BACKGROUND

[0001] The present invention generally concerns identity tagging animals, and in particular an apparatus for injecting ampoules. Such ampoules are manufactured from a bio-compatible material, e.g. glass, a ceramic material, a metal alloy, silicone or another polymer. The material of the ampoule is not part of the invention, but must be considered in practical implementations, as different materials have different friction, hardness, properties of deformation and other properties that are significant for the design of the apparatus.

[0002] Systems for radiofrequency identification (RFID) generally comprise a tag on an object to be identified and a reader for reading a unique ID in the tag by means of radio signals. The read ID can then be further used, e.g. for lookup in a database to find the owner of a suitcase or the phone number of an animal owner.

[0003] So-called active RFID has a power source, e.g. a battery, in the tag, and typically a range longer than 10 m. In some applications, e.g. in tags to be inserted into an ampoule under the skin of an animal or in stickers for preventing theft of goods, a battery is too large and/or too expensive to be included in the tag.

[0004] Passive RFID has no power source in the tag, but collects energy from the radio signal from the reader, and uses the collected energy to return a signal with a unique ID and possibly other information stored in the tag. The range for passive RFID typically varies from some centimetres to some metres depending on the field strength of the signal from the transmitter. In some fields, the use of passive RFID is standardised.

[0005] For example, ISO 11784/11785, which define a 134.2 kHz carrier frequency, are commonly used standards for tagging animals outside USA. In USA, similar standards and systems with a carrier frequency of 125 kHz currently dominate. The ISO-standards above define half duplex, commonly used in ear-tags for sheep, pigs, cattle and other large animals except horses, and full duplex, commonly used in ampoules implanted under the skin on horses, dogs, cats and other pets. RFID-readers for reading the tags are found in relatively few places, e.g. at veterinarians, the police etc.

[0006] Thus, Norwegian patent application no 20140468, with the same applicant and inventor as the present invention, proposes inter alia using near field communication (NFC) and other communication technology included in a common handheld mobile terminal, e.g. a smartphone. In this context, NFC is regarded as an RFID-technology with centre frequency 13.56 MHz. NFC is standardised in e.g. ISO/IEC 18000-3 and ISO/IEC 18092:2013. Other technologies are also discussed. Common to the proposed techniques are that they enable using an existing or future smartphone for reading the identity from an RFID-tag, in particular an RFID.tag within an ampoule implanted under the skin of an animal. Radio communication is not important for the present invention, and hence not further described herein. A detailed description of possible communication protocols etc. is found in NO 20140468 mentioned above.

[0007] Thus, there are several systems for identifying animals that follow different standards, and have in common that they are implanted under the skin of an animal. Some animals will have a previously implanted tag, e.g. a 125 kHz tag in USA or a 134.2 kHz ISO- tag in Europe. If desirable, the existisng tag can be supplemented by an extra tag, e.g. an ISO- tag in USA or a future NFC-tag in Europe. Such post-tagging can easily be performed in the same manner using the same means as today.

[0008] An ampoule is inserted under the skin of an animal by penetrating the skin, e.g. the scruff of the neck on a dog or a cat, with a cannula and pushing the ampoule through the cannula and thereby under the skin. This process will be termed 'subcutaneous injection' in the following. One problem with subcutaneous injection is that the force required to depress the plunger is easily displaced, so that the tip of the cannula moves unintentionally. While injuries usually are limited to scrapes and small bleedings, such an injury is unpleasant for the animal. If two separate ampoules are injected by two separate subcutaneous injections, the risk for such an injury is doubled.

[0009] An objective of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for tagging an animal according to two standards effectively and gently for the animal.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0010] According to the invention, this is achieved with an apparatus according to claim 1.

[0011] In particular, the invention concerns an apparatus for subcutaneous injection of ampoules, wherein the apparatus comprises an elongate housing with a plunger that is movable in the longitudinal direction of the housing. The apparatus has a first cannula and a second cannula disposed parallel to each other. Each cannula is attached to and extends from a first end of the housing. Engagement means attached to the plunger are configured to convey a first ampoule through the first cannula and simultaneously a second ampoule through the second cannula. [0012] In use, both cannulas penetrate the skin of the animal, and two ampoules are injected simultaneously through the cannulas by means of the plunger and the engagement means. Tagging with two different RFID-tags is thus performed with one injection, thereby reducing time and strain for the animal.

[0013] In a preferred embodiment, the housing further comprises a spring connected to the plunger in order to store potential energy and a trigger configured to release the spring such that a spring force urges the plunger in the direction toward the cannulas. Before the injection, a work is performed against the spring force of the string, for example by contracting the spring. This work is stored as potential energy in the spring. After the cannulas have penetrated the skin, the spring is released such that the stored potential energy perform the work of pushing the ampoules through the cannulas. As the spring urges the ampoules to their locations, the user can concentrate on keeping the cannulas steady. Thus, he or she does not need to use force to push the campoules in place while the tip of the cannulas are under the skin of the animal. This simplifies the injection and reduces the risk for unintended injury under the skin of the animal.

[0014] As an alternative or addition to potential energy stored in a spring, the housing may further comprise a gas cylinder connected to the plunger in order to store potential energy and a trigger configured to release the gas cylinder such that a pressure force urges the plunger in the direction toward the cannulas. In the gas cylinder, the potential energy is stored as pressure, and it may be practical to use a gas canister that is filled to a certain pressure, and is thereafter used for several injections. The effect of releasing stored potential energy in a gas to perform the work of pushing the ampoules to their locations, is as described above in connection with potential energy stored in a spring.

[0015] In a particularly preferred embodiment, the housing comprises an internal, radially directed shoulder and the plunger comprises radially spring-biased latching dogs, which in a first, latched position axially abut the radially directed shoulder and in a second position are in movable contact with an inner surface of the housing, and wherein the latching dogs are forced radially inward from the first, latching position in that the trigger moves axially along the latching dogs.

[0016] Other features and benefits of the invention appear from the dependent claims and from the following detailed description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] The invention will be explained in greater detail in the following by means of examples and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side view of a first embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2a is a top view of an alternative embodiment;

Fig. 2b is a side view of the embodiment in fig. 2a; and

Fig 3 is a section through a trigger mechanism.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0018] Figure 1 shows a first embodiment of an apparatus 100 according to the invention. The apparatus has two cannulas 110, 111 attached to a first end 121 of a housing 120. The cannulas 110 and 111 have inner diameters slightly larger than ampoules with RFID-tags to be injected, but they do not necessarily have the same inner diameter. A plunger 125 is disposed within the housing 125 and can be moved relative to the longitudinal direction of the housing. In use, the plunger 125 is moved toward the first end 121 and pushes the ampoules to their final locations by means of engagement means 123. A part of housing 120 can optionally be designed as a sleeve 122, e.g. at the opposite end of the first end 121.

[0019] The embodiment shown in fig. 1 has a force enhancer 130. The purpose of the force enhancer 130 is to reduce the force that must be exerted manually, and thereby reduce the risk for unintended motion of the cannulas as discussed in the introduction. The force enhancer comprises a first arm 131, 133 pivotally attached to a shaft 137 such that it is divided into a long arm 131 and a short arm 133, and operates according to the lever principle. The moment of force (force x arm) is equal for both arms 131, 133, such that the force on the short arm 133 becomes greater than the force on the long arm 133. The shaft 137 is attached to a grip 132, 134 attached to the housing 120, in figure 1 in sleeves 122 and 124. A nose 135 on the short arm 133 is configured to engage a rack on the plunger 125, and a spring 126 pushes the long arm 131 away from the long arm 132 on the grip. In use, the long arm 131 is pushed against the spring force from the spring 136. Thereby, the nose 135 engages the rack on the plunger 125 and pushes the plunger in the direction toward the cannulas 110 and 111. The pushing force depends on the ratio of the short arm 133 to the long arm 131 and of the stiffness of spring 136. The rack on the plunger 125 can, if desirable, be designed as one shoulder such that the ampoules are conveyed through and out of the cannulas 110, 111 with one push on the arm 131. Alternatively, the ratio of short 133 to long 131 arm may be decreased. This increases the force, but may require that the long arm 131 must be activated several times. It is left to the skilled person to adapt the geometry to the application at hand.

[0020] An end piece 126 is attached to the plunger 125, and has a greater diameter than the plunger. In figure 1, the end piece 126 works as a stopper against the sleeve 124, and prevents the plunger 125 from being forced to hard against the first end 121 and/or the engagement means 123.

[0021] Figures 2a and 2b shows an alternative embodiment of the apparatus 100 viewed from above and viewed from the side. In this embodiment, the ampoules are driven through the two cannulas 110 and 111 by two separate plungers 125, which, for example, may be manufactured from a suitable plastic material. In this embodiment, springs 140 are compressed by holding the housing with index finger and middle finger by a fixed member 130 at the same time as the thumb is pressed against the end piece 126. When the springs are released, the ampoules are pushed to their intended locations.

[0022] Figure 3 shows a trigger mechanism where the housing 120 has a cylindrical outer surface and an axial throughbore for the plunger 125. In the upper end of fig. 3, i.e. in the end opposite to the one with cannulas, a bore 128 with enlarged inner diameter is provided such that a radially directed shoulder 127 is formed within the housing 120. The bore 128 is closed by a lid 129. The plunger 125 has radially spring-biased latching dogs 142. Figure 3 shows a first, latched position wherein the latching dogs 142 abut the radially directed shoulder 127. A trigger 141 shaped as a hollow sleeve passes through the lid 129, and may move axially relative to the lid. The trigger 141 is closed by an end piece 126, and a trigger spring 143 within the trigger sleeve 141 exerts an axial force against the end piece 126 at an upper end and against the plunger 125 at a lower end. Stoppers (not shown) prevents the trigger 141 from moving out of the housing 120, i.e. toward the upper end of fig. 3. Thereby, the spring 143 forces the latching dogs 142 axially against the internal shoulder 127.

[0023] When the end piece 126 is pressed against the spring force from the trigger spring 143, the trigger 141 moves axially along the latching dogs 142 and into the bore 128, such that the latching dogs 142 are pressed radially inward against the radial bias. Thereby, the latching dogs 142 are moved from the first, latching position to a position where they pass the shoulder 127 and slide along the bore with smaller diameter, i.e. along the wall below the shoulder 127 in figure 3. In this case, the spring force from spring 143 drives or urges the plunger 125 toward the cannulas.

[0024] In a particularly preferred embodiment, the plunger is driven by a separate driving spring (see figs 2a and 2b) with larger spring stiffness than the trigger spring 143. Then, the trigger spring 143 just has to keep the trigger sleeve in the position shown in figure 3, and may be depressed by a force that is independent of, and much smaller than, the force exerted by the driving spring 140.

[0025] The geometry in the figures can, as noted, be altered as desired or needed. In order to illustrate this, and to summarise the varieties above, reference is once more made to figure 1.

[0026] The sleeve 124 can, for example, comprise a trigger as in figure 3, such that a driving spring and/or gas canister in sleeve 122 is released when the end piece 126 is depressed. In such an embodiment, the long arms change role, i.e. such that the short arm 133 is attached to the housing 120 while the nose 135 is attached to a short part 134 of a pivoting arm 132, 134. The force enhancer will then operate in the opposite direction such that it may tension a powerful driving spring 140 before the cannulas penetrate the skin of the animal. Later, just a small axial force on the end piece 126 is required to push the ampoules through the cannulas 110 and 111. The claims disclose an arm that is pivotable relative to a grip, and which is divided into a short and a long part. It should be understood that one of the arms 131 and 132 are fixed relative to the housing, whereas the other may pivot about the shaft or pivot 137. Thus, it is trivial to adapt the force enhancer in figure 1 such that I may be used for tensioning a driving spring 140 (see fig. 2).

[0027] While the invention has been described by means of examples, the scope of the protection is set forth in the appended claims.