GB2246500A - Livestock tagging - Google Patents
Livestock tagging Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- GB2246500A GB2246500A GB9016613A GB9016613A GB2246500A GB 2246500 A GB2246500 A GB 2246500A GB 9016613 A GB9016613 A GB 9016613A GB 9016613 A GB9016613 A GB 9016613A GB 2246500 A GB2246500 A GB 2246500A
- Authority
- GB
- United Kingdom
- Prior art keywords
- envelope
- tag according
- livestock
- tissue
- livestock tag
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Withdrawn
Links
- 244000144972 livestock Species 0.000 title claims abstract description 31
- 241001465754 Metazoa Species 0.000 claims abstract description 18
- 238000004873 anchoring Methods 0.000 claims abstract description 14
- 239000000463 material Substances 0.000 claims description 14
- 241000283690 Bos taurus Species 0.000 claims description 11
- 239000004744 fabric Substances 0.000 claims description 8
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 claims description 7
- 239000000835 fiber Substances 0.000 claims description 3
- 230000013011 mating Effects 0.000 claims 1
- 230000003287 optical effect Effects 0.000 claims 1
- 229920001971 elastomer Polymers 0.000 abstract 1
- 239000000806 elastomer Substances 0.000 abstract 1
- 210000001519 tissue Anatomy 0.000 description 16
- 239000004810 polytetrafluoroethylene Substances 0.000 description 6
- 229920001343 polytetrafluoroethylene Polymers 0.000 description 6
- 201000010099 disease Diseases 0.000 description 5
- 208000037265 diseases, disorders, signs and symptoms Diseases 0.000 description 5
- 229920002635 polyurethane Polymers 0.000 description 5
- 239000004814 polyurethane Substances 0.000 description 5
- 238000003307 slaughter Methods 0.000 description 5
- 239000002184 metal Substances 0.000 description 4
- 241001494479 Pecora Species 0.000 description 3
- 241000282887 Suidae Species 0.000 description 3
- 230000008029 eradication Effects 0.000 description 3
- 208000031295 Animal disease Diseases 0.000 description 2
- 238000009395 breeding Methods 0.000 description 2
- 230000001488 breeding effect Effects 0.000 description 2
- 239000007943 implant Substances 0.000 description 2
- 235000013372 meat Nutrition 0.000 description 2
- 238000012986 modification Methods 0.000 description 2
- 230000004048 modification Effects 0.000 description 2
- 239000004033 plastic Substances 0.000 description 2
- 229920003023 plastic Polymers 0.000 description 2
- 201000008827 tuberculosis Diseases 0.000 description 2
- 229920004934 Dacron® Polymers 0.000 description 1
- 208000032843 Hemorrhage Diseases 0.000 description 1
- 208000024777 Prion disease Diseases 0.000 description 1
- 208000018756 Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease Diseases 0.000 description 1
- 230000002411 adverse Effects 0.000 description 1
- 239000000443 aerosol Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000005452 bending Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000000560 biocompatible material Substances 0.000 description 1
- 208000005881 bovine spongiform encephalopathy Diseases 0.000 description 1
- 239000011248 coating agent Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000000576 coating method Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000007547 defect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000000694 effects Effects 0.000 description 1
- 244000144980 herd Species 0.000 description 1
- 208000015181 infectious disease Diseases 0.000 description 1
- 238000003780 insertion Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000037431 insertion Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000007689 inspection Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000011835 investigation Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000009940 knitting Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000000696 magnetic material Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000008267 milk Substances 0.000 description 1
- 210000004080 milk Anatomy 0.000 description 1
- 235000013336 milk Nutrition 0.000 description 1
- 238000012544 monitoring process Methods 0.000 description 1
- 210000004237 neck muscle Anatomy 0.000 description 1
- 239000003973 paint Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000005020 polyethylene terephthalate Substances 0.000 description 1
- 230000002265 prevention Effects 0.000 description 1
- 239000000126 substance Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000002759 woven fabric Substances 0.000 description 1
Classifications
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A01—AGRICULTURE; FORESTRY; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; HUNTING; TRAPPING; FISHING
- A01K—ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; AVICULTURE; APICULTURE; PISCICULTURE; FISHING; REARING OR BREEDING ANIMALS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; NEW BREEDS OF ANIMALS
- A01K11/00—Marking of animals
- A01K11/006—Automatic identification systems for animals, e.g. electronic devices, transponders for animals
Landscapes
- Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
- Environmental Sciences (AREA)
- Birds (AREA)
- Zoology (AREA)
- Animal Husbandry (AREA)
- Biodiversity & Conservation Biology (AREA)
- Catching Or Destruction (AREA)
- Investigating Or Analysing Biological Materials (AREA)
- Housing For Livestock And Birds (AREA)
Abstract
Livestock tagging is accomplished by using a "smart card" (2) electronic tag, encasing it in a bio-compatible envelope (4) and anchoring it to the tissue into which it is implanted. The anchoring means can take several forms such as an apertured member (10, 12) which can be separated from the envelope by tearing along a line of perforations (6, 8) or an outercasing (42) of open celled elastomer to which the tissue can become anchored. The outer casing (42) can be split to remove the "smart card" (40). The electronic tag is programmed with the life history of the animal to which it is implanted by successive remotely effected updates. In addition both the "smart card" and the anchor contain identical identifying codes to enable a readout from any "smart card" to be associated with the animal from which it came.
Description
LIVESTOCK TAGGING
The present invention relates to livestock tagging.
The identification of farm animals is a legal requirement in most developed countries (in
Britain under the Tuberculosis Order of 1984) for the purpose of national disease eradication and the payment of government subsidies.
Tagging is also undertaken for carcase classification schemes, breeding and feeding programmes and for milk recording. Possible future uses include disease data retrieval and feedback of information to livestock producers following meat inspection, monitoring of breeding cycles and disease status in individual herds and specific disease investigations eg into Bovine Spongiform
Encephalopathy (BSE, Mad Cow Disease or Prion
Disease) and theft prevention. In connection with 3SE the Commons Agriculture Select Committee has recommended that a computerised register of the movements of all cattle be set up forthwith.
The advent of the Open Market in Europe on 1 January 1993 with its numerous regulations relating to animal disease control, animal welfare, meat hygiene standards etc, will add a new dimension to the urgency for a tamper-proof system of farm animal identification. Current methods of tagging include the provision of metal and plastic ear tags (cattle, sheep and pigs), plastic leg, neck and tail bands cattle), freeze marks (cattle), marking with aerosol paints (sheep) and slap imprint or tattoo marks (pigs).
All these types of tags are unsatisfactory for one or more of the following reasons:
1. Liability to damage;
2. Ease of removal, accidental or malicious;
3. Difficulty of reading, especially the metal and tattoo forms, leading to confusion;
4. Limiation to a single number, with or without a few letters;
5. Exclusive use by the farm - of no value once the animal leaves eg for slaughter;
6. Tendency to cause infection, especially with the metal type of tag; and
7. Existance of a welfare problem - ear tags are normally inserted by means of-an injector instrument which creates a large painful hole and haemorrhage.
In connection with (2) an extremely serious situation has arisen with the UK and Eire Government
Tuberculosis Eradication Scheme whereby metal tags are being switched by unscrupulous owners for financial gain. The net result is a grave interference with the eradication programme and an adverse effect on the animal disease status of the country and its ability to export.
A tamper-proof electronic system of animal tagging which would overcome the above defects and at the same time supply positive identification with extra data eg name and address of owner, breed, sex, date of birth, veterinary history etc, is urgently required.
The problem with currently proposed tags is that implatation techniques have not been very successful. A tag, once implanted, will tend to migrate and so may become lost within the animal.
Tags implanted in the wrong place in an animals body are suceptable to damage or wear. Also upon slaughter, tags may readily become detached from the animal's carcass and so there is a strong possibility that tags from different animals may become mixed up.
It is an object of the invention to provide an improved livestock tag.
According to the present invention there is provided a livestock tag comprising a "smart card" as hereinbefore defined, encased in an envelope of material which is biologically acceptable to animal tissue, but which does not become bonded to the tissue, and anchoring means for anchoring the envelope to the tissue but from which anchoring means the envelope can be readily released.
Livestock tags embodying the present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings in which:
Figure 1 is plan view of a first embodiment of a livestock tag;
Figure 2 is a section of a detail of Figure 1 showing a modification;
Figure 3 is a plan view of a second embodiment of a livestock tag;
Figure 4 is a plan view of a third embodiment of a livestock tag; and
Figure 5 is a plan view of a fourth embodiment of a livestock tag.
The tag shown in Figure 1 is arranged to be implanted in, for example, a cow. The tag comprises a so called "smart card" 2, encapsulated in a rectangular envelope 4 of PTFE or polyurethane. The envelope 4 is divided into three regions 10,12 and 14 by two parallel rows of perforations 6 and 8. The central region 12 contains the "smart card" 2. The two outer regions 10 and 14 are each provided with a central opening 10A and 14A respectively. Where the outer regions 10 and 14 are so thin as to be flaccid, they may be provided with a stiffening material which allows a significant degree of bending without allowing each outer region to become folded onto itself too easily.
In operation a slot like incision (eg 2 cm long) is made into the tissue of a cow and the tag inserted. The opening in the tissue is then stitched together to hold the tag in place until the wound heals. As the wound heals the tissue on opposite sides of the two outer regions 10 and 14 will knit together through the openings 1OA and 14A and so the tag will be locked in place and prevented from migrating.
Each of the three regions 10,12 and 14 of the tag is marked with an identical identifying code which may be in printed form or digitally encoded for example as a series of notches along the perimeter of each region.
Thus at the time of slaughter, the central region 12 may be cut or torn along the lines of perforations 6 and 8 and removed from the carcass to have the data held therein read out. Because the two outer regions 10 and 14 remain firmly implanted in the carcass 1 the carcass will have at least one identifying code to associate it with the data read out from the "smart card" 2.
In a modification shown in Figure 2 each outer region (only region 10 shown) is provided with a thin narrow arm, 16 which projects into the opening 10A. Projecting outwardly from opposite sides of the arm 16 are barbed projections 18. When the walls of tissue on opposite sides of the opening 10A are pressed towards one another the barbs penetrate the tissue and lock the two walls of tissue in contact with one another. This positively ensures that the two walls will knit together. Other means for holding the two walls of tissue in contact with one another through the opening 10A can be used. For example, each tag may be provided with a fibre optic cable which has one end terminating in the opening 10A. By connecting the other end to a source of laser energy, the two walls of tissue, upon being pressed together through the opening, can be cauterised holding them togther.The fibre optic cable can then be severed close to the tag.
The tag shown in Figure 3 comprises a disc like "smart card" 20 encased in a disc like envelope 22 of PTFE or Polyurethane. Surrounding the envelope 22, is an annular piece 24 of woven fabric. Being woven, it will be appreciated, that tissue lying on opposite sides of the fabric will tend to knit together through the fabric. Before insertion, the fabric is temporarily stiffened with a starch-like material to hold the fabric place until the knitting action has started. The material of the fabric may be PTFE or Polyurethane or other material coated with PTFE, polyurethane or other biologically compatable substance. Instead medical grade dacron sheet can be used or an open cell elsatomeric material.
As with the embodiment of Figure 1, both the annular piece 24 and the envelope 22 are marked with an identical identifying code. The code may, for example, be marked in ink or induced magnetically if both the piece 24 and envelope 22 are impregnated with magnetic material. Alternatively a simple colour coded code can be used such as is used to mark the values or resistors.
The tag shown in Figure 4 shows a disc like "smart card" 30 encased in a disc-like envelope 32 of
PTFE or Polyurethane. Attached to the envelope 32 is a part-circular piece 34 of material similar to the material of the outer regions 10 and 14 of Figure 1.
The centres of the piece 34 and the envelope 32 are offset from one another so as to allow the tag to be inserted in a slit in an animal's tissue, envelope 32 first. The piece 34 has a number of openings 36 therein to allow opposite walls of tissue to make contact with one another and knit together.
In the embodiment shown in Figure 5, a "smart card" 40 is encapsulated in a PTFE coating with an identifying code marked therein either by engraved or raised alphanumeric lettering. The whole is then encapsulated in a block 42 of an elastomeric open celled bio-compatible material so that the identifying code is also moulded onto the inner face of the block 42.
When the block 42 is implanted into an animal, the surrounding tissue will bound or become anchored to the individual cells in block 42. Upon slaughter of the animal, the block 42 is opened up with a knife or scalpel to allow the "smart card" to be removed. The identifying code on the inner wall of the block (which remains anchored to the tissue will now become visible so that it can be matched up with the code on the "smart card" when data from the smart card is extracted.
It is possible to insert the tag in many places on the animal, however, it has been discovered that a particularly advantageous place in which to implant the tag is in the side of the neck and in particular, in the neck muscle Musculus Brachio C ephalicus.
The tag is advantageously implanted in the upper third of the neck. In the case of cattle the implant should lie some 10 to 20 cm from the junction of the head and the neck. This position ensures that it will be subject to minimum damage during the life of the cow and will largely be uneffected by the instruments of slaughter.
While the above description has mainly been directed to implanting tags in cattle it will be appreciated that such tags can also be implanted in other livestock such as pigs and sheep.
Claims (20)
1. A livestock tag comprising a "smart card" as hereinbefore defined, encased in an envelope of material which is biologically acceptable to animal tissue, but which does not become bonded to the tissue, and anchoring means for anchoring the envelope to the tissue but from which anchoring means the envelope can be readily released.
2. A livestock tag according to Claim 1 wherein said anchoring means comprises two lateral portions of said envelope which lie on opposite sides of the "smart card" and each of which has at least one opening through which severed tissue can bond together.
3. A livestock tag according to Claim 2 wherein each lateral portion is separable from the main portion of the envelope containing the "smart card", along a line of perforations.
4. A livestock tag according to Claim 2 or to
Claim 3 including mechanical means for locking two mating surfaces of tissue on opposite sides of said opening in close contact with each other.
5. A livestock tag according to Claim 2 or to
Claim 3 including a fibre optical cable extending into a said opening to conduct laser energy into said opening and so bind facing surfaces of tissue on opposite sides of said opening together.
6. A livestock tag according to Claim 1 wherein said anchoring means comprises a fabric material secured to said envelope and with which said tissue can bond.
7. A livestock tag according to Claim 6 wherein said envelope is disc-shaped, said fabric material is annular, and said envelope and annular fabric material are concentric.
8. A livestock tag according to Claim 1 wherein said envelope is disc-shaped and said anchoring means is generally disc-shaped but has its centre offset with respect to that of said envelope.
9. A livestock tag according to Claim 1 wherein said anchoring means comprises an open-celled material surrounding said envelope, the cells of the open-celled material being succeptable to binding with animal tissue.
10. A livestock tag according to any preceding claim wherein each of said envelope and said anchoring means bear identical identifying codes so that when they are pysically separated a connection between them remains.
11. A livestock tag according to Claim 10 wherein said identifying codes are represented by digitally encoded notches on said anchoring means and said envelope.
12. A livestock tag according to Claim 10 wherein said identifying codes comprise colour codes.
13. A livestock tag according to Claim 10 wherein said identifying codes comprises a raised or engraved alphanumeric inscription.
14. A livestock tag according to Claim 10 wherein said identifying codes comprise magnetic codes.
15. A method of tagging livestock comprising producing a slit in the side of the neck and inserting a livestock tag according to any preceding claim.
16. A method according to Claim 15 wherein said slit is cut into the Musculus Brachio Cephalicus.
17. A method according to Claim 15 wherein said slit is cut into the upper third of the neck.
18. A method of tagging cattle according to any preceding claim wherein said slit is located between 10 and 20 cm from the junction between the head and the neck.
19. A livestock tag according to any preceding claim substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings.
20. A method of tagging livestock substantially as hereinbefore described.
Priority Applications (4)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
GB9016613A GB2246500A (en) | 1990-07-28 | 1990-07-28 | Livestock tagging |
AU81932/91A AU8193291A (en) | 1990-07-28 | 1991-07-15 | Livestock tagging |
PCT/GB1991/001165 WO1992002126A1 (en) | 1990-07-28 | 1991-07-15 | Livestock tagging |
IE264191A IE912641A1 (en) | 1990-07-28 | 1991-07-26 | Livestock Tagging |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
GB9016613A GB2246500A (en) | 1990-07-28 | 1990-07-28 | Livestock tagging |
Publications (2)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
GB9016613D0 GB9016613D0 (en) | 1990-09-12 |
GB2246500A true GB2246500A (en) | 1992-02-05 |
Family
ID=10679824
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
GB9016613A Withdrawn GB2246500A (en) | 1990-07-28 | 1990-07-28 | Livestock tagging |
Country Status (4)
Country | Link |
---|---|
AU (1) | AU8193291A (en) |
GB (1) | GB2246500A (en) |
IE (1) | IE912641A1 (en) |
WO (1) | WO1992002126A1 (en) |
Cited By (2)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
EP0599079A1 (en) * | 1992-11-24 | 1994-06-01 | Orga-Kartensysteme GmbH | Security access card |
EP1136572A2 (en) * | 2000-03-24 | 2001-09-26 | Eurofins Scientific | Method and device for confirming the absence of infectious prion proteins in meat |
Families Citing this family (5)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
IE913238A1 (en) * | 1991-09-13 | 1993-03-24 | Rodney Arthur Stafford | Electronic animal identification system |
SE9103660L (en) * | 1991-12-11 | 1993-06-07 | Ragnar Winberg | MARKING MARKET FOR MARKING ANIMALS |
DE19703027A1 (en) * | 1997-01-28 | 1998-07-30 | Eska Kunststofftechnik Gmbh & | Identification system for slaughter cattle |
NL1009999C2 (en) | 1998-09-02 | 2000-03-06 | Tracking & Tracing Innovation | Method for identifying living things. |
EP1228686A1 (en) * | 2000-12-27 | 2002-08-07 | Datamars SA | Implantable identification marker |
Citations (2)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
GB2188028A (en) * | 1986-03-17 | 1987-09-23 | Brien Hugh O | Electronic identification ear implant |
GB2217968A (en) * | 1988-04-13 | 1989-11-08 | Delwyn Robert Jones | Data storage and retrieval systems and locating systems |
Family Cites Families (6)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US3545405A (en) * | 1969-03-24 | 1970-12-08 | Keith B Jefferts | Apparatus for investigating the migratory habits of macro-organisms |
US3788278A (en) * | 1972-08-10 | 1974-01-29 | Miller H Res Corp | Animal marking apparatus and method |
US4011861A (en) * | 1974-04-03 | 1977-03-15 | Case Western Reserve University | Implantable electric terminal for organic tissue |
US4233964A (en) * | 1978-05-12 | 1980-11-18 | Jefferts Keith B | Internally readable identifying tag |
DE3312736C2 (en) * | 1983-04-07 | 1987-01-15 | W. Haldenwanger Technische Keramik GmbH & Co KG, 1000 Berlin | Destruction-resistant data carrier for storing data for the identification and marking of persons and/or objects |
GB8408656D0 (en) * | 1984-04-04 | 1984-05-16 | Semple C | Animal identification |
-
1990
- 1990-07-28 GB GB9016613A patent/GB2246500A/en not_active Withdrawn
-
1991
- 1991-07-15 WO PCT/GB1991/001165 patent/WO1992002126A1/en unknown
- 1991-07-15 AU AU81932/91A patent/AU8193291A/en not_active Abandoned
- 1991-07-26 IE IE264191A patent/IE912641A1/en unknown
Patent Citations (2)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
GB2188028A (en) * | 1986-03-17 | 1987-09-23 | Brien Hugh O | Electronic identification ear implant |
GB2217968A (en) * | 1988-04-13 | 1989-11-08 | Delwyn Robert Jones | Data storage and retrieval systems and locating systems |
Cited By (4)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
EP0599079A1 (en) * | 1992-11-24 | 1994-06-01 | Orga-Kartensysteme GmbH | Security access card |
EP1136572A2 (en) * | 2000-03-24 | 2001-09-26 | Eurofins Scientific | Method and device for confirming the absence of infectious prion proteins in meat |
FR2806802A1 (en) * | 2000-03-24 | 2001-09-28 | Eurofins Scient | METHOD AND INSTALLATION FOR CONFIRMING THE ABSENCE IN THE MEAT OF INFECTIOUS PRION PROTEINS |
EP1136572A3 (en) * | 2000-03-24 | 2002-02-06 | Eurofins Scientific | Method and device for confirming the absence of infectious prion proteins in meat |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
WO1992002126A1 (en) | 1992-02-20 |
AU8193291A (en) | 1992-03-02 |
GB9016613D0 (en) | 1990-09-12 |
IE912641A1 (en) | 1992-01-29 |
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Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
---|---|---|---|
730A | Proceeding under section 30 patents act 1977 | ||
732 | Registration of transactions, instruments or events in the register (sect. 32/1977) | ||
WAP | Application withdrawn, taken to be withdrawn or refused ** after publication under section 16(1) |