Airborne Particle Analysis for Early Flock Quality Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for determining the quality of animal flocks often overlook early signs of infections, requiring individual animal measurements and are costly and complex, making them inefficient and unreliable for timely optimization of animal production.
Innovation Solution
A quality system that analyzes airborne particles from agricultural groups, such as flocks of animals, using a computer system to correlate biological element determinations over time with reference data to determine quality parameters without individual animal measurements, allowing for early detection of quality changes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If individual animal measurements are performed to determine flock quality, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and analyzes airborne particles shed by animals as a proxy for individual animal measurements. Instead of measuring each animal directly, the system collects and analyzes particles containing biological material (DNA, proteins, metabolites) from the air environment, thereby obtaining flock-level quality information without individual animal intervention
Solution Approach 2:
Airborne particles serve as an intermediary between the animals and the measurement system. These particles carry biological information from animals to the sampling device, enabling indirect but accurate assessment of animal health and production parameters without direct contact or complex individual measurements
2Reliability
If frequent sampling is performed to detect early signs of infection, then reliability is improved, but loss of time and resources increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by continuously or frequently sampling airborne particles and analyzing them for early signs of infection. By establishing baseline levels of biological markers and monitoring deviations over time, the system can detect infections at their earliest stages before clinical symptoms appear in animals
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces manual visual inspection and physical examination of individual animals with automated particle sampling and biological analysis systems. This substitution enables more frequent and consistent monitoring without proportionally increasing time investment, as the automated system can process multiple samples efficiently
3Measurement precision
If advanced biosensors and multiple sensors are deployed throughout the livestock site, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The airborne particle analysis system serves multiple functions: detecting pathogens, monitoring animal health parameters, assessing production performance, and evaluating environmental conditions. A single sampling and analysis platform can perform all these functions by analyzing different biological markers in the same particle samples, eliminating the need for separate specialized sensors for each parameter
4Productivity
If individual animal monitoring is implemented to optimize production, then productivity is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-service by automatically collecting airborne particle samples and performing biological analyses without requiring farmer intervention in the sampling process. The automated nature of sample collection and analysis reduces the operational burden on farmers while still providing detailed production optimization data
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables accurate and cost-effective determination of quality parameters, such as health and production metrics, by analyzing airborne particles, allowing for timely interventions to maintain or improve flock quality.
Implementation Method 1
Olsen et al. 'Detection of Campylobacter Bacteria in Air Samples for Continuous Real-Time Monitoring of Campylobacter Colonization in Broiler Flocks' describes an assay of detection of Campylobacter in poultry houses. The detections were based on PCR amplification of nucleic acids from air borne particles collected from the poultry houses.
Data Source
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AI summary
A quality system and a method for determining a quality parameter of agricultural group are disclosed. The quality system comprising a computer system and an analyzing system adapted for analyzing samples of particles collected from air from an agricultural group location. The analyzing system is configured for receiving a plurality of samples of particles collected at the agricultural group location at plurality of consecutive selected time slots, for performing at least one quantitative, biological element determination of each of the received samples; and transmitting sub-sets of data to the computer system. The computer system correlates the data sub-sets with reference data. The reference data represents reference quantity of the biological element as a function of time correlated to the quality parameter and comprises at least one threshold quality parameter of the biological element as a function of time. The determination of the quality parameter comprises determining quantity of the biological element as a function of time and wherein the computer further is configured for determine the quality parameter relative to the at least one threshold quality parameter.