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The present invention relates to a telltale monitoring system and more
particularly relates to a telltale sensing and transmitting device which
is implantable in an animal for monitoring a physiological condition of
the animal and providing an informational signal which at a predetermined
or threshold level actuates a visible or audible alarm observable at the
animal and which may be re-transmitted to a remote location.
A particular problem in caring for livestock, particularly livestock
maintained in large herds in corrals, cattle pens and feed lots, is the
detection of a sick animal at an early stage of illness. In the past,
detection was generally accomplished by visual observation of the herd. In
such a situation, the experience and expertise of the individual observing
the herd was important as only well-trained persons could detect ailing
animals unless the animal was in an advanced stage of illness. By this
time, the sick animal has exposed other animals in the close proximity of
the herd possibly spreading the disease to others.
As a result of the problems of early detection of disease, various
telemetry sensing devices, often termed "telltale" devices, have been
provided in the prior art. These devices are helpful for determining a
diseased condition in an animal and may also be used for indicating estrus
in certain domestic animals. Generally these devices measure a
physiological condition such as temperature which is indicative of the
health or other condition of the animal.
Several prior art patents show the use of an encapsulated transmitter which
is inserted or implanted in an animal which includes a temperature sensing
device actuated transmitter. For example, the patent to Harvey, U.S. Pat.
No. 3,583,389 shows such a device which is adapted to be inserted in the
birth canal of an animal. U.S. Pat. No. 3,297,020 discloses an insertable
electrical circuit for determining estrus.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,893,111 to Cotter discloses an encapsulated transmitter
having a variable length antenna which length changes in accordance with
the animal's body temperature. The device is embedded subcutaneously or
implanted in the shoulder or hind quarter of the animal and the patentee
suggests that the device is particularly practical for use by feed lot
operators, cattle raisers and dairymen.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,083,364 to Kelly et al discloses the placement of a
temperature sensor in the region behind the animal's ear adjacent to its
skull.
The above systems have found only limited acceptability in the cattle
industry for various reasons. One reason that temperature sensing devices
which are either ingested by the animal or inserted in a bodily canal have
not been widely used is that they are either difficult to insert and may
become easily dislodged or expelled by the animal. Implantable devices
which are inserted in an incision in the animal also present problems of
dislodgement. Further, because devices of this type require an open
incision in which the monitoring device is placed, the incision can become
easily infected, thus, contributing to a diseased condition in the animal.
Accordingly, the present invention overcomes the deficiencies of the prior
art. Briefly, the present invention comprises a transmitter and a
receiver. The transmitter includes a physiological sensing device such as
a temperature sensor and is contained in a small capsule-like housing with
a suitable power supply and a transmitter. The capsule may be implanted in
a suitable incision in the animal which incision heals over in a few days.
The sensor monitors temperature and upon a predetermined limit or
threshold value being reached, a signal indicative of the temperature of
the animal is transmitted at low power and a low frequency. Other
digitally coded information relating to the identity of the animal can
also be transmitted by the implanted transmitter.
A receiver is positioned proximate the transmitter on the animal and
typically would be contained in an ear tag attached to the animal. Because
of the close proximity of the receiver to the implanted transmitter, low
power noninterfering frequencies may be used. The receiver is operatively
connected to provide an audio and/or visual indication of an elevated
temperature condition. The visible display may be simply an LED which is
lighted or the receipt of a signal may trigger a color change on the ear
tag which is highly visible. In addition, the receiver may also
incorporate a higher power transmitter for re-transmitting a signal to an
off-site location which could be monitored and recorded at a central
monitoring station.
Accordingly, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide an
implantable animal monitoring telltale device including a transmitting
device which is implantable in a cavity or incision in the animal and a
proximately located receiving device on the animal which provides a visual
and/ or audible indication of a physiological parameter of the animal.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an implantable
transmitter which emits a coded signal as part of the signal transmitted
from within the animal which coded signal represents a unique
identification number.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a system for locating
a stray animal by triangulation from transmitted signals from the animal.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an implantable
transmitter for animals which transmitter is retrievable and reusable and
which may emit a radio frequency, induction, sonic, ultra sonic or other
type of signal.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a sensing device and
transmitter implantable in an animal which utilizes a low power range and
which is encased in a non-toxic bio-acceptable housing.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a receiver located on
an animal at a location such as an ear tag proximate the implanted
transmitter, which receiver includes a re-transmitter for re-transmitting
a signal indicative of a physiological condition of the animal and further
including identification information to a remote source by radio frequency
signal, a sonic signal or ultrasonic signal.
The above and other objects and advantages of the present invention will
become more apparent from the following description, claims and drawings
in which:
FIG. 1 is a view, partly schematic, of the encapsulated implantable sensor
and transmitter;
FIG. 2 is a block diagram representation of the transmitter and receiver
showing the primary components thereof;
FIG. 3 is a detail view of a portion of a calf's head showing the
encapsulated transmitter implanted therein;
FIG. 4 is a top view of a calf's head showing the in vivo implant site and
the adjacent receiver in connection with an ear tag assembly;
FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of a two-component animal tag
incorporating the receiver components;
FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along lines 6--6 of FIG. 5;
FIGS. 7 and 8 illustrate an alternate two-component animal tag with the
receiver components and a visual indication;
FIG. 9 illustrates still another animal tag assembly with a receiver and a
visual indicator;
FIG. 10 is a block diagram illustrating the use of the monitoring system as
a locating system and
FIGS. 11, 12 and 13 illustrate another type of ear tag assembly housing the
receiver and indicator.
Turning now to the drawings, the preferred embodiment of the small
low-powered radio transmitter is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 and is generally
designated by the numeral 10. The transmitter section 12 is enclosed or
encased in a housing 15 which is a non-toxic, bio-medically acceptable
material suitable for implantation in an animal. For example, the material
may be a latex rubber, medical grade ABS or other material suitable for
this purpose and which may be sterilizable by known means. The capsule
preferably is generally cylindrical in shape. The forward end of the
capsule or housing may be provided with a sharpened leading edge 16 to
facilitate insertion of the capsule subcutaneously or within an incision
made for this purpose. The capsule contains a power source 17 which may be
replaceable when the transmitter or capsule is removed from the animal.
Preferably, the replacement of the power supply would be accomplished at a
refurbishing location established for this purpose. The capsule also
contains a small lower-powered transmitter and associated circuitry 12.
The transmitter and associated circuitry 12 can be embodied in a small
circuit board enclosed within the capsule. As shown in FIG. 2, the
circuitry includes a physiological sensing device 20 for sensing
temperature or other measurable parameters such as blood pressure, blood
flow, pulse or the like. As shown, sensor 20 is a thermister which
provides an output signal to low-power amplifier 24. An ID signal
generator 26 provides a coded digital signal to transmitter 24 as, for
example, a unique binary signal indicative of the identification number of
the animal. A timer 28 controls the timing sequence of the circuit so that
the transmitter 24 will transmit only at predetermined intervals in order
to prolong the life of the unit. The circuit is a low-power communications
or telemetry device. Certain frequencies are reserved for devices of this
type, as for example, the 38 to 41 Mgz. frequencies are reserved for
biomedical transmissions. Reference is made to 47 C.F.R. .sctn.15. It will
be also obvious to those skilled in the art that other types of
transmitting devices may be used, such as induction transmitters or those
operating in the ultra sonic ranges.
Capsule 10 may be placed in any suitable location in the animal and may be
placed subcutaneously or in an incision made for this purpose. The capsule
may also be ingested and inserted by a balling gun or similar instrument.
A particularly suitable location for this purpose in cattle is a cavity
which exists at the base of the skull of cattle. As shown in FIG. 3,
cavity 25 is approximately two inches by two inches and contains primarily
fatty tissue. This area is generally by the posterior border of the
conchal cartilege and caudally by the posterior border of the
cleido-occipitalis muscle.
An incision 30 is made in this area and the capsule inserted. The fatty
tissue easily receives the capsule with minimum of discomfort and
bleeding. The incision will heal over quickly in a short period of time so
that the capsule will not become dislodged and will provide an accurate
indication of the deep body temperature of the animal Capsule 10 may be
inserted manually or may be inserted by means of an implantation device
having a spring-loaded ejector which forces the capsule in place through a
barrel. Similar devices are used for implantation of time-release capsules
which contain an insecticide to protect the animal from pests. For
example, reference is made to U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,632,444 and 2,850,013 which
show devices which could be adapted for this use.
The receiver 14 is located on the animal proximate the location 30 of the
transmitter and, as shown in FIG. 4, the ear of the animal has been found
to be a particularly satisfactory place to locate the receiver as part of
an identification tag 50. For identification purposes, this location
provides high visibility to the attendant monitoring the animals. The
receiver 40 is shown schematically in FIG. 2 and includes a threshold
detector 22 which activates the receiver only when a signal of
predetermined value is received from sensor 20. The coded signal from
signal generator 26 is periodically sent to the receiver and may be also
used as an operational verification signal.
The animal tag is generally designated as 50 and is a two-component tag and
is shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. Such tags include a male portion which is
passed through the ear of the animal and is mated with a female portion.
The tag includes a female tag body component generally designated by the
numeral 52 having a neck portion 54 and a body portion 56. The upper a
reduced neck portion 54 defines an aperture 55. A locking insert 60 or
male portion has a projection or pin 61 with an enlarged head 62 which is
received within aperture 55 and retained therein when the tag is in place.
Ear tags of this general type are well known and are typically made of
thermoplastic material such as flexible polyvinylchloride and applied by
hand-held applicators which by manual application of force causes the male
portion 60 to be passed through the ear and mated with the female portion
as shown in FIG. 4.
The body 56 of the female component 50 houses the receiver 14 and a power
source 62 as seen in FIGS. 5 and 6. The receiver is operatively connected
to a pair of visual indicator devices 66 and 68. Visual indicator devices
66 and 68 may typically LED's with indicator 66 being white and indicator
68 being red. In the normal mode of operation, light 66 will provide a
visual indication and verification that the device is functional, as for
example by flashing white either continuously or periodically upon receipt
of a signal from the signal generator. Upon indication that temperature
has exceeded a pre-determined level, a visual change will take place on
the receiving device as visual indicator 68 will now flash red. This
condition will continue until re-set or turned off.
As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the visual indication of an alarm condition can
be provided by means other than a flashing light. In FIG. 7, an animal tag
again is shown as a two-component tag having a female tag portion 70 with
a body 72 and a neck portion 74 defining an aperture 75. Aperture 75 will
receive the male component 76 of the tag which is inserted through the
animal's ear. The body of the tag is provided with alphanumerical
identification indicia 78 as is conventional. The body 72 of the tag
includes a pair of opposed locking pins 80 and 81 which support a
transversely extending chemically treated wire 84 which is disposed
immediately adjacent chemically sensitive indictor area 85. The body
portion of the tag also defines a housing or compartment 86 for a battery
88 associated circuitry and a receiver 14 adapted to receive signals from
the adjacent implanted transmitter.
Wire 84 is a nichrome or similar wire coated with a suitable chemical such
as chlorine or ammonia and is connected in a resistance circuit connected
to the battery 88. When receiver 14 triggers due to a signal from the
implanted transmitter due to an increase in temperature above a
predetermined level, the resistance circuit is actuated. Heating of the
nichrome wire 84 will heat the chemical coating, releasing a suitable
chemical substance such as chlorine or ammonia which is reactive with the
area 85 causing the area to undergo a physical change, such as a change of
color. The change of color serves as a visual indication to the operators
of a possible diseased condition in an animal.
FIG. 9 shows still another embodiment of ear tag providing a visual
indication of an elevated temperature condition in an animal. Ear tag
portion 100 is adapted to be secured to the ear of the animal at aperture
102 by male portion 104. The body 105 of the ear tag is provided with
indicia 106 such as the identification number of the animal. Body 105 also
defines a compartment 108 to contain the receiver, power source and
associated circuitry. An area 110 of the tag is provided with a highly
visible color on an indicator section such as a flourescent orange or
other bright color. The color area is normally covered or protected by a
releasable covering 112 which is secured to the body of the tag along the
lower horizontal edge 114 at the lower edge of area 110. The covering 112
is configured having "memory" so that it will tend to assume a rolled-up
position near the bottom of the tag revealing the subjacent color area
110. In the assembled position, the covering 112 obscures area 110 and is
held in place at the upper horizontal edge by a thin nichrome wire 120 in
which the position of the area 110 is obscured from view. The nichrome
wire 120 is connected in a resistance circuit connected to a battery. An
increase in temperature sensed at the implanted capsule will cause a
signal to be sent to the receiver 14 within housing 108 actuating the
resistance circuit thus heating wire 120. The increase in temperature in
the wire will slice or otherwise cut through the material of the covering
112 allowing it to pull away from the subjacent color patch so that the
area 110 is now in view of the attendant providing a visual indication of
possibly diseased condition.
In FIG. 9 the covering is shown in a partially released position. Note the
circuitry of the resistance circuit is well known and detailed description
thereof is not believed necessary. The same power source utilized for the
receiver may also be used in the resistance circuit.
While the preferred location of the receiver 14 is on an ear tag assembly
in the case of cattle, other locations proximate the transmitter may also
be used. For example, an animal can be fitted with a collar or halter
containing these components.
It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that in addition to the
visual alarm, various audible alarms may also be associated with the ear
tag. For example, the receipt of a signal by the receiver associated with
the ear tag could trigger operation of an alarm bell or the like.
As an added feature, a repeater transmitter 17 may be incorporated in the
receiver device 14 to increase the distance of alarm warning from
proximate the animal to a remote location as shown in FIG. 2. The
re-transmitter 17 is located on the animal, as for example as part of the
ear tag in which the receiver is located. The re-transmitter generally
operates at a higher power level and it may be necessary to secure
licensing for such re-transmissions. The advantage is that the
re-transmission data can be received at an off-site location and can be
collected and retained by a computerized monitor for later use. The
re-transmitted signal will include the unique identification number from
the signal generator thereby providing the animal with a unique internal
brand for purposes of identification of ownership to discourage theft and
to provide owner identification particularly when animals are contained in
large mixed herds.
Straying of animals is also another problem on open ranges. The internal
implanted transmitter will assist in locating stray animals. As shown in
FIG. 10, a hand-held locator interrogator 150 can be provided which will
send a signal or interrogate the receiver 14. As a result, a higher power
signal will be sent by re-transmitter 17. This signal can be remotely
received and through simple triangulation procedures, the location of the
animal can be determined.
FIGS. 11, 12 and 13 show still another embodiment of an ear tag adapted to
house the receiver, power supply and re-transmitter. Again, the device
consists of a female ear tag portion 160 having an enlarged body 162 with
appropriate indicia 165 thereon. The body defines an integrally formed
male projection 170 having an enlarged conical head 172. The retainer 180
has a series of internally formed saw-like projections which when engaged
with the conical head 172 will note allow the pin to withdraw. When the
unit is to be recovered, pin 172 is severed and the main tag component 160
is returned to a designated location for re-working for re-use. Again, the
female portion of the tag carries appropriate housing for radio receiver,
power supply and visual indicator.
From the foregoing, it will be seen the present invention achieves the
primary objectives of the invention and provides an implantable
transmitting device which can be placed beneath the surface of the animal
and allow the incision to heal. The device can work for an extended period
of time and is recoverable from the animal when the animal is processed.
The transmitter tag can be removed and sent to a central recycling or
refurbishing unit for repair and replacement of the battery if necessary.
The refurbished units can then be provided to the cattle operator for
reuse.
It will be obvious to those skilled in the art to make various changes,
alterations and modifications to the telltale monitoring system described
above. To the extent such changes, alterations and modifications do not
depart from the spirit and scope of the appended claims, they are intended
to be encompassed therein.
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