A multi-channel modular animal inhalation exposure chamber and exposure system

Abstract

The invention discloses a multi-channel modular animal inhalation exposure box and an exposure system, including a test box, a side door hinged on the side opening of the test box, a mist inlet, a detection port, an air inlet and an air outlet provided on the test box, and the test box is used to place experimental animals. The multi-channel modular animal inhalation exposure box of the invention is suitable for both laboratory dose and condition controllable poisoning experimental research and outdoor exposure research in actual environment, that is, experimental animals can be exposed to atomized aerosol particles, simulated poisoning gases, tail gas, smoke, etc., and can be exposed to the actual atmospheric environment outside; and through modular combination, simultaneous exposure research of multiple groups of animals, different target pollutants, and different poisoning doses can be realized at the same time. The exposure system can be inhaled through the natural breathing of animals to achieve the purpose of actual environment exposure or specific environment exposure, and realize the convenience and diversity of research.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the technical field of exposure experimental devices, in particular to a multi-channel modular animal inhalation exposure box and an exposure system. Background Art

[0002] As the World Health Organization gradually tightens its health standards for air pollution, research on the health hazards of air pollution is particularly important. The results of the 2019 Global Burden of Disease Study show that air pollution ranks fourth among the causes of death worldwide. Air pollutants can enter the bronchi, alveoli and even the blood directly or carry a large amount of organic chemical components through breathing, thereby affecting the human respiratory system, cardiovascular system, immune system, nervous system, etc. Therefore, research on the health effects of air pollution exposure has attracted much attention. However, the existing scientific research results cannot form a comprehensive understanding of the health effects and mechanisms of air pollution, and cannot meet the needs of governments in making environmental health decisions. Animal exposure research experiments to air pollution can fully demonstrate the pathophysiological mechanisms of air pollutants. Therefore, experimental research on animal exposure to air pollution is an effective means.

[0003] At present, most domestic and foreign studies use nasal instillation or tracheal instillation to conduct animal exposure experiments, but this is not the same as the actual state of inhalation of air pollutants through the respiratory tract. Some studies fix the experimental animals and expose them through the mouth and nose. This method has a limited exposure time and restricts the animals' autonomous activities during the exposure process, which cannot avoid interference with the animals' physiological indicators. In addition, most air pollutants cause long-term and chronic damage to the body. The damage caused by a one-time large-dose exposure does not conform to the chronic pathological process caused by long-term and repeated inhalation of organisms.

[0004] Exposure chambers can simulate the exposure of animals to air pollutants in real environments, but most of the existing whole-body exposure systems are commercial integrated products that integrate computer control systems, air handling systems, and exposure functional units in a large cabinet. Although the exposure parameters are automatically adjusted, the overall product price is expensive, the volume is too large, and it takes up a large space in the laboratory and is not easy to move. Moreover, this type of exposure chamber and exposure system for animal adsorption and poisoning experiments can only be exposed to poisons through passive inhalation by animals, and cannot be actively inhaled in real environments. For this reason, a multi-channel animal inhalation exposure chamber and exposure system are urgently needed to solve the above problems. Summary of the invention

[0005] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a multi-channel modular animal inhalation exposure box to solve the problems existing in the above-mentioned prior art, so that simultaneous exposure research of multiple groups of animals, different target pollutants and different toxic doses can be realized under actual environmental exposure or specific environmental exposure.

[0006] To achieve the above object, the present invention provides the following solutions:

[0007] The present invention provides a multi-channel modular animal inhalation exposure box, comprising a test box, a side door hinged on the side opening of the test box, the test box is provided with a mist inlet, a detection port, an air inlet and an air outlet, the test box is used to place experimental animals, the side door can be opened to connect with the outside atmosphere, the mist inlet is used to connect with a poisonous gas source after atomization of different reagents, and the air inlet is used to connect with a purified gas source or a poisonous gas source.

[0008] Preferably, one of the side doors is hinged on each of two opposite sides of the test box, and both of the side doors are provided with an observation window and a handle.

[0009] Preferably, one of the side doors is provided with an air inlet, and the other side door is provided with an air outlet, the mist inlet and the detection port are respectively provided on the other two side surfaces of the test box, and the mist inlet, the detection port, the air inlet and the air outlet are all provided with threads.

[0010] Preferably, two opposite side openings of the test box are respectively provided with a circle of protruding partitions, and the filter membranes are detachably connected to the partitions.

[0011] Preferably, a fan is detachably provided on the top surface of the test box.

[0012] Preferably, a thermometer and hygrometer are provided on the side wall of the test box.

[0013] Preferably, the test box is made of medical stainless steel 316L, and has a length of 500 mm, a width of 400 mm, and a height of 200 mm.

[0014] The present invention also relates to a multi-channel modular animal inhalation exposure system, comprising the above-mentioned multi-channel modular animal inhalation exposure box, an atomized poisonous gas source component and a purified gas source component or a poisonous gas source component, the air inlet of the multi-channel modular animal inhalation exposure box being connected to the purified gas source component or the poisonous gas source component, the mist inlet being connected to the atomized poisonous gas source component, and the air outlet being connected to the outside atmosphere.

[0015] Preferably, the atomized poisonous gas source component includes a drying filter tube, a medical nebulizer, a rotor flowmeter and a clean air bottle which are connected to the mist inlet in sequence; the purified gas source component includes a rotor flowmeter, an air filter and an air pump which are connected to the air inlet in sequence; the poisonous gas source component includes a diluter and a poisonous gas source which are connected to the air inlet in sequence.

[0016] Preferably, a plurality of the multi-channel modular animal inhalation exposure boxes are provided, and the air inlet of each of the multi-channel modular animal inhalation exposure boxes is respectively connected to the purified air source component or the poisoned air source component, and the mist inlet is respectively connected to the atomized poisoned air source component.

[0017] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has achieved the following technical effects:

[0018] The multi-channel modular animal inhalation exposure box of the present invention is suitable for both laboratory poisoning experimental research with controllable dosage and conditions, and outdoor exposure research in actual environments, that is, experimental animals can be exposed to atomized aerosol particles, simulated poisoning gases, exhaust gas, smoke, etc., and can be exposed to the actual external atmospheric environment; and through modular combination, simultaneous exposure research of multiple groups of animals, different target pollutants, and different poisoning doses can be realized at the same time. The exposure system can achieve the purpose of actual environmental exposure or specific environmental exposure through the natural breathing inhalation of animals, thereby realizing the convenience and diversity of research. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings required for use in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying creative work.

[0020] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the multi-channel modular animal inhalation exposure system of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 2 The structure of the multi-channel modular animal inhalation exposure box of the present invention is shown in FIG. Figure 1 ;

[0022] Figure 3 The structure of the multi-channel modular animal inhalation exposure box of the present invention is shown in FIG. Figure 2 ;

[0023] Figure 4 The structure of the multi-channel modular animal inhalation exposure box of the present invention is shown in FIG. Figure 3 ;

[0024] Among them: 1-test chamber, 2-mist inlet, 3-detection port, 4-partition, 5-side door, 6-observation window, 7-handle, 8-air inlet, 9-thermohygrometer, 10-air outlet, 11-fan, 12-air pump, 13-medical nebulizer, 14-drying filter tube, 15-rotor flowmeter, 16-clean air bottle, 17-air filter. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0026] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a multi-channel modular animal inhalation exposure box and exposure system to solve the problems existing in the prior art, so that simultaneous exposure research of multiple groups of animals, different target pollutants and different toxic doses can be realized under actual environmental exposure or specific environmental exposure.

[0027] In order to make the above-mentioned objects, features and advantages of the present invention more obvious and easy to understand, the present invention is further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0028] Example 1

[0029] like Figures 1 to 4 As shown: This embodiment provides a multi-channel modular animal inhalation exposure box, including a test box 1, a side door 5 is hinged on the side opening of the test box 1, and the test box 1 is provided with a mist inlet 2, a detection port 3, an air inlet 8 and an air outlet 10. The test box 1 is used to place experimental animals, and the side door 5 can be opened to connect with the outside atmosphere. The mist inlet 2 is used to connect to the poisonous gas source after atomization of different reagents, and the air inlet 8 is used to connect to the purified gas source or the poisonous gas source. If it is a short-term experiment, the experimental animals can be placed directly in the test box 1. If they need to eat and drink water, they can be placed in a ventilation cage for feeding to store the experimental animals.

[0030] In this embodiment, a "multi-channel" toxic gas inhalation method can be realized, that is: after the side door 5 is opened, it can be used for exposure to the actual external atmospheric environment. After the filter membrane is embedded in the partition 4, the air purified by the filter membrane can enter the test box 1; the mist inlet 2 can be used for exposure to atomized aerosol particles; the air inlet 8 can be used to simulate exposure to toxic gases, exhaust gas, smoke, etc., or to introduce clean air to ensure normal breathing of experimental animals.

[0031] A side door 5 (sealed with a sealing strip) is hinged on two opposite sides of the test box 1, and both side doors 5 are provided with an observation window 6 and a handle 7. An air inlet 8 is provided on one side door 5, and an air outlet 10 is provided on the other side door 5. The mist inlet 2 and the detection port 3 are respectively provided on the other two sides of the test box 1. The mist inlet 2, the detection port 3, the air inlet 8 and the air outlet 10 are all provided with threads. After the aerosol concentration in the exposure box is stabilized, the detection port 3 is connected to the external aerosol detector to detect the concentration of particulate matter in the air entering the test box 1. The height of the detection port 3 matches the height of the animal's activity and breathing in the test box 1. The detection port 3 is connected to the catheter through an L-shaped adapter and can be transferred to the point to be detected. After the first point is detected, the position of the catheter is changed to detect the second point; the three-way connector is connected to the catheter to measure the average air concentration of the three points to ensure that the contaminant is evenly dispersed in the test box 1 in the aerosol state. A circle of protruding partitions 4 are respectively provided on the two opposite side openings of the test box 1. The partitions 4 are detachably connected with filter membranes. The filter membranes are HEPA-standard filter membranes, and the removal efficiency of micron particles reaches 99%. The test box 1 embedded with the filter membrane can be used as a control group. The partitions 4 on the test box 1 match the depth of the side doors 5. When the doors 5 on both sides are opened, the filter membranes can be embedded on the partitions 4, so that the ambient air enters the test box 1 after being purified by the filter membrane. At the same time, the mist inlet 2 and the detection port 3 on the front and rear sides of the test box 1 are closed to ensure that the air entering the test box 1 is purified by the filter membrane; when the doors 5 on both sides are opened and the partitions 4 are not equipped with filter membranes, the test box 1 can be directly exposed to the actual ambient air.

[0032] A fan 11 is detachably provided on the top surface of the test box 1 so that the atomized poisoning agent is evenly dispersed inside the test box 1. A thermometer and hygrometer 9 is provided on the side wall of the test box 1, which can observe the temperature and humidity changes in the test box 1 in real time; the thermometer and hygrometer 9 is fixed on the inner side of the test box 1, and the value can be seen through the observation window 6 on the box door, and the observation window 6 is made of light-transmitting organic glass. The material of the test box 1 is medical stainless steel 316L, and the length of the test box 1 is 500mm, the width is 400mm, and the height is 200mm. It can provide a light-proof environment for experimental animals and reduce human interference, and the material is non-toxic to animals; it can accommodate up to two separate IVC cages, and each IVC cage can accommodate 5-6 adult mice. If two test boxes 1 are used in combination, two groups of animals can be exposed to the actual environment and the filtered air environment respectively, so that researchers can directly compare the differences between animals under different exposure environments, and intuitively reflect the impact of the exposure environment on the living status and physiological indicators of animals.

[0033] The present embodiment also relates to a multi-channel modular animal inhalation exposure system, including the above-mentioned multi-channel modular animal inhalation exposure box, atomized poisonous gas source component and purified gas source component or poisonous gas source component, the air inlet 8 of the multi-channel modular animal inhalation exposure box is connected to the purified gas source component or the poisonous gas source component, the mist inlet 2 is connected to the atomized poisonous gas source component, and the air outlet is connected to the outside atmosphere. The air inlet 8 in the present embodiment can be connected to the air pump 12 through a rotor flowmeter 15 and an air filter 17, or connected to a poisonous gas source (simulating a polluted gas source such as poisonous gas, automobile exhaust, and flue gas) through a diluter, the mist inlet 2 is connected to a clean air bottle 16 through a drying filter tube 14 and a medical atomizer 13, a rotor flowmeter 15, and an air outlet 10 is connected to the outside atmosphere. Each component can be used as an independent module, and the exposure box can be connected to different air inlet components (purified gas source components or poisonous gas source components) and atomized poisonous gas source components according to the experimental requirements of different variables, and can simulate exposure experiments of different pollution sources or different experimental animals.

[0034] The atomized poisoning gas source assembly includes a drying filter tube 14, a medical nebulizer 13, a rotor flowmeter 15 and a clean air bottle 16 which are sequentially connected to the mist inlet 2. According to the experimental needs, the exposure experiment of different poisoning atomized gas sources to experimental animals can be simulated. The purified gas source assembly includes a rotor flowmeter 15, an air filter 17 and an air pump 12 which are sequentially connected to the air inlet 8. According to the experimental needs, a normal breathing environment is provided for the experimental animals. The poisoning gas source assembly includes a diluter and a poisoning gas source which are sequentially connected to the air inlet 8. An air pump can be added according to the different poisoning gas sources. According to the experimental needs, the exposure experiment of different poisoning gas sources to experimental animals can be simulated. Several test boxes 1 can share a clean air bottle 16. The rotor flowmeter 15 can adjust the flow rate of the carrier gas entering the medical nebulizer 13 and the test box 1 to ensure the stability of the atomization. The poisoning agent in the liquid medicine cup of the medical nebulizer 13 enters the test box 1 through the mist inlet 2 after atomization.

[0035] Several multi-channel modular animal inhalation exposure boxes are provided, and the air inlet 8 of each multi-channel modular animal inhalation exposure box is respectively connected to the purified air source component or the poisoned air source component, and the mist inlet 2 is respectively connected to the atomized poisoned air source component.

[0036] Example 2

[0037] The present embodiment is an outdoor actual environment exposure experiment: two test boxes 1 are placed on an open space outdoors, and two independent ventilation cages for mice are placed in each box. There are five mice in each cage, and the mice have free access to water and food. Exposure group: The doors 5 on both sides of the test box 1 are opened, and no other treatment is performed. The status of the mice can be observed at any time. Control group: The doors 5 on both sides of the test box 1 are opened, and a filter membrane of appropriate size is embedded on the partition 4 (a high-efficiency filter HEPA filter membrane is used here), and the air enters the test box 1 through the filter membrane. At the same time, the mist inlet 2 and the detection port 3 are blocked with a pipe cap to ensure that the outside air entering the test box 1 is filtered through the HEPA filter membrane. An aerosol detector is used to detect the PM in the actual atmospheric environment of the day. 2.5 After the air in the test chamber 1 is fully purified, the PM 2.5 After 8 hours of exposure, the mice in the exposure group and the control group were in normal condition with no adverse reactions, indicating that the actual effect of the test box 1 can meet the needs of outdoor experiments and ensure the feasibility of the control group of field experiments.

[0038] Example 3

[0039] This example is an indoor laboratory aerosol exposure experiment: two groups of experimental animals are used, the first group is a normal saline control; the second group is a PM 2.5 The model particles were loaded with PAH pollutants, and the loaded particles were resuspended in physiological saline and stored in a refrigerator at -20°C for future use.

[0040] During the exposure experiment, the test box 11 is used in conjunction with the air pump 12, the medical nebulizer 13, the clean air bottle 16, the fan 11, the high-efficiency air filter 17 and the thermo-hygrometer 9 to expose two groups of experimental animals. The two test boxes 1 are connected in parallel, and a clean air bottle 16 is used to provide the carrier gas required for atomization. The carrier air flow rate of the corresponding test box 1 is controlled by a rotor flowmeter 15. Each test box 1 is provided with a contaminant by a medical nebulizer 13, and the tail gas generated during the experiment is discharged through the outlet 10. For the first group of test boxes 1, turn on the air pump 12 to allow clean air passing through the air filter 17 to enter the test box 1, and use the rotor flowmeter 15 to adjust the air flow at the air inlet 8. For the second group of test boxes 1, unscrew the clean air bottle 16, so that the clean air carries the atomized pollutants in the medical nebulizer 13 to contaminate the experimental animals, and use the rotor flowmeter 15 to adjust the carrier gas flow rate.

[0041] In addition, the above-mentioned embodiments can also connect multiple test boxes 1 in parallel in a modular manner to conduct multiple groups of exposure experiments at the same time. Each test box 1 shares an air pump 12, and the carrier air flow rate of the corresponding exposure box is controlled by a rotor flowmeter 15. Each exposure box is provided with a poison solution by a medical nebulizer 13 or a direct exposure channel is used for active exposure at the same time. The target pollutant can be freely selected, and the concentration of particulate matter in the exposure area can be adjusted by adjusting the air flow rate of the air inlet 8 and the atomized carrier gas flow rate; the actual exposure scene can be simulated, and animals can be exposed to the poison through active natural breathing, and can move freely without affecting their normal growth; compared with the existing large-scale whole-body exposure device, it is smaller in size, convenient for conducting outdoor experiments in actual environments, and has lower cost, simple structure, and is easy to clean; it can be assembled in a modular manner to simultaneously realize the exposure of multiple groups of animals, different target pollutants or different poison doses. This embodiment is suitable for whole-body dynamic poison exposure of common small animals. It can not only atomize poison agents, but also realize harmful gas exposure. Through the free assembly of exposure boxes and exposure equipment, experimental animals can be subjected to inhalation exposure research with adjustable pollutants, measurable concentrations, stable poison doses and controllable time, so that the animal inhalation exposure is more in line with the actual environmental conditions and the research results are more referenceable.

[0042] The present specification uses specific examples to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of the present invention. The above examples are only used to help understand the method and core idea of ​​the present invention. At the same time, for those skilled in the art, according to the idea of ​​the present invention, there will be changes in the specific implementation methods and application scope. In summary, the content of this specification should not be understood as limiting the present invention.

Claims

1. A multi-channel modular animal inhalation exposure chamber, characterized in that: The test box comprises a test box, a side door is hinged on the side opening of the test box, a mist inlet, a detection port, an air inlet and an air outlet are arranged on the test box, the test box is used to place experimental animals, the side door can be opened to communicate with the outside atmosphere, the mist inlet is used to connect to the poisonous gas source after atomization of different reagents, and the air inlet is used to connect to the purified gas source or the poisonous gas source; The two opposite sides of the test box are respectively hinged with a side door, the two opposite side openings of the test box are respectively provided with a circle of protruding partitions, the partitions are detachably connected with filter membranes, and the top surface of the test box is detachably provided with a fan.

2. The multi-channel modular animal inhalation exposure chamber according to claim 1, characterized in that: Both side doors are provided with observation windows and handles.

3. The multi-channel modular animal inhalation exposure chamber according to claim 2, characterized in that: An air inlet is arranged on one of the side doors, an air outlet is arranged on the other side door, the mist inlet and the detection port are arranged on the other two sides of the test box respectively, and the mist inlet, the detection port, the air inlet and the air outlet are all provided with threads.

4. The multi-channel modular animal inhalation exposure chamber according to claim 1, characterized in that: A thermometer and hygrometer are arranged on the side wall of the test box.

5. The multi-channel modular animal inhalation exposure chamber according to claim 1, characterized in that: The material of the test box is medical stainless steel 316L, and the length of the test box is 500 mm, the width is 400 mm, and the height is 200 mm.

6. A multi-channel modular animal inhalation exposure system, characterized in that: It comprises the multi-channel modular animal inhalation exposure box, the atomized poisonous gas source component and the purified gas source component or the poisonous gas source component as described in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the air inlet of the multi-channel modular animal inhalation exposure box is connected with the purified gas source component or the poisonous gas source component, the mist inlet is connected with the atomized poisonous gas source component, and the air outlet is connected with the outside atmosphere.

7. The multi-channel modular animal inhalation exposure system according to claim 6, characterized in that: The atomized toxic gas source component includes a drying filter tube, a medical nebulizer, a rotor flowmeter and a clean air bottle which are connected to the mist inlet in sequence; the purified gas source component includes a rotor flowmeter, an air filter and an air pump which are connected to the air inlet in sequence; the toxic gas source component includes a diluter and a toxic gas source which are connected to the air inlet in sequence.

8. The multi-channel modular animal inhalation exposure system according to claim 6, characterized in that: There are several multi-channel modular animal inhalation exposure boxes, and the air inlet of each multi-channel modular animal inhalation exposure box is connected to the purified air source component or the poisoned air source component, and the mist inlet is connected to the atomized poisoned air source component.

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