Technical field

[0001 ] The present invention relates generally to a tail-mounted sensor for health monitoring of animals, more particularly equine animals such as horses, donkeys, zebras, mules and hinnies.

Background art

[0002] In animal husbandry, it is of great importance to monitor vital signs and overall health of individual animals to ensure their welfare and quickly discover any injuries or diseases. Vital signs include e.g. temperature, heart rate, blood pressure, respiration, movement etc. However, continuous monitoring of vital signs is time-consuming and labour-intensive, since it requires round the clock surveillance of the individual animal. Even with only small numbers of animals, this is cost-intensive, if not impossible to carry out.

[0003] In prior art, a number of solutions have been proposed to solve the problem of continuous health monitoring of animals. Various devices comprising sensors, detectors and/or probes for attachment to the body have been proposed, both in human and veterinary medicine, to assist in monitoring vital signs.

[0004] For example, US 4,630,613 discloses an apparatus and method for monitoring the pulse rate of an animal having a tail comprising a pulse detector adapted to be fastened to the tail. The pulse detector comprises a flexible rubber diaphragm encasing a fluid, wherein movement of the diaphragm caused by the pulse of the animal is detected and transmitted to a remote signal analyser by means of a UHF transmitter.

[0005] US 2015/0257664 discloses a heart monitoring sensor comprising a printed circuit board with a depressed inner area and a flexible bulb forming a sealed cavity. A pressure sensor is mounted within the sealed cavity. The bulb is releasably attached e.g. underneath the tail of a horse to detect the heart rate by detecting changes in pressure caused by the animal's heart pulse. CN 201767957 discloses a similar device using piezoelectric film to acquire pulse information of large animals. [0006] US 6,436,038 discloses an animal vital signs monitoring system comprising a probe with a rectal thermometer and a cuff for pulse and blood pressure monitoring adapted to be wrapped around an extremity of the animal, ordinarily the tail.

[0007] WO 2013/186232 relates to a birthing sensor to be mounted on the tail of a pregnant animal and comprises an accelerometer to detect movement patterns of the animal indicative of the animal being in labour. Subsequently, an alert may be transmitted through wireless communication to the farmer or a veterinarian.

[0008] US 2010/0036277 discloses an animal temperature monitor comprising a temperature sensor adapted to be attached to the tail of the animal in a position between the tail and the left and right buttocks.

[0009] WO 2015/107521 discloses a pet animal collar for monitoring vital signs such as temperature, pulse rate, respiration rate and movement patterns.

[0010] Nevertheless, there remain disadvantages and problems associated with the prior art devices discussed above. Among others are discomfort or pain experienced by the animal when wearing, complicated and time-consuming mounting of the sensor device often requiring professional expertise, risk of dislodging of the sensor device and poor sensing accuracy.

[001 1 ] Hence there is a need to develop improved sensor devices which are easy to mount, cause less discomfort to the animal and provide higher sensing accuracy.

Summary of invention

[0012] An object of the present invention is to provide an improved sensor device which is easy to mount properly and provides improved sensing accuracy whilst minimising discomfort to the animal. This object is achieved in a first aspect of the present invention by providing a sensing band for a tail-mounted sensor device for monitoring vital signs of an animal having a tail, wherein the sensing band comprises means for sensing heart rate and/or temperature of the animal and is adapted to be mounted around the tail and be releasably connected to the sensor device. By providing a sensing band comprising heart rate and/or temperature sensing means for releasable connection to a sensor device, easy mounting of the sensor device on the tail of the animal is achieved, which does not cause pain or discomfort and also ensures optimal sensing conditions to improve sensing accuracy and reliability.

[0013] In an alternative embodiment, the sensing band is adapted to be mounted around the underside of the dock of the tail. Since the underside of the dock is not covered with hair, but instead presents bare skin, this is an ideal site for measurement of heart rate and/or temperature of the animal.

[0014] In an advantageous embodiment, the sensing band comprises a textile material and the means for sensing heart rate and/or temperature is woven or integrated into the textile material. The textile material provides a comfortable surface in contact with the tail and also protects the sensing means woven or embedded therein. Preferably, the textile material is a conductive textile material providing a plurality of contact points for the heart rate and/or temperature sensing means with the tail. By thus increasing the number of contact points per unit area of the sensing band, improved sensitivity and accuracy of the heart rate and/or temperature measurements is achieved.

[0015] In a further preferred embodiment, the sensing band comprises means for indicating a degree of tension of the sensing band when mounted on the tail. Preferably, the indicating means comprises a layer of different coloured textile material underneath a surface layer which becomes visible through the surface layer when a predetermined tension is applied to the sensing band. The indication means gives quick and clear feedback to the user if too much tension is applied when mounting the sensing band, thus ensuring that the sensing band is properly placed and does not cause discomfort to the animal.

[0016] In an alternative embodiment, the means for sensing heart rate and/or temperature comprises one or more electrodes. Electrodes provide robust and reliable measurement of heart rate and/or temperature without causing discomfort or pain to the animal through excessive pressure.

[0017] In an advantageous embodiment, the sensing band comprises a connector adapted to be attached to the sensor device in order to provide an electrical connection between the sensing band and the sensor device. By providing a connector, the sensing band may be attached and detached from the sensor device in a quick and simple manner, thus making the sensing band interchangeable between different sensor devices and allowing different sensing bands to be used with the same sensor device.

[0018] In a further preferred embodiment, the connector comprises an ID chip for identification of the sensing band. Thus, upon connecting the sensing band to the sensor device, the sensor device can determine which individual horse it belongs to. This also makes it possible to correlate monitored vital signs and health status data with other information specific to that horse, such as weight, age, breed, sex, training schedule, competition results, healthcare treatments, injuries, equipment used (saddle, bridle, horseshoes) etc., retrieved from one or more external databases.

[0019] In an alternative embodiment, the sensing band comprises an adjustable fastener adapted to be attached to the sensor device. The adjustable fastener may be adjustably positioned along the sensing band to thereby adjust its length, which enables individual tailoring and customisation of the sensing band for optimal fit and comfort.

[0020] In a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a tail-mounted sensor device for monitoring vital signs of an animal, comprising a housing and a fastening device attached to the housing and adapted to fasten the sensor device on at least part of the tail, wherein the sensor device is adapted to receive a sensing band according to the first aspect of the present invention for releasable attachment thereto to provide an electrical connection between the sensing band and the sensor device, wherein the sensing band is separate from the fastening device. By providing a sensor device wherein the sensing band is separate from the fastening device, a more secure mounting of the sensor device is achieved which does not depend on or interfere with the sensing band.

[0021 ] In a preferred embodiment, the fastening device comprises a clip adapted to be fastened to hair of the tail. With the hair on an animal tail, especially a horse tail, being less sensitive to pressure, the clip may be fastened tighter around the hair than around the tail as a whole. This solution results in an improved and more secure fastening, thus reducing or even eliminating the risk of dislodging the sensor device. At the same time, this minimises the pain and discomfort experienced by the horse. [0022] In an advantageous embodiment, the housing comprises means for sensing movement of the tail. Preferably, the means for sensing movement of the tail comprises at least one accelerometer and/or gyroscope. The movement sensors provide information about the horse's physical condition or state of mind, e.g. from gait, tail carriage and movement patterns of the horse which can be used to detect potential injuries or discomfort.

[0023] In a further preferred embodiment, the housing comprises means for sensing ambient temperature, ambient light and/or magnetic fields. By providing additional sensors in the housing not in direct contact with the animal, ambient conditions which may affect the animal can be recorded simultaneously with the detection and monitoring of vital signs. This additional information can be useful in understanding behaviour of the animal in specific conditions.

[0024] In an alternative embodiment, the housing comprises a microprocessor, memory means for storing sensed data and means for wireless transmission of the sensed data to an external receiver. Under certain conditions when it is not possible or feasible to transmit the sensed data from the sensor device to an external receiver, the sensed data may be stored in the sensor device and subsequently transmitted at a later point in time.

[0025] In a preferred embodiment, the housing comprises means for indicating that the sensing band is properly mounted to the sensor device and functioning and/or for indicating a power supply level of the sensor device. The indicating means provides a simple way for the user to verify that the sensing band has been mounted correctly and is working properly.

[0026] In a further preferred embodiment, the housing comprises a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receiver. This solution enables determining and recording the position of the sensor device to be used concomitantly with other sensed data.

[0027] In a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a kit comprising at least one sensing band according to the first aspect and at least one sensor device according to the second aspect. Brief description of drawings

[0028] The invention is now described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 shows a sensor device according to a second aspect of the present invention including a housing and a sensing band;

Fig. 2 shows a sensing band according to the first aspect of the present invention; Fig. 3 shows a top view of the sensor device before mounting of the sensing band; Fig. 4 shows a top profile view of the sensor device with the sensing band mounted; Fig. 5 shows the sensor device mounted on the tail of a horse; and

Fig. 6 shows a schematic view of the components of the sensor device.

Description of embodiments

[0029] In the following, a detailed description of a sensing band and a tail-mounted sensor device according to the present invention is presented. In the drawing figures, like reference numerals designate identical or corresponding elements throughout the several figures. It will be appreciated that these figures are for illustration only and are not in any way restricting the scope of the invention.

[0030] As described above, the sensor device is especially adapted to equine animals, but may of course be used on other animals having a tail such as e.g. cattle. Hereinafter, the invention will be described using a horse as exemplary animal, but the same principles apply to other animals included in the definition above.

[0031 ] The tail 3 of a horse 2 and other equine animals consists of two parts, the dock 4 and the skirt 5, as shown in Fig. 5. The dock 4 constitutes the base of the tail 3 and consists of the muscles and skin covering the coccygeal vertebrae. The term 'skirt' refers to the long hairs 5 that fall below the dock 4. On a horse, long, thick tail hairs 5 begin to grow at the base of the tail 3, and grow along the top and sides of the dock 4. Hair does not grow at all on the underside of the dock 4. Hence, the underside of the dock 4 is an ideal site to sense and monitor vital signs of the horse 2.

[0032] In the following, the term 'tail-mounted' shall be interpreted as encompassing any device or apparatus being adapted, arranged or configured to be mounted on the tail of an animal. It is thus not limited to the case when the device or apparatus is de facto mounted on the tail. [0033] Fig. 1 illustrates a tail-mounted sensor device 1 according to the present invention. The sensor device 1 comprises a housing 10 encasing electronic components to control and supply power to sensors included in the sensor device 1 , such as heart rate sensors, temperature sensors, movement sensors, pressure sensors etc. The electrical components are typically provided on a printed circuit board as further described below in connection with Fig. 6 and further comprises storage means for storing sensed data and wireless communication means in order to wirelessly transmit the sensed data to an external wireless receiver, either continuously in real time, periodically according to a predetermined schedule and/or anytime a wireless connection to the receiver is established.

[0034] In normal operation, the sensor device 1 will sense and record vital signs data as long as the sensor device 1 is mounted to the horse 2 in order to provide continuous monitoring of the horse's vital signs and health status. During periods of rest or daily care, the horse 2 will normally return to a stable, paddock or other fixed location, thereby enabling wireless transmission of stored sensed data to a receiver installed in a fixed nearby location.

[0035] In order to mount the sensor device 1 on the tail 3 of the horse, the sensor device 1 comprises a fastening device 30 attached to the housing 10 as illustrated in Fig. 4, and adapted to be fastened to at least part of the tail 3. The fastening device 30 thus secures the sensor device 1 on the tail 3. In order to minimise or altogether prevent any pain or discomfort to the horse, the fastening device 30 may for instance comprise a re- leasable clip 31 adapted to be fastened on the hair 5 of the tail 3. The clip 31 may be in the shape of a hair clip, hairslide, barrette or clasp which may be snapped into place on the hair 5 of the horse tail 3 substantially without causing pain or discomfort to the horse. Furthermore, the surface of the housing 10 facing the tail 3 when mounted may comprise a high friction material, such as e.g. rubber, plastic or polymer materials, to provide increased friction against the tail 3 and thereby prevent slipping.

[0036] The fastening device 30 may be exchangeable and thus detachable from the housing 10. For example, the hair clip could be fastened to the housing 10 by means of guiding pins, screws or similar. [0037] The sensor device 1 further comprises a sensing band 20 as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, including means for sensing heart rate 21 and/or temperature 22 of the horse. The sensing band 20 is separate from the fastening device 30 and is adapted to be mounted around the tail 3 and attached to the housing 10 on opposite sides thereof. The sensing band 20 is thus brought into contact with the skin on the underside of the dock 4 of the tail 3, which is not covered with hair 5, providing optimal sensing conditions. The mounting of the sensing band 20 should not be too loose, which leads to decreased skin contact and reduced sensing accuracy. At the same time, the sensing band 20 must not be too tight which may cut off blood circulation and cause discomfort or pain for the horse 2.

[0038] The sensing band 20 may comprise a textile material or fabric 23 which is gentle to the horse and/or a composite flexible material such as plastic or rubber to ensure stretch and firmness. For example, the central part 23 of the sensing band 20 which is to be brought into contact with the bare skin on the underside of the dock 4 may comprise a textile material in order to ensure comfort, whereas the end part(s) 24 adapted to be attached to the housing 10 may comprise flexible composite materials or stretch textile materials to ensure proper mounting and tension for optimal sensing accuracy. The heart rate sensor 21 may for instance be designed as a capacitive pulse measurement system including electronic components such as electrodes 25 woven or embedded into the sensing band 20. The temperature sensor 22 may be an electrical temperature sensor also including electrodes 25. Fig. 2 illustrates schematically one example of how the electrodes 25 may be placed and oriented within the sensing band 20. However, the placement and orientation of the electrodes 25 is not limited to example shown in Fig. 2, but may be varied in any number of ways to ensure optimal measurement accuracy and maximum number of contact points between the electrodes 25 and the bare skin on the underside of the dock 4 of the tail 3.

[0039] In one example, the sensing band 20 is made from a 'smart textile', i.e. conductive fabrics arranged to be connected to an aggregating unit, such as the sensor device 1 , using a flexible printed circuit board. Both or only one end portion 24 of the sensing band 20 may comprise flexible composite material or a stretch textile material. As may be seen in Fig. 2, the central or middle portion 23 of the sensing band 20, arranged to contact the bare skin on the underside of the dock 4, is wider than the two end portions 24. The increased sensing area provides a higher number of sensors, thereby improving the sensing accuracy.

[0040] To ensure optimal fit and mounting of the sensing band 20, a visual indication of the applied tension may be provided. The visual indication may be in the form of a 'button hole' in the textile material which is pulled apart when the band is pulled too tightly around the tail 3. Another example is an indicator in the form of a different coloured textile layer provided underneath the surface layer of the textile sensing band 20. When the sensing band 20 is stretched more than a predetermined degree, the different coloured layer will become visible through the surface layer.

[0041 ] For attachment of the sensing band 20 to the housing 10, there is provided at least one connector 26. The connector 26 is fixedly attached to one (first) end of the sensing band 20 in electrical connection with the means for sensing heart rate and/or temperature. The connector 26 may be a moulded plastic part containing the necessary electronic components, e.g. separate or common connections with wires to the heart rate sensor and the temperature sensor provided in the sensing band 20. Furthermore, the connector 26 comprises one or more outgoing electrical contacts 28 adapted to connect to terminals 12 of electrical components in the housing 10 as shown in Fig. 1 . The connector 26 also comprises means for mechanical attachment to the housing 10, e.g. by means of a snap-fit or form-fit connection. As seen in Fig. 2, the connector 26 is in the shape of a T with prongs extending perpendicular to the longitudinal extension of the sensing band 20. These prongs may be hooked into recesses or grooves 1 1 formed on the housing 10. The shape of the recesses 1 1 corresponds to the shape of the connector 26 as shown in Figs. 1 , 3.

[0042] In order to provide optimal sensing accuracy and also simplify mounting, the sensing band 20 may be tailored to an individual horse 2. To this end, one or both end portions 24 of the sensing band 20 may be adjustable in length. In order to fasten the second end portion 24 of the sensing band 20 to the housing 10, a fastener 27 similar to the connector 26, but without the electronic components, is adjustably attached to the second end 24. During initial fitting of the sensing band 20 to the horse, the fastener 27 may be moved along the length of the second end portion 24 to a desired position before being clipped or clasped in place. The surplus length of the second end portion 24 of the sensing band 20 protruding through and beyond the fastener 27 may then be cut off. The second end portion 24 may be provided with perforated, scored or frangible cutaway sections (not shown) at regular intervals along its length to facilitate removal of surplus band material.

[0043] Among the electronic components in the connector 26, an ID chip (not shown) may be provided for identification of the sensing band 20 and the individual horse to which it has been fitted. The sensing band 20 may then be defined as "belonging" to that individual horse. This also makes it possible to correlate monitored vital signs and health status data with other information specific to that horse, such as weight, age, breed, sex, training schedule, competition results, injuries, healthcare treatments, drugs or pharmaceuticals administered, equipment used (saddle, bridle, horseshoes) etc., retrieved from one or more external databases.

[0044] As mentioned above, the housing 10 of the sensor device 1 comprises electronic components for controlling, supplying electrical power to and storing sensed data from the included sensors. Whereas the heart rate and temperature sensors 21 , 22 provided in the sensing band 20 external to the housing 10, e.g. in the form of electrodes 25 or conductive textiles, are required to remain in direct contact with the bare skin on the underside of the dock 4, movement sensors for monitoring movement of the tail 3 (and the body as a whole) may be provided internally in the housing 10 of the sensor device 1 . Examples of such movement sensors include accelerometers and/or gyroscopes 13. From the sensing data recorded with the movement sensors, information about the horse's physical condition or state of mind may be determined, e.g. from gait and tail carriage of the horse which can be used to detect potential injuries or discomfort. Other examples of sensors include, but are not limited to, temperature sensors 14 for sensing ambient temperature, light sensors 15 for sensing ambient light, Hall effect sensors 16 for sensing magnetic fields.

[0045] Fig. 6 shows a schematic illustration of the electronic components in the housing 10 provided on an embedded system circuit board. A microprocessor 19 is connected to and controls the internal sensors in the housing 10 as well as the external sensors in the sensing band 20 via an interface (temperature sensor 22) and/or an analogue front-end (electrodes 25 of heart rate sensor 21 ). Sensing data received from the sensors are processed by the microprocessor 19 and stored in a memory 17 connected to the microprocessor 19. Also provided on the circuit board is a wireless radio transceiver 18 configured to communicate with an external receiver, for example a gateway installed in a fixed location such as a stable or a paddock to which the horse returns at regular intervals. The sensed data may then be transmitted from the sensor device 1 to the external receiver and further to other networks, systems, servers and devices communicating with the external receiver.

[0046] The sensor device 1 also comprises a power management module 40 adapted to supply electrical power to the components of the circuit board and the external sensors. The power management module 40 may receive electrical power from a battery 41 and/or an external energy source through a wireless power receiver 42 connected to a magnetic coil 43. The embedded system circuit board may also comprise an indicator e.g. in form of an RGB-LED 44 to provide an indication that the sensor device 1 is mounted and functioning properly as well as an indication of power supply level. More specifically, the microprocessor 19 is configured to verify whether for the temperature sensor 22 and the heart beat electrodes 25 of the sensing band 20 are properly connected to the interface/analog frontend of the sensor device 1 via the electrical contacts 28 and terminals 12. For instance, the RGB-LED 44 may emit a steady green light when the sensing band 20 is properly mounted to the sensor device 1 and a steady red light when the sensing band 20 is not properly mounted. Additionally, a blinking light may be emitted to indicate that the power supply level is below a predetermined threshold value, thus prompting the user to recharge or otherwise supply additional electrical energy to the sensor device 1 , as described above. Furthermore, the sensor device 1 may comprise a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receiver (not shown) for determining and recording the position of the sensor device 1 .