerometer-measured bioparameters.
Method 100 may include a step 130 of the one or more remote or local processors sending an alert if at least one specific medical condition is suspected.
In some versions of method 100, there may be a step of configuring the band with at least one acoustic concentrator and at least one acoustic balancer so as to reduce signal to noise ratio. There may also be a step of requiring the sensor output data from the sensor array concerning the bioparameters to pass a quality assurance test, the quality assurance test being based on a threshold level of signal to noise ratio.
Particular features described in the context of one embodiment may be able to be incorporated into other embodiments for which that feature was not specifically mentioned.
This patent application hereby incorporates by reference in its entirety all of the following published applications of Applicant: (i) Applicant's previously filed U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 14/156,526 filed Jan. 16, 2014, having publication no. 2014-0123912 published May 8, 2014 having the Title “Pet Animal Collar for Health and Vital Signs Monitoring, Alert & Diagnosis”, which is a continuation in part of (ii) Applicant's U.S. Patent Application having Publication No. 20130014706 published Jan. 17, 2013 having the Title “Pet Animal Collar for Health and Vital Signs Monitoring, Alert & Diagnosis” and having a filing date of Feb. 21, 2012 and of (iii) Applicant's previously filed U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/743,383 having the Title “Acoustically Enhanced Pet Animal Collar for Health & Vital Signs Monitoring, Alert and Diagnosis” filed Jan. 17, 2013 and published Jul. 17, 2014 under publication no. US2014-0196673A1.
The following lists certain examples of data sensed by an accelerometer, and certain examples of data sensed by an accelerometer combined data sensed by other sensors, which may be utilized in certain preferred embodiments of the present invention.
Resting Patterns in an Adult Horse
Activity Patterns in an Adult Horse
Lameness
While the invention has been described with respect to a limited number of embodiments, it will be appreciated that many variations, modifications and other applications of the invention may be made. Therefore, the claimed invention as recited in the claims that follow is not limited to the embodiments described herein.
