Artificial insemination device for animals

Abstract

The artificial insemination device for animals comprises a cannula (1); an insertion tip (2) placed on one of the ends of the catheter (1), said insertion tip (2) having one or more holes (7); and a fixing element (3) placed on a cannula (1), wherein said fixing element (3) comprises a tubular portion (8), a first frustoconical portion (4) and a second frustoconical portion (5). The artificial insemination device for animals according to the present invention enables, by not disturbing or hyperstimulating the animal, the cannula to reach the uterus and be fixed in the correct position in order to suitably perform post-cervical insemination in young sows.

Claims

1. An artificial insemination device for animals, comprising: a cannula; an insertion tip placed on one of the ends of the cannula, said insertion tip having one or more holes; and a fixing element placed on the cannula, wherein said fixing element comprises a tubular portion, a first frustoconical portion and a second frustoconical portion, the first frustoconical portion is closer than the second frustoconical portion, to the insertion tip, and the first frustoconical portion is smaller than the second frustoconical portion; wherein the fixing element is disposed to be offset by a distance from the insertion tip, the distance being larger than a distance between the first frustoconical portion and the second frustoconical portion to permit the fixing element to fix the cannula in position inside a body of a uterus of a subject animal after the insertion tip is inserted into the body of the uterus.

2. The artificial insemination device for animals according to claim 1, wherein said first and second frustoconical portions are made from a flexible material.

3. The artificial insemination device for animals according to claim 2, wherein each of said first and second frustoconical portions has a larger diameter end and a smaller diameter end, such that in a first orientation during insertion of the cannula, the larger diameter end is farther than the smaller diameter end from the insertion tip and in a second orientation during removal of the cannula, the larger diameter end is closer than the smaller diameter end to the insertion tip.

4. The artificial insemination device for animals according to claim 3, wherein the larger diameter end of the first frustoconical portion is smaller than the larger diameter end of the second frustoconical portion.

5. The artificial insemination device for animals according to claim 1, wherein said cannula comprises an indication of insertion.

6. An artificial insemination device for animals, comprising: a cannula; an insertion tip disposed on an end of the cannula, said insertion tip having one or more holes; and a fixing element disposed on the cannula, said fixing element comprising a tubular portion, a first frustoconical portion and a second frustoconical portion, wherein the first frustoconical portion is closer than the second frustoconical portion to the insertion tip, the first frustoconical portion is smaller than the second frustoconical portion, each of the first and second frustoconical portions includes a larger diameter end and a smaller diameter end and is configured to fix the cannula in position during insemination, and wherein a diameter of the larger diameter end of the second frustoconical portion is larger than a diameter of the larger diameter end of the first frustoconical portion; wherein the fixing element is disposed to be offset by a distance from the insertion tip, the distance being larger than a distance between the first frustoconical portion and the second frustoconical portion.

7. The artificial insemination device according to claim 6, wherein said first and second frustoconical portions are made from a flexible material to permit each of the first and second frustoconical portions to have a first orientation during insertion of the cannula in which the larger diameter end is farther than the smaller diameter end from the insertion tip, and to have a second orientation during removal of the cannula in which the larger diameter end is closer than the smaller diameter end to the insertion tip, as well as permitting each of the first and second frustoconical portions to fix the cannula in position during insemination without disturbing the animal.

8. The artificial insemination device according to claim 6, wherein said cannula comprises an indication of insertion.

9. An artificial insemination device for animals, comprising: a cannula to be inserted in a cervix of an animal to be inseminated; an insertion tip placed on one of the ends of the cannula, said insertion tip having one or more holes; and a fixing element placed on the cannula, said fixing element comprising a tubular portion, a first frustoconical portion and a second frustoconical portion, wherein the first frustoconical portion is closer than the second frustoconical portion to the insertion tip, the first frustoconical portion is smaller than the second frustoconical portion, and each of said first frustoconical portion and second frustoconical portion is made from a flexible material and is configured to fix the cannula in position during insemination, and each of said first frustoconical portion and second frustoconical portion includes an end with a larger diameter and an end with a smaller diameter; wherein the fixing element is disposed to be offset by a distance from the insertion tip, the distance being larger than a distance between the first frustoconical portion and the second frustoconical portion, and wherein in a first orientation during insertion of the cannula said ends with a larger diameter are farther from the insertion tip, and in a second orientation during removal of the cannula said ends with a larger diameter are closer to the insertion tip.

10. The artificial insemination device according to claim 9, wherein said cannula comprises an indication of insertion.

11. The artificial insemination device according to claim 9, wherein the larger diameter end of the first frustoconical portion is smaller than the larger diameter end of the second frustoconical portion.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) To better understand what has been set forth above, several drawings schematically depicting a practical embodiment only by way of non-limiting example are attached.

(2) FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the artificial insemination device according to the present invention in the insertion position thereof; and

(3) FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the artificial insemination device according to the present invention in the removal position thereof.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

(4) As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the artificial insemination device for animals according to the present invention comprises a cannula 1, which is a tubular element that is inserted in the cervix of the animal to be inseminated.

(5) To facilitate the insertion thereof, said cannula 1 comprises on one of the ends thereof an insertion tip 2 comprising one or more holes 7 to enable the semen to exit therethrough to inseminate the animal.

(6) To enable fixing of the cannula 1 in position during insemination, the insemination device further comprises a fixing element 3 placed on said cannula in a portion thereof.

(7) Said fixing element 3 comprises a first frustoconical portion 4 and a second frustoconical portion 5, both frustoconical portions 4, 5 being placed in a tubular portion 8 which is that which surrounds said cannula 1 in a fitted manner.

(8) Said frustoconical portions 4 and 5 are made from a flexible material, such that they vary their orientation based on the direction of movement of the cannula 1 and it also enables the insertion and removal of the cannula without disturbing the animal.

(9) Said first and second frustoconical portions 4, 5 each comprise an end with a larger diameter 41, 51 and an end with a smaller diameter 42, 52 and the diameter of the end with a larger diameter 41 of the first frustoconical portion 4 is smaller than the diameter of the end with a larger diameter 51 of the second frustoconical portion 5.

(10) Moreover, the first frustoconical portion 4 is placed closer to the insertion tip 2 than the second frustoconical portion 5.

(11) When the cannula 1 is inserted, said first and second frustoconical portions 4, 5 are oriented as shown in FIG. 1, i.e. with the ends with a smaller diameter 42, 52 closer to the insertion tip 2 than the ends with a larger diameter 41, 51.

(12) On the other hand, when the cannula 1 is removed, the orientation of said first and second frustoconical portions 4, 5 changes thanks to the flexible nature of the material. In other words, during the removal of the cannula, the ends with a larger diameter 41, 51 are closer to the insertion tip 2 than the ends with a smaller diameter 42, 52.

(13) To facilitate the correct placement of the cannula 1, said cannula comprises an indication of insertion 6, shown in FIG. 1, for example, indication lines, which indicate the correct position of the cannula 1 in the insemination position, with a margin of error of, for example, 2-3 cm.

(14) Despite the fact that reference has been made to a specific embodiment of the invention, it is evident for the person skilled in the art that numerous variations and changes may be made to the artificial insemination device for animals described, and that all the aforementioned details may be substituted by other technically equivalent ones, without detracting from the scope of protection defined by the attached claims.