1. Apparatus for cutting free of at least a part of a tenderloin in a suspended half-carcass, wherein the apparatus comprises a fixture (1) having a pubic bone catch (2) for positioning and supporting the half-carcass by the pubic bone thereof, and the apparatus further comprising a cutting device (7) having a curvilinear sharp edge (9), and an industrial robot including a manipulator for moving the cutting device (7) with the sharp edge (9) foremost during cutting free of at least a part of the tenderloin in a half-carcass positioned and supported by the pubic bone catch.
2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said pubic bone catch (2) comprises an upper sharp edge (3) with a slope down towards an opposite, upward edge (4) and that the apparatus comprises a lifting device for lifting the pubic bone catch (2) to a predetermined, supporting position or a lowering device for lowering a half-carcass for support of a pubic bone thereof on the pubic bone catch (2).
3. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the cutting device (7) comprises a hollow cylinder with an inner surface and an outer surface, and with the sharp edge (9) at one end (8), which end (8) can be obliquely cut and have sharp edges (9) on the oblique cuts.
4. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the sharp edge (9) has a position in extension of either the inner or outer surface of the cylinder, and that this position of the sharp edge (9) can be varied at different parts of the oblique cuts.
5. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the manipulator of the industrial robot is adapted for moving the cutting device (7) in a predetermined path and direction relative to the pubic bone catch (2), so that the sharp edge (9) cuts at the transition between the half-carcass and the tenderloin in the splitting plane of the carcass.
6. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cutting device is connected to a movable part of the manipulator, and the path and direction of movement of the cutting device relative to the pubic bone catchfixture is programmed into the control unit of the manipulator.
7. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the moving device is positioned at the side of the fixture intended for introduction of the half-carcass in the fixture.
8. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the fixture (1) comprises an upper displacement device (5), adapted for fixing an upper part of the half-carcass between the upper displacement device (5) and the pubic bone catch (2) by mechanical pressure.
9. Apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the upper displacement device (5) comprises an abutment plate and that said pubic bone catch (2) comprises means for moving the pubic bone catch (2) against the abutment plate to a predetermined position.
10. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the fixture (1) further comprises a lower fixation device (6), engaging with the spine of the half-carcass.
11. Apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a fixture for two half-carcasses, suspended in gambrels, which fixture has a pubic bone catch for each half-carcass.
12. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the fixture (1) is arranged to be movable between a first position, corresponding mainly to the course of the conveyor for suspended half-carcasses, and a second position, in which it is displaced in direction of the cutting device (7).
13. Pubic bone catch (2) for use in the apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an upper sharp edge (3) having a slope down towards an opposite upward edge (4).
14. Fixture for a half-carcass or a hindquarter thereof, said fixture comprising a pubic bone catch for positioning and support of the half-carcass by the pubic bone thereof, wherein the pubic bone catch comprises an upper sharp edge (3) having a slope down towards an opposite, upward edge (4).
15. Pubic bone catch (2) for use in the fixture according to claim 14, further comprising an upper edge (3) having a slope down towards an opposite upward edge (4).
16. Pubic bone catch (2) of claim 15, wherein the upper edge is a sharp edge.
17. Method for cutting free of at least a part of a tenderloin in a suspended half-carcass, including:
bringing the half-carcass into contact with a pubic bone catch (2) in a fixture for the half-carcass;
performing at least a relative vertical movement between the half-carcass and the pubic bone catch (2), so that the underside of the pubic bone and the top side of the pubic bone catch (2) comes into contact with each other and the pubic bone comes into a recess in the pubic bone catch (2), whereby the half-carcass is positioned; and
moving a cutting device (7) having a curvilinear sharp edge (9) using an industrial robot including a manipulator, with the sharp edge foremost during cutting free of at least a part of the tenderloin.
18. Method according to claim 17, including moving the cutting device (7) in a predetermined path and direction relative to the pubic bone catch, so that the sharp edge (9) cuts in at the transition between the half-carcass and the tenderloin in the splitting plane of the carcass.
19. Method according to claim 17, wherein cutting free of the tenderloin is performed by
advancing the cutting device (7) at an angle upwards over the head of the tenderloin,
rotating the cutting device (7) so that he head of the tenderloin is cut free,
moving the cutting device (7) to a downward-facing position, and
moving the cutting device (7) in the downward-facing position along the tenderloin.
20. Method according to claim 19, wherein after moving the cutting device in the downward-facing position along the tenderloin, activating a sinew cutter, so that the tenderloin is completely cut free over a substantial distance along a spine of the half-carcass.
21. Method according to claim 17, wherein the method further comprises a step after the positioning and before the cutting free, in which the carcass is fixed by use of one or more device(s) (5, 6).
22. Method according to claim 17, wherein the method further comprises a step after cutting free of a part of the tenderloin, in which the tenderloin is automatically pulled off and transported away.
23. Method for positioning a half-carcass, including:
bringing the half-carcass into contact with a pubic bone catch having a predetermined position; and
performing at least a relative movement in the lengthwise direction of the half-carcass between the half-carcass and the pubic bone catch, so that the pubic bone and the pubic bone catch come into contact with each other and the pubic bone comes into rest in a recess in the pubic bone catch, whereby the half-carcass is positioned.
24. Method according to claim 23, wherein in bringing the half-carcass into contact with the pubic bone catch, the half-carcass is hanging from its hind leg, the pubic bone catch having an upper, sharp edge sloping down towards an opposite, upward edge.
25. Method for performing a slaughter operation on an anatomic part of a suspended half-carcass, where the half-carcass is positioned in its lengthwise direction by bringing its pubic bone into contact with a pubic bone catch having a predetermined position, and wherein the position of the anatomic part is predicted from the position of the pubic bone catch.
26. Method according to claim 25, where the slaughter operation is performed by an industrial robot including a manipulator, and where the industrial robot is programmed with paths of movement calculated relative to the predicted position of the anatomic part.
27. Method according to claim 25, wherein the half-carcass is hanging from its hind leg, and wherein the pubic bone catch has an upper, sharp edge sloping down towards an opposite, upward edge.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A system for improving patient compliance with a prescription drug regimen, comprising:
a computer including a central processing unit;
a communications network for transmitting messages;
a patient database for storing information about a plurality of patients registered with a prescription reminder service, said information including contact information for at least one communications device associated with each of the plurality of patients, said contact information including a method for sending messages to the communications device;
an alert database for storing a plurality of prescription reminder alerts, wherein each of said plurality of prescription reminder alerts is associated with a patient and wherein each of said prescription reminder alerts includes information to determine a specific time to transmit each of said prescription reminder alerts; and
a send program running on said communication device, said send program configured to retrieve information about each of said prescription reminder alerts from the alert database and to remind the patient; and
an incentive definition database for storing a plurality of incentive definitions, wherein each of the plurality of incentive definitions includes an incentive event description and information about an incentive verification wherein said incentive verification is to be sent upon receipt of an event notification matching said incentive event description; and
an incentive program running on said computer configured to receive an event notification, compare said event notification with the incentive event description in each of the plurality of incentive definitions in the incentive database, and to send the incentive verification from each incentive definition that contains an incentive event description that matches the event notification,
wherein at least one incentive definition in the incentive database contains an incentive event description that matches an event notification generated when the patient refills a prescription.
2. The system of claim 1, wherein said alert database is distributed between the computer and the remote communication device.
3. The system of claim 1, wherein said incentive database is distributed between the computer and the remote communication device.
4. The system of claim 1, wherein said patient database is distributed between the computer and the remote communication device.
5. The system of claim 1, further comprising:
a feedback definition database for storing a plurality of feedback message templates, wherein each of the plurality of feedback message template includes information sufficient to describe a feedback message and at least one action to be executed upon receipt of a matching feedback message; and
a feedback program configured to receive a feedback message from a communications device, to compare said feedback message to the plurality of feedback message templates in the feedback definition database, and to execute the at least one action associated with each feedback template that matches the feedback message.
6. The system of claim 5, wherein said feedback program is distributed between the computer and the remote communication device.
7. The system of claim 5, wherein the feedback definition database is distributed between the computer and the remote communication device.
8. The system of claim 1, further comprising:
a performance database for storing information associated with a plurality of patients, including information about prescription reminder alerts sent to said plurality of patients and feedback messages received from said plurality of patients; and
a performance measurement program configured to query the performance database, wherein the query returns data from the performance database, and performs a mathematical or statistical analysis on the data returned from the performance database.
9. The system of claim 8, wherein said performance measurement program is distributed between the computer and the remote communication device.
10. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one incentive definition in the incentive database contains an incentive event description that matches an event notification generated when a specified prescription reminder alert is added to the alert database.
11. A system for improving patient compliance with a prescription drug regimen, comprising:
a computer including a central processing unit;
a communications network for transmitting messages;
a patient database for storing information about a plurality of patients registered with a prescription drug reminder service, said information including contact information for at least one communications device associated with each of the plurality of patients, said contact information including a method for sending messages to the communications device;
an alert database for storing a plurality of prescription drug reminder alerts, wherein each of said plurality of prescription drug reminder alerts is associated with a patient and wherein each of said prescription drug reminder alerts includes information to determine a specific time to transmit each of said prescription drug reminder alerts; and
a send program running on said communication device, said send program configured to retrieve information about each of said prescription drug reminder alerts from the alert database and to remind the patient; and
an incentive definition database for storing a plurality of incentive definitions, wherein each of the plurality of incentive definitions includes an incentive event description and information about an incentive verification wherein said incentive verification is to be sent upon receipt of an event notification matching said incentive event description; and
an incentive program running on said communication device configured to receive an event notification, compare said event notification with the incentive event description in each of the plurality of incentive definitions in the incentive database, and to send the incentive verification from each incentive definition that contains an incentive event description that matches the event notification,
wherein at least one incentive definition in the incentive database contains an incentive event description that matches an event notification generated when the patient refills a drug prescription.
12. The system of claim 11, wherein said alert database is distributed between the computer and the remote communication device.
13. The system of claim 11, wherein said incentive database is distributed between the computer and the remote communication device.
14. The system of claim 11, wherein said patient database is distributed between the computer and the remote communication device.
15. The system of claim 11, further comprising:
a feedback definition database for storing a plurality of feedback message templates, wherein each of the plurality of feedback message template includes information sufficient to describe a feedback message and at least one action to be executed upon receipt of a matching feedback message; and
a feedback program configured to compare said feedback message to the plurality of feedback message templates in the feedback definition database, and to execute the at least one action associated with each feedback template that matches the feedback message.
16. The system of claim 15, wherein said feedback program is distributed between the computer and the remote communication device.
17. The system of claim 15, wherein the feedback definition data is distributed between the computer and the remote communication device.
18. The system of claim 11, further comprising:
a performance database for storing information associated with a plurality of patients, including information about prescription reminder alerts sent to said plurality of patients and feedback messages received from said plurality of patients; and
a performance measurement program configured to query the performance database, wherein the query returns data from the performance database, and performs a mathematical or statistical analysis on the data returned from the performance database.
19. The system of claim 18, wherein said performance measurement program is distributed between the computer and the remote communication device.
20. A system for improving patient compliance with a drug regimen, comprising:
a computer including a central processing unit;
a communications network for transmitting messages;
a patient database for storing information about a plurality of patients registered with a drug reminder service, said information including contact information for at least one communications device associated with each of the plurality of patients, said contact information including a method for sending messages to the communications device;
an alert database for storing a plurality of drug reminder alerts, wherein each of said plurality of drug reminder alerts is associated with a patient and wherein each of said drug reminder alerts includes information to determine a specific time to transmit each of said drug reminder alerts; and
a send program running on said communication device, said send program configured to retrieve information about each of said drug reminder alerts from the alert database and to remind the patient; and
an incentive definition database for storing a plurality of incentive definitions, wherein each of the plurality of incentive definitions includes an incentive event description and information about an incentive verification wherein said incentive verification is to be sent upon receipt of an event notification matching said incentive event description; and
an incentive program running on said computer configured to receive an event notification, compare said event notification with the incentive event description in each of the plurality of incentive definitions in the incentive database, and to send the incentive verification from each incentive definition that contains an incentive event description that matches the event notification,
wherein at least one incentive definition in the incentive database contains an incentive event description that matches an event notification generated when the patient refills a drug order.
21. The system of claim 20, wherein said alert database is distributed between the computer and the remote communication device.
22. The system of claim 20, wherein said incentive database is distributed between the computer and the remote communication device.
23. The system of claim 20, wherein said patient database is distributed between the computer and the remote communication device.