Individualized Pet Dry Food Composition via Modular Segmentation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current systems for manufacturing individualized pet food compositions are challenging due to the difficulty in preparing nutritionally complete dry food that is cost-effective and suitable for animals with specific nutritional needs, particularly those with pathological conditions, as they require a combination of pre-made compositions that are not nutritionally complete on their own.

Innovation Solution

A method involving the selection of at least two distinct pre-made dry compositions from a set of known constituents, based on an animal's individual physiological and pathological profiles, to create a nutritionally complete diet that includes sources of proteins, vitamins, and minerals, without relying on mixing already complete compositions or case-by-case artisanal approaches.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If mass-produced pet food is used to meet average pet needs, then production efficiency and cost-effectiveness are improved, but individualized nutritional requirements cannot be satisfied

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveproduction efficiencyVSAvoidindividualized nutritional adaptation
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the pet food manufacturing process into modular components: pre-made dry compositions with specific nutrient profiles, functional ingredients, and additives. These modular segments can be selectively combined to create individualized diets without requiring complete custom manufacturing for each pet, thus maintaining production efficiency while achieving nutritional customization.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system allows for parameter changes in nutrient composition by selecting different pre-made dry compositions and functional ingredients based on individual pet profiles. This enables adaptation to specific nutritional requirements while using standardized manufacturing processes for the base components.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Manufacturing precision

If custom diets are tailored for individual pets with specific nutritional needs, then nutritional precision is improved, but manufacturing complexity and cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvenutritional precisionVSAvoidmanufacturing complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by pre-manufacturing dry compositions with specific nutrient profiles and functional ingredients before the final customization step. This allows individualized diets to be assembled from pre-prepared components rather than manufacturing everything from scratch for each pet, reducing manufacturing complexity while maintaining nutritional precision.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses composite materials by combining pre-made dry compositions with specific functional ingredients and additives to create nutritionally precise diets. This composite approach allows for exact nutritional specification while leveraging the efficiency of standardized base product manufacturing.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

3Productivity

If pre-made nutritionally complete compositions are mixed to create individualized diets, then production speed is improved, but adaptability to specific pathological conditions is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveproduction speedVSAvoidadaptability to pathological conditions
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the functional ingredients and specific nutrients from complete diets, creating modular components that can be selectively combined. This allows the system to start with pre-made dry compositions and add only the specific functional ingredients needed for individual pet requirements, including those with pathological conditions, rather than mixing complete diets and removing components.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentUS12167738B2Individualized animal dry food composition and kit
Publication Date: 2024.12.17 MARS INC

AI summary

The present invention relates to a method for providing an individualized nutritionally complete diet for an animal, in particular an animal with one or more pathological condition(s). The present invention also relates to a device for providing an individualized nutritionally complete diet for an animal, having means adapted to execute the steps of the method. The present invention also relates to a computer program to cause the device to execute the steps of the method. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon the computer program is further provided. Kits and compositions are further provided.