Protequus® is granted patent protection (patent no. 2015218807) by the Australian Government for Mobile Animal Surveillance and Distress Monitoring. This patent adds to their expanding portfolio of intellectual property supporting the NIGHTWATCH® smart halter™ and is the first National patent granted in conjunction with their international application under the Patent Cooperation Treaty.
Horse wearing a regular halter
NIGHTWATCH® is a revolutionary device for horses that acts as an early warning system alerting caretakers to early signs of colic and other distress so they can intervene sooner.
© 2016 by Zoom Team
NIGHTWATCH® is a revolutionary wearable device for horses that acts as an early warning system by alerting caretakers to the early signs of colic and other forms of distress so they can intervene sooner, especially overnight when most horses are unsupervised. Founder and CEO, Jeffrey Schab states “The advent of NIGHTWATCH® not only has the potential to save the lives of many horses through early intervention and referral, but also transform the equine industry through data science and predictive analytics for improve health and performance outcomes.”
About NIGHTWATCH
The NIGHTWATCH® smart halter (www.smarthalter.com) is an all-natural leather breakaway halter with ~2.1 ounces of embedded sensor technology that monitors a horse and alerts you via text, phone, and email to early signs of possible equine distress (eg, colic, being cast, foaling). This patented IoT-enabled device monitors real-time data on a horse’s vital signs and behaviors, works across cellular and WiFi networks, offers GPS/geolocation, and leverages AI/machine learning to adapt to each horse over time for maximum precision and benefit. Access to real-time insight and historical information, including a horse's EDI® (equine distress index®) score, is available on-demand 24/7 from any smartphone, tablet, or computer.
About Protequus
Protequus® (www.protequus.com) is a biomedical engineering and data science firm in Austin, TX dedicated to equine health & safety. Founded in 2013 after the sudden loss of one of his horses to colic, Jeffrey R. Schab—an accomplished equestrian and biomedical engineer—assembled a team of passionate science & technology professionals to find a solution to combat the devastating impact of colic, which claims the lives of >60,000 horses each year in the US and results in more than $700 million in annual losses. Today, that solution is known as NIGHTWATCH® and available to horses in the US and Canada.
Background Story
In 2013 Jeffrey Schab (Founder & CEO of Protequus®) and Wade Giles lost their beloved horse, Snoop, to a rare colic event overnight. Snoop lived just a short 8 years and died alone in his stall because no one knew he was in trouble.
Following Snoop’s death, Jeffrey was driven to make a difference, and assembled a team of passionate science and technology professionals to find a solution that could combat the devastating impact of equine colic. Today, that solution is an early-warning system known as NIGHTWATCH®. As an accomplished equestrian and biomedical engineer with 15+ years in human health, Jeffrey is pioneering a path that bridges his professional expertise with his personal passion.
Snoop remains a powerful inspiration and motivation for Jeffrey and Wade. It is in his memory that NIGHTWATCH® exists to provide critical first alerts for early intervention, ultimately to help save horses' lives.
Press release provided by Founder and CEO, Jeffrey Schab jrschab@protequus.com