A system configured to monitor and control the application of a milk sample to a lateral flow stick
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- DELAVAL HLDG AB
- Filing Date
- 2023-06-21
- Publication Date
- 2026-06-25
Smart Images
Figure 00000000_0000_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This document discloses the system according to claim 1. More specifically, a system is described, which is configured to monitor and control the application of a milk sample extracted from an animal to a sample pad of a lateral flow stick, and the lateral flow stick is configured to indicate the presence of biomarkers in the milk sample.
Background Art
[0002] In animal farms, it is important to keep animals healthy in order to increase milk / meat production. For example, in order to successfully fertilize an animal such as a cow, it is important to fertilize the animal at the optimal time. If the animal is not successfully fertilized, milk production is affected.
[0003] Several biomarker measurements can be performed on animals, such as measuring the levels of, for example, progesterone, LDH (lactate dehydrogenase), BHB (beta-hydroxybutyric acid), and urea. Thereby, important information regarding, for example, estrus detection and / or pregnancy of individual animals can be made (based on the measured progesterone levels), and the same applies to mastitis (based on LDH) and ketosis (based on BHB). Also, the energy balance can be estimated (based on urea).
[0004] Biomarker measurements can be performed on the farm by applying a milk sample of the test animal during a milking session to a prepared lateral flow stick / dry stick. This can preferably be done in an automated manner, for example, during a milking session. Then, a milk analyzer / service module can extract the milk sample of the animal.
[0005] The known concept, presented in WO 2018 / 236271, is to leave the lateral flow stick attached to a carrier tape in order to help the farmer handle the lateral flow stick in a convenient and automated way, and the carrier tape can be held within a cassette. When a new milk sample is applied to the lateral flow stick, the carrier tape may be sent to the next unused lateral flow stick.
[0006] The milk sample may be provided to the lateral flow stick via a needle held within a movable structure within the milk analysis device / service module. When the lateral flow stick or the carrier tape including the lateral flow stick is moved to a position a distance from the needle, the needle may be held in a retracted position. The reason for keeping the needle in the retracted position during positioning of the lateral flow stick is to avoid the carrier tape / lateral flow stick being damaged by the needle.
[0007] When the milk sample is applied, the needle tip may approach the application position on the sample pad of the lateral flow stick. The milk sample is then applied to the sample pad.
[0008] The problem that occurs in this situation is that the distance between the sample pad of the lateral flow stick and the tip of the needle is not always the same when the needle is held in the retracted position. The reason can be, for example, insufficient accuracy in the calibration of the needle and / or variations in the tension of the carrier tape during use.
[0009] Therefore, moving the needle the same distance from the retracted position towards the lateral flow stick may result in the needle tip not reaching the surface of the sample pad of the lateral flow stick completely, which may result in milk sample residue outside the needle, and as a result cause carry-over, i.e., the milk sample of the previous animal affects the milk sample of another animal being tested. Alternatively, the needle tip may pierce and pass through the lateral flow stick and discard the milk sample outside the back of the lateral flow stick. In both cases, the result may be a discarded milk sample that cannot be used. In some cases, cleaning must also be performed to avoid carry-over between milk samples, which delays the testing ability.
[0010] In order to perform biomarker measurements on the farm during milking, it is desirable to find a way to assist farmers in ensuring accurate application of the extracted milk sample to the lateral flow stick.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
PROBLEMS TO BE SOLVED BY THE INVENTION
[0011] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to solve at least some of the above problems and ensure accurate application of the extracted milk sample to the lateral flow stick.
MEANS FOR SOLVING THE PROBLEMS
[0012] According to a first aspect of the present invention, this object is achieved by a milking system. The system is configured to monitor and control the application of a milk sample extracted from an animal to the sample pad of a lateral flow stick. The lateral flow stick is configured to indicate the presence of a biomarker in the milk sample extracted from the animal.
[0013] A biomarker, or biological marker, generally refers to a measurable indicator of some biological state or condition of an animal. Biomarker value measurement may be related to the pregnancy / reproduction of the animal.
[0014] The system comprises a milk dispensing configuration. The milk dispensing configuration comprises a tube element configured to obtain a milk sample. The milk dispensing configuration also comprises a needle configured to receive the milk sample via the tube element and apply the milk sample to the sample pad of a lateral flow stick when the milk dispensing configuration is held at an application position. At the application position, the tip of the needle abuts against the sample pad of the lateral flow stick.
[0015] The expression "the tip of the needle abuts against the sample pad" means that the tip of the needle can abut against the surface of the sample pad of the lateral flow stick at the application position, i.e., can simply touch the surface of the sample pad. Further, or alternatively, the tip of the needle may abut against the sample pad of the lateral flow stick, and the surface of the sample pad can be deflected in the moving direction of the needle at the application position. Further, or alternatively, the tip of the needle may abut against the sample pad of the lateral flow stick by penetrating the surface of the sample pad at the application position, but it is not allowed to pass through the sample pad and come out on the opposite side.
[0016] In all definitions defined above, the problem of milk sample residue outside the needle is solved because the capillary force of the sample pad, possibly together with gravity, can act on the milk sample in order to transfer the milk sample from the needle to the sample pad of the lateral flow stick.
[0017] The system comprises a movable structure. The movable structure is configured to hold the milk dispensing configuration and move the needle of the milk dispensing configuration between an application position and a retracted position. At the application position, the tip of the needle abuts against the sample pad of the lateral flow stick. The milk sample is applied to the sample pad via the needle at the application position. In the retracted position, the tip of the needle is located at a distance from the lateral flow stick.
[0018] The system also comprises a drive unit configured to act on the movable structure so that the movable structure moves the needle in the milk dispensing configuration by a predetermined distance between a retracted position and an application position.
[0019] In addition, the system comprises a controller. The controller is communicably connected to the drive unit. The controller is configured to determine the distance between the tip of the needle in the milk dispensing configuration and the lateral flow stick when the needle is in the retracted position. The controller is also configured to compare the determined distance with a predetermined distance. If the determined distance is different from the predetermined distance, the controller is configured to update the predetermined distance to correspond to the determined distance, or to adjust the distance between the tip of the needle in the milk dispensing configuration when the needle is in the retracted position and the lateral flow stick to correspond to the predetermined distance.
[0020] The predetermined distance may be stored in a memory device communicably connected to the controller and retrieved therefrom.
[0021] Thanks to the solution provided, by setting the predetermined distance to the determined distance or by adjusting the needle position so that the actual distance matches the predetermined distance, it is ensured that the predetermined distance by which the movable structure moves the needle between the retracted position and the application position corresponds to the actually measured distance between the retracted position and the application position.
[0022] The solution described can be advantageously created without manual interaction and before experiencing any failed application of the milk sample when performing lateral flow measurements. Thereby, reliable functionality of biomarker measurement of the milk sample is ensured.
[0023] In a first implementation of the system according to the first aspect, the tip of the needle in the milk dispensing configuration abuts the surface of the sample pad of the lateral flow stick when the needle in the milk dispensing configuration is in the application position.
[0024] In a second implementation of the system according to the first aspect or any implementation thereof, the controller may be configured to determine the distance by setting the speed of the drive unit below a speed threshold limit. Further, the controller may be configured to actuate the drive unit on the movable structure, thereby moving the milk dispensing configuration on the movable structure from the retracted position towards the lateral flow stick. Additionally, the controller may be configured to count each step of movement by the drive unit until it detects that the needle tip of the needle abuts against the sample pad of the lateral flow stick. The controller may also be configured to determine the distance based on the counted number of steps of movement by the drive unit.
[0025] The advantage of basing distance determination on the number of steps of the drive unit is that no dedicated sensor is required to determine the distance, which saves costs.
[0026] In a third implementation of the system according to the first aspect or any implementation thereof, the controller is configured to determine the distance between the needle tip of the needle of the milk dispensing configuration and the lateral flow stick when the needle is in the retracted position by setting the motor power of the drive unit below a power threshold limit and detecting that the drive unit has stalled and detecting that the needle tip of the needle abuts against the sample pad of the lateral flow stick.
[0027] In a fourth implementation of the system according to the first aspect, or any implementation thereof, the system can include a camera oriented to capture an image of the lateral flow stick. The controller may also be configured to directly or indirectly determine the distance by moving the milk dispensing configuration in the movable structure from the retracted position towards the lateral flow stick. Further, the controller may be configured to cause the camera to capture at least one image of the lateral flow stick. The controller may be configured to obtain the captured image from the camera and then detect, based on image analysis of the captured image, that the needle tip of the needle abuts the sample pad of the lateral flow stick.
[0028] In a fifth implementation of the system according to the fourth implementation, the controller may be configured to detect that the needle tip of the needle abuts the sample pad of the lateral flow stick by detecting the light reflection generated by the needle tip when the needle tip abuts the foil covering the sample pad of the lateral flow stick.
[0029] An advantage of the fifth implementation is that any suitable type of drive unit can be used to move the movable structure. Another advantage is that distance verification can be performed in combination with a method involving counting the number of steps performed by a stepper motor according to other implementations, thereby eliminating or at least reducing the risk of an inaccurate determination of the distance.
[0030] In a sixth implementation of the system according to the first aspect, or any implementation thereof, the device may comprise a sensor communicatively connected to a controller. The controller may be configured to determine the distance directly or indirectly by emitting electromagnetic waves towards the lateral flow stick via the radiation element of the sensor. The controller may also be configured to receive, via the receiving element of the sensor, the reflection of the emitted electromagnetic waves reflected by the lateral flow stick. Additionally, the controller may be configured to measure the period between the emission of the electromagnetic waves and the reception of the reflection of the electromagnetic waves. Further, the controller may be configured to determine the distance directly or indirectly based on the measured period.
[0031] In a seventh implementation of the system according to the first aspect, or any implementation thereof, the controller may be configured to determine the distance at regular time intervals.
[0032] By periodically determining the distance between the needle tip and the lateral flow stick when the needle is in the retracted position, the risk of failure during the application of the milk sample to the sample pad due to inaccurate positioning of the needle during the application of the milk sample to the sample pad of the lateral flow stick is eliminated or at least reduced.
[0033] In an eighth implementation of the system according to the first aspect, or any implementation thereof, the lateral flow stick may be configured on a carrier comprising a plurality of lateral flow sticks. The carrier may be replaceable. The controller may be configured to detect the replacement of the carrier. Further, the controller may be configured to determine the distance between the needle tip of the needle in the milk dispensing configuration and the lateral flow stick when the needle is in the retracted position upon detection of a change in the carrier.
[0034] By determining the distance between the needle tip and the lateral flow stick when the needle is in the retracted position each time the carrier is exchanged, the risk of failure during the application of the milk sample to the sample pad due to inaccurate positioning of the needle during the application of the milk / liquid sample to the sample pad is eliminated or at least reduced.
[0035] In a ninth implementation of the system according to the first aspect, or any implementation thereof, the system may comprise a user interface that enables an operator to trigger the distance determination. The controller may be configured to determine the distance when it receives a trigger signal from the operator via the user interface.
[0036] The operator can visually detect deviations from normal / expected situations, for example, with respect to the position of the needle in the milk dispensing configuration when in the retracted position, the position of the lateral flow stick and / or the movable structure. By determining the distance in response to a request from the operator, the risk of failure during the application of the milk sample to the sample pad of the lateral flow stick due to inaccurate positioning of the needle during the application of the milk sample to the sample pad is eliminated or at least reduced.
[0037] Thanks to the embodiments described, when the needle is in the retracted position, by determining the distance between the needle tip and the lateral flow stick, the biomarker value of the animal's milk sample can be successfully determined by applying the milk sample to the lateral flow stick and performing a lateral flow measurement.
[0038] Thus, for example, various states related to the reproduction of an animal, or the death or other abnormalities of various animals, can be determined with high reliability and without the need to repeat failed lateral flow measurements due to inaccurately applied milk samples.
[0039] Other advantages and further novel features will become apparent from the following detailed description.
Brief Description of the Drawings
[0040] Here, embodiments of the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
[0041]
Figure 1
Figure 2A
Figure 2B
Figure 3A
Figure 3B
Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention
[0042] Embodiments of the invention described herein are defined as a system, which can be implemented in the embodiments described below. However, these embodiments can be exemplified and realized in many different forms and are not limited to the examples described herein. Rather, these exemplary examples of the embodiments are provided so that the present disclosure is detailed and complete.
[0043] Still other objects and features may become apparent from the following detailed description considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. However, it should be understood that the drawings are designed only for the purpose of illustration and are not designed as a definition of the limitations of the embodiments disclosed herein, to which the appended claims will be referred. Further, the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale in their original size, and unless otherwise stated, they are merely intended to conceptually illustrate the structures and procedures described herein.
[0044] Figure 1 shows a scenario having an animal 101 and a system 100 that can be included in a herd of dairy animals on a dairy farm. The system 100 is configured to monitor and control the application of a milk sample extracted from the animal 101 to a sample pad of a lateral flow stick 110. The lateral flow stick 110 is configured to indicate the presence of biomarkers in the milk sample extracted from the animal 101.
[0045] "Animal" can be any arbitrary type of domesticated female lactating mammal such as cows, goats, sheep, etc.
[0046] The lateral flow stick 110 may be individually configured on a carrier 115 including a plurality of lateral flow sticks 110a, 110b, 110c. Each of the lateral flow sticks 110a, 110b, 110c individually configured on the carrier 115 may be arranged separately from each other. The carrier 115 may be embodied as, for example, a carrier tape or a blister package. In an embodiment where the carrier 115 is embodied as a carrier tape, the carrier 115 may be included in a cassette for quick handling.
[0047] The carrier 115 may include a longitudinal extension in the Y direction. In some embodiments, a drive configuration (not disclosed) may cooperate with the carrier 115 to move the carrier 115 in the Y direction, thereby moving one of the lateral flow sticks 110a, 110b, 110c to a predetermined position in the Y direction at that time when the application of the milk sample becomes possible.
[0048] Each lateral flow stick 110 may be individually sealed by a foil covering the lateral flow stick 110 and the carrier 115. The foil may be made of, for example, a transparent plastic / elastomer. In these embodiments, the foil can be peeled off before the milk sample is applied to the lateral flow stick 110. When the carrier 115 is embodied as a blister package, the sealing cover of the blister package may be perforated before applying the milk sample to the lateral flow stick 110.
[0049] The milk of the animal 101 may be extracted and discharged by milking equipment, which is part of a milking parlor, via a milk line to a milk tank or similar milk storage unit.
[0050] During or in close relation to the milking of the animal 101, a milk sample is diverted from the milking equipment / milk line and provided to a milk dispensing configuration 105 included in the system 100. The milk dispensing configuration 105 may include, for example, a tube element 145 for attachment to an interface to the milking equipment / milk line, and a pump configured to act on the tube element 145 to send the milk sample. The milk dispensing configuration 105 may also include a valve 140, a mixing chamber 155, and a needle 150 for receiving the milk sample via the tube element 145.
[0051] In some embodiments, the milk sample may be mixed with a diluent within the mixing chamber 155, thereby forming a liquid sample that includes a mixture of milk and the diluent.
[0052] The needle 150 of the milk dispensing configuration 105 may be aligned with the lateral flow stick 110, and thereafter, the milk sample / liquid sample may be applied to the lateral flow stick 110 via the needle 150 for lateral flow measurement.
[0053] The system 100 includes a movable structure 160 configured to hold the milk dispensing configuration 105 and move the needle 150 of the milk dispensing configuration 105 between an application position and a retracted position. At the application position, the needle tip 151 of the needle 150 abuts against the sample pad of the lateral flow stick 110. The needle 150 is configured to apply the milk sample to the sample pad of the lateral flow stick 110 at the application position. At the retracted position, the needle tip 151 of the needle 150 is located at a distance d from the lateral flow stick 110.
[0054] System 100 also includes a drive unit 165, such as a motor or an engine. For example, in some embodiments, the drive unit 165 may be a stepper motor. The drive unit 165 acts on the movable structure 160 such that the movable structure 160 is configured to move the needle 150 of the milk dispensing configuration 105 by a predetermined distance between the retracted position and the application position.
[0055] System 100 includes a controller 130. The controller 130 is communicatively connected to the drive unit 165. The controller 130 is configured to determine the distance d between the tip 151 of the needle 150 of the milk dispensing configuration 105 and the lateral flow stick 110 when the needle 150 is in the retracted position. Next, the determined distance d is compared with a predetermined distance.
[0056] The predetermined distance is the distance by which the drive unit 165 moves the needle 150 between the retracted position and the application position on the movable structure 160.
[0057] The controller 130 is also configured to compare the determined distance d with the predetermined distance and, if the determined distance d is different from the predetermined distance, update the predetermined distance to correspond to the determined distance d, or adjust the distance d between the tip (151) of the needle 150 of the milk dispensing configuration 105 and the lateral flow stick 110 when the needle 150 is in the retracted position to correspond to the predetermined distance.
[0058] If it is detected as a result of the comparison that the determined distance d is the same as (or within the tolerance in some cases) the predetermined distance, it is possible to proceed by performing a flow measurement on the lateral flow stick 110.
[0059] The adjustment of the distance d between the tip 151 of the needle 150 of the milk dispensing configuration 105 and the lateral flow stick 110 when the needle 150 is in the retracted position can be performed by adjusting the position of the milk dispensing configuration 105 with respect to the lateral flow stick 110, i.e., the retracted position of the needle 150.
[0060] Thereafter, the controller 130 becomes capable of performing a lateral flow measurement. Thereby, the tip end portion 151 of the needle 150 of the milk dispensing configuration 105 is arranged at the application position such that the tip end portion 151 abuts against the sample pad of the lateral flow stick 110. An extracted milk sample or a liquid sample containing a mixture of milk and a diluent can then be applied to the sample pad.
[0061] The lateral flow stick 110 can respond to the presence and / or amount of one or several biomarkers, for example, by changing color, color shade, or intensity of the color / color shade. The camera 120 included in the system 100 can capture an image. The camera 120 can be communicably connected to the controller 130. Then, the captured image of the lateral flow stick 110 is submitted to the controller 130, whereby it can be analyzed, and based on the intensity of the color, the presence and / or amount of the biomarker in the milk sample can thereby be determined.
[0062] In different embodiments, the measured biomarker can be, for example, progesterone, glycoprotein, estrogen and / or gonadotropin releasing hormone, or any other similar biomarker associated with the reproduction of the animal 101.
[0063] FIG. 2A schematically shows the device 100 comprising a movable structure 160 holding the needle 150 of the milk dispensing configuration 105 at a retracted position at a distance d from the lateral flow stick 110.
[0064] The drive unit 165 is arranged to act on the movable structure 160, whereby the movable structure 160 moves the needle 150 of the milk dispensing configuration 105 from the retracted position shown in FIG. 2A to the application position shown in FIG. 2B. The drive unit 165 can comprise a linear motor or a stepper motor in different embodiments.
[0065] In the illustrated example, the drive unit 165 rotates the movable structure 160 around the axis 275. However, this is only one possible solution out of many. The movement may be linear movement or lever movement.
[0066] The controller 130 may be configured to determine the distance d between the tip end portion 151 of the needle 150 of the milk dispensing configuration 105 and the lateral flow stick 110 when the needle 150 is in the retracted position. The lateral flow stick 110 may be mainly positioned at a predetermined position in the Y direction, and the application of the milk sample is enabled through the needle 150.
[0067] Next, the controller 130 may be configured to set the speed of the drive unit 165 below the speed threshold limit.
[0068] The controller 130 may also act on the drive unit 165 on the movable structure 160, thereby, for example, by rotating the movable structure 160 around the axis 275, moving the movable structure 160 from the retracted position towards the carrier 115 and / or the lateral flow stick 110 with the milk dispensing configuration 105. In addition, the controller 130 may be configured to count each step of the movement from the retracted position towards the lateral flow stick 110 by the drive unit 165 until the tip end portion 151 of the needle 150 abuts against the sample pad 210 of the lateral flow stick 110.
[0069] The controller 130 may be configured to determine the distance d based on the counted number of steps moved by the drive unit 165 that moves the milk dispensing configuration 105 on the movable structure 160 from the retracted position towards the lateral flow stick 110 until the tip end portion 151 of the needle 150 abuts against the sample pad 210 of the lateral flow stick 110.
[0070] The distance d can be determined by counting the number of steps and knowing the distance moved in each step. The drive unit 165 may be a stepper motor in this embodiment.
[0071] In some embodiments, the estimated stick deflection distance can be reduced from the determined distance d. The estimated stick deflection distance can be a global constant that can be applied.
[0072] In different embodiments, the controller 130 may be configured to detect in several different ways that the tip end 151 of the needle 150 abuts against the sample pad 210 of the lateral flow stick 110.
[0073] In some embodiments, the controller 130 may be configured to detect that the tip end 151 of the needle 150 abuts against the sample pad 210 of the lateral flow stick 110 by detecting that the drive unit 165 has stalled.
[0074] To stall the drive unit 165 when the tip end 151 of the needle 150 abuts against the sample pad 210, the controller 130 may be configured to set the motor power of the drive unit 165 below a power threshold limit. The power threshold limit may be set to a power level that ensures that the drive unit 165 stalls when the tip end 151 of the needle 150 abuts against the sample pad 210.
[0075] In still some other embodiments where the system 100 includes the camera 120, the controller 130 may be configured to detect that the tip end 151 of the needle 150 abuts against the sample pad 210 of the lateral flow stick 110 based on an image analysis of an image captured by the camera 120.
[0076] The controller 130 may be configured to cause the camera 120 to capture at least one image of the lateral flow stick 110, such as a series of consecutive images. The captured image(s) may then be obtained from the camera 120, and thereafter, the controller 130 may be configured to perform image analysis of the captured image(s). Based on the result of the image analysis, the controller 130 can detect that the tip end portion 151 of the needle 150 is in contact with the sample pad 210 of the lateral flow stick 110.
[0077] Based on the analysis of the image, the controller 130 may detect the light reflection generated by the tip end portion 151 of the needle 150 when interacting with the foil covering the sample pad 210 of the lateral flow stick 110. The controller 130 may then be configured to detect that the tip end portion 151 of the needle 150 is in contact with the sample pad 210 of the lateral flow stick 110 when detecting the light reflection by the foil.
[0078] The device 100 may include a sensor 265 communicatively connected to the controller 130. The sensor 265 may be configured and oriented to measure a distance that directly or indirectly represents the distance d when the needle 150 of the milk dispensing configuration 105 is held in the retracted position and the lateral flow stick 110 is positioned at a predetermined position in the Y direction where milk sample application is enabled.
[0079] The sensor 265 may include, for example, in different embodiments, a camera, a lidar, a radar, an ultrasonic device, a time-of-flight camera, or a similar device.
[0080] The controller 130 may be configured to radiate electromagnetic waves towards the lateral flow stick 110 via the radiation element of the sensor 265. The reflection of the radiated electromagnetic waves reflected by the lateral flow stick 110 may then be received via the receiving element of the sensor 265.
[0081] The controller 130 may further be configured to measure the period between the emission of the electromagnetic wave and the reception of the reflected emitted electromagnetic wave, and determine the distance d directly or indirectly based on the measured period by knowing the speed of the emitted / reflected electromagnetic wave.
[0082] Direct measurement of the distance d between the needle tip 151 of the needle 150 of the milk dispensing configuration 105 and the lateral flow stick 110 when the needle 150 is in the retracted position requires the sensor 265 to be located at the position of the needle tip 151 directed towards the sample pad 210 of the lateral flow stick 110.
[0083] Since this can be inconvenient, it may be advantageous to instead perform an indirect measurement of the distance d between the needle tips 151 of the needle 150 of the milk dispensing configuration 105 when the needle 150 is in the retracted position.
[0084] The indirect measurement of the distance d can be performed in several different ways by the sensor 265 by measuring the distance representing the distance d between the sensor 265 and the sample pad 210 of the lateral flow stick 110. Next, the sensor 265 may be attached to the movable structure 160 with the relative distance between the sensor 265 and the needle tip 151 of the needle 150 of the milk dispensing configuration 105 fixed.
[0085] The controller 130 may be configured to determine the distance d at regular time intervals, for example, every 24 hours, or at some other suitable or configurable time interval.
[0086] Alternatively, the controller 130 may determine the distance after a predetermined number of lateral flow measurements, i.e., the controller 130 may keep track of the number of lateral flow measurements made since the last distance determination of the distance d and then repeat the distance determination after every n lateral flow measurements, where 1 < n < 1000, for example, about 400.
[0087] In an embodiment where the carrier 115 including a plurality of lateral flow sticks 110a, 110b, 110c is replaceable, the controller 130 may be configured to detect the replacement of the carrier 115. Then, the controller 130 may be configured to determine the distance d when the replacement of the carrier 115 is detected.
[0088] The detection of the replacement of the carrier 115 may be performed by a sensor that detects the presence / absence or replacement of the carrier 115.
[0089] Alternatively, the carrier 115 may be provided with a unique identifier, such as a code of a QR code (registered trademark), a barcode, etc., that can be scanned by a camera 120 communicatively connected to the controller 130. Thereby, unauthorized carriers 115 and lateral flow sticks 110a, 110b, 110c can be detected. Since these types of products are typically of low quality, a more powerful distance determination method may be applied to unauthorized carriers 115 and lateral flow sticks 110a, 110b, 110c, for example, hourly, every 10 minutes, every minute, every 10 seconds, before each lateral flow measurement, etc.
[0090] When the code of the commissioned carrier 115 is scanned, the controller 130 may be configured to determine the distance d relatively rarely, for example, on the first lateral flow stick 110 on the carrier 115.
[0091] In some embodiments, the device 100 may include a user interface 170 that enables an operator to trigger the distance determination of the distance d. Then, the controller 130 may be configured to determine the distance d when receiving a trigger signal from the operator via the user interface 170.
[0092] In some further embodiments, the controller 130 may be configured to track the success or result of each performed lateral flow measurement, and a distance d may be determined when k unsuccessful lateral flow measurements are made within a threshold period. For example, in some embodiments, 1 < k < 10. The threshold period for triggering distance determination may be related to a period such as two failed lateral flow measurements within 20 minutes. Alternatively, the threshold period for triggering distance determination may be related to some of the lateral flow measurements among the latest 10 lateral flow tests, i.e., when two lateral flow measurements fail, or when lateral flow measurements fail two times in a row, the distance determination of the distance d may be triggered.
[0093] FIG. 3A shows the lateral flow stick 110 as viewed from a side view, and FIG. 3B shows the lateral flow stick 110 as viewed from above.
[0094] The lateral flow stick 110 may include a backplate 220 that can be made of cardboard, paper, or a similar material. The backplate 220 may form a base on which other components of the lateral flow stick 110 can be mounted.
[0095] The lateral flow stick 110 includes a sample pad 210. The sample pad 210 is part of the lateral flow stick 110, and when the milk dispensing configuration 105 is in the application position, the milk sample / liquid sample is applied thereon by the needle 150. The sample pad 210 can include a porous structure, such as cellulose fibers and / or woven mesh, to enable capillary flow.
[0096] The lateral flow stick 110 includes a conjugate pad 230 that includes a conjugate 270. The conjugate 270 can include antibody-treated gold particles dispersed in milk when the milk sample / liquid sample flows from the sample pad 210 through the conjugate pad 230.
[0097] The conjugate 270 reacts with the biomarker to be measured, e.g., progesterone in the milk of the applied liquid sample.
[0098] Thus, conjugate 270 can be embedded within conjugate pad 230, which can include the glass fiber portion of lateral flow stick 110. Alternatively, conjugate pad 230 can include cellulose and / or surface-modified polyester.
[0099] Also, lateral flow stick 110 may include a display zone 250 configured to indicate a biomarker of a milk sample / liquid sample based on conjugate 270. Lateral flow stick 110 can further include a porous membrane 240 for receiving capillary flow of the milk sample / liquid sample from conjugate pad 230 and thereby sending conjugate 270 dispersed in the milk sample / liquid sample to display zone 250.
[0100] Porous membrane 240 can include, for example, a nitrocellulose membrane, cellulose, glass fiber, polyester, rayon, polymer, glass fiber, woven fiber, non-woven fiber, chromatography gel membrane, diatomaceous earth, silica gel, silicon oxide, kieselguhr, or other filtration membranes in different embodiments. Porous membrane 240 can be designed to increase the capillary pumping rate of liquid through lateral flow stick 110. The display zone 250 of porous membrane 240 can include a test line 251 and a control line 252.
[0101] When the test line 251 is exposed to milk containing a progesterone level lower than the threshold limit, it binds to the antibody-treated gold particles of the milk sample / liquid sample, thereby changing the color of the test line 251 and can be treated with a biomarker reference such as a progesterone reference. Thus, when there is no or low progesterone level in the milk, the test line 251 can change the color to red / reddish. When the animal 101 is in heat / such a time, the progesterone level in the milk sample is almost zero. Next, this color change can be detected by the camera 120, reported to the farmer, and / or stored in the database in association with the identity and / or time reference of the animal 101. This can also trigger, for example, the scheduling of insemination of the animal 101 (when the biomarker is progesterone), or the scheduling of veterinary examinations (in the case of another biomarker).
[0102] The control line 252 within the display zone 250 of the porous membrane 240 can be treated with an antibody reference that binds to the antibody reference-treated gold particles of the milk sample / liquid sample regardless of the progesterone level in the milk, thereby changing the color of the control line 252 when exposed to milk containing the antibody reference-treated gold particles and ensuring a favorable capillary flow of milk / liquid through the porous membrane 240.
[0103] The lateral flow stick 110 may include an absorption pad 260. The absorption pad 260 may include an absorbent configured to absorb excess milk / liquid from the porous membrane 240.
[0104] The embodiments shown in FIGS. 1, 2A, 2B, 3A, and 3B, or parts thereof, can advantageously be combined with each other to achieve further benefits.
[0105] The terms used in the description of the embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings are not intended to limit the system 100 being described. Various changes, substitutions, and / or modifications can be made without departing from the embodiments of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.
[0106] As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. The term "or" as used herein must be construed as a mathematical OR, i.e., an inclusive disjunction, and not as a mathematical exclusive OR (XOR), unless otherwise specified. Additionally, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" should be construed as "at least one" unless otherwise specified, and thus may, in some cases, also include a plurality of entities of the same kind. The terms "includes," "comprises," "including," and / or "comprising" specify the presence of the stated features, actions, integers, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, actions, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof. For example, a single unit, such as a processor, may perform the functions of several items recited in the claims. The fact that certain measures or features are recited in mutually different dependent claims, illustrated in different figures, or considered in relation to different embodiments does not necessarily indicate that a combination of these measures or features cannot be used advantageously. A computer program can be stored / distributed on a suitable medium, such as an optical storage medium or a solid-state medium, supplied together with or as part of other hardware, but can also be distributed in other forms, such as via the Internet or other wired or wireless communication systems.
Claims
1. A system (100) configured to monitor and control the application of a milk sample extracted from an animal (101) to a sample pad (210) of a lateral flow stick (110), wherein the lateral flow stick (110) is configured to indicate the presence of a biomarker in the milk sample extracted from the animal (101), and the system (100) Milk dispensing configuration (105), A tube element (145) configured to obtain the milk sample, A milk dispensing configuration (105) comprising: a needle (150) configured to receive the milk sample via the tube element (145) and apply the milk sample to the sample pad (210) of the lateral flow stick (110) when the milk dispensing configuration (105) is held in a dispensing position where the tip of the needle (151) is in contact with the sample pad (210); A movable structure (160) that holds the milk dispensing configuration (105) and the needle (150) of the milk dispensing configuration (105), While the milk sample is being applied to the sample pad (210), the application position where the tip of the needle (151) contacts the sample pad (210) of the lateral flow stick (110), A movable structure (160) is configured to move the needle tip (151) between a retracted position located at a certain distance (d) from the lateral flow stick (110), A drive unit (165) which acts on the movable structure (160), thereby causing the movable structure (160) to move the needle (150) of the milk dispensing configuration (105) by a predetermined distance between the retracted position and the application position, The drive unit (165) is equipped with a controller (130) that is communicatively connected to it, and the controller (130) The needle tip (151) of the needle (150) of the milk dispensing configuration (105) when the needle (150) is in the retracted position, Determine the distance (d) between the side flow stick (110) and the other party. The determined distance (d) is compared with the predetermined distance, and if the determined distance (d) is different from the predetermined distance, The predetermined distance is updated to correspond to the determined distance (d), or The system (100) is configured to adjust the distance (d) between the needle tip (151) of the needle (150) of the milk dispensing configuration (105) and the lateral flow stick (110) when the needle (150) is in the retracted position, so as to correspond to the predetermined distance.
2. The system (100) according to claim 1, wherein the needle tip (151) of the needle (150) of the milk dispensing configuration (105) contacts the surface of the sample pad (210) of the lateral flow stick (110) when the needle (150) of the milk dispensing configuration (105) is in the application position.
3. The controller (130) controls the distance (d) The speed of the drive unit (165) is set to be less than the speed threshold limit, The drive unit (165) acts on the movable structure (160), thereby causing the movable structure (160) to move the milk dispensing configuration (105) from the retracted position toward the lateral flow stick (110), Each step moved by the drive unit (165) is counted until it is detected that the tip (151) of the needle (150) contacts the sample pad (210) of the side flow stick (110), The system (100) according to claim 1 or 2, configured to determine the distance (d) based on the counted number of steps moved by the drive unit (165).
4. The controller (130) controls the distance (d) The motor power of the drive unit (165) is set to less than the power threshold limit, The system (100) according to claim 3, configured to determine whether the needle tip (151) of the needle (150) is in contact with the sample pad (210) of the lateral flow stick (110) by detecting that the drive unit (165) is stalled.
5. The system includes a camera (120) directed to capture an image of the aforementioned lateral flow stick (110), The controller (130) controls the distance (d) The movable structure (160) is configured to move the milk dispensing configuration (105) from the retracted position toward the lateral flow stick (110), The camera (120) is to capture at least one image of the side flow stick (110), To acquire the captured image from the camera (120), The system (100) according to claim 1 or 2, configured to directly or indirectly determine, based on an image analysis of the captured image, that the needle tip (151) of the needle (150) is in contact with the sample pad (210) of the lateral flow stick (110).
6. The system (100) according to claim 5, wherein the controller (130) is configured to detect when the needle tip (151) of the needle (150) comes into contact with the foil covering the sample pad (210) of the lateral flow stick (110) by detecting the light reflection generated by the needle tip (151) when the needle tip (151) of the needle (150) comes into contact with the foil covering the sample pad (210) of the lateral flow stick (110).
7. The controller (130) is equipped with a sensor (265) that is communicably connected to it, and the controller (130) determines the distance (d), The radiating element of the sensor (265) emits electromagnetic waves toward the lateral flow stick (110), The receiving element of the sensor (265) receives the reflection of the emitted electromagnetic wave reflected by the side flow stick (110), Measuring the period between the emission of the electromagnetic wave and the reception of the reflected electromagnetic wave, The system (100) according to claim 1 or 2, configured to directly or indirectly determine the distance (d) based on the measured period.
8. The system (100) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the controller (130) is configured to determine the distance (d) at regular time intervals.
9. The system (100) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the lateral flow stick (110) is configured on a carrier (115) having a plurality of lateral flow sticks (110a, 110b, 110c), the carrier (115) is replaceable, the controller (130) is configured to detect the replacement of the carrier (115), and the controller (130) is configured to determine the distance (d) when the replacement of the carrier (115) is detected.
10. The system includes a user interface (170) that allows an operator to trigger the distance determination, and the controller (130) is: The system (100) according to claim 1 or 2, configured to determine the distance (d) when it receives a trigger signal from the operator via the user interface (170).