Bolus Sensor Motion Correction for Livestock Heart Rate Monitoring
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Solution Overview
Problem
Measuring the heart rate of livestock, especially large animals, is challenging due to stress-induced inaccuracies from manual methods and difficulties in maintaining consistent sensor contact, and bolus sensors face orientation and reference frame mismatches.
Innovation Solution
A bolus sensor with an accelerometer measures heart rate by detecting linear and rotational motion components, correcting for respiration artifacts, and translating data to the animal's reference frame using magnitude components and gravitational orientation, enabling continuous monitoring.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If visual observation or manual methods are used to monitor livestock health, then device complexity is low, but measurement precision and reliability are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual visual observation with an automated optical detection system. The sensor detects heart rate through optical signals transmitted through the livestock's tissue, substituting mechanical/manual monitoring with an automated optical-mechanical system that provides continuous, precise measurements without human intervention.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a bolus as an intermediary device that contains the sensor and is ingested by the livestock. This bolus serves as a mediator between the animal and the monitoring system, housing the optical sensor, light source, and processing electronics in a single ingestible unit that interfaces directly with the animal's digestive system for continuous heart rate monitoring.
2Productivity
If traditional monitoring methods are used, then ease of operation is high, but productivity and continuous monitoring capability are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The livestock themselves perform the operation of inserting the monitoring device by naturally ingesting the bolus during feeding. This self-service mechanism eliminates the need for manual implantation procedures, reducing labor requirements and operational complexity while enabling continuous monitoring that improves productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements continuous heart rate monitoring through the bolus sensor that operates continuously as the livestock moves and digests. This continuous measurement capability provides uninterrupted health data, improving productivity by enabling real-time detection of health issues without requiring periodic manual checks or interrupting the animal's normal activities.
3Reliability
If external sensors are attached to livestock, then ease of manufacture is high, but reliability and comfort are reduced due to stress on the animal
Solution Approach 1:
The bolus sensor is designed with a flexible, biocompatible shell that conforms to the digestive tract environment. This flexible housing minimizes mechanical stress on the livestock while protecting the internal sensor components, ensuring reliable heart rate measurements without causing discomfort or harm to the animal.
Solution Approach 2:
The bolus acts as an intermediary that is naturally accepted by the livestock through ingestion. By using the animal's own feeding behavior as the insertion mechanism, the system eliminates the stress associated with manual restraint, injection, or external attachment procedures, while the bolus provides stable, reliable sensing from within the digestive system.
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
Accurately determines heart rate without stress-induced inaccuracies and maintains consistent contact, allowing for continuous and reliable health monitoring of livestock.
Implementation Method 1
a sensor positioned to detect a signal transmitted through the bolus
Data Source
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AI summary
Various examples describe a livestock monitoring system and method. A sensor signal may comprise a rotational component describing a rotation of the sensor within an animal and a linear component describing a linear movement of the sensor within the animal. The rotational component may be used to identify an animal respiration signal. The animal respiration signal and the linear component may be used to generate a respiration-corrected linear component. An animal heart signal may be detected from the respiration-corrected linear component.