Apparatus for on-site detection of mastitis in milk animals

A milking site mastitis detection system comprising:

• a milking machine system comprising vacuumized milk tank means, at least one teat-engaging milking means and hollow tube means by which the vacuum is communicated from the tank means to the milking means and by which milk derived from an animal at the milking means is communicated to the tank means;
• a mastitis detector disposed along and forming part of the flow path of the hollow tube means which avoids exposing the milk to electrical conductivity, the detector being located upstream of any comingling of milk from different animals, the mastitis detector being subject to the vacuum pressure of the milking machine system and comprising hollow housing means and milk filtering means within the housing means, the filtering means comprising a filter comprising material pervious to milk and impervious to mastitis particles wherein accumulation of mastitis particles on the filter at the filtering means increases the relative opacity thereof accommodating optical detection of said mastitis particles by examination of the filter at the filtering means as opposed to examination of the milk being displaced along the flow path, for instant identification of a specific infected animal, immediate segregation of the infected animal from the herd and prompt treatment of said animal thereby avoiding permanent mastitis damage to the udder of the infected animal and preventing other animals from contracting the disease.

A milking site mastitis detection system comprising:

• a milking machine system comprising vacuumized milk tank means, at least one teat-engaging milking means and hollow tube means by which the vacuum is communicated from the tank means to the milking means and by which milk derived from an animal at the milking means is communicated to the tank means;
• a mastitis detector which avoids exposing the milk to electrical conductivity interposed along the hollow tube means between the milking means and the tank means, upstream of any comingling of milk from different animals, the mastitis detector being subject to the vacuum pressure of the milking machine system and comprising hollow housing means and milk filtering means within the housing means, the filtering means comprising a material pervious to milk and impervious to mastitis particles wherein accumulation of mastitis particles at the filtering means increases the relative opacity thereof accommodating optical detection of said mastitis particles at the filtering means for instant identification of a specific infected animal, immediate segregation of the infected animal from the herd and prompt treatment of said animal thereby avoiding permanent mastitis damage to the udder of the infected animal and preventing other animals from contracting the disease;
• the housing means comprising two hollow chambers separated by said filtering means, and one chamber comprising milk influent means and the other chamber comprising milk effluent means, milk overflow passageway means spanning between said two chambers remote from the filtering means to accommodate flow of milk when and if the filtering means becomes clogged.

A milking site mastitis detection system comprising;

• a milking machine system comprising vacuumized milk tank means, at least one teat-engaging milking means and hollow tube means by which the vacuum is communicated from the tank means to the milking means and by which milk derived from an animal at the milking means is communicated to the tank means;
• a mastitis detection which avoids exposing the milk to electrical conductivity interposed along the hollow tube means between the milking means and the tank means, upstream of any comingling of milk from different animals, the mastitis detector being subject to the vacuum pressure of the milking machine system and comprising hollow housing means and milk filtering means within the housing means, the filtering means comprising a material pervious to milk and impervious to mastitis particles wherein accumulation of mastitis particles at the filtering means increases the relative opacity thereof accommodating optical detection of said mastitis particles at the filtering means for instant identification of a specific infected animal, immediate segregation of the infected animal from the herd and prompt treatment of said animal thereby avoiding permanent mastitis damage to the udder of the infected animal and preventing other animals from contracting the disease;
• light producing means disposed within the housing means on one side of the filtering means and light sensing means within the housing means on the other side of the filtering means for detecting changes in the relative opacity of the filtering means.

A milking site mastitis detection system comprising:

• a milking machine system comprising vaccumized milk tank means, a plurality of teat-engaging milking means and a plurality of hollow tube means by which the vacuum is communicated from the tank means to each milking means and by which milk derived from several animals at the plurality of milking means is communicated to the tank means;
• a plurality of mastitis detectors one disposed along and forming part of the flow path of each hollow tube means which avoids exposing the milk to electrical conductivity, each detector being located upstream of any comingling of milk from different animals, each mastitis detector being subject to the vacuum pressure of the milking machine system and comprising hollow housing means and milk filtering means within the housing means, the filtering means comprising a disposable filter comprising material pervious to milk and impervious to mastitis particles wherein accumulation of mastitis particles on the filter at any filtering means increases the relative opacity thereof accommodating optical detection of said mastitis particles by examination of the filter at said filtering means as opposed to examination of the milk passing site, for instant identification of a specific infected animal, immediate segregation of the infected animal from the other animals and prompt treatment of said animal thereby avoiding permanent mastitis damage to the udder of the infected animal and preventing other animals from contracting the disease.