GB2590890A - A device and method for preventing infections during the drying of livestock - Google Patents

Abstract

A teat sealing system includes a sealing balloon 100 and an associated air delivery syringe 120. Two O-rings 106a, 106b located on the neck of the balloon are maintained in an expanded state while the balloon is mounted on an elongate balloon-mounting lance 124 of the delivery syringe 120, allowing the balloon to be inflated. When released from the delivery syringe’s balloon-mounting lance 124 after balloon inflation, the O-rings 106a, 106b return to their contracted state, sealing the neck so that the balloon remains inflated. The syringe and elongate balloon-mounting lance may comprise co-operating male and female Luer taper connectors. In use, the balloon is inflated within the teat cistern of a dairy cow during the dry period of its lactation cycle, forming an airtight seal that helps to prevent infection.

Description

"A device and method for preventing infections during the drying off of livestock" lntroduction This invention relates-tO a devkne and Method suitable -for preventing tar at least mitigating against, Olen:lions from occurring iid; livestock, and in nadir:War daty.neare, during.their drying off period.

There are approximately 270 million dairy news in the world; Best: practice for the Management of;milk production is to provide a drying off period to each dairy cow This wiltfaciiitate good milk production after the drying off period has finished, to The drying off period is the period of time which a dairy cow is not milked. Typicaily the drying off period will iast for sixty days, During this time the dairy cow wilj cease 4st-dating. The mammaiy gland of the dairy cow requires such a non-lactaft period, Or dry period, prior to calving in order to optimise the production of milk in the lacitattn period which follows on from calving, The dry period is measured from the time when milk removal is ceased, which is known as milk stasis, tsritil the subsequent calving. As mentioned above, it will normally last for sixty days but can be in the region of fOrty to seventy days depending. on circumstances.

The format procedure to dry off:a cow is to withdraw all grain and reduce the water supply several 'days.before the dry period is to be comnientred, The effect of withdrawing all grain and water is that there will be a drastic reduction in the production Carting that titre. Milking it then hafted about 45 to 50.days before expected date of parturition, Dairy cows can suffer from different types of infections, such as mastitis and this affects the milk production and milk quality, Mastitis in dairy cows is estimated to cost the industry approximately 3.5 biliion per annum There are two types of inastars, contagious mastitis (staphylococcus aureus bacteria) and environmental mastitis (streptococcus uberis bacteria). The presence of the bacteria can occasionally show up as clotting in tho milk, but this is not always the case and infections in,milk produced and shipped on a farm may only be caught at a later stage, which is of a large cost to The farmer end to the industry generally.

There are different action plans which have been developed over trine for avoiding mastitis infections and managing mastitis infections which have developed. These action points include hygienic teat management, where the teats of livestock are disinfected on a regular basis and the equipment corning into contact with the teats is So disinfected regularly, This prevents the spread of infections, A further action point relates to diligent and prorript miik recording which wM assist in identifying mastitis in dairy cows at an early stage and thus aliow treatment using anribiotirz', Chronically infected dairy cows may have to he culled in or to manage the mastais infections. Whilst all of the above action points are important in the avoidance, rrianac"rement and treatment of mastitis infections, it will be appreciated that dry cow therapy (which is the treatment of dairy cows during their drying off period) is most lingortant This is due in part fo the fact that 60% to 70% of mastitis infections OCCUr during the drying off penod and therefore effective mastitis infection avoidance and prevention during the drying off period will greatly assist in managing the infection.

The present invention is directed towards this dry cow therapy and in particular a device for use for dry cow therapy.

Davy cows have a natural. defence to mastitis infections which could occur during the drying off period, This natural defence develops at the beginning of he drying off Period but it can take up to 10 days after the drying off period has commenced in order for the natural defences to fake full effect -The natural defenos take effect through closure of a sphincter muscle in a teat canal of the teat being dried off and also through the development of a keratin piug (wag [Ike substance) in the teat cistern of the teat being dried off. Owing this time period where the natural defences have not yet taken effec,:t but the drying off period has begun, mastitis infections can easily develop in the teat so it is desirable to have a therapy method which has a more immediate effect than the.nattrtal defences which the dairy cow can produce.

One such more immediate effect, known from the prior art, is to use a sealant to Nock the feat cistern at the commencement Of trie drying off period. Such sealants are already add on the mantel and typicagy an application syringe will contain approximately 49 of an infra-mammary infusion. When the drying off period is to commence, the teat is disinfected and then the sealant is applied into the teat cistern, A farmer will usually be the person to apply the sealant into the teat cistern. it is a lime O it troublesome and difficult to apply the sealant darre.ctly, The sealant is infected from a syringe through teat canal and into the teat cistern. In order to ensure that the sealant remains in the teat cistern, and does not travel too far up into the gland ctistern where it is ineffective against preventing intra-marnmary infections 01\11), the person applying the sealant must use the correct Pressure on the syringe and pinch off one end of the teat cistern (adjacent a cistemal ringfold). The farmer must squeeze the sealant delivering syringe with just enough force to ensure that the sealant MI/ travel up through' the teat canal and int the teat cistern up to the pinched off point in the teat cistern, but not further. Use of excessive force would cause the sealant to push past the pinch off point at the top of the teat cistern and enter the gland dstern, where it is less effective. 2.0

When one considers that a farmer will likely have to apply a large number of seaiants to their herd of dairy cows, it is easy to contertplafe how the misapplication of the sealant will occur. As the application of the sealant into the teat is somewhat awkward and requires some time to be taken over it, it can be easily seen how a farmer would 26 look to complete the task quickly by rushing rt and misapply:n(4 the sealant.

MisaPPlied sealant can enter the gland cistern vichere it is less effective at preventing tnastitiS infections and/or can easily fall out of the teat cistern at a later stage if a sufficient amount is not iniei-rted irito the teat cistern, Inc misapplication of the sealant easily done as it is contrary to the manner in which farmers have been applying other mastitis prevention and treatment to the teats. The applition of the sealant must be done differently to the application of a norriiial dry cow antibiotic. The riormal dry cow antibiotic is typically injected completely through the teat astern and into the gland cistern where it acts against the infection, and farmers will therefore be used to applying the antibiotic to their dairy cows in the. fathlen, blem with USinu zeaisnts. is to atant -re not easily removed dairy cow. The sealant, which sew out removed A.s the ealant roust he tenoved fulry to ensure that t does not contaminate, Milk preouced suoseq>entiy, it the;sealant breaks up durThpi its Snovel; s very dVicolt and tinie consuming for the farmer to spend additional time ngon e teatto ensure that, the se at 0 S to terrninat ed into a h - atedal, must he 1 in through the teat canal, ft ceatant to brak up when bel rdene", mass s common kit oily removed from the teat the term 'dairycow" shs'l he 'untIe ich could benefit from *sealmnq off of th 39 Sincuv irntti tn 1a.ctating. QQW0, Indeed,,the present.envisaged to be easily 'app&ebie to other types of livestock which ha', ed to be temporarily seared an ' eed to be temporarily that ov I of the resent ihventlon to provide a device and method of use 0. at ast one of the above mentioned problem The prebent invention is directed to sealing balloon suitable for into a teat cistern of a dairy cow in order to seal the teat cistern when the sealing pa400n is inflated, The present invention is further directed to such a sealing balloon, the sealing balloon comprising a non-inflatable neck portion and an inflalabie head portion; the non -inflatable neck carton comprises a lower opening at a proximal end of the neck portion and an upper opening at a dists end of the neck portion; the:nflathble head portion comprises a lower opening at a proximal end of the head nor-IL n and an upper.sealed end at a distal end pf the head portion; the lower opening of the head portion being connected to the upper opening of the neck portion so as to allow a gas m pass through the neck portion into the head portion hie head portion; wherein, the neck portion compnses at least one 0-ring which is located ace n 'owr ape.ting of the neck portion 00 lc biased towards a contracts tuitable ter clOsing the fleck portion of the sealing beltoon so as to maintain the head portion of the seating balloon Than inflated state Inc advantage of providing the sealing balloon in this manner is that the 0-ring can be used to close off the inflated searing balloon The 0-ring will sit around the non-inflatable neck portion of the sealing balloon and may be stretched irite an expanded state tiff, as to allow a was to pass through the non-inflatable neck portion of the seating balloon when the 0-ring is in its expanded state. However, once the 0-ring is released from this enforced expanded state, it will be biased to shrink into a contracted state,sucin that it will close off the sealing batioon and maintain the inflated head portion r...)f the sealing hal/0°n in an inflated state, In a further embodiment the non-inflatable neck portion comprises a substantialy tubular shape, in a further embodiment, the inflatable head portion comprises a substantially tubular shape. in a further embodiment, the inflatabie head ftrilion is substantially sphemcylindrical in shape. The spherocylindrical shape is seen to be particularly advantageous for fitting the inflatable head portion within the feet cistern of a teat to be sealed off.

In a further embodiment, the inflatable head portion comprises a substantially tubular shape in its deflated state and in its inflated state, such that a diatrieter of the tubular shape of the inflatable head portion in its deflated state is approximately equal to a diameter of the tubular shape of the non-inflatable neck portion, and: a diameter of the tubular shape of the inflatable head portion in its inflated state is greater than the diameter of the tubular shape of the non-inflatable neck portion, The advantage of providing the diameter of the tubular shape of the inflatable head pod-ion in its deflated state is approximately equal to a diameter of the tubular shape of the non-inflatable nee* portion is to allow the deflated sealing balloon to be easiiy inserted into the teat of the dairy cow, Subsequently, a poor of the sealing balloon can he inflated to seal off the teat cistern whilst a portion of the sealing balloon remains protruding fret: the fe-at canal of;tie teat to facilitate removal of the sealing balfoon from the teat <4fter emhcmen.t. he d.iaheter of shape ortion in its inflated in the range of three Um.es. to fly : of the *tubuta± shapea 11flatab head portion in its cm 4esr than d state, The present invention is further directed towards a detivery synnge d for iounting a sealing. bailoon as nlaimed in any preceding deilvery syringe device comprises a delivery syringe and CO,eiongate b mounting lance, whereby, the elongate balloon-mounting lance comprises a female one end and the delivery syringe comprises a male fuer connector.

The advantage of providing the.eionaate. balloon e is that:longata balloon-Mounting lance can be used, to iount the eaiin and can assist in inserting the deflated sealing balloon into the teat rther entbdthmn.errt te eidrigate. ba oon-mount.ng wipe istapered in a further.embodjmer.t 'he elongate ti.ng lance. nkfres a free end ich opoce the female leer connector end and the elongate Dat onnnojnfit/9 lance tapers hward&1owars the tree end of the ebl'ild.-ate bailoonniou.ntjng lance, The present invent _idler directed towards an elongate tUoonmno Ice suitable for mounti.ng a sealing balloon as ciabted in any preceding claims, n the elongate bailoon-atiounting lance, whereby, the elongate baitooh-icufluncance comprises a female iuer connector at one end a, whic: opposes the female ltier connector end, and, the elongate balloon-punting lance pers inwardly towards the free end of the elongate The ptesent invention is further directed towards a method of sealing a sealing balloon, vvherein, the method comprises the sts? ealing licon, in its defietcid state, partially into a teat cistern.

e dairy cow LiSifly an aiontgate belloommountin, Ian e wftc jriserted ihto the teat of the dairy sew; inflating the seating, balloon with of the. teat of the dairy sow by pat:Sing a gas through the eion,c )n-motto emoving the longate the teat of the dairl cave he inflated s cistern of the teat of the,= da'iry o nountin ling bailoon partia ri a further embodim th and an inflatable head portion within the teat astern of the *eat head portion within the teat cistern of the le neck: Peflion 9. the sealing balloon oriseC ihflatlng the inftatabie en CflrnØrise enlad SI a further embodiment th.e method step of remcrnq the g ance from the the dairy cow comprises ieaving a pa o,rri the tbaa t dterrL of the id Teases: 0-ring from the neck pullout whereby he neck portion:and. the 0----ring is suite tor closing the neck podia balloon so as to maintain the head portion of the sealing balloon M an dairy of the dairy cow le neck portio he balloon sealing balloon In a further embOttiMent th portion of the searig balloon tep of opening he ioethod Step the n neck oving at least one located adjacent a lower in a ksrther embodiment. the method st deflated state, partially into a teat cist inserting the nfiat head portion of the leaving a section of the norA dairy. c of ' s Hoon.fl its tprises cistern and teat of the teat of the. da balloon into 0/ ortion protrudi The.ad' an 0 the teat.the dairy -cow i he teat is-pieced will be deflated for remcwal can be assured_ that ltie sear) and thus avoid any possibility Ition of the neCk, portion protruding from the seaiing balloon can be relatively easily"moved.aahng balloon is made of one maenal nd ghly uflflksv break up and therefore the ner balloon will be moved in its entirety from the tear 7:ontamination milk produced from -8 -that teat.

tn a fefthef embodiment. the Method comprises the further step of removing an Grillo located on the seating baleen M order to. facilitate the deflation of the seating.bailoon so that the sealing balloon may be removed from the teat cistern of the teat of the.dainy cow.

Detailed Description of Embodiments

The invention wilt be more clearly understood from the coikysving dOssrtption Of some embodline.nts-thereof, given by way of exernpte only, .with reference to the aecompanying drawings, in WhiCh: Figure 1 is a perSpective view Of a deflated sealing ballogn in accordance vvith the present invention, Mounted on a delivery Syringe. device; Figure 2 is a: Perspective view of the sealing balloon of Figure 1, in its inflated state, mounted on the delivery syringe device; Figure 3a is a diagrammatic view of an udder of a dairy cow: Figure 3b is a diagrammatic detail view of a teat of a dairy cow: Figure 4 is a Perspective view of a sealing balloon of Figure 1 beinq removed from the delivery synnge device, Fiotire 5a iast side view of a delivery syringe with a mate tuer connector; Figure 5I3 is a perapeclive view of an elongate balloon-mounting lance having a female fuer ciDnnector: Figure ea is a perspective view of a seating bafloon in accordance with the present inventionih it deflated stale; nr Figure 6b is a perspective view of the sealing balloon of Figure 6a, in its inflated state; Figure *7a ie diagramitiatic view of the delivery syringe device of Figures 5a and 6b.. inserting the sealing 'balloon of Figure (ta into a teat cistern of a.dairy cow, in accordance:with one. use of art asps*: of the present invention; Figure 7b is a diagrammatic view of the delivery syringe dey/Ce 1 Figure. 7a inflating the sealing bairOOT) of Figure 7e in the teat cistern of the dairy Cow; Figure 7o is a diagrammatic. view of the delivery swinge device. Of Figure 7a being removed; after having inflated the seating.balloon of Figure 7a *?Il. the teat cistern of the dairy cow;: Figure. id is a diagrctilmetio view of the delivery syringe deviee-of Figure 7a fully removed from the teat.cletern.af the dairy cOw,. leaving. the inflated seating balloon of Figure 7a M the feat cistern of the dairy cow; Figure 76 le a diagramMatit vie* Of the seating balloon of Figure 7a being deflated in. the -teat cistern (-if the:dairy ciaw;-and Figure 71 is a diagrammatic view of the **ling balloon pf Figure 7a, fully deflated, being removed from the teat cietern of the dairy. sow.

Referring to Figure 1; there is provided a delivery syringe dekrice mounting a seating balloon in accordance with the present invention. The sealing balloon is indicated generally by reference numeral 100. The de/hien/ syringe device is indicated generally by reference numeral 120.

The sealing balleon 100 comprises a.proiimal end indicated generally bY referenee numeral 102 which has an opening, and a distal end which is indicated generally tiy referent*. numeral 104 which is sealed. in the present embodiment, two a-rings 106a; 1.06b are located on the sealing balloon 100 in the present ernhodimerit, there is a dieter airing 106a and a proxitaiii 0-ring 1o6b. it will be appreciated that in -10 :alternative onlOodiment& Or or more 0-rings may be used in place of the two a rings 106a, 106b shown in the:present embodiment, The 0-rings 106a, 106b are sP11-001irig C nng 1.00a 1068 which are, dimensiciited and manufactured to.Olose into a Poltratted state and create an air -tight seal for th0 sealing.balloon 100, As 6 shown in Figure 1, whilst the sealing balloon 100 ls mounted on the delivery. Syringe device 120, the 0-rings 1(16a, 1066 are maintained in an expanded state. by the delivery syringe. device 120. Keeping. the 0-ring-s 106aL 1066.m. an.ekparided slate allows the sealing balloon to be Mated, whilst it mounted on the deriVery syringe device 120. When. the 0-rings. 106a, 106b have been released front the: de/ivery., syringe device 120, they will close into their contracted state. thus sealing off thg sealing balloon 100 and maintaining thessealing.balloon.100 in an inflated state if it is already inflated.

The delivery syringe device 120 comprises a delivany syringe 122 and an elongate balloon-mounting fence 124, The delivery syringe 122 comprises a plunger 12a, finger grips 128 and a nozzle 130, as are all known in the art The nozzle 130 preferably. comprises 8 male luer connector, Such Icier connectors are generally *push-luer connectors or lock-fuer connectors and are generally known in the art; either can be used in conjunction with the present invention The elongate balloon

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mounting lance 124 snail comprise a complementary Co-operating female luer connector 132. It will be appreciated that the male and female connectors may be located vice versa: such that the nozzle 130 comprises a female luer connector and the elongate balloon-mourning lance 124 comprises a male luer connector Figure 2 shows the sealing balloon 100 in its inflated state, The sealing balloon 100 comprises a norkeflatable neck portion 200 and an inflatable head portion 202, The 0-Tings 106a, 106b are positioned on the rien-inflatabfe neck portion 200, adjacent the proximal end 102 of the sealing balloon 100 it will be appreciated that the elorigate befloort-mounting lance 124 mounts the sealing balloon 100 and at the same lime stretches the 0-rings 106a, 1C.1.6.b into an expanded state. Once the sealing balloon 100 is.released off the elongate balloon-mountino lance 124, the 0-rings 106a, 106b will act to contract forrnin,g a substantially air-light sea: so as to close off and seal the sealing balloon 100, Figure SNOWS a sealing balloon 100 of the present invention being removed from the delive;ry. syringe device 120. The distal end of the eiongate Pailoot-mounting lance 124 is shown. being removed from the oPerilng at this ProxitIVI end 102 if the sealing balloon 100 The 0-rings 106a, 106'b Will contract as this happens, Retaining to Figure 2, when the sealing batleoh 100 is mounted oh the elongate baleommounting lance 124, as mentioned above., the elongate ballegriiiriodunting. lance 124 will hold the 0-rings 106a, 100b. in an expanded state. The elongate balloon-maunting lance: 124 comprises a through.passage which.ailews a gas of avid from the delivery syringe 122 to be passed through the elongate balloon-mounting lance 124 and into the sealing balloon 100, causing. the. inflatabie head portion 202 of the seatino balloon100 to Pe inflated, The. operation of the present. invention -ve:411 be disauese in.greatef detail with reference to Figures 7aii7t.

The sealing balloon 100 is designed to be inserted into a teat cistern of a teat of a dairy r:iew, and inflated so as to seal off the teat cistern. In the manner, by sealing off the teat oistem, the potential for the dairy cow to contiact an infection during the drying off period is significantly reduced.

Looking at Figure 3a, the anatomy of a dairy cow's udder 300 is shown, The udder 300 supports a plurality of teats 302, Each teat comprises a teat cistern 304 which is connected to a gland cistern 306. Milk ducts 308 are feed into the lend cistern 306.

Tuang to Figure 3b, the anatomy of a single teal 302 is shown in greater detail and it can ho seen that within the teat 302 a teat canal 310 forms the outlet of the teat 302. There is a sphincter 'muscle 812 around the teat canal 310 which contrrA the opening of the teat canal This sphincter muscle form part of a dairy cows natural defence against mastitis infections during a drying off period, but can take up to 10 days to close off the teat 302. A oislernal ringfold 314 is located intermediate the teat cistern 304 and the gland cistern 306. When using a sealant from the prior art, a farmer would need to pinch off the teat 302 adjacent this cisternal ringfold 314.

It will be appreciated that the object of the present invention is to seal the teat cistern 7$04 so as to prevent a mastitis infectsan from developing in the gland cistern 306, the milk ducts 308 andlor the teat cislerti 304, Referring now to. Figure 5a, there is provided a delivery syringe: indicated generally by reference numeral 122, as is \kelt known in the art The delivery syringe 122 comprises a tubular body 500 housing the plunger 126, Finger grips 128 extend outwardly from the tubular body 600 at one end of the tubular body 500 and the tubular body 500 transitions to a tapered nozzle. 130 which locates a luer connector 502. The luer connector 502 may be a male luer connecter or. a female lure connector and the leer connector may be a push-luer connector or a lock-luer connector, as described supra.

A further important aspect relating to the pmsent. inverton is the use of the elongate balloon-mounting lance 124 which. mounts the sealing balloon of the present.

1.5 invention, The elongate baitoon-mourifino lance 124 is shown in Figure 5b. The elongate balloommounting lance 124 mounts the sealing balloon (not shown in Figure 5b) and assists with inserting at least the inflatable head portion of the seafing balloon into a teat to be sealed oft. The elorigate balloon-mounting lance 124 comprises a fuer connector 504. As above, the luer connector 504 may be a male leer connector or a female lure connector, and, the luer connector may be a eush-luer connector or a iock-luer connector, The /tier connector 504 of the elongate balloon-mounting lance 124 will act in a complementary cooperating fashion with the bet connector 502 of the delivety syringe 122. The fuer connector 604 is connected to an intermediate tapering Portion 508 which in turn is connected to the elongate lance portion 508. The elongate lance portion 508 is tapered inwardly towards its distal end indicated generally by reference numeral 510. A through channel extends between the leer,connecter 504, which has open ends, and the distal end 510 of the elongate lance portion 508 in this manner, a gas or fluid may be pushed through the elongate halicon,(mciunting lance 124. it will be appreciated that when the elongate balloon

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mounting lance 124 is attached to the delivery syringe 122, depressing the plunger 126 into the tubular body 500 of the delivery syringe 122 wili cause a gas/fluid present in the tubular body 500 of the delivery Syringe 122 to be expelled out of the -13 -distal end sic of the elorigate balloort-mountMg lance 1221. When the sealing.balloon mounted over the etollgate lance. port on 508 of the elongate balloon-mounting lance 124, pressing the plohaer 126. into the tubular:body 500 cif the delivery:syringe. 122 will cause:the sealing balloon to be inflated. The sitonqate ipalicieil-niounting lance. 124 reay.be preferably made using a moulded plastics material.

It is anticipated that approximately 5m1 of a fluid/gas may be expelled through the distal end 510 of the deiivery syringe device 120 in order to inflate the sealing balloon 100. Various different types of.gases and fluids ere envisaged to be used, as discussed further hereinafter Turning now to Flgitres 6a and 6b respectively, the sealing balloon 100 is shown in Is deflated slate and inflated state respectively. The sealing balloon 100 comprises a c,)roximal open end 102 and a sealed distal end indicated generally by reference numeral 104-The proximal open end 102 is preferably flanged. The seang banoon is elongated and coMprities a similar diameter continuously-along its longitudinal axial length, when in its deflated state The sealing balloon 100 comprises a non

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inflatable neck portion 200 and an inflatable head nortiori 202. The diameters of tile non-inflatable neck portion 200 and an inflatable head portion 202 will be similar when the inflatable head portion 202 is in its deflated state, The inflatable head portion 202 is iocated adjacent the sealed distal and 104 of the sealing balloon 100 and the non-inflatable neck portion 200 is located adjacent the open proximal end 102 of the sealing balloon 100, Grooves 600 for accepting the 0-ririgs (not shown) are provided on the non-inflatable neck portion 200 of the seating ring 100. The 0-rings are of standard ct,onstruction, such that they are substantially toroidal in shape.

The 0-rings are so dimensioned and constructed of an appropriately flexible material that the 0.--ritigs will be stretched into an extended slate when the sealing balloon 100 'is mounted on the elongate balloon -mounting lance, arid; will return top contracted state when the _sealing balloon 100 is released from the elongate balloon-mounting lance, When the sealing balioiDn 100 is mounted on the elongate balloon-mounting lance, the 0--rincai will be stretched over and around the circumference of the elongate helicon-mounting lance; arid, when the sealing balloon 100 is released off Iron its mounting, on the elongate balloon-mounting lance, the 0-rings will contract to forrn an air-light seal around the non-inflatable neck portion 200 of the sealing bailoon 14 -The nomtnflatable floc* portion 200 and the inflatable head portion 202 are substantially tubular in shape and when the inflatable head Portion 202 is deflated, it will have a dimeter which is similar to, such as to be approximately equal to, the diameter of the non-inflatable neck portion, taking account of a slight tapering along the longitudinal a-xis of the sealing balloon: were said tapetlit.-,1 causes the proximal open end 102 to be wider in diameter than the sealed distal end 104 in its inflated slate, the inflatable head portion 202 of the sealing balloon 100 is dimensioned to form a sealing fit within a teat cistern of a teat. In a preferred embodiment, the inflatable head portion 202, when inflated, will be substantially s.pherocylindricat in shape. A spherocylinder is also known as a capsule shape The sPherocylinder envisaged to comprise a diameter which is in the range of 3 to 5 times the dimeter of the inflatable head portion 202 when it is deflated, The sealing balloon 100 is envisaged to he constructed of any elastic polymer based maleriai. For ex-ample. the sealirig ballc.ton 100 may be constructed from polyvinyl chloride (PVC), nylon, polyether Nock ainide such a Febax® polyurethane, ChronoPreneim, latex: rubber, Poiyethylene terephthalate or any wtribination thereof.

In yet a further embodiment whilst the disclosure of the present fnvention is predotritnately focussed on the use of an inflatable balloon, it will he appreciated that a self-expanding technology such as nitinol sterit-like structures, or similar, may he used in place of a seating balloon which has an inflatable head portion. A self-expanding head portion;ivotild be used in the stead of the inflatable head portion,. A non-inflatable, or in this case, a non-seit-expanding portion, would stiFF be used. A sheath or such like may be used to maintain the self-expanding head portion in a contracted state, until the seff-expanding he-ad portion was in the teat cistern and was permitted to expand so as to form a sea/ within the feat.

:30 With reference. to Figures re to If, wherein like parts previously described have been assigned the same reference riumerals, Me use of the sealing balloon 100 and the delivery synnoe device 120 are MA' described, ft is foreseen to package a single delivery.syringe 1.22 'with a plurality of sealing

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ttac'ens 100 Pre-Inscinted on.á plurality of elongate boon-mounting lances 124, in th,s waYi a user will firstly *connect the luer connector of the elongate balloon-mounting lance 124 to the leer connector Clf The delivery syringe 122 so as to form the delivery syringe device.120 with the sealing bailoon 100 already mounted thereon.

As shown in Figure 7a, the distal end of the sealing balloon 100 is then inserted through the teat canal of a feat 302 such that the inflatable head portion 202 of the sealing balloon 100 will be positioned within the teat Stern 304, The distal 0-ring 106a will be positioned on the non-inflatable neck portion 200 of the sealing balloon 100 at a iocation wtich will allow the distal 0-ring 106a to act as a stopper, or indicator: for the User/farmer. Once the distal 0-ring 1063 comes into abutment with an exterior lip of the teat canal, the user can stop insetting the sealing. balloon 100 mounted on the elongate balloon-mounting lance 124 Into the te.at 302. It will be aPPreciated that the location Pf the distal. 0-ring 106a on the non-inflatable neck portion MN be selected so as to match with the average teat dimensions of a dairy cow, Looking now at Figure 7b, it is shown that the inflatable head portion 202 of the sealing balloon 100 is inflated once it is within the teat cistern 304, /chafing the inflatable head portion 202 of the seating balloon 100 is achieved by pressing down the plunger on the delivery syringe device 120. The delivery syringe 122 may he Theo with air or a fluid Such as an anti-bacterial fluid. This is adyanteoecus should the sealing be/loon 10:3 tali when inside the teat cistern 304, In a preferred embodiment, the Inflated head portion 202 wilt take the form of a spheitcylinder when inflated as this resembles the shape of the teat cistern which it is sealing off. In particular, the diameter of the spherocylinder, when inflated fully, shall be selected to be large enough to extend across the majority of teat cisterns in dt-airy cows. in a preferable embodiment the dlineter of the spherocylinder Mil be in the rarge of 3rnm to 7min, and is preferably 5mai in a preferable embodiment, the longitudinal length of the spherecylinder I be in the range of 7min to 12,nrn and is preferabty approximately 9mtn. it will be understbod that alternatively shaped inflatable bead portions, such as cylindrical shapes, spherical shapes, ring shapes and so on, are also forese.en to be utilised The overall lona:tact is length of the sealirig balloon, when inflated shall be in the range of 17inm to 27rnm, and is preferably apprnximately 23,5rnat, The inflatable head portion 202 orthe entire sealing balloon 100 may be coated intan antibacterial fluid or an alternative fluid which may ease insertion int the teat cistern 304 and/or prevent infection within the teat.302, As seen in Figures 7c and 17d, the sealing balloon 100 is removed from its mounting on the elongate balidon-mounting lance 124 when a user pulls the delivery syringe dovice 120 away from the teat 302. The -expansion of the sealing balloon 100, and in part oular the inflatable head portien 202 of the sealing balloon 100, within the teat cistern 304 prevents the sealing bagoon 100 from being puffed out from the teat 302 as the delivery syringe device 120 is being pulled out from the teat 302, Once the elongate balloon-Mounting lance 124 has been withdrawn past the iodatten of the distal 0-ring 106a on the nominflatable neck portion 200, the distal 0-ring 106a:Oil contract and form an air-tight setal around the non-inflatable neck portion 200.

Likewise, as the elongate balloon-mounting lance 124 is withdrawn further, and the aka:gate hailoon-mountIng lance 124 has been withdrawn as the location of the proximal 0-ring web on the non-inflafablf3 neck portion 200, the proximal Ceing 100b wiii contract and form a send an-tight seal around the non-inflatable neck Portion 200. The use of two 0-rifles 106a, 106b is for redundantly in the present invention, and it will be appreciated that just one may be used, As seen in Figure 7di the se0119 Panodh 100 is then left with the inflatable head portiori 202 inside Inc teat cistern 304 of the teat 302 and thusly seals off the teat *cistern 304 In this manner. This greatly reduces the possibility of the teat eislern 25. becoming infected.. The sealing balloon too is inserted into the teat cistern 204 at the -commencement of The drying off period, A part of the,non-inflatable neck portion 200 Ts left protruding from the teal canal of the teat 302. This will facilitate the removal of the sealing balloon100 in due course., When it is desired to remove the sealing -balloon 100, whiCh will usually be. at the end of the drying off period, the 0-rings 106e, 106E3 are polled off or cut off and this will allow the sealing balloon 100 to deflate as shown in Figure le. In Figure 7tz 1,v4th the sealing balloon 100 fully deflated, the sealing balloon 100 has been removed -from the teat cistern 304 of the teat 302. -17 -

It wiii be appreciated that of the term non-inflatai preceding Specification should be rtepreted as beirig difficuif to stable, The non4nliatable neok..portion 200 may inflate into the: sealing balloon 1.00. OM the.aineunt plible to the heman eye.

nuL;Uy no! fluid is delivered marginal or almos hroughout the he slightly when a lion will be corn imatica.L reaeo es' possible interp io.

d. le and any hereof réqbired for be considered, as interchangeable arid accorded he understood that the comçonents in any of the el earUy draWil to scale, and, like parts showr the same reference numerals. several drawings are design it will be further t3ndersLood that features from any of the. embod combined with alternative described embx1ments even if such a combinatioi explicitly recited hereinbefore but would be Linde the person skilled in the ad, The invention is not limited to the embodiments heieinhotor varied in both constructbr nd do y be S not y be loaf& feasible by

Claims (1)

1. A sealing balloon sUitable to s the sealing ba loon iflated, the sealing balloon comprising a nori-infttanle. neck portion and rflatahle ttead portion:CLAIxirna end f the neck por to the non-inflatable neck portion cornpriSes of 4 neck portion.and an upper opening a able head. portion comprises: a iower opertia proximal end of lead pOrtion and an Upper sealed end at a dialer end Of thC. head the lower openina of the head portion being connected to the. pp of the nebk portion so, as to allow a gas to pass through the neck; portion ma tho lead portion ri order to inflate:ead portion, wherein; the neck portion comprises at least one C)rnj wMcTh ncated adjacent the opening of the neck portion and which is suitable for closing the neck portion of The sealing balloon so as to the head portion sealing balloon in an inflated state.A sealing balloon as claimed jr i clam omprises folly tubular A sealing balloon dO claimed head portion comprises substanti s I or 2. wherein,able)ape A eeaiirtq balloon as the inflatable head portion fin -19 -comprises a substantially tubular shape in its deflated state and in its inflated state, such that a diameter of the tubular shape.of the inflatable head portion in its deflated. Mate is approximately equal to a diameter of the tubular shape of the non-inflatable neck portion, and, a diameter of the tubular shape of the inflatable head portion in its. inflated state is greater thee the diameter Of the tt.ildglar shape Of the non-inflatable neck.portion.A sealing balloon as claimed in any preceding idiaims, wherein, the diameter of the tubular shape of the inflatable head portion in its inflated state is in.the range of three times to five times greats than the diameter of the tubular shapeof the inflatable head portion in its deflated state.6. A delivery syringe device suitable for mounting a sealing balloon as claimed in any preceding claims, wherein, the delivery syringe device comprises a delivery syringe and an elongate balloon-mounting lance, whereby. the elongate balloon-mounting.lance comprises a female luer connecter at one end and the delivery syringe comprises a maie luer connector.7, A delivery syringe device as claimed in claim 6, wherein, the elongate ballo.on-thounting larleels tapered.A delivery syringe device as claimed in claim 7, wherein, the elongate balloon-mounting lance comprises a free end which opposes the female fuer connector end and the elongate balloon-mounting lance tapers inwardly towards the free end of the elongate, balloon-mounting lance, 9, An elongate balloon-mounting lance suitable. for mountino a sealing balloon as claimed in any preceding.claims, wherein the elongate balloon-mounting lance, whereby, the elongate balloon-mounting lance comprises a female 30!war connector at one end and 3 free end which opposes the female luer connector end, and" the elongate balloon-mounting lance tapers inwardly towards the free end of the elongate balloon-mounting lance, 10. A method of sealing a teat of a dairy cow using a sealing bertoen, Wherein, -20 -the method comprises the steps of: a) trisecting:the:seating palloon, in its deflated state: partially into a: teat cistern of the feat of the dairy cow using an elongate balloon-Mounting lance which. is also partially inserted into the teat of the dairy sow; h.) inflating the seating balloon within the teat eistern of the teat of the dairy cow by passing a:gas through the elongate balloon-mounting lance.: c-) removing the elongate. balloon-mounting lance from the teat of the dairy cow so as to leave the inflated sealing balloon partially within the fest cistern of the teat of the daky cow, It. A method of sealina a teat of a dairy cow as:clalmed in:claim 10, wherein, the Sealing balloon comprises non-inflatable neck portien and an inflatable head portion, and the method step of inflating the sealing balloon Withlp the :teat cistern of the teat of the dairy Caw: comprises inflating the inflatable head portion within the teat Stem of the teat or the dairy cow A Method of searing a -teat of a -dairy thw Sc claimed in claim *11, wherein, the method step of removing the elongate:baltoo:n-Mbonting lance from the :teat of the dairy:cow comp:is:es ieaving the non-inflatable neck portion of the sealing balloon.protrudieg from the teat:of the deify cow to fapilitdte fPt.171PVat. Of the seelOg, bektori frem the teat cistern of the teat a the dairy cow at.a later 13... A method of seating a teat of a dairy cow as claimed in claim 12, wherein: the method step of opening the non-inflatable neck portion of the sealing balloon comprises the method step of removing at least one 0-ring from the neck portion; whereby the 0-rina is located adjacent a lower opening of the neck Portion and the 0-ring is suitable for closing the neck portion of the seating balloon so as to maintain the head portion of the sealing balloon in an inflated state.14, A Method of sealing a teat of a coo tow et elattned any of claims 11 to inserting the inflatable head portion of.nd leaving a section of the non m the teat of the deity t.tow sealing balloon: in its de iate teat of the dairy cow comprises' ealing balloon into the. teat. -inflatable neck portion protruding ethod step of serting into a:eat cistern of rti to; pait& Amethod 61 staling a wherein; the method located on tbt aflr sealing hafloon so the 3rtip ord he alino hark dairy cow, lathed any of eta of tarp vin 4, an 0-ring Rale the deflation of ray d fi