Small Animal Fixing Device

Abstract

To provide a small animal retainer which has sufficient reproducibility of a fixing position, and fixing easily and accurately, a small animal for experiment to an experiment device.SOLUTION: A small animal retainer 10 comprises: a fixing plate member 20 fitted to a head of a small animal A; a frame member 110 on a main body side of an experiment device which can detachably fit the fixing plate member 20 to a prescribed fitting position; positioning means 30 for defining a vertical direction position of the fixing plate member 20 in a state of being fitted to the prescribed fitting position of the frame member 110; and a pressing tool 40 which presses the fixing plate member 20 to the prescribed fitting position. The positioning means 30 may be configured to have: a slope part for acting a pressing component in the vertical direction to the fixing plate member 20 which is fitted to the prescribed fitting position.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a small animal immobilization device. [Background technology]

[0002] In behavioral experiments on small animals such as mice and rats, the animals are made to learn certain movements, their brains are photographed under a microscope, and changes occurring in the brain are observed. In such experiments, a device for fixing the head of the small animal is required, and as a fixing device for this purpose, a device configured to restrict the movement of the head by attaching a plate to the skull of the small animal and attaching the plate to a column or frame of the experimental device is used (for example, see Patent Document 1). The plate is attached to the experimental device using, for example, a mechanism (clamping mechanism) in which a screw is turned to hold down both ends of the plate with a pressure plate. [Prior art documents] [Non-patent literature]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2017-131197 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in devices using the above-mentioned mechanism (clamping mechanism), the operation of attaching the plate takes time and effort. In fact, when attaching the plate to the experimental device, a series of operations are required, such as holding down the moving small animal with one hand while inserting the plate under the pressure plate with the other hand and turning multiple screws while finely adjusting it to the correct position, and even those who are not involved can easily imagine that this requires time and effort, especially when working alone. Moreover, although the accuracy of the fixing position is important for clearly photographing the details of the brain with a microscope, previous devices with the above-mentioned mechanism were unable to accurately determine the fixing position of the small animal, and not only was there poor reproducibility of the fixing position, but there were also concerns about the accuracy of the vertical positioning of the plate.

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT EMBODIMENTS The present invention has an object to provide a small animal fixing device which has excellent reproducibility of the fixing position and can fix a small animal for experimentation to an experimental apparatus simply and accurately. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] One aspect of the present invention is a small animal fixation device for fixing a small animal for experiment to an experimental device, comprising: A fixing plate member that is attached to the head of a small animal; a frame member on the main body of the experimental apparatus that can detachably mount the fixing plate member at a predetermined mounting position; a positioning means for determining a vertical position of the fixing plate member when the fixing plate member is attached to a predetermined attachment position of the frame member; a pressing tool for pressing the fixing plate member against a predetermined mounting position; A small animal immobilization device comprising:

[0007] According to this embodiment of the small animal fixing device, the fixing plate member attached to the head of the small animal is guided to a predetermined mounting position of the frame member and temporarily placed there, and the pressing tool is operated in this state to press and fix the fixing plate member, and the vertical position of the fixing plate member can be determined using the positioning means. In this case, the operation is extremely simple compared to the conventional series of operations in which the small animal is held down with one hand while the plate is inserted under the pressing plate with the other hand and finely adjusted to the appropriate position while turning multiple screws. In addition, while the operation is simple, the pressing tool and the positioning means work together to position the fixing plate member at the predetermined mounting position with good reproducibility and high precision.

[0008] In the small animal fixing device of the above aspect, the positioning means may have a gradient portion for applying a vertical pressure component to the fixing plate member in a state where it is attached to the predetermined attachment position.

[0009] In the small animal immobilization device of the above aspect, a sloped portion may be formed on the side of the fixing plate member.

[0010] In the small animal immobilization device of the above aspect, the sloped portion may be formed on the stopper for determining the horizontal position of the fixing plate member.

[0011] In the small animal immobilization device of the above aspect, a plurality of stoppers may be formed on the frame member.

[0012] In the small animal fixation device of the above-mentioned embodiment, a gradient portion may be formed on one or both of the contact portions between the pressing tool and the fixing plate member, which applies a vertical pressing component to the fixing plate member when it is attached to a predetermined mounting position.

[0013] In the small animal immobilization device of the above aspect, the pressing tool may be provided at a position where it applies a pressing force from the direction in which the fixing plate member is pressed against the stopper.

[0014] The small animal immobilization device of the above aspect may further comprise a biasing means for biasing the pressing tool in one direction.

[0015] The pressing tool in the small animal immobilization device of the above aspect may include a restricting device for restricting the movable range of the fixing plate member.

[0016] The fixing plate member in the small animal fixing device of the above embodiment may be configured so as to be attached to a predetermined mounting position of the frame member via an attachment.

[0017] The attachment in the small animal immobilization device of the above aspect may be formed in a shape that allows it to be attached and detached in a different direction relative to a predetermined mounting position of the frame member.

[0018] The attachment in the small animal fixing device of the above aspect may be provided with another positioning means for defining the vertical position of the fixing plate member.

[0019] The attachment in the small animal fixing device of the above-mentioned embodiment may be provided with another positioning means for defining the horizontal position of the fixing plate member.

[0020] The attachment in the small animal fixing device of the above aspect may be provided with another pressing tool for pressing the fixing plate member against another positioning means. Effect of the Invention

[0021] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a small animal fixing device which has excellent reproducibility of the fixing position and can fix a small animal for experimentation to an experimental apparatus simply and accurately. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0022] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of an experimental apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2A] FIG. 2 is a plan view of a frame member on the main body side showing the first embodiment of the small animal immobilization device. [Figure 2B] FIG. [Diagram 3] 13 is a plan view showing the frame member and the fixing plate member in a state where the pressing lever is open. FIG. [Figure 4A] 13 is a plan view showing a state in which a fixing plate member is attached to a frame member. FIG. [Figure 4B] 13 is a rear view of the fixing plate member attached to the frame member. FIG. [Figure 5A] 13 is a plan view showing a state in which a fixing plate member attached to a frame member is pressed by a pressing lever. FIG. [Figure 5B] 13 is a rear view of the fixing plate member attached to the frame member when pressed by a pressing lever. FIG. [Figure 6A] FIG. 13 is a plan view showing a frame member, an attachment, and a fixing plate member on the main body side in a second embodiment of a small animal fixing device. [Figure 6B] FIG. 6B is a rear view of the attachment in FIG. 6A. [Figure 7] 13 is a plan view showing a state in which a fixing plate member is attached to the attachment with the pressure slider pulled. FIG. [Figure 8] 13 is a plan view showing a state in which the fixing plate member is attached to the attachment and pressed by a pressure slider. FIG. [Figure 9] 13 is a plan view showing a state in which the attachment is attached to the frame member in a state in which the movable range of the fixing plate member is restricted by a screw device. FIG. [Figure 10A] 1 is a plan view showing the attachment attached to the frame member. FIG. [Figure 10B] FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0023] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, the configuration of the present invention will be described in detail based on an example of an embodiment shown in the drawings.

[0024] In the embodiment described below, first, an outline of the overall configuration of an experimental apparatus 1 will be described (see FIG. 1), and then an embodiment of a small animal fixing device 10 according to the present invention will be described (see FIG. 2, etc.).

[0025] [Outline of the experimental equipment] The experimental device 1 is an apparatus for conducting behavioral experiments on a small animal A such as a mouse or a rat, and is configured to perform various operations such as making the small animal A learn a certain behavior, fixing the small animal A, photographing its brain under a microscope, and observing changes in the brain. For example, the experimental device 1 of this embodiment includes a fixing base (main body of the experimental device) 100, a frame member 110, a stereotaxic frame 120, a restraining device 130, a spout lever unit 140, a water supply unit 200, a speaker 300, a sound stimulation unit 400, an interface device 500, a computer 600, and software 610 (see FIG. 1), and further includes an imaging device (not shown).

[0026] The fixing table 100 is the main body of the experimental apparatus 1, and includes a table for fixing the small animal A that is the subject of the experiment. The frame member 110 is a member used to fix the head of the small animal A, and includes a frame to which the fixing plate member 20 attached to the skull of the small animal A can be attached and detached (see FIG. 1, etc.). The detailed structure of the device (small animal fixing device 10) for attaching and detaching the fixing plate member 20 to the frame member 110 will be described in the embodiment described later. An imaging device consisting of a microscope or the like, and a manipulator (not shown) for electrical recording and intracerebral injection are provided above the frame member 110. In addition, an illumination device (not shown) for illuminating the area around the head of the small animal A that is the subject of imaging is provided near the imaging device as necessary. For ease of explanation, in this specification, the direction in which the head of small animal A fixed on fixed base 100 faces is referred to as "forward," the opposite direction as "backward," and the right and left sides of small animal A in a planar view as the "right side" and "left side," respectively (see FIG. 1).

[0027] The stereotactic frame 120 is a frame for fixing a manipulator for electrical recording experiments or brain injections in a stereotactic position. The restraint device 130 is an instrument that restrains the movement of small animal A placed on the fixation table 100, particularly its torso, and is composed of, for example, a curved plate that restrains the back side of small animal A to restrict its range of motion (see Figure 1).

[0028] The spout lever unit 140 is a device that provides water as a reward when a certain condition is met, for example, when the small animal A on the fixed base 100 performs a predetermined action. In addition to water, water containing sugars, water containing artificial sweeteners, etc. may be provided as a reward. The water supply unit 200 is a device for supplying water, etc. to the spout lever unit 140. The spout lever unit 140 and the water supply unit 200 are connected to a computer 600 via an interface device 500 (see FIG. 1).

[0029] The speaker 300 and the sound stimulation unit 400 are devices for providing auditory stimulation to the small animal A. The sound stimulation unit 400 is connected to the computer 600 via the interface device 500, and generates a predetermined sound from the speaker 300 according to a program (see FIG. 1). Note that, in addition to such sounds that stimulate the auditory sense, the stimulation given to the small animal A can also be a visual stimulation using, for example, a flashing light, or an olfactory stimulation using a certain smell.

[0030] The computer 600 is connected to the spout lever unit 140, the water supply unit 200, and the sound stimulation unit 400, and transmits and receives signals between each device and performs a predetermined operation as necessary. The computer 600 of this embodiment stores software 610, and is capable of performing various controls such as automatically conducting experiments and collecting data according to a predetermined program.

[0031] [First embodiment] A first embodiment of the small animal immobilization device 10 will be described below (see Figs. 1 to 5B).

[0032] The small animal fixing device 10 is a device for fixing a small animal A for an experiment to an experimental apparatus 1, and is configured as a device suitable for use particularly when a mouse is used as an experimental subject. The small animal fixing device 10 of this embodiment is composed of a fixing plate member 20, a frame member 110, a stopper (positioning means) 30, a pressing lever (pressing tool) 40, and the like (see FIG. 3, etc.).

[0033] The fixing plate member 20 is a member that fixes the small animal A to the experimental apparatus 1 by being attached to a predetermined attachment position P of the frame member 110 while attached to the head of the small animal A (see FIG. 3). The fixing plate member 20 itself may be of a configuration similar to that of a conventional one. In this embodiment, a plate-like member that has an opening 21, for example, a polygonal shape suitable for photographing the brain of the head of the small animal A under a microscope and is made of stainless steel or the like to be thin and lightweight is used as the fixing plate member 20. In this embodiment, the fixing plate member 20 has a shape with side edges 20S and an edge 20F facing forward (see FIG. 3, etc.).

[0034] The frame member 110 is a member configured so that the fixing plate member 20 can be attached and detached to a predetermined attachment position P. The frame member 110 of this embodiment is disposed at a predetermined position (a position where the head of the small animal A is fixed) of the fixing base 100 (see FIG. 1). The frame member 110 is composed of a portion that becomes a top plate and a support portion (such as a side frame or a support column) that supports the portion that becomes the top plate, but FIG. 2 and other figures show only the portion that becomes the top plate. The frame member 110 of this embodiment is provided with a recess 112 that has a cutout shape, and the fixing plate member 20 can be attached and detached from the rear toward the recess 112 (see FIG. 3 and FIG. 4A). The frame member 110 is provided with a mounting surface 114 that contacts, for example, the bottom surfaces on both the left and right sides of the fixing plate member 20 (indicated by symbols 22L and 22R in FIG. 3), and further provided with a stopper 30 and a pressing lever 40. The placement surface 114 may be formed at a position one step lower than the upper surface (indicated by reference numeral 113 in FIG. 2B) of the frame member 110 (see FIG. 2B).

[0035] The stopper 30 is provided to function as a positioning means for determining the vertical and horizontal positions of the fixing plate member 20 attached to the frame member 110. There is no particular limitation on the specific configuration of the stopper 30 as long as it can perform such a function. As a preferred example, in this embodiment, a plate-shaped positioning tool 31 having an inclined surface (gradient portion) 32 is attached to the frame member 110 with a screw 33 to form the stopper 30 including the inclined surface 32 that is overhanging (inclined forward) (see Figs. 4A, 4B, etc.). By appropriately arranging a plurality of stoppers 30, the horizontal position of the fixing plate member 20 when it hits these stoppers 30 can be uniformly determined (see Figs. 4A, 5A, etc.). Specifically, in this embodiment, three stoppers 30 are arranged, one at a position where the side edge portion 20S of the fixing plate member 20 abuts, and two at positions where the forward-facing edge portion 20F abuts, so that the fixing plate member 20 is positioned at a predetermined mounting position P (see Figures 3, 4A, etc.).

[0036] Furthermore, by providing the stopper 30 configured as described above, a tapered surface is formed by the overhanging (forward inclined) inclined surface 32 and the mounting surface 114, forming a wedge-shaped guide (see FIG. 2B). Such a wedge-shaped guide can apply a vertical pressing component to the fixing plate member 20 to apply a component force pressing the fixing plate member 20 toward the mounting surface 114, so that when the fixing plate member 20 is positioned by the stopper 30, it is possible to determine its horizontal position as well as its vertical position (see FIGS. 4A to 5B, etc.).

[0037] The pressing lever 40 is a member provided as a pressing tool for pressing the fixing plate member 20 toward the predetermined mounting position P. The pressing lever 40 of this embodiment is provided so as to be rotatable in the horizontal direction about a fulcrum 43 arranged in the vicinity of the predetermined mounting position P on the frame member 110, and is provided so as to apply a pressing force from a direction in which the fixing plate member 20 is pressed toward the stopper 30 via a pressing portion 44 (see Figs. 4A, 5A, etc.).

[0038] In addition, the pressing lever 40 is pulled and biased in one direction, in this embodiment, in the direction of pressing the fixing plate member 20 toward the predetermined mounting position P, by a biasing means, for example, a tension spring 42 hung on the locking portion 45 (see FIG. 2A, etc.). The pressing lever 40 thus biased maintains the state of pressing the fixing plate member 20 toward the predetermined mounting position P (see FIG. 5A). Moreover, the pressing lever 40 in this embodiment has a structure in which the distance between the fulcrum 43 and the pressing portion 44 is relatively small, while the distance between the locking portion 45 to which the tension spring 42 is hung and the fulcrum 43 is sufficiently large, so that a larger pressing force acts on the fixing plate member 20 by the action of a lever. Therefore, even if the small animal A fixed to the experimental apparatus 1 moves or struggles, it is easy to keep the fixing plate member 20 pressed by the pressing lever 40 so that it does not move. Reference numeral 46 denotes a restricting protrusion that comes into contact with the pressing lever 40 to restrict the range in which the pressing lever 40 can rotate in the biasing direction (see FIG. 2A, etc.).

[0039] The pressing portion 44 of the pressing lever 40, which comes into contact with the fixing plate member 20, is formed with an inclined surface 41 that is inclined so as to overhang (incline forward) (see FIG. 2B, etc.). When the fixing plate member 20 is pressed toward the predetermined mounting position P, the inclined surface 41 applies a vertical pressing component, providing a component of force pressing the fixing plate member 20 toward the mounting surface 114. The action of the inclined surface 41, in combination with the action of the inclined surface 32 of the stopper 30, helps to define the vertical position of the fixing plate member 20 with greater precision when positioning the fixing plate member 20.

[0040] A series of operations and the associated movements when using the small animal fixing device 10 as described above will be described (see Figs. 2A to 5B). When attaching the fixing plate member 20 to the frame member 110, first, the operator (referring to the person performing the experiment and his / her assistants) rotates the pressing lever 40 counterclockwise in the figure to push it open, so that the pressing part 44 moves away from the specified mounting position P and retreats (see Fig. 3). In this state, the fixing plate member 20 is moved in a specified direction from the rear toward the specified mounting position P, and placed on the mounting surface 114 of the frame member 110. Furthermore, the fixing plate member 20 is slid on the mounting surface 114 until the side edge portion 20S and the edge portion 20F facing forward abut against the stopper 30 (the inclined surface 32 of the positioning tool 31 constituting the stopper 30) (see Figs. 4A and 4B), and then the hand that has been pushing the pressing lever 40 open can be released. The pressing lever 40, which is automatically closed by the biasing force, presses the fixing plate member 20 toward each stopper 30 via the pressing portion 44, and positions it at the predetermined mounting position P. At this time, the horizontal and vertical positions of the fixing plate member 20 are determined by the action of each of the inclined surfaces 32, 41 as described above (see Figures 5A and 5B). The above series of mounting operations can be completed by operating the pressing lever 40 with one hand while moving the fixing plate member 20 with the other hand, which is extremely simple and can be performed in a short time.

[0041] [Second embodiment] Next, a second embodiment of the small animal immobilization device 10 will be described (see Figs. 6A to 10B).

[0042] The small animal fixing device 10 of this embodiment is configured as a device more suitable for fixing a small animal A, which is larger than the above-mentioned mouse, such as a marmoset, to the experimental apparatus 1. The small animal fixing device 10 of this embodiment is configured to include a fixing plate member 20, a frame member 110, a stopper (positioning means) 30, and an attachment 50 (see FIG. 6A, etc.).

[0043] The fixing plate member 20 is a member that fixes the small animal A to the experimental apparatus 1 by being attached to a predetermined attachment position of the frame member 110 via the attachment 50 while being attached to the head of the small animal A (particularly, a marmoset, etc.). The fixing plate member 20 itself may have a configuration similar to that of a conventional one. In this embodiment, the fixing plate member 20 is adopted, which has a shape and size suitable for a small animal A such as a marmoset and has an opening 21 such as a polygon. In addition, in this embodiment, the fixing plate member 20 is adopted, which has a shape having a left front side oblique edge 23L and a right front side oblique edge 23R formed so as to abut against a stopper 51 of the attachment 50 (see FIG. 6A, etc.).

[0044] The attachment 50 is a member that can function as a sort of adapter that adapts the sizes of the two when a relatively small fixing plate member 20 is attached to a relatively large fixing plate member 20 (see FIG. 6A, etc.). The attachment 50 is configured to be detachable from the frame member 110, and is configured, for example, in a substantially L-shape including a front edge 50F, a left edge 50L, a right edge 50R, etc. in a plan view so that the fixing plate member 20 can be detachably attached to the attachment 50 (see FIG. 6A, FIG. 8, etc.). The attachment 50 has a mounting surface 54 that contacts the back surface of a part of the bottom surface of the fixing plate member 20 (for example, a part including the area around the right front oblique edge 23R), and further has a stopper 51, a pressure slider 52, a regulating screw 53, etc. (see FIG. 6A, etc.). The mounting surface 54 may be formed at a position one step lower than the upper surface of the attachment 50 (indicated by symbol 50u in FIG. 6B) (see FIG. 6B).

[0045] The stopper 51 is provided to function as a positioning means for determining the vertical position and further the horizontal position of the fixing plate member 20. There is no particular limitation on the specific configuration of the stopper 51 as long as it performs such a function. As an example, in this embodiment, a flat head screw is adopted, and the stopper 51 is configured using the inclined portion 51s formed of the conical seat surface of this flat head screw (see Fig. 6A, Fig. 6B, etc.). The stopper 51 configured using the flat head screw has a simple structure and can be easily manufactured at low cost. In addition, by appropriately arranging multiple stoppers 51, the horizontal position of the fixing plate member 20 when it hits these stoppers 51 can be uniformly defined (see Fig. 8, etc.). Specifically, in this embodiment, three stoppers 51 are disposed, one at a position where the left front diagonal edge 23L of the fixing plate member 20 abuts, and two at positions where the right front diagonal edge 23R abuts, so that the fixing plate member 20 is positioned at a predetermined relative position to the attachment 50 (see Figures 8, 9, etc.).

[0046] In the stopper 51 configured as described above, a tapered surface is formed by the inclined portion 51s consisting of the conical seat surface of the countersunk screw and the mounting surface 54, forming a wedge-shaped guide (see FIG. 6B). Such a wedge-shaped guide can apply a vertical pressing component to the fixing plate member 20 to apply a component force pressing the fixing plate member 20 toward the mounting surface 54, so that when the fixing plate member 20 is positioned by the stopper 51, it is possible to determine its horizontal position as well as its vertical position (see FIGS. 9 to 10B, etc.).

[0047] The pressure slider 52 is a member provided as a pressing tool for pressing the fixing plate member 20 toward a predetermined mounting position. The pressure slider 52 of this embodiment is attached by a pin 55 so as to be capable of sliding relative to the attachment 50 in the front-rear direction, and is capable of stroking in the front-rear direction by an amount corresponding to the length of the long hole 52h provided in the pressure slider 52 (see FIG. 6A, etc.). The pressure slider 52 is pulled and biased forward by a biasing means such as a tension spring 56 (see FIG. 6A, etc.), and is provided so as to apply a pressing force in a direction to press the fixing plate member 20 against each stopper 51 via the pressing portion 52p (see FIG. 6A, FIG. 10A, etc.).

[0048] In addition, the pressing portion 52p of the pressure slider 52, which comes into contact with the fixing plate member 20, is formed with an inclined surface that is inclined so as to overhang (incline forward) (see FIG. 6A, etc.). This inclined surface applies a vertical pressing component when the fixing plate member 20 is pressed toward a predetermined mounting position, and applies a component force pressing the fixing plate member 20 toward the mounting surface 54. The action of such an inclined surface, combined with the action of the inclined portion 51s of the stopper 51, helps to determine the vertical position of the fixing plate member 20 with greater precision when positioning the fixing plate member 20.

[0049] The restricting screw 53 is provided alongside the pressing slider 52 as an example of a means for changing the stroke width of the pressing slider 52 (see Figs. 6A, 6B, etc.). In this embodiment, a dial screw that can be turned by hand is used as the restricting screw 53, and its tip is arranged to be located in the stroke region of the pressing slider 52. The stroke width of the pressing slider 52 can be changed by turning the restricting screw 53 to change the tip position, and the pressing slider 52 cannot slide by suppressing the stroke width (see Fig. 9, etc.). When the stroke width of the pressing slider 52 is suppressed in this way, the movable range of the fixing plate member 20 is restricted, and it is possible to suppress the fixing plate member 20 from rattling or coming off the attachment 50 even if the small animal A moves or struggles (see Fig. 9, etc.).

[0050] The frame member 110 is configured so that the attachment 50 can be attached and detached to a predetermined mounting position. The frame member 110 of this embodiment is configured with a relatively large frame so as to be more suitable for fixing a small animal A, such as a marmoset, which is larger than the above-mentioned mouse, to the experimental apparatus 1 (see FIG. 6A, etc.), and is disposed at a predetermined position (position for fixing the head of the small animal A) of the fixing base 100 (see FIG. 1). The frame member 110 is configured with a portion that becomes a top plate and a support portion (such as a side frame or a support column) that supports the portion that becomes the top plate, but in FIG. 6A, etc., only the portion that becomes the top plate is shown, as in the first embodiment. The frame member 110 of this embodiment is substantially L-shaped in a plan view, and the attachment 50 can be attached and detached to its recess 112 (see FIG. 6A, FIG. 10, etc.). The frame member 110 is provided with a mounting surface 114 that contacts the bottom surface of the attachment 50, for example, around the front edge 50F or the right edge 50R, and is further provided with a stopper 30 and a pressing lever 60. The mounting surface 114 may be formed at a position one step lower than the upper surface (indicated by reference symbol 113 in FIG. 6A) of the frame member 110 (see FIG. 6A, etc.).

[0051] The stopper 30 is provided to function as a positioning means for determining the vertical and horizontal positions of the attachment 50 attached to the frame member 110. There are no particular limitations on the specific configuration of the stopper 30 as long as it can perform this function. In this embodiment, a plate-shaped positioning tool 31 having an inclined surface (gradient portion) 32 is attached to the frame member 110 with a screw 33 to form the stopper 30 including the inclined surface 32 that is overhanging (inclined forward) (see Fig. 6A, Fig. 10A, etc.). By appropriately arranging a plurality of stoppers 30, the horizontal position of the attachment 50 when it hits these stoppers 30 can be uniformly determined (see Fig. 10A, etc.). Specifically, in this embodiment, three stoppers 30 are positioned, one at a position where the left edge 50L of the attachment 50 abuts, and two at positions where the front edge 50F abuts, so that the attachment 50 is positioned at a predetermined mounting position (see Figures 6A, 10A, etc.).

[0052] Furthermore, by providing the stopper 30 configured as described above, a tapered surface is formed by the overhanging (forward inclined) inclined surface 32 and the mounting surface 114, forming a wedge-shaped guide (see FIG. 6A, etc.). Such a wedge-shaped guide can apply a vertical pressing component to the attachment 50 to apply a component of force pressing the attachment 50 toward the mounting surface 114, so that when the attachment 50 is positioned by the stopper 30, it is possible to determine its horizontal position as well as its vertical position (see FIG. 10A, etc.).

[0053] The pressing lever 60 is a member provided as a pressing tool for pressing the attachment 50 toward a predetermined mounting position. The pressing lever 60 of this embodiment is provided so as to be rotatable in the horizontal direction about a fulcrum 63 on the frame member 110, and is provided so as to apply a pressing force from a direction in which the attachment 50 is pressed toward the stopper 30 via a pressing portion 64 (see Figs. 6A, 10A, etc.).

[0054] The pressing lever 60 is provided with a tension spring 62 and a dial screw 67 (see FIG. 6A, etc.). The tension spring 62 has one end hooked on the frame member 110 and the other end hooked on, for example, the locking portion 65, and pulls and urges the pressing lever 60 to rotate in one direction, in this embodiment, in the direction in which the pressing portion 64 moves away from the predetermined mounting position of the attachment 50 (see FIG. 6A, etc.). The dial screw 67 is provided so that its tip abuts against the frame member 110, and by increasing the amount of protrusion of the threaded portion from the pressing lever 60, the pressing lever 60 rotates in one direction, in this embodiment, in the direction in which the pressing portion 64 moves closer to the predetermined mounting position of the attachment 50 (see FIG. 6A, etc.). By further turning the dial screw 67 to increase the amount of protrusion of the threaded portion, the pressing portion 64 can be pressed against the attachment 50 and fixed in the predetermined mounting position (see FIG. 10A, etc.).

[0055] The pressing portion 64 of the pressing lever 60, which is the contact portion with the attachment 50, is formed with an inclined surface 61 that is inclined so as to overhang (incline forward) (see FIG. 6A, etc.). When the attachment 50 is pressed toward a predetermined mounting position, the inclined surface 61 exerts a vertical pressing component, and applies a component force to press the attachment 50 toward the mounting surface 114. The action of the inclined surface 61, in combination with the action of the inclined surface 32 of the stopper 30, helps to determine the vertical position of the attachment 50 with greater precision when positioning the attachment 50. Although not shown in detail, an inclined surface 58 corresponding to the inclined surface 61 of the pressing portion 64 may be provided at the portion of the attachment 50 that comes into contact with the pressing portion 64 (see FIG. 6A, etc.).

[0056] A series of operations and the movements associated therewith when using the small animal immobilization device 10 as described above will be described (see Figs. 6A to 10B).

[0057] First, when attaching the fixing plate member 20 to the attachment 50, the worker pulls and shifts the pressing slider 52 backward in the figure (see FIG. 7) in a state where the restricting screw 53 has been turned counterclockwise in advance to reduce the amount of protrusion of the tip (loosening the screw). As a result, the pressing portion 52p of the pressing slider 52 shifts in a direction away from the specified mounting position and is in a retracted state, so that in this state, the fixing plate member 20 is moved from the rear toward the specified mounting position in a specified direction, a part of its back surface is placed on the mounting surface 54 of the attachment 50, and further slid on the mounting surface 54 until the left front oblique edge 23L and the right front oblique edge 23R abut against the stopper 51 (the inclined portion 51s constituting the stopper 51) (see FIG. 8), and then the hand that was holding down the pressing slider 52 can be released. The pressing slider 52 automatically slides forward in the figure due to the biasing force of the tension spring 56, pressing the fixing plate member 20 toward each stopper 51 via the pressing portion 52p, and positions it at a predetermined mounting position (see FIG. 8). At this time, the horizontal and vertical positions of the fixing plate member 20 relative to the attachment 50 are determined by the wedge action of the inclined portions 51s of each stopper 51 and the inclined surface of the pressing portion 52p of the pressing slider 52 as described above (see FIG. 8, etc.). The above series of mounting operations can be completed by operating the pressing slider 52 with one hand while moving the fixing plate member 20 with the other hand, which is extremely simple and can be performed in a short time.

[0058] Note that the restricting screw 53, which has been loosened beforehand, can be turned clockwise to bring its tip into contact with the pressure slider 52 and then further tightened to restrict the pressure slider 52 from sliding and further press the fixing plate member 20 with the pressing portion 52p. This makes it possible to prevent the fixing plate member 20 from rattling or coming off the attachment 50, as described above (see FIG. 9).

[0059] Next, when attaching the attachment 50 to the frame member 110, the worker moves the attachment 50 in a predetermined direction from the diagonal rear toward a predetermined attachment position of the frame member 110, places a part of its bottom surface (the bottom surface around the front edge 50F and the right edge 50R) on the placement surface 114 of the frame member 110, and slides the attachment 50 on the placement surface 114 until the front edge 50F and the left edge 50L abut against the stopper 30 (the inclined surface 32 of the positioning tool 31 that constitutes the stopper 30) (see FIG. 10A). Then, the dial screw 67 is turned to the right (see FIG. 10B), and the pressing lever 60 is rotated clockwise in a plan view, and the pressing part 64 is pressed against the attachment 50 (the inclined surface 58) to fix it in the predetermined attachment position (see FIGS. 10A and 10B). In this way, the attachment 50 can be pressed against each stopper 30 and positioned at a predetermined mounting position. At this time, the horizontal and vertical positions of the attachment 50 are determined by the action of each of the inclined surfaces 32, 61 described above (see FIG. 10A). Moreover, since the positioning operation of the attachment 50 can be completed by the extremely simple operation of simply turning the dial screw 67 with the attachment 50 attached, the attachment operation itself can be easily performed in a short time.

[0060] The attachment 50 as described in this embodiment may be formed in a shape that allows it to be attached and detached by changing the orientation with respect to a predetermined attachment position of the frame member 110. As an example, the attachment 50 described in this embodiment is substantially L-shaped (see FIG. 6A, etc.), but if a virtual frame piece 59 is provided with an external shape that is, for example, substantially square, the attachment 50 can be attached to the frame member 110 by rotating it, for example, 90° clockwise. The small animal fixing device 10 in which the orientation of the attachment 50 can be changed and attached and detached to the frame member 110 in this way is convenient when, for example, it is desired to change the orientation of the small animal A (its head) during an experiment to capture an image.

[0061] [Effect, etc.] As described above, according to the small animal fixing device 10 of the first and second embodiments, the fixing plate member 20 attached to the head of the small animal A can be positioned at a predetermined mounting position on the frame member 110 with high accuracy and good reproducibility, either directly or indirectly via the attachment 50. Moreover, the work for attaching the fixing plate member 20 to the frame member 110 is extremely simple compared to the series of operations required in conventional devices, and even though the operation is simple, the fixing plate member 20 can be positioned at the predetermined mounting position with high accuracy by cooperation of various pressing tools and positioning means. In particular, in each aspect described in the above embodiments, such an action is achieved by a fixing frame portion (i.e., the portion of frame member 110 where stopper 30 is provided, or the portion of attachment 50 where stopper 51 is provided) equipped with stoppers arranged to form two or more sides (which become part of the tapered surface to form a wedge-shaped guide and function as positioning means to determine the vertical position / horizontal position), and a mechanism (a pressing mechanism using various pressing tools such as pressing lever 40, pressing slider 52, pressing lever 60, etc.) that applies pressure diagonally to a corner of these frame portions where the two sides equipped with the stoppers intersect, and it can be said that the configuration is simple, effective, and practical.

[0062] The above-mentioned embodiment is an example of a preferred embodiment of the present invention, but is not limited thereto, and various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. For example, in the above-mentioned embodiments, the stopper (stopper 30 of the frame member, stopper 51 of the attachment 50) is provided with a gradient portion (inclined surface 32, gradient portion 51s). Instead of or in addition to these configurations, a gradient may be provided on the edge of the fixing plate member 20 to form a wedge-shaped guide similar to the above. Based on a similar concept, a gradient may be provided on the part of the fixing plate member 20 that receives the pressing force by contacting with the pressing tool (pressing lever 40, pressing slider 52, etc.). Alternatively, based on a similar concept, a gradient may be provided on the edge of the attachment 50. [Industrial Applicability]

[0063] The present invention is preferably applied to a small animal fixing device for fixing a small animal for use in an experiment to an experimental apparatus. [Explanation of symbols]

[0064] 1. Experimental equipment 10…Small animal fixation device 20...Fixing plate member 20F…Front facing edge 20S…Side edge 21...Opening 22L, 22R…Bottom of both left and right sides 23L…Left front beveled edge 23R…Right front beveled edge 30...Stopper (positioning means) 31... Positioning tool 32...Inclined surface (gradient section) 33…Screw 40...Press lever (pressing tool) 41...Inclined surface (gradient section) 42...Tension spring (biasing means) 43…Fulcrum 44…Pressing part 45…Latching part 46…Regulatory protrusion 50…Attachment 50F…Front edge 50L…Left edge 50R…Right side edge 51... Stopper provided on the attachment (another positioning means for determining the vertical / horizontal position of the fixing plate member) 51s...Slope (gradient) 52...Press slider (another pressing tool) provided on the attachment 52h…long hole 52p…Pressing part 53...Regulation screw (regulation device) 54…Placement surface 55…Pin 56...Tension spring (biasing means) 58…Slope surface 59…Virtual frame piece 60...Press lever (pressing tool) provided on the attachment 61...Inclined surface (gradient section) 62...Tension spring 63…Fulcrum 64…Pressing part 65…Latching part 67…Dial screw 100: Fixed stand (main body of the experimental device) 110...Frame member of main body 112…Recess 113…Top surface 114...Placement surface 120…Stereotactic frame 130...Restraint device 140…Spout lever unit 200…Water supply unit 300…Speaker 400…Sound stimulation unit 500…Interface equipment 600…Computer 610…Software A...Small animals P…Prescribed installation position

Claims

1. A small animal fixing device for fixing a small animal for experiment to an experimental device, A fixing plate member attached to the head of the small animal; a frame member on the main body side of the experimental apparatus, which is capable of attaching and detaching the fixing plate member to a predetermined mounting position; a positioning means for determining a vertical position of the fixing plate member when the fixing plate member is attached to the predetermined attachment position of the frame member; a pressing tool for pressing the fixing plate member against the predetermined mounting position; A small animal immobilization device comprising:

2. 2. The small animal fixing device according to claim 1, wherein said positioning means has a gradient portion for applying a vertical pressure component to said fixing plate member when said fixing plate member is attached to said predetermined attachment position.

3. The small animal fixation device according to claim 2 , wherein the sloped portion is formed on a side portion of the fixation plate member.

4. 3. The small animal fixing device according to claim 2, wherein the sloped portion is formed on a stopper for determining a horizontal position of the fixing plate member.

5. The small animal immobilization device according to claim 4 , wherein a plurality of said stops are formed on said frame member.

6. A small animal fixing device as described in any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein one or both of the contact portions between the pressing tool and the fixing plate member have a gradient portion formed thereon to apply a vertical pressing component to the fixing plate member when attached to the specified mounting position.

7. 6. The small animal fixing device according to claim 4, wherein the pressing tool is provided at a position where it applies a pressing force to the stopper in a direction in which the fixing plate member is pressed against the stopper.

8. The small animal immobilization device according to claim 1 , further comprising a biasing means for biasing the pressing tool in one direction.

9. The small animal fixing device according to claim 1 , wherein the pressing tool includes a restricting device that restricts a movable range of the fixing plate member.

10. 10. The small animal fixing device according to claim 1, wherein the fixing plate member is configured to be attached to the predetermined mounting position of the frame member via an attachment.

11. The small animal fixing device according to claim 10, wherein the attachment is formed in a shape that allows it to be attached and detached in different directions with respect to the predetermined mounting position of the frame member.

12. 12. A small animal immobilization device according to claim 10 or 11, wherein the attachment comprises further positioning means for defining the vertical position of the fixing plate member.

13. 12. A small animal immobilization device according to claim 10 or 11, wherein the attachment comprises further positioning means for defining the horizontal position of the fixing plate member.

14. 14. The small animal fixing device according to claim 13, wherein the attachment comprises another pressing tool for pressing the fixing plate member against the other positioning means.

Images