Medical Devices and Techniques for Rodent and Small Mammalian Based Research

Abstract

A method and system of supplying rodents, such as mice, to medical researchers pre-installs and / or embeds physiologic sensors onto or within the rodents prior to selling the modified rodents to the researchers. The specialty skills, such as small animal surgical and anesthesia skills and sensor placement and testing, are centralized in one organization rather than being spread about a collection of researchers. The subjects with preinstalled, pre-tested hardware, are sold to the researcher as needed. Communication hardware and software will be supplied for the user to convert their desktop computer into a wireless monitoring station. Additionally an external pulse oximeter for small rodents, such as mice, provides measurements on a hand or foot of the rodent with a sensor configured to avoid shunting around the rodent appendage, and configured for high heart rates (200-900 beats per minutes) of the subjects.

Description

RELATED APPLICATION[0001]The present application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11 / 115,072 entitled “Medical Devices and Techniques for Rodent and Small Mammalian Based Research” filed Apr. 26, 2005. U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11 / 115,072 claims the benefit of provisional patent application Ser. No. 60 / 565,708 entitled “Medical Devices and Techniques for Rodent and Small Mammalian Based Research” filed Apr. 26, 2004.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]1. Field of the Invention[0003]The present invention relates to medical devices and techniques for rodent and small mammalian based research, in particular rodents with physiologic sensors such as pre-embedded research related hardware and external rodent pulse oximeter systems.[0004]2. Background of the Invention[0005]In conducting research on small mammals, such as, most commonly mice, a researcher must spend time and money on designing and implementing the data collection methods and devices that will be req...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

This approach reduces setup times, minimizes material waste, and provides accurate, long-term physiologic data collection with reduced noise and sensor damage, enabling efficient rodent-based research by centralizing expertise and using optimized sensor placement and technology.

Problems solved by technology

Small mammals provide other unique problems for similar research.

There are several drawbacks with the existing procedures for performing research on small rodents.

First, researchers must spend considerable time developing the tools to conduct their research instead of focusing on the specified research itself.

This wasted set up time significantly delays the subsequent research, which is an impediment to the general progress of science and potentially very costly in competitive commercial areas.

Second, researchers will unduly waste materials in the development of the specialized tools.

For example, in embedding hardware in small mammals, such as mice, the researcher's unfamiliarity with the devices and with the specific effect of anesthetic on the small mammals can lead to a very high morbidity rate.

The services provided by Charles River Labs, and possibly other service providers, can reduce yield loss, but it does little to reduce lead time for research.

Certain service providers, such as Charles Rivers Labs, limit the source of the animals further restricting the researcher.

Consider the problems associated with external physiologic sensors that are useful for research, such as oximeter and pulse monitoring technology, when applied to small mammals such as mice.

These technologies are also of significant interest to researchers of small mammals as well, but the application of this technology to small mammals presents numerous difficulties.

The inventor has identified that one of the most common difficulties with designing or implementing existing sensors for small mammal research is sensor sizing and placement in order to assure quality physiologic signals.

The problem is that a mouse's appendages and other hairless areas are smaller than the light emitters and light detectors employed in the external sensors.

This causes light shunting on the appendages.

This increases the shunting problems, particularly with small rodents.

If light shunting occurs, it creates an enormous amount of noise, or extraneous signal, in a photo-plethysmograph.

As illustrated in FIG. 3, emitters 10 and detectors 18 utilized for humans will not work for mice and small rats because the fingers, toes and even the entire feet or paw 30 of these subjects are so small that significant optical shunting is unavoidable.

There is a further problem with other possible locations for the existing pulse oximeters sensors for small mammals such as mice.

In addition to where to locate an appropriate pulse oximeter on a small rodent, there are other unique problems.

If the rodent subject is not anesthetized, in a very short period of time, the rodent will destroy the sensor or sensor cable by biting it.

The existing sensors and associated software do not accommodate such rates.

The inability to effectively use existing sensors on mice and small rodents have led certain companies to exclude their oximeters for use on small (or very small) mammals.

For example, Kent Scientific sells a pulse oximeter for “use with small animals” and the device clearly states that “the available sensor will not work with mice”, which is particularly un-helpful for researchers utilizing mice.

The complex techniques for obtaining the respiratory rate from pulse oximetry sensors of the prior art simply do not translate to small mammals, such as mice.

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