U.S. patent application number 15/689783 was filed with the patent office on 2018-05-10 for automated method and system for introducing liquid iodine into drinking water.
The applicant listed for this patent is James C. Richards. Invention is credited to James C. Richards.
Application Number | 20180125032 15/689783 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 44353894 |
Filed Date | 2018-05-10 |
United States Patent
Application |
20180125032 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Richards; James C. |
May 10, 2018 |
Automated method and system for introducing Liquid iodine into
drinking water
Abstract
A system for delivering molecular iodine or other substance into
a pet's drinking water on a daily basis without exceeding the safe
amount allowed for the pet. The system delivers a particular amount
of molecular iodine into the pet water supply to achieve maximum
benefit of I.sub.2 to reduce or eliminate bad pet breath and
minimize total iodine in the pet diet so that 20-40 .mu.g/mL/Kg/day
iodine is consumed for optimum thyroid health. The preferred method
is to use a solution created by dissolving iodine crystals in
absolute ethanol. The iodine will only be in solution as I.sub.2
for a short time as it undergoes out gassing and hydrolysis at
neutral pH. The present invention removes the iodine from the
drinking water after the pet drinks. Therefore, during the day,
pets will get no additional iodine--only fresh water. Each enrolled
pet is electronically recognized by the system.
Inventors: |
Richards; James C.;
(Sudbury, MA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Richards; James C. |
Sudbury |
MA |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
44353894 |
Appl. No.: |
15/689783 |
Filed: |
August 29, 2017 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
14656213 |
Mar 12, 2015 |
|
|
|
15689783 |
|
|
|
|
13916681 |
Jun 13, 2013 |
|
|
|
14656213 |
|
|
|
|
13018955 |
Feb 1, 2011 |
8470303 |
|
|
13916681 |
|
|
|
|
61300630 |
Feb 2, 2010 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
C02F 1/766 20130101;
C02F 1/283 20130101; C02F 1/003 20130101; C02F 1/008 20130101; C02F
2103/20 20130101; A01K 7/02 20130101; A61K 33/18 20130101; C02F
2307/10 20130101; C02F 2303/185 20130101; A61K 8/20 20130101; C02F
2001/427 20130101; C02F 1/686 20130101; A61Q 11/00 20130101; A01N
59/12 20130101; A01K 7/06 20130101; C02F 2103/026 20130101 |
International
Class: |
A01K 7/02 20060101
A01K007/02; A01N 59/12 20060101 A01N059/12; A61K 8/20 20060101
A61K008/20; A61K 33/18 20060101 A61K033/18; A61Q 11/00 20060101
A61Q011/00; C02F 1/00 20060101 C02F001/00; C02F 1/76 20060101
C02F001/76; C02F 1/68 20060101 C02F001/68; A01K 7/06 20060101
A01K007/06 |
Claims
1. An apparatus for injecting molecular iodine into pet drinking
water comprising: a pet-access drinking container; a dual filter
cartridge containing both an activated charcoal filter and a hair
filter; a continuously-running circulation pump, wherein the
circulation pump is adapted to pass water from the pet-access
drinking container through the filter cartridge to remove excess
molecular iodine; a molecular iodine dispenser containing a
solution of molecular iodine in absolute alcohol constructed to
dispense the molecular iodine solution into the pet-access drinking
container, the solution of molecular iodine being a 1% solution; a
pet identification module adapted to read a passive RFID tag worn
by a pet to produce a pet identification; a processor programmed
use pet identification to recognize a pet and then dispense 20-40
ug/mL/Kg/day of iodine of said molecular iodine solution from said
molecular iodine dispenser into said drinking container based on a
stored profile for that pet;
2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the pet-access drinking
container is flushed of molecular iodine after a pet drinks.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the processor only dispenses
molecular iodine solution once per day for each pet recognized.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said solution of molecular
iodine also contains a vitamin or nutrient.
5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said pet identification module
contains an RFID reader.
6. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the RFID reader operates on a
frequency of approximately 13.56 MHz.
7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the pet-access drinking
container is stainless steel.
8. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the pet-access drinking
container is also used as a reflector for an RFID interrogation
radio signal.
9. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a pet presence
indicator light wherein said pet presence indicator light is
mounted on top of the apparatus and shielded from sight of the
pet.
10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the pet-access drinking
container is approximately 6 inches deep.
11. An apparatus for injecting a molecular iodine into pet drinking
water comprising: a pet drinking container; a double filter
cartridge including an activated charcoal filter and a debris
filter; a continuously-running circulation pump, wherein said
circulation pump is constructed to pass water from said pet
drinking container through the filter cartridge to remove excess
molecular iodine from the water; a substance dispenser containing a
solution of molecular iodine in absolute alcohol; a pet
identification module including a reader adapted to read a passive
RFID tag worn by a pet to produce a pet identification; a processor
programmed use the pet identification to recognize a pet and then
dispense a predetermined amount of the molecular iodine from the
substance dispenser into the pet drinking container, said
predetermined amount of molecular iodine being an amount required
by that particular pet.
12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the processor only dispenses
molecular iodine solution to a particular pet once per day.
13. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the pet drinking container is
metal, and the pet drinking container is also used as a reflector
for an REID interrogation radio signal.
14. The apparatus of claim 11 further comprising a pet presence
indicator light wherein said pet presence indicator light is
mounted on top of the apparatus and shielded from sight of the
pet.
15. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the pet drinking container is
approximately 6 inches deep.
16. An apparatus constructed to dispense a solution of molecular
iodine into a pet's drinking water, the molecular iodine improving
the pet's health and preventing bad breath, the apparatus
comprising, in combination: an RFID scanner configured to read a
passive RFID tag worn by a pet approaching the apparatus, the RFID
scanner outputting a unique pet identification based on the passive
REID tag; a processor adapted to compute a predetermined amount of
molecular iodine to be injected into the pet's drinking water based
on the unique pet identification, said predetermined amount being
an amount of molecular iodine required for that particular pet; a
dispenser containing a solution of molecular iodine in absolute
alcohol; the processor executing stored instructions to dispense a
predetermined amount of molecular iodine into the drinking water
for the pet; a continuously running pump configured to circulate
the drinking water through an activated charcoal filter to remove
excess molecular iodine not consumed by the pet, and a debris and
hair filter.
17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the processor only dispenses
iodine solution to a particular pet once per day.
18. The apparatus of claim 16 further comprising a metal pet
drinking bowl.
19. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the metal pet drinking bowl
is also used as a reflector for an REID interrogation radio signal
from the REID scanner.
20. The apparatus of claim 16 further comprising a pet presence
indicator light said pet presence indicator light being mounted on
top of the apparatus and shielded from sight of the pet.
Description
[0001] This application is a continuation of application Ser. No.
14/656,213 filed Mar. 12, 2015 which was a continuation-in-part of
application Ser. No. 13/916,681 filed Jun. 13, 2013 which was a
divisional of application Ser. No. 13/018,955 filed Feb. 1, 2013,
now U.S. Pat. No. 8,470,303. Application Ser. No. 13/018,955
claimed priority from Provisional Patent application 61/300,630
filed Feb. 2, 2010. Application Ser. Nos. 14/656,213, 13/916,681,
13/018,955 and 61/300,630 are hereby incorporated by reference in
their entireties.
BACKGROUND
Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates generally to the field of pet
and human health and more particularly to an automated method for
curing bad breath by periodically introducing a safe amount of
molecular iodine into drinking water.
Description of the Prior Art
[0003] It is known in the art that in many circumstances so-called
bad oral breath is caused by microbes in the mouth and specifically
between the teeth and gum tissue. Some of these microbes produce
sulfur-containing compounds that can lead to "rottenegg" breath and
can be very pronounced in animals with periodontal disease.
[0004] It is also known in the art to use iodine to disinfect
drinking water, and in particular, others have used iodine to
disinfect animal drinking water. For example, the system sold under
the name of UltraDyne-a.TM. adds one cap full of its iodine
containing formula to 30,000 parts of animal's drinking water
resulting in a working solution of 1-5 ppm/mL. This can result in
very large amounts of iodine anions along with molecular iodine or
"free iodine" being consumed on a daily basis. The amounts added to
the water will result in the animals consuming 10-20 times the
recommended amount of total iodine for thyroid function and could
lead to deleterious outcomes (weight loss, hyperthyroidism, failure
to thrive, etc.). Prior art iodine additives use a mixture of
iodine compounds including iodides and iodates as well as molecular
iodine. This is generally done since molecular iodine dissipates
fairly rapidly from water at neutral pH. The iodides and iodates,
at a slightly acid pH, continue to produce more molecular
iodine.
[0005] Harvey et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 5,919,374 teach disinfecting
water for farm animals with iodine. Solid iodine is first dissolved
in water to produce a saturated iodine species-containing aqueous
solution at a pre-selected temperature. This solution is then
blended with the drinking water to produce a diluted iodine species
bacterium-free aqueous solution. A disadvantage of this method is
that generally the water has to be heated to a controlled
temperature to dissolve the iodine. Also, Harvey recommends
maintaining a fixed amount of iodine concentration in the water
continuously. This is a disadvantage because it may lead to
particular animals ingesting too much iodine, and because iodine
generally leaves a water solution fairly rapidly at room
temperature, there may be considerable wasted iodine.
[0006] Iodine exists in many forms in aqueous solution at room
temperature and neutral pH. These include I.sup.-, I.sub.2, HOI,
H2OI.sup.+, OI.sup.-, I.sub.3.sup.-, and I.sub.5.sup.-. Because
I.sub.2 is the only anti-infective form of iodine in water at pH
below 7 (HOI dominates in water above pH 7) in any of the prior art
systems, it would be very advantageous to have a unique system that
delivers only molecular iodine (I.sub.2) into pet drinking water.
Such a method and system will kill oral bacteria responsible for
bad breath. In addition, iodine reacts with sulfur containing
compounds e.g., hydrogen sulfide responsible for the malodor in pet
breath and neutralizes the odor by the reaction between molecular
iodine and methyl mercaptan, dimethyl sulfide and hydrogen sulfide,
to produce the corresponding sulfonic acids which have
substantially reduced odor or sulfur smell.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] The present invention is directed toward a unique system and
method for delivering molecular iodine into a pet's drinking water
on a daily basis without exceeding the safe amount allowed for the
pet. The present invention delivers a particular amount of
molecular iodine into the pet water supply to achieve maximum
benefit of I.sub.2 to reduce or eliminate bad pet breath and
minimize total iodine in the pet diet so that 20-40 .mu.g/mL/Kg/day
iodine is consumed for optimum thyroid health. The preferred method
is to use a solution created by dissolving iodine crystals in
absolute ethanol. Molecular iodine is completely soluble in 100%
alcohol. The advantage of using iodine in 100% alcohol is that a
very small aliquot (0.5 mL into 500 mL water) of 1% iodine (10,000
.mu.g/mL) can be injected into water to achieve instant dissolution
and achieve the desired iodine concentration rapidly. The iodine
will only be in solution as I.sub.2 for a short time as it
undergoes out gassing and hydrolysis at neutral pH. Furthermore,
the present invention removes iodine from the drinking water after
the pet drinks. Therefore, during the day, pets will get no
additional iodine--only fresh water from the water reservoir. The
present invention delivers optimal amounts of iodine to achieve
optimal thyroid health and function in addition to eliminating bad
breath. There are several ways to accomplish this; however, a
preferred way is to deliver the iodine at the time when pets
drink--first in the AM and later in the PM or only one time per
24-hour period. The system will use a radio frequency (Rf)
transmitter and receiver-based system specific for each pet. The
system will recognize each pet specifically and deliver iodine only
at designated times and at designed volumes. At all other times the
water system will only deliver pure water. This system disinfects
the pet bowl, pet(s) would get antiseptic doses of iodine in the
morning and all pets would get iodine for optimum thyroid health
and function. The preferred embodiment of the present invention
recognizes a particular pet approaching the bowl with an Radio
Frequency Identification (RFID) tag. Any pet recognition method is
within the scope of the present invention.
[0008] It is therefore an object of the present invention to
deliver molecular iodine into a pet's drinking water on a daily
basis without exceeding the safe amount allowed for the pet.
[0009] It is a further object of the invention to deliver a
predetermined amount of iodine each day sufficient to disinfect the
water and provide the correct amount of iodine needed by the
pet.
[0010] It is a further object of the invention to deliver molecular
iodine into water by using aliquots of pure iodine dissolved in
absolute alcohol.
[0011] It is a further object of the invention to deliver iodine
into drinking water from a disposable canister.
[0012] It is an object of some embodiments of the present invention
to identify individual pets as they approach a water source so that
each pet's iodine intake can be separately monitored.
[0013] These and other objects of the present invention will become
apparent in the following descriptions and illustrations.
DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
[0014] Attention is now directed to several drawings that
illustrate features of the present invention:
[0015] FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the present invention as a
water reservoir and drinking bowl
[0016] FIG. 2 shows some of the parts included in the present
invention.
[0017] FIG. 3 shows an electrical block diagram of an embodiment of
the present invention.
[0018] FIG. 4 shows a fluid block diagram of an embodiment of the
present invention.
[0019] Several drawings and illustrations have been presented to
aid in understanding the present invention. The scope of the
present invention is not limited to what is shown in the
figures.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0020] The present invention is related to a system and method for
dispensing molecular iodine in controlled amounts into drinking
water, and in particular into a pet's drinking water. The method
for curing pet bad breath comprising the steps of (1) sensing the
presence of a specific pet followed by (2) precise pump delivery of
an aliquot of molecular iodine into (3) a water reservoir followed
by pet drinking the immediately iodinated water followed by (4) pet
movement away from water reservoir. The pet movement away from the
water reservoir produces (5) a signal that switches a valve (6)
that passes all water in the water bowl through (7) a filter device
that removes remaining iodine from the water bowl and results in a
full reservoir of iodine-free water now filtered and purified.
[0021] (1) Each pet has a unique signal sending device attached to
the pet. A preferred signal sending device is an RFID tag. The
signal generated by the device is specifically designed to only be
detected when the pet is immediately above the drinking water. (2)
Each unique sending device is programmed with the pet
identification so that the correct iodine dose will be given once
per day per animal. At all other times in a 24-hour period when the
pet drinks generally no iodine is injected into the water
reservoir. This schedule can be changed for a particular pet if
necessary. (3) The iodine is injected into the water and rapidly
mixed with the water in a reservoir. (4) When the animal finishes
drinking and leaves the water reservoir the signal loss (5)
triggers a valve that pumps the remaining iodinated water through a
filter to remove remaining iodine and (6) filtered water returns to
the reservoir and (7) new water enters the water bowl from the
water reservoir to return the water volume to a predetermined
amount. The volume of water consumed by any animal is approximately
proportional to the animal's weight.
[0022] Therefore if the molecular iodine concentration in water is
5-10 mcg/mL then the amount of water consumed at a single early AM
will supply both sufficient iodine to eliminate pet bad breath,
kill oral pathogens and supply sufficient iodine for optimal
thyroid health and thyroid hormone maintenance.
[0023] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of the
present invention. A water reservoir and case 1 with electronic and
fluid components is situated above a pet water drinking bowl 2. The
case 1 also contains a programmed electronic controller, pumps and
a filter.
[0024] FIG. 2 is similar to FIG. 1, but shows an RFID tag reader
antenna 3, a pump 6, an electronics module 4 and an additive
reservoir 5 that generally contains Iodine.
[0025] An RF (radio frequency) transmitter/receiver (RFID tag
reader) module is attached to processor. Each unique RF module or
RFID tag would be attached to a particular pet or animal. Each pet
or animal has a unique signature. A water reservoir (contained in
1) is fluidly attached to the water bowl 2. A control circuit board
4 containing the RF detection module and digital circuitry to
control the pump and pump valve. Generally, the control circuit
board 4 contains a processor. This can be a microprocessor,
micro-controller, PC processor, or any other processor. The present
invention can also be controlled remotely over the Internet, or
remotely from any location either via a network or by radio. The
water reservoir and water bowl are typically designed to maintain a
constant volume of water (such as 500 mL or any other value) in the
water bowl at all times. If the iodine cartridge (which can be
disposable) contains 1.0 mg/mL of molecular iodine in 100% ethanol,
then the system will inoculate 0.5 mL into the water supply to
create a final iodine concentration of 10 mcg/mL in 500 mL water.
While this concentration is given by way of example, any other
concentration is within the scope of the present invention. When
the pet is finished drinking and leaves the bowl area the RF signal
will be lost, and the water valve will switch to flush iodine from
the bowl. All the remaining iodinated water will pass through the
disposable filtration cartridge containing substances that remove
iodine from the water and the filtered water is returned to the
water bowl. Additional water can then enter the water bowl from the
water reservoir to again achieve a final desired volume. When the
same pet again comes to the water bowl later in the same 24-hour
period the system will not deliver more iodine. This pet will
typically not receive more iodine until the next day.
[0026] The present invention delivers a predetermined amount of
molecular iodine into the pet water supply to achieve maximum
benefit of I.sub.2 to reduce or eliminate bad pet breath and
minimize total iodine in the pet diet so that 20-40 mcg/mL/Kg
iodine is consumed for optimum thyroid health. The preferred method
is to use a solution created by dissolving iodine crystals in
absolute ethanol. Molecular iodine is completely soluble in 100%
alcohol. The advantage of using iodine in 100% alcohol is that a
very small aliquot of 1% iodine (10,000 mcg/mL) can be injected
into water to achieve instant dissolution and achieve the desired
iodine concentration rapidly. The iodine will only be in solution
as I.sub.2 for a short time as it undergoes out gassing and
hydrolysis at neutral pH. Therefore, during the day pets will get
no additional iodine--only fresh water from the water reservoir.
The present invention delivers optimal amounts of iodine to achieve
optimal thyroid health and function in addition to eliminating bad
breath.
[0027] A preferred way of practicing the present invention is as
follows: the system can deliver the iodine at time when pets
drink--first in the AM and later in the PM or only once per day
either in the AM or PM. The system can use a clock to deliver
iodine to achieve a concentration in the pet water of 5-10 ppm/mL
from e.g., 5-7 AM and later from 5-7 PM. All other times the water
system would only deliver pure water. This system disinfects the
pet bowl, pet(s) would get antiseptic doses of iodine in the
morning and evening and all pets would get iodine for optimum
thyroid health and function. No other pet water system disinfects
the pet water after the water enters the drinking bowl and
maintains a clean bowl as a result.
[0028] A typical embodiment of the present invention can include a
water reservoir, a clock or timer, an iodine injection cartridge or
other mechanism, and a drinking bowl for the pet. Since many
facilities have multiple pets, it is advantageous in some
embodiments to identify particular pets and control iodine
dispensing based on a particular pet. This can be done with a
collar RFID tag or other readable identification device. However,
one embodiment of the present invention simply dispenses iodine
into the water in the morning and evening (or at other particular
times) without distinguishing between pets in a household.
Normally, all of the pets will drink at these times and receive
their required iodine. The bowl will remain clean during the day
and night, and at other times, the pets simply receive fresh
water.
[0029] The following reactions involving iodine should be
noted:
2I.sup.--2e.fwdarw.I.sub.2 formation of molecular iodine (1)
HOIH.sup.++I.sup.- dissociation of hypoiodic acid (2)
I.sub.2+H.sub.20HOI+H.sup.++I.sup.- hydrolysis of molecular iodine
(3)
HOI+H.sup.+H.sub.2OI.sup.+ protonation of hypoiodic acid (4)
H.sub.2OI.sup.+HOI+OI.sup.-+H.sup.+ hydrolysis of iodine cation
(5)
OI.sup.-+I.sup.-+H.sub.2OHI.sub.2O.sup.-+OH.sup.- iodination of
hypoiodite (6)
I.sub.2+I.sup.-I.sub.3.sup.- triiodine formation (7)
[0030] The only significant anti-infective iodine species in water
is molecular iodine (I.sub.2). In the pH range of 6.0<->7.0,
I.sub.2 is favored when I.sub.2 is added directly into water. As
can be seen from equation (3) I.sub.2 will undergo hydrolysis
rather rapidly (minutes to hours), and also I.sub.2 has low
solubility in water at standard temperature and pressure (STP). If
the pH of the water is kept at about pH 6.0, I.sub.2 is favored,
but if the pH is above 7.0, I.sub.2 will hydrolyze (3) to I.sup.-
and HOI and I.sub.3.sup.- (7) can form and accumulate in the water.
I have determined experimentally that I.sub.2 is lost from the
water at room temperature at a linear rate of about 0.3 mcg/mL/hour
when the pH of the water was adjusted to .about.pH5-5.5 with acetic
acid to prolong survival of I.sub.2 in water. Thus after 24 hours
>90% of the I.sub.2 is lost either to hydrolysis
I.sub.2+H.sub.20HOI+H.sup.++I.sup.- hydrolysis of molecular
iodine
or volatile I.sub.2 via out gassing. At higher pH, the iodine will
dissipate faster or be converted to HOI. At neutral pH=7 the I2
loss is .about.0.5 mcg/mL/hr so that >90% is gone within 4
hours.
[0031] I have also determined experimentally some water consumption
rates for pets: I measured the volume of water the test subjects
(two 35 kg dogs and two 4 kg cats) consumed over a 24 hour period
in four separate experiments and the average daily water
consumption was 2.7 liters/24 hours. If we assume water consumption
is approximately proportional to animal body weight then the
animals were drinking 35 mL water/kg/day. Furthermore, the average
I.sub.2 concentration was approximately 5 mcg/mL over the 24 hour
time period. The amounts are summarized below.
Animal Test Animal Weight (Kg) Water Consumption Iodine
Consumption
TABLE-US-00001 [0032] Subject (mL/24 hrs) (mcg/mL/24 hr) Dog 1 35
1225 6125 Dog 2 35 1225 6125 Cat 1 4 140 700 Cat 2 4 140 700
[0033] The daily recommended dietary iodine dose is 20-40 mcg/Kg in
humans. It is generally recognized that the daily dog/cat iodine
thyroid iodine requirement would be approximately the same as the
adult human daily iodine requirement and the daily adult human
iodine requirement is 20-40 mcg/Kg/day. Therefore, the dog test
subjects should consume between 700-1400 mcg I.sub.2/day and the
cat test subjects should consume 80-160 mcg I.sub.2/day.
[0034] The conclusion from these studies is that these animal pet
subjects consumed 4.35->8.75 times the daily-recommended dosage
of iodine. There were no obvious changes in pet behavior, food
consumption or excretion However, they were followed for only 4
days. Later, they were followed for 3 weeks with 12 at 1-5 mcg/mL
and no ill effects were noted.
[0035] In order to keep charged iodine species in the water from
rising too high, particular embodiments of the invention can
include a mixed bed resin in a filtration cartridge to remove only
charged ions e.g., I.sup.-, I.sub.3.sup.-, OI.sup.- and
H.sub.2OI.sup.-. Uncharged I.sub.2 passes through the filtration
cartridge and will also maintain antisepsis for the entire
cartridge. The primary reason for removing the charged ions is that
even though do not contribute to antisepsis or disinfection, they
nevertheless contribute to the total amount of iodine in the pet's
body and could lead to excessive iodination of thyroid and possibly
lead to hyperthyroidism. Activated charcoal and mixed bed resin
will be included in the filtration device to remove all or most of
the iodine forms.
[0036] Various compositions of the iodine solution can be used in
the present invention in the form of a disposable cartridge with
the preferred being simply iodine crystals dissolved in absolute
alcohol. While commercial tincture of iodine might be used as a
source of I.sub.2, tincture of iodine is more precisely termed
"Iodine Tincture USP" and contains 2% iodine, 2.4% iodide and 47%
alcohol. The potential problem with this iodine source is that more
than half of the total iodine is iodide (I.sup.-) and serves no use
in present invention other than provide unnecessary added iodine to
the pet total body iodine concentration.
[0037] As stated, one embodiment uses solid iodine crystals in 100%
ethanol (absolute ethanol). A possible 10% stock solution of
I.sub.2 in 100% ethanol can be prepared by dissolving 1 gram of
solid iodine in 10 mL of 100% ethanol (100 mg/mL). A 1% iodine
solution can be prepared in 100% ethanol using a 1:10 dilution of
the stock or 10 mg/mL. This results in 10,000 ppm/mL in
ethanol.
[0038] As previously stated, one embodiment of the invention simply
dispenses a predetermined amount of iodine into the pet drinking
water at particular times during the day (morning and evening for
example) without distinguishing between particular pets. A more
complex embodiment can detect a particular pet approaching the bowl
using an RFID tag or other wireless device on the pet collar. The
exact amount of iodine dispensed can be based on the pet
identification.
[0039] The activation of iodine delivery to water is based on
system sensing of the pet presence. One concept is a simple
proximity sensor. Once the pet is near the dish the system is
activated and fresh iodinated water is pumped into the bowl. This
can be accomplished with either motion sensors or sensors on the
pet collar. Another concept is that each pet has a microchip on the
pet collar that identifies each pet. In addition the system can
detect which pet is about to drink water and inject iodine into the
system appropriate for each pet. For example, if a pet drank a lot
of water on a hot day the system will know approximately how much
iodinated water the pet had consumed during the day. A safe daily
iodine intake for mammals including man is 20-40 mg/Kg body weights
per 24 hr period. This range can be programmed for each pet and
stored so the system knows how much iodinated water each pet
receives. Therefore, the system micro chip identity collar will
permit regulation of the dietary iodine intake, measure the amount
of water consumed daily and permit storing of pet water consumption
including wireless access when owners are traveling to provide
peace of mind as to pet safety. It should be pointed out that the
pet microchip collar system could easily be used with a food
dispensing system.
[0040] As stated, in the preferred embodiment of the present
invention, iodine can be injected in the morning and/or evening.
Then, after the pet drinks (or pets drink), the iodine can be
removed by the filter.
[0041] A processor with a timer can control a valve to allow
predetermined amounts of iodine to be injected into the drinking
water at particular times of the day. The processor may be a
microprocessor, microcontroller or personal computer, or it may
simply be a logic circuit that performs the function. If it is a
processor, it can also be equipped with volatile and non-volatile
memory as is known in the art. The processor can also control the
pump The pump while preferably a small electric pump can be any
type of pressure generating system. The timer may be a time-of-day
clock or a simple counter. Any types of pumps, timers or processors
are within the scope of the present invention. As mentioned, a
wireless transponder may be used to identify a particular pet. This
may be an RFID transponder known in the art, or it may be any other
type of wireless system for communicating with a pet collar or pet
implant chip. The preferred method is to use an RFID tag on the pet
collar with the transponder being an RFID transponder or
receiver.
[0042] FIG. 3 shows a block diagram of a basic embodiment of the
present invention. User inputs 7 are put into software executing in
the processor 8. These can include the exact dose and frequency of
dosing for each pet registered into the system. A new pet can be
entered, and an old pet removed. Enrollment can consist of entering
an identifier for the pet and then presenting its RFID collar to
the RFID reader 10.
[0043] When an enrolled pet approaches the RFID reader 10, its
particular tag is read and identified. The processor can then
determine if a dose should be administered. If a dose is to be
administered, one of the additive (iodine) pumps 9, 12 can inject
an exact amount of iodine solution into the bowl. When the pet
leaves, the processor 8 can command a circulation pump (not shown)
to activate and remove the water containing iodine, preferably
through replaceable filter canister. An alternative is to simply
eject the iodine containing water into a drain or holding tank. A
LED 11 can indicate when iodine is being administered to a pet or
alternatively when an enrolled pet has been detected.
[0044] FIG. 4 shows a fluid diagram of a preferred embodiment of
the present invention. The water bowl 2 is connected to the water
reservoir in the case 1. A filter canister 14 can remove iodine
when a circulation pump 16 is activated. Additive pumps 9 and 12
can administer iodine from additive reservoirs 5 and 15
respectively. As previously noted, other additives besides iodine
may be desirable such as vitamins or even prescription drugs. In
this case, one of the additive reservoirs can contain iodine and
the other can contain any other substance. In one embodiment of the
present invention, the invention is not used to administer iodine,
but rather up to two additives of any type. The processor can be
programmed for any type of substance administration, and any type
of substance administration is within the scope of the present
invention.
[0045] In summary, the present invention can supply antiseptic
anti-infective iodine or other substances into pet drinking water
so that several important events occur: [0046] 1. Offensive pet
breath is eliminated and in fact is virtually odorless. [0047] 2.
Optimal thyroid health is promoted by guaranteeing optimal
iodination of the thyroid gland. [0048] 3. The pet water supply
stays clean and fresh at all times and there is no microbial growth
or bio-film/slime in the dish. [0049] 4. Antiseptic iodine will
inhibit progression of periodontal disease and cat stomatitis.
[0050] 5. Oral mucosal wounds will be disinfected. [0051] 6. Pet
water consumption will be monitored and recorded for owner peace of
mind.
[0052] Prior art systems have not used iodine to prevent pet breath
because: most people consider PVP-iodine or Betadine to be the
primary form of iodine disinfectant. PVP-iodine is 10% total
iodine. Of all iodine species in 10% PVP-iodine only 2-3 ppm/mL is
I.sub.2. PVP-iodine is not acceptable as a treatment for water
disinfection or any oral antisepsis. Only I.sub.2 is
anti-infective. If anyone would add I.sub.2/free molecular iodine
to an open dish of water they would discover that all I.sub.2 is
gone from the system with in several hours. I.sub.2 is poorly
soluble in water and will "de-gas" rapidly form a water suspension.
This means that I.sub.2 will leave as a gas very rapidly. It has
not been appreciated in the prior art that pure I.sub.2 can be
added to a water source and provide a constant antiseptic
concentration of molecular iodine exactly when the pet drinks and
fills the oral cavity with anti-infective iodine and thereby kills
oral bacteria responsible for "bad breath".
[0053] An embodiment of the present invention uses a stainless
steel bowl since it has been determined by experiment that pets
prefer it to a plastic bowl or bowl of other material. The
stainless steel bowl is also a significant improvement for several
reasons. One is the ease of cleaning in, for example, a dishwasher
to eliminate any biofilms that might exist in any water bowl. The
biofilm is a source of microbial contamination and will inactivate
the iodine due to binding to the highly proteinaceous nature of any
biofilm.
[0054] In any case, pet water bowls become contaminated with
bacteria and a source of potentially hazardous bacteria, fungi or
viruses. All pet water systems that use filtration systems filter
the water before the water enters the pet bowl. Such systems remove
antimicrobial chlorine and thus make the water vulnerable to
microbial growth. The present invention filters the water after it
enters the pet bowl and by adding molecular iodine (I.sub.2) into
the water, prevents microbial growth in the pet bowl and maintains
a clean healthy water supply. Prior art systems clean the water by
draining all the water to remove any substance. The present
invention uses an activated charcoal filter to specifically remove
contaminants and unconsumed molecular iodine without draining the
water from the unit thus making the entire system easier to use
with less need to waste water. A charcoal filter in cartridge can
be used in conjunction with a second filter designed to remove
primarily animal hair. If this second filter is not used, animal
hair becomes entangled around the water mixing propeller. The hair
can cause the rotating part inside the immersion pump to become
entangled and stop working. Therefore the preferred method is to
use two separate filters. The charcoal filter position in the unit
is such that permits water to flow under the filter cartridge to
maintain a steady water current to facilitate iodine mixing but
sufficient to eventually remove >90% of the iodine not consumed
by dog or cat.
[0055] An embodiment of the present invention prefers a passive
RFID system in lieu of the active one. The passive system negates
the necessity of a power source on the tag itself which allows for
the tags to be worked into nearly anything (subcutaneous, embedded
in a collar itself, embedded in a plastic tag that is hung from a
collar, and the like).
[0056] Additionally, this embodiment benefits from the use of the
stainless steel bowl, as this is a good reflector of high frequency
(HF) radio waves and the passive system operates at 13.56 MHz. This
means the metal water bowl effectively acts as a form of "radio
telescope" focusing the RF waves right where the tag will be. This
effect gives the product more consistent tag reads, and reduces one
or both of the power requirements of the broadcasting antenna and
the size requirements of the tag antenna. The steel bowl thus acts
as a reflector of an RFID interrogation radio signal.
[0057] The following has been determined by field trials: [0058] 1.
Lights on front of unit scare some pets causing them to now want to
drink again from the device--the solution is to locate LED
indicator lights (proximity, antiseptic/iodine pump on, low water
signal both visual and audio) on the top of the unit with a shield
to prevent animals from seeing the lights go on and off; [0059] 2.
The start of water pump scares some of the pets--the solution is a
continuously rotating propeller in the water bowl is essential
silent. Cats significantly prefer moving water. The gentle current
in the bowl is also effective for mixing the iodine antiseptic when
injected into the water bowl. [0060] 3. Moving the entire unit to
the sink to clean is a problem. The solution is that the unit never
leaves the floor. Embodiments have a base and footprint that
significantly lowers the center of gravity much closer to the floor
and essentially eliminates the possibility of being tipped over by
a large pet; A "head" lifts on a back pivot and rotates up and
backward to reveal the propeller and delivery tubes/pipes. The
stainless steel water bowl rests inside the base in "nested"
configuration that significantly reduces the possibility of
accidental spilling/tipping over. The animal water source is
critical to pets' health and must be protected. [0061] 4. The RFID
tag must be small, especially for cats or smaller pets. Small dogs
and cats are be reluctant to wear an RFID sending device with on
board battery because of size. It is preferable that the RFID tag
be passive. [0062] 5. The depth of the bowl (bowl height) should be
deep. A shallow water bowl height i.e., 2 inches is not preferred
because of water dripping off the pet's mouth, whereas a much
deeper bowl wall e.g., 6'' produces much less water mess in front
of the device. [0063] 6. The antiseptic cartridge must be inserted
and removed easily. The antiseptic cartridge including the two
filters should fit into the unit in a way analogous to a print
cartridge for a printer.
[0064] It should be noted that the same compounds that cause bad
breath in animals also are present in humans. The system of the
present invention can be adapted to provide drinking water for
humans that have the same beneficial effects for humans, namely
eliminating bad breath and providing a source of daily iodine
intake.
[0065] It should also be noted that the present invention can be
used with any animal, pet or wild, and can be used with humans
including human children.
[0066] Several descriptions and illustrations have been presented
to aid in understanding the features of the present invention. One
skilled in the art will realize that numerous changes and
variations can be made without departing from the spirit of the
present invention. Each of these changes and variations is within
the scope of the present invention.
* * * * *