FR2801491A1 - Automatic physiological monitoring, for farm stock, has selected parameters, measured by sensors in or on each animal, regularly passed to central unit over bi-directional radio link - Google Patents

Abstract

Each animal (1) has a miniaturized temperature sensor (3) implanted e.g. near the ear, or securely inserted in any suitable body orifice, communicating over a local high frequency radio link with a control unit (5), housed in a case (9) attached to the animal e.g. by a collar (7). The case also houses a transmitter/receiver and aerial (23) linked with a distant monitoring master station (31). The neck-case holds operating batteries, a local signal processor with memory and timing circuits, and, a motion sensor whose signals, related to the frequency of head movements, reflect the animals's general activity level and are processed along with the temperature data. The temperature sensor, if implanted, e.g. using a hollow needle, is not intended to be recovered; if secured in a body orifice, it can be replaced or reused as required. The master station, based on a PC (37), deals individually, and, opt. statistically with data from all the herd members, each member's data, identified by a unique code, being reported at set intervals. Abnormal values, perhaps indicating illness, initiate alarms. Staff can interrogate or reprogram any animals's unit via the outgoing radio channel.

Description

The present invention relates to a method and system for measuring / treating / exploiting physiological parameters of a living subject, such as for example the temperature and / or the activity of a farm animal, continuously and automatic.

In large-scale farms, and particularly in farms where animals are left in semi-freedom on large surfaces, the manual operations of taking temperature of the animals, using thermometers introduced into a natural orifice of said animals, are very time consuming for caregivers. However it is necessary to regularly measure the temperature of each animal because a variation of this parameter is likely to reflect the development of a disease or a particular situation in an animal. Caregivers can then quickly intervene to apply the most appropriate treatment.

It has already been attempted to replace the manual manual temperature measurement operation by an automatic or semi-automatic measurement, as disclosed in document EP 0 743 510. This document describes a measuring device comprising a miniaturized transponder encapsulated in a small tube. of glass, which is injected into the body of the animal, by means of a hollow needle. This transponder is activated when the animal is in the vicinity of a fixed transceiver, and transmits an analog signal representative of the temperature of the animal in which it is implanted. The transceiver then sends the signal to a processing center where it is transformed into a usable temperature value.

The major disadvantage of the device that has just been described lies in the fact that the activation of the transponder occurs only in a reduced perimeter located around the fixed transceiver, typically within a radius of one meter. When the animal does not get close enough to a transceiver during a given period, the caregiver is not informed about the temperature of the animal during this period. This results in irregularities in the collection of information, and in monitoring the temperature of the animal over time. To remedy this drawback, a solution described in EP 0 743 510 consists in arranging the transceivers near the feeders near which the animals are likely to go regularly. An alternative is to approach the animal a manual detector manipulated by an operator, in which is installed a transceiver. But the measurement is no longer automatic and requires human presence, which is expensive and tedious, especially at night.

It is also often useful to be informed about a parameter such as the activity of a living subject such as a farm animal, because this parameter, although empirical, makes it possible to detect particular periods in the biological cycle of said animal. .

So far, this parameter is measured on the animal, without relation to a temperature measurement. The activity measurement consists in measuring the number of steps taken by the animal. For this purpose, a pedometer is installed on the animal by means of a bracelet, placed on a paw. Another solution consists in measuring the number of movements of the head, by a pedometer type sensor, secured to a collar placed on the neck of the animal. The measurements are stored by the sensor, and then retrieved by a transmitter receiver to be processed later. These measures are different from one subject to another, because they depend on his behavior in normal times, and his behavior in particular period, such as illness, pregnancy, ...

An individualized exploitation of the results for each subject is then necessary, in order to be able to interpret the differences from one period to another. Simultaneous measurement of two parameters such as temperature and activity makes it possible to obtain, after exploitation of the information and / or by means of an appropriate algorithm, more precise and reliable information on the state of the living subject.

An object of the present invention is to propose a system and a method for measurement / treatment / exploitation of physiological parameters of a living subject, such as, for example, the temperature and / or the activity of a farm animal, which remedy the disadvantages of devices of the prior art, and which allow in particular a truly continuous and automatic measurement of said parameters during the life of the animal.

The system for measuring / treating / exploiting at least one physiological parameter, such as, for example, the temperature and / or activity, of a living subject, such as a farm animal, according to the present invention, is characterized in that it comprises - at least one sensor device assigned to the measurement of each physiological parameter, each sensor device being integral with the living subject, - at least one local transmission / reception unit, integral with the living subject, for the transmission remote from the measured signals, - at least one distant transmission / reception set located remote from the living subject, for remote reception of the transmitted signals.

Preferably, the remote set of measurement / treatment / operation comprises a device for processing and operating the physiological parameter (s) measured (s).

The method for measuring / treating / exploiting at least one physiological parameter, such as, for example, the temperature and / or activity, of a living subject, such as for example a farm animal, according to the present invention is characterized in that it comprises the following operations at least one measurement operation of each physiological parameter by means of a dedicated sensor device integral with the living subject, - at least one local transmission operation of a signal representative of each parameter measured, from the sensor to a local transmission / reception unit integral with the living subject, - at least one remote transmission operation of a signal representative of each measured parameter, from the local transmission / reception unit to a remote transmission / transmission unit. reception, - at least one remote reception operation of the previous signal by said remote transmission / reception unit.

According to a preferred embodiment, the measurement / treatment / operation method further comprises at least one operation for processing and operating the physiological parameter (s) measured.

The invention will be better understood in the following detailed description of an embodiment given by way of nonlimiting example, and illustrated by means of the appended drawings, in which: FIG. 1 illustrates the general operation of the system; Figure 2 schematically shows the constituent elements of the system and the operations of the method.

According to a first embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, the measurement / treatment / exploitation system measures the temperature and the activity of the living subject 1, the latter being a farmed animal, typically a bovine. Said system comprises a temperature sensor 3 integral with the subject, which is preferably in the form of a transponder 3 injected into the animal, for example at a location on the body where it can be easily removed if necessary. It has been found that the face of the animal, for example near an ear, is an optimal place. The sensor may be reusable or disposable. In the case where the temperature sensor is injected into the body of the subject, it is conceivable to sacrifice it, and not to seek to recover it, because this operation would be expensive.

The system also comprises a miniaturized electronic transmission / reception unit 5, arranged on a suitable accessory removably placed on the subject 1, for example on a collar 7 placed around its neck. This miniaturized electronic assembly comprises a housing 9 in which a number of interactive components are arranged, which are shown diagrammatically in FIG. 2. These components 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, 21, 23 preferably comprise a local transmission device and receiving 11, a local electronic control and processing circuit 13, an associated memory 15, an associated clock 17, a power supply 19, a remote transmission and reception device 21 and its associated antenna 23.

The associated clock 17 is programmable.

The power supply 19 is preferably constituted by one or more batteries 19.

According to this first embodiment, an activity sensor 25 is also provided. It is preferably miniaturized and integrated in the housing 9, its injection into the subject 1 not being justified. Its integration in the housing 9 protects it from external aggressions, such as shocks or bad weather. It is constituted for example by a sensor of the type which measures the movements of the head of the subject 1.

The local electronic control and processing circuit 13 is connected in a one-to-one manner (arrows 27 in FIG. 2) to the other components and can thus transmit commands to them and / or receive information from them.

An identifier code is assigned to each sensor. Preferably, this code is an electronic code assigned in a unique and definitive way to said sensor, for example at the time of its manufacture. This code is representative of the mandatory identification number of the living subject 1.

Means for identifying the living subject concerned are also associated with the local transmission / reception set. These are for example the numbers of the sensors associated with the subject 1, which can be stored in said local set, permanently or temporarily.

The system further comprises a remote remote reception / transmission / processing unit 31, which comprises a fixed reception and remote transmission device 33 and its associated antenna 35 as well as a control and / or processing device and / or exploitation 37 which is advantageously a personal type computer. Again, the components are connected to each other one-to-one (arrows 29 in Figure 2).

The local remote transmitting / receiving device 21 and the fixed remote transmitting / receiving device 33 preferably implement high-frequency wave transmission, and more preferably radio waves.

The remote control / operation processing set is preferably associated with one or more alarms, which can be triggered when at least one of the parameters measured, transmitted and processed is considered abnormal. The alarms can be arranged near the processing and operating unit or they can be dispersed near the home or the workplace of the persons who must then act on the subject. Alarms can be sound, visual, or tactile, according to known alarms.

We will now describe the operation of the system.

According to a chronology which is controlled by programming of the local electronic control and processing circuit 13, the temperature sensor 3 and / or the activity sensor 25 respectively retrieve the corresponding parameter generated by the subject, which is locally transformed into a signal temperature or activity. The clock 17 associated with the local control and processing circuit 13 makes it possible to define at which time intervals or at which times these parameters must be measured and the corresponding signals recorded in the associated memory 15.

At time intervals that can be defined by the user and programmed, the local control and processing circuit 13 transmits the signals representative of the measured parameters as well as the identification codes associated with the local transmission / reception device 21, which transmits them. in turn, thanks to its associated antenna 23, to the remote transmission / reception unit.

The signals are received by the remote transmission-reception device 33 through its associated antenna 35, which remote device 33 in turn transmits the signals to the remote control / processing / operation device 37.

By following the opposite path, said remote device can send at any time particular control instructions to the local control and processing circuit 13, in particular a modification of the frequencies or times of measurement of parameters, the interruption of the measurement of the one of the parameters (or all the parameters). The instructions are accompanied by identifying codes that correspond to the sensors associated with the subject 1 of interest, which eliminates any risk of confusion between the different subjects.

According to a second preferred embodiment of the invention, the system comprises only one temperature sensor and does not associate the temperature measurement with a measurement of activity.

According to a variant of the invention, the temperature sensor may not be injected and embedded in the body of the living subject, but disposed in a natural orifice thereof, such as for example an ear, its anus or its matrix, by means of a removable adapted support. Said support then preferably has adjustment means for each subject for reliable maintenance of the sensor and thermal insulation means, for increased reliability of the temperature measurement. In such a case, the temperature sensor is recoverable and reusable without difficulty. According to another variant, a miniaturized alarm integrated into the local transmission / reception assembly can be provided. This alarm can be activated by feedback from the remote processing and operating device, or by local control from the local control and processing device.

Different modes of treatment and exploitation of the physiological parameters measured and transmitted to the processing and operating device are possible.

It can be an instantaneous treatment, for example the triggering of an alarm following the detection of an abnormal parameter of temperature or activity. A normality test is performed by comparing, for example, the value of the parameter in question with a predetermined threshold value.

It may be a more sophisticated treatment, in which calculations are made of new characteristic parameters of a so-called normal or abnormal state, which incorporate other information than the temperature and / or the activity of the subject, as for example parameters representative of the meteorological conditions of the subject's place of stay. It is also possible to proceed to the constitution of data banks on each subject itself and / or on populations, with the establishment of statistics on particular parameters and their correlations.

These operations are made possible by means of dedicated software available on the processing device 37.

Said processing device is also capable of programming a selection and sending of particular commands to each local transmission / reception unit, either punctually when a user intervenes in isolation or as part of a program of commands more integrated into a statistical study or other long-term data manipulation.

Of course, the invention is not limited to the embodiments that have just been described. It would be conceivable, without departing from the scope of the present invention, to measure parameters other than temperature and activity, which would be recognized as representative of a particular state or behavior of a living subject.

Claims (3)

<B> <U> CLAIMS </ U> </ B> 1. Measurement system / treatment / exploitation of at least one physiological parameter, such as temperature and / or activity, of a living subject, such as a farm animal, characterized in that comprises - at least one sensor device assigned to the measurement of each physiological parameter, each sensor device being integral with the living subject, - at least one local transmission / reception assembly, integral with the living subject, for the remote transmission of the measured signals, at least one remote transmission / reception set situated at a distance from the living subject, for remote reception of the transmitted signals. 2. System according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one of the sensor devices is a temperature sensor. 3. System according to claim 2, characterized in that said sensor device is a transponder. <B> 4. </ B> System according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that said sensor device is implanted in the animal. <B> 5. </ B> System according to any one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that said sensor device is disposable. <B> 6. </ B> System according to any one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that said sensor device is reusable. 7. System according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that at least one of the sensor devices is an activity sensor. <B> 8. </ B> System according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that means for identifying the relevant living subject are associated with at least one of the sensor devices. 9. System according to claim 8, characterized in that said means for identifying comprise a unique and definitive identifier code associated with said sensor. <B> 10. </ B> System according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the local assembly transmission / reception is miniaturized and carried by an accessory removably associated with the living subject. 11. System according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the local reception transmission unit comprises a control and processing circuit connected in a one-to-one manner to a local device for transmitting / receiving signals to / from a temperature sensor and a local remote signal transmission / reception device to / from a remote control / processing / operation unit. <B> 12. </ B> The system of claim 11, characterized in that the local receive transmission assembly further comprises a memory and an associated programmable internal clock. <B> 13. </ B> System according to any one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that means for identifying the living subject concerned are associated with the local set of transmission / reception. <B> 14. </ B> The system of claim 13, characterized in that it is programmed during its establishment on the subject to include identifiers identical to the sensor identifiers of physiological parameters associated with said subject. <B> 15. </ B> System according to any one of claims 1 to 14, characterized in that the local device for remote transmission / reception is a device for transmission / reception by high frequency waves. <B> 16. </ B> System according to any one of claims 1 to 15, characterized in that the remote transmission / reception unit comprises a device for receiving / transmitting by high frequency waves. 17. System according to any one of claims 1 to 16, characterized in that the remote transmission / reception assembly further comprises a device for processing and / or exploitation of the physiological parameter (s) (s). ) measures). <B> 18. </ B> System according to any one of claims 1 to 17, characterized in that the remote transmission / reception assembly further comprises at least one alarm device. 19. A method for measuring / treating / exploiting at least one physiological parameter, such as, for example, the temperature and / or activity of a living subject, such as for example a farmed animal, characterized in that it comprises the following operations - at least one measurement operation of each physiological parameter by means of a dedicated sensor device integral with the living subject, at least one local transmission operation of a signal representative of each parameter measured, from the sensor to a sensor local assembly of transmission / reception solidary of the living subject, at least one remote transmission operation of a signal representative of each measured parameter, of the local transmission / reception assembly to a remote transmission / reception unit, at least one remote receiving operation of the previous signal by said remote transmission / reception unit. <B> 20. </ B> The method of claim 19, characterized in that it further comprises at least one operation for processing and / or exploitation of the physiological parameter (s) measured ( s). <B> 21. </ B> The method according to claim 19 or 20, characterized in that it comprises at least one operation for comparing the measured signal (s) with a predetermined threshold value associated with the less an operation to trigger an alarm.