Abstract:
The injection system provides an automated means to safely inject a target animal. In the preferred embodiment, the automated injection system injects an animal with a radio frequency identification device (RFID). The automated injection system includes a baiting station with multiple sensors that confirm the position of a target animal and initiate the injection process. A controller actively controls the injection process and records the identification data associated with each injected animal.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for injecting an animal. Specifically, the invention relates to a system comprising a controllable bait station and associated automated injector that (among other things) confirms that a target animal is positioned so that the injector extends and injects the target animal. In the preferred embodiment, the animal is injected with a radio frequency identification device (RFID). 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Electronic identification is increasingly used in a variety of applications. In at least one of these applications, RFID “tags” may be used to uniquely identify wild or domestic animals. A variety of medical and physical information associated with each individual animal may be recorded on an associated RFID device implanted under the skin of an animal. After an animal is “tagged” with an RFID, the animal&#39;s handlers can identify and distinguish animals that have been medically treated or vaccinated from those animals that have not been treated. This identification ensures that valuable resources are not wasted by repeatedly treating the same animals, and ensures that all untreated animals can be identified and eventually treated. 
     However, implantation of RFID tags can be problematic, particularly in the case of wild animals. Currently, wild animals must be restrained and/or darted with a tranquilizer so that a handler can inject an RFID tag below the skin of each animal. If the amount of tranquilizing agent is too high, the tranquilizer can be fatal. If the amount of tranquilizer is too low, the animals are not actually sedate enough to be captured and handled safely. In many cases darted animals elude their handlers and thereby escape capture, only to lose consciousness later in an uncontrolled area where the animals are vulnerable to predators and scavengers. The inventors have found that approximately twenty percent of the target animals die during the tranquilization/sedation process. 
     In addition to being dangerous to the animal, the current tranquilization process is time consuming and dangerous for the animal&#39;s handlers. Impaired animals are notoriously unpredictable and injuries to handlers are common. Handlers are also vulnerable to a variety of diseases (like Lyme disease) and parasites that can be spread from animals to humans. 
     The need exists for a safe, non-stressful way to inject an animal with (for example) an RFID tag so that sedation/tranquilization of the animal is unnecessary. The current invention comprises a passive means of achieving RFID tag insertion that is safe for the animal and also safe for the animal&#39;s handlers. The current invention comprises a system that includes a controllable and automated bait station and an associated injector mechanism that incorporates multiple safety features to ensure that the animal is safely injected. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The current invention is directed to an automated injection system. The system comprises a bait station which includes an injection mechanism. At least one sensor is in communication with the injection mechanism. The bait station is structured so that when the sensor senses a target animal at the station, the injection mechanism injects the animal. 
     The current invention is also directed to an automated injection mechanism. The injection mechanism comprises an injection module that is mounted on a slidable carriage. An inertial weight is disposed adjacent to the injection module. In operation, a sensor causes a release assembly to release the slidable carriage so that the carriage is accelerated toward a target animal. When the carriage slows, the inertial weight continues to move forward and depresses a portion of the injection module, thereby causing the injection module to inject the target animal. 
     The current invention is further directed to a method of automatically injecting a target animal. As an initial step, a bait station is provided that includes an automated injection system. A target animal is then lured to the bait station. When a sensor at the bait station senses the presence of the target animal, the automated injection system injects the target animal. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic of the bait station of the current invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a partial sectional schematic of the injection mechanism in the “cocked” position. 
         FIG. 3  is a partial sectional schematic of the injection mechanism in the “injection” position. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The present invention comprises an automated and controllable animal baiting station.  FIG. 1  generally shows a schematic of the baiting station  10 . In the preferred embodiment, the baiting station  10  is designed to inject an RFID tag into a ruminant such as white-tailed deer. The RFID tags include at least identification data and may also include a variety of biomedical and/or tracking data. In alternative embodiments, the baiting station  10  may be modified to inject target animals with a variety of inoculation or treatment fluids. In further alternative embodiments the system may be used to inject other types of animals and may also perform additional tasks complementary to, or unrelated to injection. 
     As generally shown in  FIG. 1 , the baiting station  10  comprises a housing  12  which includes at least one bait holder  14 . At least one side of the bait station  10  comprises a bait access inlet  16 . In operation, an animal must enter the access inlet  16  and position his torso adjacent to an inner edge of the inlet  16  to have access to feed/bait within the bait holder  14 . 
     Once the animal is in position in the access inlet  16 , a feeding sensor  18  confirms that the animal&#39;s head is proximate the bait holder  14 . A variety of neck and chest sensors  20  positioned along the edge of the access inlet  16  confirm the position of the animal&#39;s neck and chest. The sensors  18 ,  20  may be of any variety known in the art consistent with the function of confirming the position of a target animal. For example, the sensors  18 ,  20  may comprise thermal registry-type instruments, electric eye-type proximity devices, mechanical contact-type buttons/pads/levers and the like, or any other type of sensor known in the art. 
     In the preferred embodiment, information from the sensors  18 ,  20  is fed to a controller  22  which processes the sensor data. Based on information from the sensors  18 ,  20 , the controller may detect the presence or absence of an RFID, and may interpret information on the RFID device or may modify information on the RFID. The controller  22  and associated sensors  18 ,  20  may also sense information from neck collars, ear tags, and other conventional animal identification devices. A key function of the controller  22  is to act as a safety device to ensure that the desired target animal is in the access inlet and that a person or a non-target animal is not inadvertently injected. 
     The controller  22  may be directly connected or hard-wired to the sensors  18 ,  20 , or may communicate wirelessly with the sensors  18 ,  20 . When the controller  22  makes the appropriate determination, the controller  22  sends a signal to an injection mechanism  24  to inject the target animal. Upon receiving the injection signal from the controller  22 , a delivery portion  28  (see  FIGS. 2 and 3 ) of the injection mechanism  24  moves through an aperture  26  in the edge of the access inlet  16  and injects the target animal with an RFID chip/tag or other material, as required. The controller  22  may be directly connected or hard-wired to the injection mechanism  24 , or may communicate wirelessly with the injection mechanism  24 . 
     In addition to identifying a target animal, a variety of biomedical and tracking data may be read from, or programmed into an RFID chip, including inoculation information and medical treatment data.  FIG. 1  shows an embodiment of the bait station  10  that includes a scale  21  and a camera  23  that may also be in contact with the controller  22 . The camera  23  and scale  21  allow handlers to associate a weight and an image with the animal corresponding to electrical identification data provided by the RFID chip. The bait station  10  may include other types of sensors that communicate with the controller  22  so that a variety of additional data corresponding to an injected animal may be recorded. 
       FIGS. 2 and 3  show partial sectional schematics of the injection mechanism  24  shown in  FIG. 1 . The injection mechanism  24  comprises a moveable delivery portion  28 , a stationary portion  30 , and a release assembly  32 . An accelerator linkage  36  connects the release assembly  32 , the stationary portion  30  and the delivery portion  28 . An aperture  38  in the accelerator  36  is positioned so that a traverse rod  40  extends through the aperture  38 . An injector motive means  42  and a retractor motive means  44  move the accelerator  36  laterally along the traverse rod  40 . 
     In the preferred embodiment, the injector  42  and retractor  44  motive means comprise mechanical compression springs. Specifically, an injection spring  42  and a retraction spring  44  coil around the traverse rod  40  on opposite sides of the accelerator  36 . In alternative embodiments, the injector and retractor motive means may be supplied by an electrical, hydraulic, or pneumatic force, or by an alternative mechanical force. As shown in  FIG. 2 , at the initiation of an injection cycle, the delivery portion  28  is retracted so that the injection spring  42  is compressed and the delivery portion  28  is maintained in a “cocked” position by the release assembly  32 . 
     The release assembly  32  comprises a release mechanism  48  and an actuator  50 . As shown in  FIG. 2 , one end of the release mechanism  48  is releasably attached to the accelerator  36  and the other end of the release mechanism  48  is attached to the actuator  50 . In the preferred embodiment, the actuator is an electronic solenoid  50  that is in communication with the controller  22  (see  FIG. 1 ). When instructed by the controller  22 , the solenoid  50  causes the release mechanism  48  to release the accelerator  36  and the attached delivery mechanism  28  so that the needle  66  of the delivery mechanism  28  advances through the aperture  26  and injects the target animal. 
     The delivery portion  28  comprises a sliding carriage  52 , an inertial weight  54 , and an injection module  56 . In the preferred embodiment, the injection module  56  is a conventional syringe. As shown in  FIG. 2 , the carriage  52  is attached to an upper end of the accelerator  36 . A cylindrical inertial weight  54  is attached to a rear portion of the carriage  52  so that the inertial weight  54  slides freely within the carriage guide rings  58 ,  59 . A head  60  of the inertial weight  54  abuts a plunger portion  62  of the syringe  56 . 
     In operation, as shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , when the release assembly  32  receives a signal from the controller  22 , the release assembly  32  releases the accelerator  36 . The injection spring  42  propels the accelerator  36  in the direction of the arrow  64  toward the aperture  26 . Ultimately the needle portion  66  of the syringe  56  extends through the aperture  26 . 
     As the needle penetrates the skin of a target animal, the inertia developed by the forward progress of the carriage  52  causes the inertial weight  54  to slide in the direction of the arrow  64  and depress the plunger  62  of the syringe  56 , thereby injecting the target animal.  FIG. 3  shows the delivery portion  28  in the “injection” position associated with actual injection of a target animal. Note that the needle  66  extends through the aperture  26  and the inertial weight  54  fully depresses the plunger  62  (not visible in  FIG. 3 ) of the syringe  56 . After injection, the retraction spring  42 , which is now fully compressed, expands and exerts a force in the direction of the arrow  68  so that the needle  66  is retracted from the target animal. 
     After the injection, the carriage slide  52  (and associated inertial weight  54  and syringe  56 ) may be reset via a cable or piston retraction system, or by any means known in the art consistent with compressing the injection spring  42  and re-setting the release assembly  32  and delivery portion  28  to the “cocked” position shown in  FIG. 2 . Also after injection, the syringe injection module  56  may be ejected and replaced by a reset and “loaded” module  56 . In alternative embodiments, the RFID or injection dose is stored in the needle  66  so that after injection, only the end portion of the injection module  56  and the spent needle  66  (with an associated tag or dose) is replaced. 
     For the foregoing reasons, it is clear that the invention provides an innovative injection system that may be used in various applications. The invention may be modified in multiple ways and applied in various technological applications. For example, although the preferred embodiment is directed toward injecting an RFID tag into a wild animal, the invention may be used to inject any substance into any creature. 
     The current invention may be modified and customized as required by a specific operation or application, and the individual components may be removed and re-defined, as required, to achieve the desired result. For example, the automated injection mechanism  24  best shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3  may be reconfigured in the form of a handheld “gun” to quickly and effectively deliver an injection to primarily captive or domestic animals. In this embodiment, the sensor would comprise a portion of the release mechanism and the user operating the gun would act as the sensor and controller. An injection gun would be more robust and the injection procedure would be quicker and less likely to be disrupted by unanticipated movements of the animal than the current hand-operated syringe injection process. 
     Although the materials of construction are not described, they may include a variety of compositions consistent with the function of the invention. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims.