IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,370,033
Granted Patent B2
US 12,370,033 · App. 17/926,552 · Granted Jul 29, 2025

Method for determining the pregnancy state of an animal

Inventor: Bronwyn Darlington (Carwoola, AU)
Assignee: Agscent Pty Ltd
A61D17/006G01N30/7206G01N33/497G01N2030/025
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,370,033
App. No.
17/926,552
Granted
Jul 29, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

Disclosed herein is a method for determining a pregnancy state of an animal. The method comprises detecting an amount of one or more biomarkers in a breath sample from the animal, the amount of the or each biomarker being indicative of a pregnancy state of the animal.

Claims (14)

1. A method for determining whether an animal is pregnant, the method comprising:

collecting a breath sample from the nose of the animal;

detecting an amount of one or more biomarkers in the breath sample, wherein at least one of the one or more biomarkers is a metabolite of a metabolic process affected by the animal being pregnant; and

comparing the detected amounts of the one or more biomarkers with ambient air and a predetermined biomarker profile, the amount of each biomarker being indicative of the animal being pregnant;

wherein the one or more biomarkers are selected from one or more of the following:

toluene, hexanal, tridecane, tetradecane, propanoic acid, pentane, 1,3-epoxy-4-methyl, 3,5 dimethyl 2 octanone, 4-undecanone and 4-octanone.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined biomarker profile comprises an accumulation of detected amounts of the one or more biomarkers in breath samples from animals of the same species having a categorised pregnancy state.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising producing mass spectra for a plurality of points of the chromatographically resolved breath sample, whereby a mass spectral dataset is produced.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the mass spectral dataset is analysed to determine whether the animal is pregnant.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the analysis is a multivariate analysis.

6. The method of claim 3 , wherein the analysis is a partial least squared discriminant analysis.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein detecting the amount of the one or more biomarkers comprises chromatographically resolving the breath sample.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein detecting an amount of the one or more biomarkers comprises contacting the breath sample with a plurality of sensors that are configured to sense the one or more biomarkers, whereby a cumulative response of the sensors is indicative of the animal being pregnant.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the one or more biomarkers is a metabolite of a metabolic process affected by the pregnancy of a cow, sheep or pig.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 18, 2022
From: DARLINGTON, BRONWYN
To: AGSCENT PTY LTD
Reel/Frame 061831/0532 →
Priority Claims (1)
AU 2020901611 · May 20, 2020 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230200964A1 · Jun 29, 2023
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