Apparatus and method for inhibiting melatonin synthesis in a horse
AssigneeEquilume Limited
InventorsBarbara Murphy, John Sheridan
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus for inhibiting melatonin synthesis in a horse comprises a blinker having an internal surface of which at least a part is diffusing. A source of light is positioned for direction into the horse's eye by the diffusing-surface. The light source and diffusing surface are configured such that the light directed into the horse's eye is blue.
Claims34
A light-based method of inducing physiological change, the method comprising the step of shining light from an artificial blue light source into just one eye of a female horse or other animal, each day for at least 6 weeks, causing a suppression of melatonin production to induce physiological change, the physiological change being advancing a breeding season of the horse or other animal, wherein the treatment regime is at least as effective as maintaining the horse or other animal indoors under barn lighting to advance the breeding season of the horse or other animal, the method further comprising the step of keeping the horse or other animal outdoors whilst the light is shone in just one eye of the horse or other animal.
A light-based method of inducing physiological change, the method comprising the step of shining light from an artificial blue light source into just one eye of a female horse or other animal, each day for at least 6 weeks, causing a suppression of melatonin production to induce physiological change, the physiological change being advancing a breeding season of the horse or other animal, wherein the treatment regime is at least as effective as maintaining the horse or other animal indoors under barn lighting to advance the breeding season of the horse or other animal, the method further comprising the step of keeping the horse or other animal in outside pasture for at least 6 weeks in the two or three months preceding the start of the horse or other animal's breeding season.
A light-based method of inducing physiological change, the method comprising the step of shining light from an artificial blue light source into one eye of a female horse or other animal, wherein the light is directed into only a single one of the female horse or other animal's eyes at any given time, each day for at least 6 weeks, causing a suppression of melatonin production to induce physiological change, the physiological change being advancing a breeding season of the horse or other animal, wherein the treatment regime is at least as effective as maintaining the horse or other animal indoors under barn lighting to advance the breeding season of the horse or other animal, the method further comprising the step of keeping the horse or other animal outdoors whilst the light is shone in a single one of the female horse or other animal's eyes at any given time.
A light-based method of inducing physiological change, the method comprising the step of shining light from an artificial blue light source into one eye of a female horse or other animal, wherein the light is directed into only a single one of the female horse or other animal's eyes at any given time, each day for at least 6 weeks, causing a suppression of melatonin production to induce physiological change, the physiological change being advancing a breeding season of the horse or other animal, wherein the treatment regime is at least as effective as maintaining the horse or other animal indoors under barn lighting to advance the breeding season of the horse or other animal, the method further comprising the step of keeping the horse or other animal in outside pasture for at least 6 weeks in the two or three months preceding the start of the horse or other animal's breeding season.
A light-based method of inducing physiological change, the method comprising the step of shining light from an artificial light source including a white light LED into just one eye of a female horse or other animal, each day for at least 6 weeks, causing a suppression of melatonin production to induce physiological change, the physiological change being advancing a breeding season of the horse or other animal, wherein the treatment regime is at least as effective as maintaining the horse or other animal indoors under barn lighting to advance the breeding season of the horse or other animal, the method further comprising the step of keeping the horse or other animal outdoors whilst the light is shone in just one eye of the horse or other animal, wherein the light shone into the just one eye of the female horse or other animal includes at least 10 lux of blue light at the just one eye of the female horse or other animal.
A light-based method of inducing physiological change, the method comprising the step of shining light from an artificial light source including a white light LED into just one eye of a female horse or other animal, each day for at least 6 weeks, causing a suppression of melatonin production to induce physiological change, the physiological change being advancing a breeding season of the horse or other animal, wherein the treatment regime is at least as effective as maintaining the horse or other animal indoors under barn lighting to advance the breeding season of the horse or other animal, the method further comprising the step of keeping the horse or other animal in outside pasture for at least 6 weeks in the two or three months preceding the start of the horse or other animal's breeding season, wherein the light shone into the just one eye of the female horse or other animal includes at least 10 lux of blue light at the just one eye of the female horse or other animal.
A light-based method of inducing physiological change, the method comprising the step of shining light from an artificial light source including a white light LED into one eye of a female horse or other animal, wherein the light is directed into only a single one of the female horse or other animal's eyes at any given time, each day for at least 6 weeks, causing a suppression of melatonin production to induce physiological change, the physiological change being advancing a breeding season of the horse or other animal, wherein the treatment regime is at least as effective as maintaining the horse or other animal indoors under barn lighting to advance the breeding season of the horse or other animal, the method further comprising the step of keeping the horse or other animal outdoors whilst the light is shone in a single one of the female horse or other animal's eyes at any given time, wherein the light shone in only a single one of the female horse or other animal's eyes at any given time includes at least 10 lux of blue light at the single one of the female horse or other animal's eyes.
A light-based method of inducing physiological change, the method comprising the step of shining light from an artificial light source including a white light LED into one eye of a female horse or other animal, wherein the light is directed into only a single one of the female horse or other animal's eyes at any given time, each day for at least 6 weeks, causing a suppression of melatonin production to induce physiological change, the physiological change being advancing a breeding season of the horse or other animal, wherein the treatment regime is at least as effective as maintaining the horse or other animal indoors under barn lighting to advance the breeding season of the horse or other animal, the method further comprising the step of keeping the horse or other animal in outside pasture for at least 6 weeks in the two or three months preceding the start of the horse or other animal's breeding season, wherein the light shone in only a single one of the female horse or other animal's eyes at any given time includes at least 10 lux of blue light at the single one of the female horse or other animal's eyes.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.