The invention relates to an apparatus for inoculating small animals, e.g., fowl or poultry such as chickens, turkeys, guineas, geese, ducks, pheasants, quails, etc. when they are young.
Domestically raised poultry are subject to various diseases and infections after hatching. For the effective raising of such poultry, they need to be inoculated to reduce loss of poultry and to insure efficient growth. When a disease or infection starts in a flock, it can quickly spread to the remainder of the birds causing catastrophic loss, sometimes of the entire flock. Oftentimes the profit margin on poultry is low, so even the loss of a few birds or their failure to grow efficiently, can have a substantial adverse effect on overall profits. There is thus a need for an apparatus to quickly and efficiently inoculate a large number of birds with a high level of confidence that all or substantially all of the birds have been effectively inoculated. For example, it is desired to effectively inoculate at least 99% of chicks born into a flock.
Devices for inoculating poultry by automatic injection of inoculants through a hypodermic needle and syringe are well known in the art. Such a device and corresponding method are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,311,841, (incorporated herein by reference). The disclosed method provides a major advance in the effective inoculation of poultry when they are in the chick stage. The inoculation, according to the disclosed method, is done when the chicks are young and still have their yolk sacs. The yolk sac is relatively small on the major surface and thin and the needle needs to be accurately directed and positioned to insure the tip of the needle is located in the sac when the inoculants are injected. In order to handle the large number of birds encountered at a typical large poultry farm, the device needs to be quick and efficient to use. However, the bird needs to be properly positioned relative to the injection needle and relative to the ground and held in that position for proper inoculation. Also, the inoculation device needs to include a positive trigger mechanism to automatically activate the syringe and needle.
Because many birds will be processed in succession, there is a need to sanitize the needle without stopping inoculation to effect sanitizing. It is preferred that the needle be continuously sanitized with minimal clean up and waste of disinfectant. Sanitization is known, see for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,515,590 wherein a sprayer is used to sanitize the needle. This system however requires cleanup of the spray from inside the housing and is sprayed at intervals. Also, the exterior surface of the needle is not wiped during such spray cleaning.
The working environment in poultry farms is oftentimes wet. This presents concerns for worker safety particularly when using power operated devices since many are powered at least in part by electricity. It would be desirable to eliminate the risk of electrical shock to workers by providing an inoculator that can be operated without the use of electricity and still provide the ability to have an effective automatic operation control system.
Various types of medicaments are used for inoculation. Some medicaments are mixed together so that only one injection is required to complete the inoculation. However, it has been found that the medicaments can physically separate whereby the inoculant is not uniform throughout the container. The inoculant needs to be agitated or otherwise mixed, preferably continuously, to insure uniformity and thereby effectiveness of the inoculation. Thus, there is a need for an inoculating device that insures uniformity of inoculant when injected. Further, the agitation is desirably achieved without the use of electricity at the inoculator.
Many devices are available for such inoculations but have one or more of the above described drawbacks. Thus, there is a need for an apparatus and method for improved inoculations.
Among the several objects and features of the present invention may be noted the provision of an inoculation apparatus that improves upon the currently available devices; the provision of an inoculation apparatus that is easy and efficient to use; the provision of an inoculation apparatus that reduces the need for stopping inoculation to sanitize the needle and that provides an improved sanitizer that can clean the needle between each injection; the provision of an inoculation apparatus that is effective and efficient in inoculating large numbers of birds in a short period of time; the provision of an inoculation apparatus that provides improved positioning of the bird relative to the needle and horizontal (the ground) for inoculation; the provision of an inoculation apparatus which reliably triggers movement of the hypodermic needle to the extended or inoculating position; the provision of an inoculation apparatus that eliminates the risk of electrical shock while providing an automatic operation control system; and the provision of a method of inoculation that stabilizes and enhances the inoculation target area of the bird.
One aspect of the present invention includes the provision of an apparatus for inoculating small animals. The apparatus includes a housing and a movable hypodermic syringe mounted in the housing. A hollow needle is mounted on the syringe. A retention device is mounted on the housing and is adapted for positioning an animal to be injected relative to the hollow needle. Drive means is mounted in the housing and is connected to the hypodermic syringe and operable to selectively move the needle between an extended position and a retracted position. A conduit for flow of fluid has an opening for flow of fluid therethrough is provided. The opening is positioned relative to the needle so that an object in the drive path of the needle may partially block the opening to restrict flow of fluid through the opening A pressure sensor is operably connected to the conduit and the drive means and is operable to detect pressure change in the conduit caused by the partial blockage of the opening to activate the drive means whereby the drive means moves the needle to the extended position in response to the change in pressure.
A further aspect of the present invention includes an apparatus for injecting small animals having an abdominal area with a fluid. The apparatus includes a housing with a hypodermic syringe movably mounted therein. A hollow needle is mounted on the syringe. A cradle is mounted on the housing and is adapted for positioning an animal to be injected in a face up position relative to the hollow needle so that an abdominal area of the animal is exposed for penetration by the hollow needle. Drive means is mounted in the housing, is connected to the syringe and is operable to selectively move the needle between an extended position and a retracted position. A guide is mounted on the housing and has an elongate bore adapted to receive the hollow needle therein for movement between the extended and retracted positions of the hollow needle.
Another aspect of the present invention involves the provision of a method of injecting an animal having a back and an abdomen with a fluid. An animal is positioned adjacent to a hollow needle whereby a portion of the abdomen is positioned for penetration by the hollow needle. The hollow needle has a longitudinal axis and is movable between an extended position and a retracted position in a plane that is generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the needle and the plane of movement of the needle is generally parallel to the back of the animal. The needle is moved to its extended position and penetrates the abdomen portion. The animal is injected with a fluid and the needle is moved to its retracted position.
A still further aspect of the present invention involves the provision of an apparatus for injecting small animals with a fluid. The apparatus includes a housing with a hypodermic syringe movably mounted therein. A hollow needle is mounted on the syringe. A retention device is mounted on the housing and is adapted for positioning an animal to be injected relative to the hollow needle. The retention device includes a cradle extending from the housing and opening generally upwardly, the cradle has a portion defining an opening adjacent the housing for receiving a posterior portion of the animal to facilitate positioning the animal relative to the needle. Drive means is mounted in the housing and connected to the syringe and is operable to selectively move the needle between an extended position and a retracted position.
The present invention involves an apparatus that includes a housing having an end wall. A hypodermic syringe is movably mounted in the housing and a hollow needle is mounted on the syringe and movable therewith, the needle being movable in a first plane through an opening in the end wall. Drive means is operably connected to the syringe to selectively effect movement of the needle between an extended position and a retracted position in the first plane. A retention platform is mounted on the end wall and projects outwardly from the end wall and has an upwardly opening elongate trough with a longitudinal axis. The trough has an animal support surface spaced from the needle opening. The plane of movement of the needle is at an angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the trough in the range of about xe2x88x925xc2x0 through about +5xc2x0. The support surface and needle are positioned such that an animal to be inoculated can be positioned face up on the support surface and relative to the needle whereby the needle in its extended position can penetrate an abdominal area of the animal.
The present invention also involves an apparatus that includes a housing with a hypodermic syringe movably mounted therein. A hollow needle is mounted on the syringe. A work platform is mounted on the housing and is adapted for positioning an animal to be injected relative to the hollow needle. Drive means is mounted in the housing and is connected to the hypodermic syringe and is operable to selectively move the needle between an extended position and a retracted position. A guide tube is mounted on the housing adjacent the needle and is adapted for the needle to move through between the extended and retracted positions of the needle. A porous member is mounted in the guide tube and surrounds a portion of the needle when the needle is in its extended position. A source of sterilizing fluid is provided. A conduit is in flow communication with the porous member and the source of sterilizing fluid and is adapted to provide a sterilizing fluid from the source of sterilizing fluid to the porous member for application to the needle.
The present invention also involves the provision of an apparatus for injecting small animals with a fluid. The apparatus includes a housing with a hypodermic syringe movably mounted therein. A hollow needle is mounted on the syringe. A work platform is mounted on the housing and is adapted for positioning an animal to be injected relative to the hollow needle. First drive means is mounted in the housing and is connected to the hypodermic syringe and operable to selectively move the needle between an extended position and a retracted position. A support is mounted on the housing and a container of inoculant is retained in the support. Agitator means is carried by the housing and is operably associated with the support for periodically inducing vibration in the support and the support is operable to move the container by moving the support to agitate the inoculant.
Other objects and features will be in part apparent and in part pointed out hereinafter.