Automatically adjustable device for affixing to the nose of animals

Abstract

The invention relates to an automatically adjustable device for affixing to the nose of animals, which may be used simultaneously for administering medicinal or non-medicinal substances and/or for collecting and transmitting information about the animal by means of onboard sensors, the device being composed of a flexible support body and a pair of adjustable members that are connected by a system of swivel joints, allowing the articulation of the members in all directions. The system of swivel joints enables the adjustable members to automatically adjust to the wall of the nasal septum of each animal, which affords greater comfort and offers a larger area of contact between the face of the adjustable members of the device and the nasal mucous membrane of the animal.

Claims

1. An automatically adjustable device for affixing to the nose of animals, said device comprising: a pair of adjustable members having flat surfaces and a coupling surface; and a support body separate from the adjustable members comprising terminal ends forming articulated coupling means, wherein the coupling surface of each of the adjustable members is coupled to a respective articulated coupling means of the terminal ends of the support body, forming a system of swivel joints; and wherein the flat surfaces of the adjustable members are separated by a spacing; wherein the adjustable members are at least partially polymeric materials containing at least one treatment substance stored therein; wherein the coupling surface of the adjustable members is a female coupling, and the articulated coupling means of the terminal ends are a male coupling; wherein the coupling surface of the adjustable members is a spherical concavity, and the articulated coupling means of the terminal ends has a spherical shape and wherein at least one electronic device is positioned in a space formed in the adjustable members.

2. An automatically adjustable device for affixing to the nose according to claim 1, wherein the support body is made of flexible, elastically deformable material.

3. An automatically adjustable device for affixing to the nose according to claim 2, wherein the support body is made of elastically deformable polymer.

4. An automatically adjustable device for affixing to the nose of animals according to claim 1, wherein the electronic device is a sensor selected from a temperature sensor and a pulse sensor.

5. An automatically adjustable device for affixing to the nose of animals according to claim 4, wherein the sensor is a temperature sensor that is housed at the housing.

6. An automatically adjustable device for affixing to the nose of animals according to claim 1, wherein the adjustable members comprise a housing consisting of high thermal conductivity material.

7. An automatically adjustable device for affixing to the nose of animals according to claim 6, wherein the housing has a closed end located on the face of the adjustable members facing the nasal septum mucous membrane of the animal.

8. An automatically adjustable device for affixing to the nose of animals according to claim 1, wherein the electronic device is least one of an electronic transmitter, a motion sensor, an optical electronic sensor, a location sensor, a respiration sensor and a moisture sensor arranged on the support body.

9. An automatically adjustable device for affixing to the nose of animals according to claim 8, wherein the electronic device is a transmitter that comprises a sound-emitter and/or light-emitter.

10. An automatically adjustable device for affixing to the nose according to claim 1, wherein the support body has at least one shape selected from the group consisting of an ellipse, circle, and a rectangle segment.

11. An automatically adjustable device for affixing to the nose of animals, said device comprising: a pair of adjustable members which have flat surfaces and a coupling surface; and a support body separate from the adjustable members comprising terminal ends forming articulated coupling means, wherein the coupling surface of each of the adjustable members is coupled to a respective articulated coupling means of the terminal ends of the support body, forming a system of swivel joints; and wherein the flat surfaces of the adjustable members are separated by a spacing; wherein the adjustable members are at least partially polymeric materials containing at least one treatment substance stored therein; wherein the coupling surface of each adjustable members is coupled to a contact element with a first end attached to the adjustable member and a second opposite end being a male coupling, and the articulated coupling means of the terminal ends are a female coupling; wherein the end of the contact element is a male coupling having a spherical shape, and the articulated coupling means of the terminal ends are spherical cavities; and wherein at least one electronic device is positioned in a space formed in the adjustable members.

12. An automatically adjustable device for affixing to the nose of animals, said device comprising a pair of adjustable members which have flat surfaces and a coupling surface; and a support body comprising terminal ends with articulated coupling means, wherein the coupling surface comprises a spherical concavity, and said articulated coupling means of the terminal ends are sphere-shaped wherein the coupling surface is coupled to the articulated coupling means of the terminal ends in said support body, forming a system of swivel joints, the system of swivel joints allowing the articulation of the adjustable members in all directions; wherein the coupling surface of each of the adjustable members is coupled to a contact element with a first end attached to the adjustable member and a second opposite end being a male coupling, and the articulated coupling means of the terminal ends being a female coupling; wherein the end of the contact element of the male coupling has a spherical shape, and the articulated coupling means of the terminal ends form a spherical concavity; wherein the flat surfaces of the adjustable members are separated by a spacing; wherein the adjustable members are at least partially polymeric materials containing at least one treatment substance stored therein; and at least one means of electronic devices arranged on the adjustable members, wherein said electronic devices comprise at least one sensor.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The present invention will now be described in more detail based on an exemplary embodiment shown in the drawings. The figures show:

(2) FIG. 1 is a front view of the first embodiment of the device.

(3) FIG. 2 is a lateral view of the first embodiment of the device.

(4) FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the first embodiment of the device.

(5) FIG. 4 is a top view of the first embodiment of the device.

(6) FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the first embodiment of the device.

(7) FIG. 6 is a cross-section view of the first embodiment of the device.

(8) FIG. 7 is an expanded view of the first embodiment of the device.

(9) FIG. 8 is the swivel joint representation of the members of the first embodiment of the device.

(10) FIG. 9 is a front view of the second embodiment of the device.

(11) FIG. 10 is a cross-section view of the second embodiment of the device.

(12) FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the second embodiment of the device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

(13) FIGS. 1 to 8 show a first embodiment of the automatically adjustable device for affixing to the nose 20 of animals. The device 20 comprises a pair of adjustable members 1 and a support body 2 made of a flexible, elastically deformable material, such as a polymer, allowing the adjustment of the distance between the adjustable members, and facilitating the comfortable fitting of the device 20 in the animal's nostril, regardless of the width of the nostril. The deformation elastic resistance of the flexible material causes the support body 2 to exert slight pressure on the front face of the adjustable members 1.

(14) Support body 2 also has an ellipse segment shape. In a possible constructive variation, the support body 2 may take a circle or rectangle segment shape.

(15) Each of the adjustable members 1 are attached to one end of the support body 2. These adjustable members 1 each have a contact surface 1a and a coupling surface 1b for articulated coupling, with freedom of rotation, with the terminal end 5 of the support body 2. According to this first embodiment of the invention, the coupling surface 1b has a concavity 4 as a female coupling, preferably spherical, with an opening, as shown in FIG. 7.

(16) Concavity 4 of each adjustable members 1 will be attached to a terminal end 5 provided with articulated coupling means of the support body 2. According to the first embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 1 to 8, each terminal ends 5 has male coupling means, preferably spherical and with a size compatible with that of the concavity 4, so that it will be connected to that respective concavity 4. Thus, the flat surfaces 1a will be facing each other and separated by a spacing 11.

(17) The connection between the concavities 4 of the adjustable members 1 and the terminal ends 5 of the support body 2 will form a system of swivel joints 3, which will allow the articulation of the adjustable members 1 in all directions. This articulation of movements allows a better adjust of the device into the animal's nasal septum on both sides.

(18) Additionally, the adjustable members 1 are at least partially made up of polymeric materials containing at least one medicinal substance (animal treatment substances) stored therein, the substance of which is to be administered to the animal. It can be entirely made up of this material containing said substance, or just coated with it.

(19) Thus, in this first embodiment, the system of swivel joints 3 will also allow the entire contact surface 1a of the adjustable members 1 to be in constant contact to the animal's nasal mucous membrane regardless of the anatomical shape, increasing the contact area of the device 20 with the animal's nasal mucous membrane as a whole.

(20) Therefore, this shape for device 20 is ideal for the administration of treatment substances, since the contact of members 1 to the mucous membrane will be constant and greater, allowing the release of the appropriate amount of treatment substance to be administered, with no waste.

(21) FIGS. 9 to 11 show a second embodiment of an automatically adjustable device for affixing to the nose 30, which is preferably used when there is a need to collect information of the animal.

(22) In this embodiment, the support body 2 has terminal ends 6 with coupling means configured as a female coupling, preferably as a spherical concavity. The pair of adjustable members 1 has a contact element 12 with an end attached to the adjustable member 1 and the terminal opposite end configured as a male coupling having a shape compatible with the female coupling of the terminal ends 6 of the support body 2, preferably a spherical shape 10.

(23) Thus, the terminal end 10 of the contact element 12 will be connected to one terminal ends 6 of the support body 2, also forming a system of swivel joints 3.

(24) In this second embodiment, the shape of the adjustable members 1 with its protruding rear face 10 forming a male coupling increases the space available inside the adjustable member 1, which facilitates the assignment of electronic devices, particularly electronic sensors 7, such as, for example, temperature and pulse sensors. However, such sensors can also be integrated with the adjustable means 1, according to the first embodiment of the invention.

(25) In any of the embodiments of the invention, an electronic transmitter and a battery (not shown) of sensor 7 can be installed in the lower region 8 of the support body 2, so that the communication between the sensors 7 and the transmitter can be performed through a channel 9.

(26) In addition, such electronic devices, for example, sensors (not shown) which does not need to be in direct contact with the animal (such as movement, optical, location and moisture sensor) can also be installed in the lower region 8 support body 2. Such sensors may also contain a sound-emitter (not shown) and a light-emitter (not shown) in which they can also be fixed to be exposed to the support body 2 in order to notify information collected by the device or to transmit identifications.

(27) The adjustable members 1 can also comprise a housing 13 preferably made of metallic material or another high thermal conductivity material receiving a temperature sensor 7 within. The closed end of the housing 13 is located on the front face of the adjustable members 1, so as to be in direct contact with the nasal septum mucous membrane of the animal, which improves the accuracy in temperature reading, and minimizes the interference caused by the air flow caused by the breath of the animal or the wind.

(28) Therefore, due to the system of swivel joints 3 associated with the male coupling in the terminal members 1, this second embodiment of the invention allows the adjustable members 1 provided with sensors to always be in contact with the nasal septum mucous membrane of the animal, improving the data quality and accuracy measured, contributing to a better health analysis of the animal.

(29) The association between the support body 2, 2 made of flexible and resistant material and the system of swivel joints formed by the coupling of the adjustable members 1, 1 with the support body 2, 2 allows the pressure exerted by the support body 2, 2 on the adjustable members 1, 1 is transmitted against the nasal mucous membrane of the animal, thus serving to adjust the adjustable members 1, 1 at the angle that best suits the anatomy of nasal septum of the animal, and also to fix the device 20, 30 in the animal's nostril.

(30) Thus, the automatically adjustable device for affixing to the nose 20, 30 as conceived in both embodiments, offers the following advantages over previously known counterparts: greater contact area between device 20, 30 and the nasal mucous membrane of the animal, favoring the administration of treatment substances, and/or also the accuracy in collecting information about animals, through electronic devices, for instance, sensors; greater comfort to the animal, and less incidence of physical damage caused by the long-term use provided by the system of swivel joints which allows the best adjustment of the device to the anatomy of each animal; greater spatial capacity for sensors to be physically integrated into the device, maintaining the accuracy degree of the readings made by these sensors.

(31) The examples of preferred embodiments have been described, it should be understood the scope of the present invention encompasses other possible variations, being limited just by the content of the claims only, including possible equivalents therein.