Automatic system and apparatus for mastitis detection by means of electrical properties measurements of milk.

Abstract

A Health Management System for automatic monitoring of dairy animal's health. The system including a method for mastitis detection through, at least, electrical conductivity measurement of milk powered by artificial intelligence analysis. In addition, an apparatus for automatically measuring electrical conductivity and temperature of milk, and milking time length, all from each teat of the animal separately. All information is transmitted for registering and statistics development remotely.

Claims

1. A Health Management System for automatic monitoring of dairy animal's health condition, the System comprising a Detection module and a Data module; the Detection module being a data analysis comprising the steps of receiving the measurements values and data, processing the received data, and delivering the results; receiving the measurements values and data from an apparatus with the capabilities of the present invention apparatus, being the data related to the animal's health condition or herd management, the received data can be, but is not limited to, an electrical property measurement of each teat being milked, a temperature measurement of each teat, a time length of complete milking of the animal, a milk flow measurement, an animal identification, or any of relevance, the minimum admitted data being an electrical property measurement of each teat being milked, or a combination of the prior stated data types that include the measurement of an electrical property of each teat, this data acting as an input for the processing step of the system; processing of the received data through an artificial intelligence method such as logistic regression, decision trees, neural networks or any other suitable for abnormalities detection in data, the database needed to run such artificial intelligence method being stored in the same hardware as the Detection module or being stored remotely in a source accessible by the Detection module, the result of the processing being the animal's health condition; the results of the data processing step delivered in real-time and displayed as a color code or any other means of communication by the hardware running the Detection module or remotely by other hardware, for example, displays, tablets, smartphones; the Data module being a platform comprising features of Automatic Register, Manual Data Entry, Report-making, Interlinking; the Automatic Register feature comprising the recording of information collected from the apparatus providing measurements to the Health Management System; the Manual Data Entry being possible for certain non-automatic useful registers, being the registers, for example, oestrous cycle status, the start or finish of an animal's treatment, or the completion of sanitary procedures, manual registers being asked in an intuitive and effortless manner for the dairy staff through any device, being the preferred ways to obtain the information the prompting of relevant questions about specific animals; the Report-making feature of the module being responsible for the report making and sending when the system's user requires one, the reports comprising the following data, number of milked animals, number of alerts given, milk quality tendency, treatment duration, milking time length, or herd productivity ranking.

2. An apparatus for automatically measuring electrical conductivity and temperature of milk, and milking time length, all from each teat of the animal separately, the apparatus comprising: a plurality of conductivity and temperature sensors, one of each for each teat of the animal; the embodiment being a substitution of the center sealing gasket of the claw of a collector with a sealing gasket having the sensors embedded in said gasket, in such way that the sensors are wet by the milk stream coming from each teatcup before the milk streams mix downstream, the sensors placed in such way that the impact on the flow of milk is negligible, but the sensors are constantly wet by milk during the animal's milking, being the preferred embodiments of the apparatus the ones that do not need any modification of the structural parts of the milking machine, but only needing to replace some part, for example, the center-sealing gasket or an attachment between the claw and the teat-cups, such apparatus embodiments are shown in the present invention Drawings for common claw styles, and certain embodiments needing an extra nipple-shaped accessory to fit between the apparatus and the claw, such apparatus' illustrations found in Drawings 1, 2,3,5 and 6; a microcontroller that collects all the sensors' data and translates it as the following outputs: an electrical property measurement of every teat milk stream, temperature of such milk streams, and the milking time length of every teat, all measurements along with its corresponding teat identification (e.g.: in cows LF, RF, LH, RH), an example of a possible embodiment can be seen in Drawing 4, the embodiment comprising a box containing the microcontroller of the apparatus, with at least one of the walls being translucent or transparent, the microcontroller having a LED light through which communicate using a color-coded signal, being the preferred box embodiment waterproof and dustproof.

3. A System comprising claims 1 and 2.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Drawing 1 References

Threaded Closure Type Claw

[0010] 1Top piece of claw. [0011] 2,3,4,5Teatcups' connections. [0012] 6,7,8,9,10,11Vacuum system connections. [0013] 12Male threaded side for connecting with lower piece of claw. [0014] 13Support. [0015] 14Accessory for apparatus fitting. Fits between the original top piece and bottom piece of the claw. Having the suitable male thread (inside and upwards) and female thread (outside and downwards) for the nipple type connection between both original pieces. This accessory having conduits (16,17,18,19) through which the cables (not represented) pass from being embedded into the apparatus to the exterior of the claw, and further connecting to the microcontroller (not represented) attached to the vacuum system hose. [0016] 15,16,17,18Conduits through which the cables (not represented) pass. [0017] 19Apparatus of the invention (one of the possible embodiments). [0018] 20,21,22,23Tips towards the inside of the claw. Every tip having the electrodes of the conductivity sensors and a temperature sensor. Cables (not represented) connecting to the microcontroller are embedded into the apparatus. Every tip has the adequate length so to expose the electrodes right where each milk stream comes from the upper teatcup connections, keeping the sensors wet by milk as long as milk flows. Rounded and no-cavity shapes are preferred to avoid any substance accumulation on apparatus' rest. [0019] 24Bottom piece of claw. [0020] 25Threaded female connection with upper piece. [0021] 26Connection with downstream hose. [0022] 27Downstream hose.

Drawing 2 References

Pressure Closure Type Claw

[0023] 1Top closing pieceNut containing piece for closing claw by pressure along with piece 23. [0024] 2Top piece of claw. [0025] 3,4,5,6Teatcups connection. [0026] 7,8,9,10,11,12Vacuum system connection. [0027] 13Apparatus of the invention (one of the possible embodiments). [0028] 14,15,16,17Tips towards the inside of the claw. Every tip having the electrodes of the conductivity sensors and a temperature sensor. Cables (not represented) connecting to the microcontroller are embedded into the apparatus. Every tip has the adequate length so to expose the electrodes right where each milk stream comes from the upper teatcup connections, keeping the sensors wet by milk as long as milk flows. Rounded and no-cavity shapes are preferred to avoid any substance accumulation. [0029] 18Bottom piece of claw, [0030] 19Tube where piece 23 passes through all the way to piece 1. [0031] 20Plane where sealing gasket (or apparatus) sits air-tight. [0032] 21Connection with downstream hose. [0033] 22Downstream hose. [0034] 23Pressure closing piece, this bolt piece attaches to piece 1 to close the claw.

Drawing 3 References

Pressure Closure Type Claw

[0035] 1Closing bolts. [0036] 2Top piece of claw. [0037] 3,4,5,6Teatcup seat. [0038] 7,8,9,10Holes for bolts passing through. [0039] 11,12Holes (not seen in this view) for sealing gasket's vacuum system tubes passage. [0040] 13Apparatus of the invention (one of the possible embodiments). [0041] 14Squared-section shape on both sides of gasket for gasket fitting air-tight between both pieces of claw. [0042] 15,17,18Holes for bolts passage. [0043] 16Hole (not seen in this view) for bolt passage. [0044] 19,20Conductivity and temperature sensors. Placed parallel to the side of the claw's wall, facing towards the downstream piece of the claw, in the middle of the milk stream path of every teat. Cables (not represented) connecting with the microcontroller are embedded into the gasket. [0045] 21,22Conductivity and temperature sensors (not seen in this view). Placed parallel to the side of the claw's wall, facing towards the downstream piece of the claw, in the middle of the milk stream path of every teat. Cables (not represented) connecting with the microcontroller are embedded into the gasket. [0046] 23,24Gasket's tubes acting as part of the vacuum system, with openings on both sides of gasket, and passing through the top piece of claw when assembled. [0047] 25Bottom piece of claw. [0048] 26,27Vacuum system connection. [0049] 28,29Tubes part of the vacuum system. [0050] 30,31,32,33Threaded tubes of the claw acting as nuts for the closing bolts. [0051] 34Downstream hose connection. [0052] 35Downstream hose.

Drawing 4 References

Microcontroller

[0053] 1Waterproof conduits with sensors' cables inside. [0054] 2Milk hose, in other embodiments it can be the vacuum system's hose. [0055] 3Tube ring for attaching microcontroller box. [0056] 4Box containing the microcontroller of the apparatus with at least one of the walls being translucent or transparent. The microcontroller having a LED that shows results using a color-coded signal. The preferred box embodiment being waterproof and having dust protection. Other embodiments can be attached directly to the present invention apparatus and have a battery for microcontroller power supply and a wireless connection to a computer which analyzes data and returns results.

Drawing 5 References

Top Flow Style Apparatus

[0057] 1Teatcups. [0058] 2,3,4,5Flexible body of each teatcup. [0059] 6,7,8,9Teatcup's fitting place of animal's teat. [0060] 10,11,12,13Teatcup's downstream fitting. [0061] 14Apparatus of the invention (one of the possible embodiments). [0062] 15,16,17Conductivity and temperature sensors placed facing towards the downstream piece of the claw, in the path of the milk stream of each teat. Cables (not represented) connecting with the microcontroller are embedded into the gasket. The number of sensors represented is 3, the remaining sensor is not seen in the present view. [0063] 18,19,20,21Apparatus' fittings towards teatcups on the upper side, and the corresponding fitting to the claw piece in the downstream side, [0064] 22,23,24Apparatus' arms containing the wires necessary for the corresponding sensors on each milk stream. Three of the four necessary aims are represented, the fourth one is not seen in the present view. [0065] 25Body containing all necessary connections of sensors with the sensors' controller. [0066] 26Cables out from apparatus to controller, [0067] 27Claw piece of milking cluster. [0068] 28,29,30,31,32,33Connection to vacuum system. [0069] 34Support. [0070] 35,36Claw's holes with fitting reinforcement for the apparatus of the present invention. [0071] 37Downstream hose for milk. [0072] 38Downstream hose connection.

Drawing 6 References

Pressure Closure Type Claw

[0073] 1Top closing piece. Nut containing piece for closing claw by pressure along with piece 23. [0074] 2Top piece of claw. [0075] 3,4,5,6Teatcups connection. [0076] 7,8,9,10,11,12Vacuum system connection [0077] 13Apparatus of the invention (one of the possible embodiments). [0078] 14inner body of the apparatus that sits on the bottom piece of the claw. This body having an arm with the cable of the sensors embedded, connected to the microcontroller [0079] 15Cables out from apparatus to microcontroller. [0080] 16,17Sensors placed on the face of the inner body of the apparatus, in order to be constantly wet by milk stream of each teat of the animal. In the present view there are only two sensors represented, the remaining two sensors (not shown) are placed on the opposite faces. Cables (not represented) connecting to the microcontroller are embedded into the apparatus. [0081] 18Bottom piece of claw. [0082] 19Tube where piece 23 passes through all the way to piece 1. [0083] 20Plane where sealing gasket (or apparatus) sits air-tight. [0084] 21Connection with downstream hose. [0085] 22Downstream hose. [0086] 23Pressure closing piece, this bolt piece attaches to piece 1 to close the claw.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0087] Mastitis detection through change in electrical properties in milk has been widely studied and applied by many dairy equipment manufacturers. The present invention turns the conductivity mastitis detection into a cost-effective method, measures every teat's milk properties separately and lowers the amount of false results by applying artificial intelligence analysis of data. In addition, the present invention has the capacity of emitting an overmilking alert, so as to prevent mammary tissue injury, which makes the animal prone to mastitis infection.

[0088] Every time an animal is milked, the apparatus of the invention measures the conductivity and temperature of the milk and milking time length from every teat of the animal separately. This measurement is fed in real time to the system, obtaining a result in real time. The result is an animal's health condition: normal, abnormal, ill. Alerts are delivered through a light code on the apparatus and through a display on the milking room to the workers so they can take sanitary action when needed.

[0089] The system can handle a variety of other inputs to improve its performance: animal ID, animal's milk properties history, etc. Also, the system registers all the information from milking and treatments of animal diseases.

[0090] The apparatus measures properties from every teat milk's separately. This is especially important because mastitis infection occurs one teat at a time. Measuring the milk conductivity of every teat separately lets the system analyze the most immediate change in milk properties before it is diluted in the milk coming from other teats. Having this information, the system can reduce the false-negative results to a minimum. On the other hand, false-positives are reduced by Artificial Intelligence analysis. Artificial Intelligence gives the possibility to distinguish statistically normal measurements from statistically abnormal measurements with an accuracy that absolute and previously fixed measurement ranges of normal and abnormal can't achieve.

[0091] The most common solution currently developed for mastitis detection using electrical properties involves measuring an electrical property of the downstream milk, at a point of the milking machines where the milk from every teat is already mixed together. Such solution certainly delivers inaccurate results because milk property changes are diluted.

[0092] Some more sophisticated apparatus can measure the electrical property from each teat separately, but they achieve this by complex means. For example, some describe a kind of trap diverting milk which modifies the normal optimum flow and requires the milking machines to be extensively modified by substituting, at least, all teatcups from the original milking machine. Other solutions require the installation of a completely modified vacuum system, alternating the milking of each teat of the animal at a time to allow only a teat's milk stream to reach a measuring sensor downstream, only after this they do allow the normal optimum vacuum system work. All these solutions need costly and structural modifications of the machines, and affect the optimum flow of milk, and therefore end up being non-cost-effective.

[0093] The system described in the current invention requires no structural modification of the milking machine, adapting the sensors into the seal of the milking machine's claw. This provides a way of obtaining the separate measurements without interfering with the optimum milk flow or vacuum system. Furthermore, the described system is reliable and cost-effective for animal health management.

[0094] All data, alerts, and registers can be accessed and are displayed through a visualization software included in the system.

[0095] Further description of both Health Management System (with the Detection module and the Data module) and Health Status Measuring Apparatus are found next.

Health Management System

[0096] The present Health Management System can detect abnormalities in milk properties through which subclinical and clinical mastitis are diagnosed. The data entry for the Health Management System can be collected by, but is not limited to, the apparatus described in the present invention. The Health Management System contains two modules: Detection module, and Data module.

[0097] The Detection module is a data analyzing process that can be run remotely or in the microcontroller of the present described apparatus. This analysis can handle several inputs that are related to the animal's health and herd management optimization. The minimum detection input for the analysis is an electrical property measurement of the milk of the animal being milked in one of the milking stations, one measurement for each teat that is being milked. The electrical property measurement is analyzed by an artificial intelligence method (e.g.: logistic regression, decision trees, neural networks, etc.), from which three possible results are returned: normal, abnormal, ill. The result is displayed in real time with a color-coded light in the microcontroller of the Apparatus of the current invention and, if available, in a tablet, smartphone or display at the milking room. Being the case that every teat of the animal can be ill, abnormal or normal autonomously from the other teats, results given by the system correspond to one teat each. When available, other data inputs can be added, for example: milking time length of each teat, temperature of the milk of each teat, and animal identification. The apparatus described later in this invention for use with this Health Management System can provide, but is not limited to, the following outputs: conductivity measurement of milk from every teat of the animal, milking time length of each teat, and temperature of the milk of each teat. The apparatus' outputs provide enough information to have a satisfactory analysis of the health status of the animal.

[0098] The Data module provides information on both directions, feeding the microcontroller's or remote database with the collected data from other animals in the dairy farm, and receiving data from sensors and other equipment of the dairy farm such as antennas, drafting systems, and others. For example, when a suitable antenna is connected, everyday registers are stored and linked to the corresponding animal, also alerts of entering animal's health and other necessary actions can be delivered to the working staff; when a drafting system is installed, the present Health Management System alerts for action when an animal under observation is entering the milking station. All the information stored is analyzed in real time, alerts and reports are sent to the dairy farm's workers, veterinaries and other people of relevance, all of which can be modified at any time. The reports and alerts being, but not limited to, milk quality tendency, number of days under treatment, milking time length, or herd productivity ranking. Other information of relevance is asked to the dairy farm staff in an intuitive and effortless manner through the preferred communication device such as a tablet, display or smartphone when available. The asked information can be, for example, a confirmation of completion of sanitary procedures following the best practices of the industry; the oestrous status; or the start or finish of animal's treatment.

Health Status Measuring Apparatus

[0099] The apparatus in the present invention has a plurality of conductivity and temperature sensors, one for each teat of the animal. The apparatus can be made of, but is not limited to, a flexible and resistant food-grade material, capable of acting as a sealing gasket for the claw part of a milking machine. An example of the preferred embodiment is the substitution of the center sealing gasket of the claw of a collector with a sealing gasket having the sensors embedded in it, in such way that the sensors are wet by the milk stream coming from each teat-cup before the milk streams mix downstream. The sensors are placed in such way that the impact on the flow of milk is negligible, but the sensors are constantly wet by milk during the animal's milking. The apparatus has no significant impact in the weight and balance of the whole milking machine claw. The preferred embodiments of the apparatus are the ones that do not need any modification of the structural parts of the milking machine, but only need to replace some part, for example, the center-sealing gasket (Drawings 1,2,3,5) or an attachment between the claw and the teat-cups (Drawing 6). Drawings show embodiments for the most common milking claw types, certain embodiments with threaded type closure may need an extra nipple-shaped accessory as seen in Drawing 1. Examples of the preferred embodiment are given in Drawings 1,2,3,4,5,6. The conductivity sensors' electrodes and temperature sensors are connected to a microcontroller that can be placed attached to the milk downstream hose or vacuum system hose of the collector, where it does not affect the weight or balance of the claw part, see Drawing 4. If preferred, the microcontroller can also be embedded in the apparatus body and have a battery and wireless connection to the Health Management Module. The microcontroller collects all the sensors' data and translates it as the following outputs: an electrical measurement of every teat milk stream, temperature of such milk streams, and the milking time length of every teat. All measurements along with their corresponding teat identification (e.g.: in cows LF, RF, LH, RH). The microcontroller outputs feed the previously described Health Management System, that can be run remotely or by the microcontroller itself, with or without connection to another dairy farm's equipment.