Device for administration to ruminants

Claim 1

19,250 no The Claims defining the invention are as follows:- 1. A device for insertion into the rumen of. a ruminant through the oesophagus and adapted to be retained within a the rumen for free movement therein while releasing therapeutic or nutrient substance at a substantially said device uniform rate over an extended period of time, of the comprising a body containing an effective amount having a therapeutic or nutrient substance, said device second first compressed or closed configuration and a expanded or open configuration, the first configuration oesophagus permitting th-e passage of the device through the being one which into the rumen and the second configuration through the will substantially hinder passage of the device free movement oesophagus, but will still permit substantially of the device with the rumen, and means for resiliently to said uging said device from said first configuration first second configuration, whereby said device in said to pass configuration may be administered per os so as configuration into the rumen and will assume said second during the said in the rumen so as to hinder regurgitation second configuration period, and will remain intact in said for the said extended period of time. body by 2. A device as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the neture, construction or composition, is its:e F virtue of its said first configuration and, in adaptLcd Uo be zirranged in tbc elviro(mmnt, to asrume sa.id second configuration. 449,029 19,250/70 3. A device as claimed in Claim 2, wherein the body portion is comprised of a substantially insoluble, resilient matrix material which contains or comprises a material to be released in the rumen and is of such shape that it may be arranged in said first configuration and, in the rumen environment, assume said second configuration. 4. A device as claimed in Claim 3, wherein the body portions is of essentially toroidal form. A device as claimed in Claim 3 or Claim 4, wherein the body portion consists of or comprises a gel which contains the material to be released into the rumen. 6. A device as claimed in Claim 5, wherein the material is a bloat control agent. 7. A device as claimed in Claim 6, wherein the body portion comprises a polyoxyalkylene and ethyl cellulose as a gelling agent. 8. A device as claimed in Claim 7, wherein the gelling agent comprises at least 3% by weight of the gel. 9. A device as claimed in Claim 1, which comprises at least one container portion and at .east one obstructing means associated therewith, said obstructing means being adapted to be arranged into a first position relative to the container portion to allow the device to be administered 449,029 19.,25 0 no to a ruminant per os so as to pass through the oesophagus and into the rumen and, in the rumen environment, to move relative to the container portion to a second position thereby to change the device into said second configuration. A device as claimed in Claim 9, wherein the obstructing means comprises at least one protruding or protusible structure attached to or formed integrally with the container portion and arranged so that it may be positioned adjacent to the container portion, for passage of the device through the oesophagus and into the rumen, and once in the rumen, it can be caused or allowed to extend or protrude from the container portion and thereby to at least hinder passage of the device out of the rumen through the oesophagus. 11. A device as claimed in Claim 10, wherein the container portion is a cylinder and the said structure or structures conform substantially the shape of the cylinder for administration of the device and lie parallel to the longitudinal axis of the cylinder in the extended position. 12. A device as claimed in Claim 9 or Claim 10, wherein the obstructing means comprises at least one further container portion. 13. A device as clai.',ed in Claira 12, comprising two connected narl-cylindrical container portion:; which are by a :eb or vebs, and which are arranlged to form a cylinder 449,029 19,250 no position move for administration and which in the extended and lie with their apart but remain connected by the web longitudinal axes essentially parallel. comprises 14. A device as claimed in Claim 1, which portions which are at least two inter-connected container first configuration arranged relative to one another in a ruminant per to allow the device to be administered to a into the rumen os so as to pass through the oesophagus may be caused thereof, and which, in the rumen environment, to change the or allowed to move relative to one another device into said second donfiguration. the A device as claimed in Claim 14, wherein connected by container portions are hemi-cylindrical and longitudinal axes 'a hinge along a common edge with their for admin- parallel, and are arranged to form a cylinder common edge into istration and to move apart about said the second configuration. 16. A device as claimed in any one of Claims 9 to wherein the obstructing means is attached to the container portion by a soluble, corrodible or frangible element which is susceptible to destruction in the runen environment, functional life the whereby after the device has ended its fragmentation of the destruction of the element will allow device. 17. A device as claimed in any one of Claims 9 to 16, 449,02 9 19.250 no wherein the said substance is a bloat control agent. 18. A device as claimed in Claim 17, wherein the agent is a polyoxyalkylene. 19. A device as claimed in Claim 18, wherein the agent is selected from the class consisting of "Pluronic" L62, "Pluronic" L61, "Pluronic" L64 and the product of the condensation of lauryl alcohol condensed with 6 to 12 moles of ethylene oxide. A device as claimed in any one of Claims 9 to 16, wherein the said substance is a source of magnesium. 21. Any one of the devices for administration to a ruminant substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. 22. A method for achieving the sustained administration of a therapeutic or nutrient substance to a ruminant which comprises incorporating the said substance into a device as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 21, and administering the device to the ruminant per os. Dated the 2nd day of Mlay, 1974. CO SCIE!T.IFIC AND INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH ORGANIZATION By iJts Patent Attorneys IAVIUS COLLISON C 98 449.029 19.25 0 no0 :GA 13t 16 449,O2 9 19.250, n 0410 449,02 9 19.25 0 170 8.. -MT.2 :33 :33449,02 9