JP7547771B2 - Management system, management device and management method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a management system for traceability of livestock reproductive cells stored in a container.

Livestock semen is stored in cylindrical containers and shipped frozen in liquid nitrogen at -196°C. Livestock farmers remove the semen from the shipped containers and use it for artificial insemination. Patent documents 1 to 4 disclose containers for storing such semen.

In addition, there is an increasing need to be able to track the production, distribution, and consumption processes (traceability) of agricultural and marine products in order to ensure quality and prevent theft (see Patent Documents 5 and 6).

Utility Model Registration No. 2592882 International Publication No. 2018/051993 CD-ROM of Japanese Utility Model Application No. 5-54545 (Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 7-22717) International Publication No. 2007/077996 JP 2015-138289 A JP 2019-82763 A

Improved traceability is also required for semen from livestock such as Wagyu cattle, to prevent theft, etc. Currently, for example, shippers record the container's identification number on paperwork when shipping, and users record the container's identification number on paperwork when using, and each document is collected to match (check) shipment with use. However, this manual work is time-consuming.

As such, it is conceivable to reduce the labor required for recording and collecting identification numbers at the time of shipment and use by using a container equipped with an identification element such as an IC tag as in Patent Documents 1 to 4, and a dedicated terminal device capable of electronically reading the identification number from the element. However, in reality, although the quality of elements has improved, there are still issues with ensuring the operation of elements that have been exposed to an extremely low temperature environment.

The present invention was made in consideration of these problems, and aims to provide a management system suitable for tracking and managing reproductive cells such as livestock semen.

One aspect of the present invention for solving the above problems is a management system that includes a container for cryopreserving livestock reproductive cells, the container having a visibly assigned identification number, a management device that receives shipping information including identification information of the container to be shipped before or at the time of shipping the container storing the reproductive cells, and receives usage information including identification information of the container from which the reproductive cells are removed when the reproductive cells are removed from the container, and is capable of comparing the shipping information and the usage information, and a portable terminal device that generates usage information based on an image taken of the container when the reproductive cells are removed and transmits the usage information to the management device , wherein the usage information further includes information identifying the location where the container was imaged .

The management system of the present invention allows identification information attached to a container to be photographed and read using a portable terminal device, so that management information can be generated efficiently and effectively even for containers that have been exposed to an extremely low temperature environment.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a functional block of a management system according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a processing sequence of a management system according to an embodiment of the present invention;

(Embodiment)
Functional blocks of a management system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention are shown in Fig. 1. The management system 1 includes a management device 10, a first portable terminal device 20, a second portable terminal device 30, and a container 40.

The management device 10 is capable of communicating with each of the first portable terminal device 20 and the second portable terminal device 30. The management device 10, the first portable terminal device 20, and the second portable terminal device 30 are all computers having a processor and memory, and in particular, the first portable terminal device 20 and the second portable terminal device 30 are general-purpose portable information terminal devices each having a camera, such as a smartphone. These perform the processing according to this embodiment by executing a specific program.

The management device 10 includes a reception unit 11 that receives information from each of the first portable terminal device 20 and the second portable terminal device 30, a storage unit 12 that stores the received information, and a matching unit 13 that performs matching processing based on the received information.

Container 40 is, for example, a cylindrical hollow container made of resin, and can store livestock semen inside. Container 40 for storing semen is stored and transported in a case filled with liquid nitrogen at -196°C until the semen is used. Identification information for container 40 is provided on container 40 by printing or the like in a manner that is optically visible from the outside. There are no limitations on the manner in which the identification information is displayed, and one-dimensional or two-dimensional barcodes, readable characters, etc. can be used.

Figure 2 shows an example of a processing sequence using the management system 1. An example of the processing will be explained with reference to Figure 2.

The following steps S101 to S104 are performed by the shipper before or at the time of shipping the container 40 containing the livestock semen.

(Step S101)
The first portable terminal device 20 of the shipper photographs the container 40 and reads and acquires the identification information of the container 40 displayed on the container 40 .

(Step S102)
The first portable terminal device 20 acquires the identification number of the livestock whose semen is to be stored in the container 40. The identification number of the livestock may be acquired by photographing the indication of the livestock's identification number written on a document or the like, as in step S101, or by receiving an operation input to the keys of the first portable terminal device 20.

(Step S103)
The first portable terminal device 20 generates shipping information. In this example, the shipping information includes the identification information of the container 40 and the identification number of the livestock associated with the identification information. The first portable terminal device 20 transmits the generated shipping information to the management device 10.

(Step S104)
The reception unit 11 of the management device 10 receives the shipping information, and the storage unit 12 stores the shipping information.

The following steps S105 to S107 are executed when the user who will be carrying out the artificial insemination receives the shipped container 40 and removes the livestock semen from the container 40, etc.

(Step S105)
The second portable terminal device 30 of the user photographs the container 40 and reads and acquires the identification information of the container 40 displayed on the container 40 .

(Step S106)
The second portable terminal device 30 generates usage information. In this example, the usage information includes identification information of the container 40. The second portable terminal device 30 transmits the generated usage information to the management device 10.

(Step S107)
The receiving unit 11 of the management device 10 receives the usage information, and the storage unit 12 stores the usage information.

(Step S108)
The collation unit 13 of the management device 10 refers to the shipping information and usage information stored in the memory unit 12, and performs a collation process including a process of associating the shipping information with the usage information based on, for example, the identification information of the container 40 contained therein, and the memory unit 12 stores the collation result. The process of step S108 may be executed each time the usage information is received, may be executed periodically, or may be executed when an instruction to execute the process is received. Furthermore, the collation unit 13 can output the collation result stored in the memory unit 12 in response to an inquiry from the outside.

The above is an example of the basic processing according to this embodiment. According to this example, by photographing and reading the identification information with a portable terminal device, the amount of work can be reduced compared to manually writing it on a document. In addition, a general-purpose smartphone with a camera can be used as the portable terminal device, and the cost of preparing a dedicated terminal device for each trader can be reduced. Furthermore, since the identification information is applied to the container 40 in a visible manner, the identification information can be obtained more reliably even after exposure to an extremely low temperature environment compared to the case where an identification element such as an IC tag is provided. In this way, according to the present invention, a management system suitable for tracking and managing livestock semen can be provided.

In the above example, the shipper generates the shipping information using the first portable terminal device 20 and transmits it to the management device 10. Alternatively, the shipper may manually input the shipping information into the management device 10. Even in this case, the user can obtain the effects of labor saving and cost saving as described above.

In the above example, the shipping information includes the identification information of the livestock. In this case, by referring to the correspondence between the shipping information and the usage information stored in the memory unit 12 of the management device 10, it is possible to track which livestock's semen has been shipped and used. The shipping information does not have to include the identification information of the livestock. Even in this case, it is possible to match the shipment and use of the container 40.

The usage information may also include an image of the container 40. The container 40 is generally transparent, and whether or not the semen has been removed can be determined from the image. Therefore, if an image is taken after the semen has been removed from the container 40 and the image is included in the usage information, it becomes possible to confirm that the semen has been removed, and the reliability of the usage information can be improved. If the comparison unit 13 cannot determine that the semen has been removed based on the image, it may store this in the memory unit 12 or notify the outside.

The usage information may also include information specifying the location where the container 40 was photographed. For example, if the second portable terminal device 30 has a GPS positioning function, this information may use location information obtained thereby. If the usage information includes information specifying the location where the photograph was taken, it becomes possible to confirm that the location where the photograph was taken is the location of the user, and the reliability of the usage information can be improved. If the location where the photograph was taken is not the location of the previously set user, the matching unit 13 may store this fact in the memory unit 12 or notify the outside.

The shipping information may include information specifying the time of shipping of the container 40, and the usage information may include information specifying the time of photographing the container 40. This information may be accurate date and time information acquired by the first portable terminal device 20 and the second portable terminal device 30 via telephone lines or the like. If this information is included in the shipping information and the usage information, the collation unit 13 can compare the date and time included in the shipping information with the date and time included in the usage information to confirm that the interval is within a normally expected predetermined range, thereby improving the reliability of the usage information. If the interval between the date and time included in the shipping information and the date and time included in the usage information is outside the predetermined range, the collation unit 13 may store this in the storage unit 12 or notify the outside.

The container 40 may also have identification information printed on it, at least in part, using a material that becomes visible at or above a predetermined temperature. This improves the reliability of the usage information, since the usage information is generated after the container 40 is removed from the liquid nitrogen and the semen is thawed in a room temperature environment or the like for actual use. Any known material may be used as appropriate for such material, and the predetermined temperature may be set to the temperature of the container 40 expected after the semen has thawed, such as room temperature.

The container 40 may be printed with identification information of the container 40 using a material that becomes visible when exposed to air for a predetermined period of time. This improves the reliability of the usage information, since the usage information is generated after the container 40 is removed from the liquid nitrogen and the semen is thawed in air. In this case, the container 40 is stored sealed until the semen is contained. The shipper cannot read the identification information of the container 40 from the container 40 immediately after opening, so the shipper obtains the identification information from the identification information of the container 40 displayed on another object, such as the sealed packaging. Alternatively, the identification information presented to the shipper and the identification information presented to the user may be made different in a manner that allows the collation unit 13 of the management device 10 to associate them, and only the identification information for the user may be printed using a material that becomes visible when exposed to air for a predetermined period of time, and the identification information for the shipper may be printed using a material that is always visible. Such materials may be appropriately selected from known materials, and the predetermined time may be set to, for example, a time longer than the time required for thawing the semen.

The container 40 may be printed with identification information or other predetermined indications using a material whose visibility, such as color, changes with temperature or whose visibility, such as color, changes with the passage of time in contact with air. The usage information may include an image of the container 40. If the image is included in the usage information, it is possible to estimate the temperature of the container 40 or the contact time with air based on the color of the printed part, and to confirm that the semen has actually been thawed, thereby improving the reliability of the usage information. If the collation unit 13 cannot determine that the semen has actually been thawed based on the image, it may store this in the storage unit 12 or notify the outside. Alternatively, the second portable terminal device 30 may generate usage information when the printed part is a predetermined color, etc. As a result, the usage information is generated after the semen has actually been thawed, and the reliability of the usage information can be improved. Note that such materials may be appropriately used.

Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the above-mentioned features can be implemented in appropriate combinations or modifications. The present invention can also be understood as a management system, a management device, a management method, a management program executed by one or more computers constituting the management system, a computer-readable non-transitory storage medium storing a management program, etc. The present invention can also be applied to traceability management of reproductive cells including fertilized eggs, as well as livestock semen.

The present invention is useful for traceability management of livestock reproductive cells, etc.

Reference Signs List 1 Management system 10 Management device 11 Reception unit 12 Memory unit 13 Collation unit 20 First portable terminal device 30 Second portable terminal device 40 Container

Claims (8)

A container for cryopreserving livestock germ cells, the container having a visible identification number;
a management device that receives shipping information including identification information of the container to be shipped before or at the time of shipping the container in which the reproductive cells are stored, and receives usage information including identification information of the container from which the reproductive cells are to be extracted when the reproductive cells are extracted from the container, and is capable of verifying the shipping information and the usage information;
a portable terminal device that generates the usage information based on an image of the container when the reproductive cells are extracted, and transmits the usage information to the management device;
A management system, wherein the usage information further includes information identifying a location where the container was imaged . The management system according to claim 1, wherein the shipping information further includes identification information of the livestock in which reproductive cells are stored in the container. The management system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the usage information further includes the image. The shipping information further includes information specifying the time of shipping of the container in which the reproductive cells are stored,
The management system according to claim 1 , wherein the usage information further includes information for identifying a time when the container was photographed. 5. The management system according to claim 1 , wherein the container is printed with a material whose visibility appears at or above a predetermined temperature or whose visibility changes depending on the temperature. 6. The management system according to claim 1, wherein the container is printed with a material whose visibility appears or changes with the passage of time when the container is in contact with air. receiving shipping information including identification information of the container to be shipped before or at the time of shipping a container in which a container identification number is visibly given and in which reproductive cells are stored;
receiving, from a portable terminal device, usage information generated based on an image of the container after the germ cells are removed from the container , the usage information including information for identifying a location where the image of the container was taken ;
A management device capable of verifying the shipping information and the usage information. A tracking method executed by a computer of a management device, comprising:
A step of receiving shipping information including identification information of a container to be shipped, the container having a visibly assigned identification number and storing reproductive cells, before or at the time of shipping the container;
receiving, from a portable terminal device, usage information generated based on an image of the container after the germ cells are removed from the container , the usage information including information for identifying a location where the image of the container was taken ;
and verifying said shipping information and said usage information.

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