WO2016092212A1

WO2016092212A1 - Holder for an ultrasound probe for cattle

Info

Publication number: WO2016092212A1
Application number: PCT/FR2015/053392
Authority: WO
Inventors: Alain Pasco
Original assignee: Evolution Nt
Priority date: 2014-12-10
Filing date: 2015-12-09
Publication date: 2016-06-16
Also published as: FR3029767A1; FR3029767B1

Abstract

The invention relates to a holder (10; 30) for an ultrasound probe for cattle, comprising a rigid tubular member (110; 310) designed to accommodate said probe (11). According to the invention, an ultrasound probe holder (10; 30) of said type includes a handle (16; 34) which extends substantially perpendicularly to the tubular member (110; 310).

Description

Ultrasound Probe Support for Cattle

1. Field of the invention

The field of the invention is that of livestock breeding.

More specifically, the invention relates to an ultrasound probe support for livestock.

The invention finds particular application in the ultrasound examination of a cow, a mare, a donkey, a ponette, an alpaca, a llama or a sow.

2. State of the art

It is known to perform an ultrasound examination to control the gestation of a fetus in cattle.

For small livestock, such as a sow, a goat or a sheep, it is sufficient to affix an ultrasound probe on the flank of the animal, to perform this ultrasound examination.

For cattle, for example cows or mares, it is more difficult to distinguish a fetus by placing an ultrasound probe on a flank of the animal. Indeed, the ultrasound emitted by the ultrasound probe are strongly attenuated by crossing the thickness of the tissues that separate the ultrasound probe from the fetus.

For this reason, a practitioner who performs an ultrasound examination on a cow or a mare, prefer to introduce the ultrasound probe into the rectum of the animal, to get closer to the fetus.

Nowadays, to conduct an ultrasound examination of a cow or a mare, most practitioners have the habit of holding the ultrasound probe that they introduce into the rectum of the animal, at arm's length.

Depending on the degree of progress of pregnancy, these practitioners must introduce the forearm, or the entire arm in the rectum of the animal, to the shoulder, to approach the fetus.

In this position, the practitioner can hardly release his arm or accompany the movement of the animal, especially if it makes a sudden movement. This results in trauma to the practitioner's shoulder or arm. On the other hand, being in close proximity to the hindquarters of the cow or the mare, the practitioner can be injured by a kicking of the animal.

Another disadvantage of holding the ultrasound probe at arm's length is that a practitioner can not ultrasound examine more than forty animals from the same herd, in one hour.

In order to remedy these drawbacks, it has been proposed to place the ultrasound probe at the end of a support.

A disadvantage of known ultrasound probe support techniques is that they are not ergonomic.

3. Objectives of the invention

The invention therefore particularly aims to overcome the disadvantages of the state of the art mentioned above.

More specifically, the invention aims to provide an ultrasound probe support technique that is manageable and that limits the fatigue of the user.

An object of the invention is also to provide a support technique for ultrasound probe that allows rapid ultrasound examination of an animal.

Another object of the invention is to provide a support technique for ultrasound probe which is light.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a support technique for ultrasound probe which makes it possible to perform an ultrasound examination which is not very traumatic for the animal.

4. Presentation of the invention

These objectives, as well as others which will appear later are achieved with the aid of an ultrasound probe support for livestock comprising a rigid tubular body configured to house said probe.

It can in particular be an ultrasound probe support that can be implemented to perform an ultrasound examination of a cow, a mare, a donkey, a ponette, a camelid or sow, trans-rectally or externally. According to the invention, such an ultrasound probe support has a handle extending substantially perpendicularly to said tubular body.

Thus, in an unprecedented manner, the invention proposes to provide an ultrasound probe support with a handle to allow the practitioner to properly hold the ultrasound probe holder in hand and to handle it with one hand without lifting the arm.

On the other hand, if the animal makes a sudden movement on the side during a trans-rectal ultrasound, the ultrasound probe holder can rotate around the handle in the palm of the practitioner, which reduces the risk of torsion of the hand and / or the practitioner's arm.

The invention thus makes it possible to limit the practitioner's fatigue and to prevent the appearance of tendonitis of the shoulder or wrist, of epicondylitis, of lumbago or muscular trauma and, in the longer term, of a permanent incapacity to work. , resulting from the manipulation of an ultrasound probe. In addition it avoids fractures due to a kicking of the examined animal.

Finally, thanks to the handle, the practitioner can grab the ultrasound probe holder with one hand or another and change hands when he wants, without affecting his intervention.

In a particular embodiment of the invention, said handle is slidably mounted relative to said tubular body.

It is thus possible to adjust the handle position on the tubular body.

According to a particular aspect of the invention, said handle is removably mounted relative to said tubular body.

Thus, the ultrasound probe holder can be completely disassembled for washing and disinfecting.

In a particular embodiment of the invention, an ultrasound probe support as described above comprises an armrest secured to said tubular body and / or said handle.

Preferably, said tubular body comprises a substantially linear portion extending by a curved portion of radius of curvature between 30 and 60 centimeters, preferably substantially equal to 50 centimeters.

A probe support adapted to the morphology of the rectum of a cow or a mare is thus obtained, making it possible to perform a trans-rectal ultrasound by minimizing the trauma to the animal.

Preferably, said tubular body has a developed length of between 70 and 90 cm.

Advantageously, said tubular body is made of PVC.

Thus, the sensation of cold due to contact of the tube against the walls of the rectum is attenuated, which makes the penetration of the support in the rectum less unpleasant for the animal. In addition, an inadvertent shock of the tubular body against a barrier bar will produce a muffled noise, which stresses the animals less.

According to an advantageous aspect of the invention, the wall of said tubular body is arranged so as to withstand a pressure of 12 bar.

Thus, the tubular body is able to withstand the pressure exerted by the walls of the rectum.

Preferably, an ultrasound probe support as described above comprises a substantially semispherical removable plug secured to one end of said tubular body, intended to at least partially cover said probe.

Thus the probe is protected from faeces, or any other dirt or stain.

The invention also relates to a system for ultrasound imaging of cattle, comprising:

an ultrasound probe, in particular a linear ultrasound probe; an ultrasound probe holder, comprising a tubular body configured to house said ultrasound probe and having a handle extending substantially perpendicularly to said tubular body;

a monitor making it possible to display images obtained by processing the signals emitted by said ultrasound probe.

5. List of figures Other features and advantages of the invention will emerge more clearly on reading the following description of two embodiments of the invention, given by way of simple illustrative and non-limiting examples, and the appended drawings in which:

FIG. 1a is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of an ultrasound probe support according to the invention;

Fig. 1b is a sectional view of the ultrasound probe holder shown with reference to Fig. 1a;

FIG. 2 illustrates a practitioner using the ultrasound probe support presented with reference to FIG. 1a to perform an echographic examination on a cow;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of another exemplary embodiment of an ultrasound probe support according to the invention.

6. Detailed description of the invention

6.1. Example of embodiment of the invention

FIGS. 1a and 1b illustrate an exemplary embodiment of a support 10 for an echographic probe according to the invention, adapted to cows, referred to as "recto-scan", respectively in a perspective view and in a view in FIG. chopped off.

The support 10 comprises a hollow tubular body 110 of PVC 75 centimeters long, having a substantially rectilinear portion 101 extending by a curved portion 102. The radius of curvature of the curvilinear portion 102 is in this particular embodiment of the invention equal to about 50 cm.

The outer diameter of the tubular body 110 is constant over its entire length and equal to 3.9 centimeters. The wall of the tubular body has a thickness of 3 millimeters to withstand the pressure exerted by the anal sphincter when it contracts at the passage of the tubular body 110.

A triangular image sectorial ultrasound probe 11 composed of a sensor 12 and a cable 13 is mounted in a housing 14. located at the distal end of the curvilinear portion 102. This housing 14 is closed by a cap 15 in the form of a half-sphere, which is screwed on the housing 14. The cable 13 of the probe 11 runs inside the body tubular and leaves at the free end of the rectilinear portion 101.

A handle 16, integrally formed with the tubular body 110, extends perpendicular to the straight portion 101, about 20 centimeters from the free end of the straight portion 101.

FIG. 2 depicts an inseminator 20 using the probe support 10 equipped with the probe 11, to perform a trans-rectal ultrasound of a cow 21, in order to estimate the stage of gestation of a fetus 22 carried by the cow. 21.

In this FIG. 2, the inseminator holds the support 10, weighing less than 1 kg, with one hand using the handle 16, without raising the arm, while looking at the image of the fetus 22 obtained. using the ultrasound probe on a control screen 23, which he holds in his other hand. The tubular body 110 of the support 10 is introduced substantially over half of the rectum to approach the ultrasound probe 11 of the fetus 22, aged about 60 days.

It should be noted that the length of the tubular body allows the inseminator 20 to stand at a distance of about 1.1 meters from the hindquarters of the cow 21, which places it out of reach hooves of the animal or a dung projection.

After removing the probe holder 10 from the rectum of the cow 21, it is sufficient for the inseminator 20 to immerse it in a bucket containing a disinfectant solution to clean it and to apply a lubricant on the distal end of the tubular body, to be able to perform an ultrasound on another cow in the herd.

This simplicity of use allows the inseminator to examine in one hour up to 80 cows placed in row at the head.

6.2. Another exemplary embodiment of the invention FIG. 3 shows another exemplary embodiment of a support 30 for an ultrasound probe according to the invention, intended for the ultrasound examination of a sow.

This support 30 comprises a hollow tubular body 310 having a rectilinear portion 31 and a substantially curvilinear portion 32.

A housing 33 for an ultrasound probe, closed by a cap 311, is formed in the tubular body at the distal end of the curvilinear portion 32.

A removable handle 34 is screwed onto the tubular body 310 near the free end of the rectilinear portion 31. This handle 34 forms an angle of approximately 95 ° with the rectilinear portion 31.

An armrest 35 is clipped onto the upper face of the rectilinear portion 31, thus providing a second fulcrum for the inseminator. This armrest 35 extends in the extension of the tubular body 310. It is formed of an open bracelet 36 of plastic material at the end of the arm 37.

Equipped with the probe support 30, an inseminator can easily perform ultrasound examination of a sow without stooping and without risk of falling, or that his arm is crushed. It is sufficient for the inseminator to stand next to a pregnant sow, to pass the tubular body 310 over the back of the sow by stretching her arm and to slide the tubular body 310 along the abdomen. sow through the curved shape of the portion 32, until the ultrasound probe is positioned vis-à-vis the fetus. The inseminator can thus more easily control and anticipate the movements of the sow.

In a variant of this particular embodiment of the invention, it may also be provided that the armrest 35 comprise a strap for fixing the armrest on the forearm of the inseminator.

Claims

An ultrasound probe support (10; 30) for livestock comprising a rigid tubular body (110; 310) configured to house said probe (11), characterized in that it has a handle (16; 34) extending substantially perpendicular to said tubular body (110; 330).

An ultrasound probe holder (10; 30) according to claim 1, characterized in that said handle (16; 34) is slidably mounted with respect to said tubular body (110; 310).

An ultrasound probe holder (10; 30) according to any one of claims 1 and 2, characterized in that said handle (16; 34) is removably mounted relative to said tubular body (110; 310).

4. Support (10; 30) ultrasound probe according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that it comprises an armrest (35) secured to said tubular body (110; 310) and / or said handle (16; 34).

An ultrasound probe holder (10; 30) according to any of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that said tubular body (110; 310) comprises a substantially linear portion (101; 31) extending through a curved portion. (102; 32) of radius of curvature between 30 and 60 centimeters, preferably substantially equal to 50 centimeters.

An ultrasound probe holder (10; 30) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that said tubular body (110; 310) has a developed length of between 70 and 90 cm.

An ultrasound probe holder (10; 30) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that said tubular body (110; 310) is made of PVC.

An ultrasound probe holder (10; 30) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the wall of said tubular body (110; 310) is arranged to withstand a pressure of 12 bar.

An ultrasound probe holder (10; 30) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that it comprises a removable plug (15;

311) substantially half-spherical secured to one end of said body tubular (110; 310) for at least partially covering said probe (11).

10. System for ultrasound imaging cattle, characterized in that it comprises an ultrasound probe (11), in particular a linear ultrasound probe;

an ultrasound probe holder (10; 30) according to claim 1, comprising a tubular body (110; 310) configured to house said ultrasound probe (11) and having a handle (16; 34) extending substantially perpendicular to said body tubular (110; 310);

a monitor (23) for displaying images obtained by processing the signals emitted by said ultrasound probe (11).