Experimental device and method for forced swimming and swimming training intervention of rodent

Abstract

The invention discloses an experimental device and method for rodent forced swimming and swimming training intervention, and belongs to the technical field of animal experimental devices.The experimental device comprises a swimming container, and the swimming container is divided into a plurality of animal swimming cabins through a plurality of cabin partition plates; the cabin partition plate can be lifted, when the cabin partition plate is lifted to be higher than the highest experiment water level, the animal swimming cabins are independent, and when the cabin partition plate is lowered to the cabin bottom plate, the animal swimming cabins are communicated; each animal swimming chamber is provided with a lifting platform and a laser radar system, the lifting platform is provided with a weighing structure, and the weighing structure performs quality signal detection on experimental animals; the laser radar system detects a water surface fluctuation signal in the cabin; the swimming device further comprises a main control system which is in communication connection with the swimming container. According to the device, forced swimming experiments and swimming training intervention experiments can be achieved at the same time, the applicability of the device is improved, the state of rodents in the experiment process is accurately judged, and experimental animals are prevented from drowning.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the technical field of animal experimental devices, and in particular to an experimental device and method for rodent forced swimming and swimming training intervention. Background Art

[0002] In the development of antidepressant drugs or health supplements, rodent model experiments are often conducted by creating devices that simulate depression. A common method for simulating depression in rodents is "forced swimming," which involves placing the animals in a confined, water-leveled device. The animals struggle desperately in this confined, narrow environment, but are unable to escape. This creates an unavoidable, oppressive environment, achieving the experimental goal of exhausting the animals. After a period of time, the animals exhibit a typical "immobility," reflecting a state known as "behavioral despair." This behavioral despair model is similar to depression, and existing studies have found that this method is sensitive to most antidepressant drugs.

[0003] In addition, existing research on rodents also includes swimming training intervention experiments. By placing mice in a larger device with a certain water level, the mice are given an active and open environment for swimming training and intervention. After a period of training, the mice are taken out and the changes in their physical fitness and status are observed, so as to conduct relevant research.

[0004] Due to the limited space in existing laboratories and the large area occupied by experimental devices, it is impossible to place two experimental devices at the same time. Designing different devices for different experiments also increases experimental expenses. In addition, different experimental devices have different experimental purposes and operating methods. It is difficult to use the same experimental device to conduct different experiments. Therefore, the existing forced swimming device has many problems:

[0005] First, the same device can only be used for forced swimming experiments and cannot be used for swimming training intervention experiments on one or more rodents; second, rodents often drown due to careless observation during the experiment, which not only causes the loss of experimental animals but also greatly affects the progress of the experiment; third, the entire experimental process requires the high participation of experimental personnel, who must constantly replace animals and drain water. Rodents are easily stimulated by the operators and produce stress reactions, which affects the accuracy and authenticity of the experimental data; fourth, for recording the depressive state of rodents, multiple experimental verifications are required to obtain more reliable results. The existing experimental methods require multiple manual measurements, and the data recording process is complicated, which is difficult for one person to complete and requires the cooperation of multiple people. It is time-consuming and labor-intensive, which greatly increases the burden on scientific researchers. Summary of the Invention

[0006] In response to the problems existing in the prior art, the present invention provides an experimental device and method for forced swimming and swimming training intervention of rodents, which can simultaneously realize forced swimming experiments and swimming training intervention experiments, improve the applicability of the device, and accurately judge the status of rodents during the experiment, prevent experimental animals from drowning, and reduce human operations during the experiment, avoiding stress reactions of animals during the experiment that affect the experimental results. It further reduces the workload of operators and reduces the burden on scientific researchers by improving the degree of automation of the device.

[0007] The technical solutions of the present invention are as follows:

[0008] In a first aspect, the present invention provides an experimental apparatus and method for rodent forced swimming and swimming training intervention, comprising a swimming container, the swimming container being divided into a plurality of animal swimming chambers by a plurality of compartment partitions; the compartment partitions being capable of being raised and lowered; when raised above a maximum experimental water level, the plurality of animal swimming chambers are independent, and when lowered to the compartment floor, the plurality of animal swimming chambers are connected;

[0009] Each animal swimming cabin is equipped with a lifting platform and a laser radar system. The lifting platform is equipped with a weighing structure, which detects the mass signal of the experimental animals; the laser radar system detects the water surface fluctuation signal in the cabin;

[0010] It also includes a main control system, which is communicatively connected with the weighing structure and the laser radar system.

[0011] In some embodiments of the present invention, the cabin interlayer is driven to move up and down by a cabin interlayer lifting structure.

[0012] In some embodiments of the present invention, the upper portion of the weighing structure is connected to the lifting platform surface, and the lower portion of the weighing structure is connected to the lifting platform lifting structure; the lifting platform lifting structure drives the lifting platform surface to move up and down.

[0013] In some embodiments of the present invention, the main control system is communicatively connected with the cabin inter-panel lifting structure and the lifting platform lifting structure respectively.

[0014] In some embodiments of the present invention, the side walls of the multiple animal swimming compartments are provided with feed barrels, water outlets, and water inlets; the feed barrels are located above the highest experimental water level; the water outlets are located at the bottom of the animal swimming compartment close to the bottom plate of the compartment.

[0015] In some embodiments of the present invention, the water inlet is connected to a water inlet pipe for adding water to the swimming container, and the water outlet is connected to a water outlet pipe for draining water from the swimming container.

[0016] In some embodiments of the present invention, both the water inlet pipe and the water outlet pipe are provided with valves, and the valves are communicatively connected to a main control system.

[0017] In some embodiments of the present invention, the bottom plate of the swimming container is provided with container support legs.

[0018] In some embodiments of the present invention, the laser radar system includes a plurality of radar probes, which are distributed inside the animal swimming chamber, and the plurality of radar probes respectively detect optical signals at their respective locations.

[0019] In a second aspect of the present invention, a method for using an experimental apparatus for forced swimming and swimming training intervention in rodents is provided, comprising the following steps: when conducting a forced swimming experiment, a main control system controls a cabin interspace to be raised by a cabin interspace lifting structure to a level above the highest experimental water level, and multiple animal swimming chambers are independent, and a lifting platform is controlled by the lifting platform lifting structure to periodically raise and lower the platform at a fixed time; when the lifting platform surface is raised to the highest position, a feeding hopper provides food to the rodents; after a laser radar system detects no fluctuation signal in the water in the chamber for a preset time, the main control system controls a valve at a water outlet to drain all water from the corresponding animal swimming chamber;

[0020] When conducting a swimming training intervention experiment, the main control system controls the cabin partition to be driven down to the cabin bottom plate by the cabin partition lifting structure, and multiple animal swimming cabins are connected for experiments. The lidar system does not detect any fluctuation signal of the water in the cabin, and the main control system controls the valve at the water outlet to immediately drain all the water in the corresponding animal swimming cabin.

[0021] One or more technical solutions of the present invention have the following beneficial effects:

[0022] By setting up multiple liftable compartment panels, the device can respectively carry out forced swimming experiments and swimming training intervention experiments. This allows the device to be used within a limited laboratory space. By setting up a single experimental device, both forced swimming experiments (which require a narrow and confined device space) and swimming training intervention experiments (which require a relatively free and open device space) can be completed. This reduces experimental costs and improves the applicability of the device.

[0023] Each animal swimming chamber is equipped with a lifting platform and a laser radar system. The lifting platform is equipped with a weighing structure to detect the mass signal of the experimental animals; the laser radar system detects the water surface fluctuation signal in the chamber. The main control system controls the opening and closing of the water inlet and outlet through comprehensive processing and judgment of the mass signal and the water surface fluctuation signal, thereby improving the automation of the device. By controlling the valve at the water outlet, all water in the corresponding animal swimming chamber is discharged in a timely manner during the experiment. This can accurately judge the status of rodents during the experiment and prevent experimental animals from drowning.

[0024] By setting up a main control system to communicate with the cabin inter-panel lifting structure, lifting platform lifting structure, and lidar system respectively, human operation during the experiment can be reduced, and stress reactions of animals during the experiment that affect the experimental results can be avoided. Furthermore, by improving the degree of automation of the device, the workload of operators can be reduced, and the burden on scientific researchers can be reduced. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the overall structure of the experimental device for forced swimming and swimming training of rodents in Example 1 of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 2 This is a schematic structural diagram of the animal swimming cabin in Example 1 of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 3 1 is a schematic structural diagram of the lifting platform in Example 1 of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the structure of the cabin partition in Example 1 of the present invention.

[0029] In the figure: 1. Main control system; 2. Swimming container; 21. Container outer wall; 22. Cabin partition; 221. Cabin partition surface; 222. Cabin partition lifting structure; 23. Cabin bottom plate; 24. Container support legs; 3. Animal swimming chamber; 31. Lifting platform; 311. Lifting platform surface; 312. Weighing structure; 313. Lifting platform lifting structure; 314. Lifting platform shell; 32. Feed barrel; 33. Water outlet; 34. Water inlet; 35. Lidar system; 351. Radar probe. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0031] Example 1

[0032] Forced swimming training requires a narrow environment for mice, which creates a stressful environment. However, swimming training intervention experiments require a wider space for mice, allowing them to actively swim. Limited laboratory space and funding make it impossible to conduct both experiments using the same device.

[0033] In a typical embodiment of the present invention, Figure 1 As shown, an experimental device and method for forced swimming and swimming training intervention in rodents are proposed, including a swimming container 2. In this embodiment, the swimming container 2 is configured as a rectangular trough structure. In other embodiments of the present invention, the overall structure of the swimming container 2 can be configured according to actual experimental needs.

[0034] The swimming container 2 is divided into multiple animal swimming chambers 3 by multiple compartment panels 22. These panels 22 can be raised and lowered. When raised above the maximum experimental water level, the multiple animal swimming chambers 3 are independent. When lowered to the compartment floor 23, the multiple animal swimming chambers 3 are connected. During the entire raising and lowering process of the compartment panels 22, the connection between the compartment panels 22 and the swimming container is completely sealed to prevent water leakage.

[0035] By setting up multiple liftable compartment panels 22 to achieve the conversion of the spacing and connectivity of multiple animal swimming compartments 3, forced swimming experiments on multiple rodents and swimming training intervention experiments on one or more rodents can be carried out according to experimental needs, thereby improving the applicability of the device.

[0036] Each animal swimming chamber 3 is equipped with a lifting platform 31 and a laser radar system 35. The lifting platform 31 is equipped with a weighing structure 312, which detects the mass signal of the experimental animal; the laser radar system 35 detects the water surface fluctuation signal in the chamber; and also includes a main control system 1, which is communicatively connected to the weighing structure 312 and the laser radar system 35. In this embodiment, the mass signal of the experimental animal detected by the weighing structure 312 and the water surface fluctuation signal detected by the laser radar system 35 are both transmitted to the external main control system 1. The main control system 1 jointly analyzes and processes these two signals, improving the automation of the device and determining whether any experimental animal has drowned.

[0037] Furthermore, the cabin inter-plate 22 is provided with a cabin inter-plate surface 221 and a cabin inter-plate lifting structure 222, and the cabin inter-plate surface 221 is driven by the cabin inter-plate lifting structure 222 to move up and down. Figure 4 As shown, multiple compartment panel surfaces 221 are rectangular structures, with their sides perpendicularly abutting the side walls of the swimming container 2. The lifting structure can use, but is not limited to, a cylinder, a hydraulic structure, or an electric push rod to achieve the lifting of the compartment panel surfaces 221. The compartment panel lifting structure 222 can be installed on the bottom plate or side wall of the swimming container 2, whichever is more suitable for achieving the lifting of the compartment panel surfaces 221.

[0038] Furthermore, the upper portion of the weighing structure 312 is connected to the lifting platform surface 311, and the lower portion of the weighing structure 312 is connected to the lifting platform lifting structure 313; the lifting platform lifting structure 313 drives the lifting platform surface 311 to move up and down. In this embodiment, the lifting platform lifting structure 313 is set on the bottom plate of the animal swimming cabin 3, such as Figure 3As shown, the lifting platform 31 is provided with a lifting platform shell 314, and the weighing structure 312 and the lifting platform lifting structure 313 are both located inside the lifting platform shell 314 to prevent water damage. At the same time, during the lifting process of the entire lifting platform 31, the contact position between the lifting platform 31 and the animal swimming chamber 3 is sealed to prevent water leakage.

[0039] Furthermore, the main control system 1 is connected to the cabin panel lifting structure 222, the platform lifting structure 313, and the laser radar system 35. The main control system 1 controls the lifting and starting of the cabin panel lifting structure 222 and the platform lifting structure 313. The lifting of the platform 31 controls the transition between the rodent's support and swimming positions. The laser radar system 35 determines the fluctuation of the water in the animal's swimming chamber. By connecting the main control system 1 to the cabin panel lifting structure 222, the platform lifting structure 313, and the laser radar system 35, manual operation during the experiment can be reduced, preventing stress reactions in the animals that could affect experimental results. Furthermore, by increasing the degree of automation of the device, the workload of operators and the burden on researchers can be reduced.

[0040] In addition, the side walls of the multiple animal swimming chambers 3 are respectively provided with feed cylinders 32, water outlets 33, and water inlets 34; the feed cylinders 32 are located above the highest experimental water level to prevent the experimental water level from submerging the feed in the feed cylinders 32 during the experiment; the water outlets 33 are located at the bottom of the animal swimming chamber 3 near the chamber bottom plate 23 to facilitate drainage. Figure 2 As shown, the water outlet 33 and the water inlet 34 are arranged on the same side of the side wall of the animal swimming compartment 3, and the water inlet 34 is located above the water outlet 33 to facilitate water addition. In other embodiments of the present invention, the position of the water inlet 34 can be set according to actual conditions; the height of the feed bucket 32 ​​is above the height of the lifting platform 31 raised to the highest point, and is set to enable the experimental animals to eat feed.

[0041] Furthermore, the water inlet 34 is connected to an inlet pipe for adding water to the swimming container 2, and the water outlet 33 is connected to an outlet pipe for draining the swimming container 2. Both the inlet and outlet pipes are equipped with valves, which are in communication with the main control system 1. The main control system 1 controls the valves at the water outlet 33 and water inlet 34 to add and drain water to the entire device and control the water level in the animal swimming chamber 3.

[0042] At the beginning of the experiment, the main control system 1 controls the valve at the water inlet 34 to open to add water to the device. When the experiment is over, the main control system controls the valve at the water outlet 33 to open to drain the device. During the experiment, the laser radar system 35 is used to detect the fluctuation signal of the water surface. The main control system controls the valve at the water outlet 33 to discharge all the water in the corresponding animal swimming chamber 3 in time through comprehensive processing and judgment of the quality signal and the water surface fluctuation signal to prevent the experimental animals from drowning.

[0043] In this embodiment, the bottom plate of the swimming container 2 is provided with container support legs 24. In this embodiment, four container support legs 24 are symmetrically provided on the bottom plate of the swimming container 2 to provide stable support for the entire device. At the same time, the height of the container support legs 24 can be set according to the actual experimental conditions. In other embodiments of the present invention, the container support legs 24 can also be provided with a height-adjustable structure to facilitate adjustment by the experimenter during experimental operation. At the same time, the container support legs 24 can also be provided with a sliding device to achieve convenient movement.

[0044] In this embodiment, the laser radar system 35 includes multiple radar probes 351, which are uniformly distributed on the side walls of the animal swimming chamber 3. Each of the radar probes 351 detects optical signals at its respective location. It is understood that the specific locations of the radar probes 351 are set based on the collection of optical signals within the chamber. By detecting optical signals from the multiple radar probes 351 located on the side walls of the animal swimming chamber 3, the laser radar system 35 can obtain water surface fluctuation signals within the chamber and transmit these signals to the main control system 1.

[0045] Example 2

[0046] First of all, it should be noted that since the forced swimming experiment requires mice to enter a state of despair for a certain period of time and be observed, the mice need to enter the water immediately during this experiment, and after struggling and not moving in the water for a period of time, they need to be salvaged to prevent them from drowning; the swimming training intervention experiment is an active stimulation intervention for mice to perform swimming training, and the experiment observes whether the mice's physical fitness changes after swimming training. Therefore, the mice need to enter the water slowly to allow them to adapt to the water surface, and swim in a larger space. When it is found that they are swimming and not moving, they need to be salvaged immediately to prevent them from drowning due to exhaustion during swimming.

[0047] It is understandable that during the forced swimming training, the mice were negatively affected. They would become immobile after being in a state of despair, and they needed to be salvaged at this time to prevent them from drowning. However, in the swimming training intervention experiment, the mice were positively affected. They swam in a more relaxed environment, and they were mostly in a state of exhaustion after becoming immobile. At this time, they needed to be salvaged immediately to prevent them from drowning.

[0048] In the second aspect of the present invention, a method for using an experimental device for forced swimming and swimming training intervention in rodents is provided, comprising the following steps: when conducting a forced swimming experiment, the main control system 1 controls the cabin interlayer panel surface 221 to be driven by the cabin interlayer panel lifting structure 222 to rise and be higher than the highest experimental water level, and multiple animal swimming chambers 3 are separated, and the lifting platform 31 is controlled to be driven by the lifting platform lifting structure 313 to perform periodic lifting and lowering at a fixed time; when the lifting platform surface 311 is raised to the highest position, the feeding barrel 32 provides food for the experimental animals; after the laser radar system 35 does not detect the fluctuation signal of the water in the cabin for a preset time, the main control system 1 controls the valve at the water outlet 33 to discharge all the water in the corresponding animal swimming chamber 3.

[0049] In this embodiment, mice were used as experimental subjects. Figure 1 As shown in Figure 2, the specific steps of the forced swim test are as follows:

[0050] Step 1: After the experimenter selects the forced swimming experiment through the main control system 1, the main control system 1 controls the cabin interlayer panel surface 221 to be driven by the cabin interlayer panel lifting structure 222 to rise above the highest experimental water level, and multiple animal swimming chambers 3 are separated;

[0051] Step 2: The lifting platforms 31 are raised to the highest position, and the water inlet automatically fills the water to the specified level. The experimenter places the experimental mice on the lifting platform surfaces 311 of different animal swimming chambers.

[0052] Step 3: The lifting platform 31 begins to descend rapidly to the bottom of the animal swimming chamber 3, flush with the chamber bottom plate 23, and the mouse quickly enters the water surface. When the mouse is at or below the water surface, it begins to struggle upwards;

[0053] Step 4: After struggling for a while, the mouse stops struggling, indicating it is in a desperate state. At this time, the laser radar system detects that the water surface is stable. After a preset time, the water outlet 33 automatically opens and quickly releases water. At the same time, the lifting platform 31 rises to its highest position. During this process, the mouse descends with the liquid level and reaches the top of the lifting platform 311. The mouse is then given food and water to restore its active state.

[0054] Step 5. If repeated operations are required, continue to repeat steps 2 to 4 after a period of time. During this period, mice can also be replaced or the experiment can be ended to achieve and complete the forced swimming experiment.

[0055] When conducting a swimming training intervention experiment, the main control system 1 controls the cabin interlayer panel surface 221 to be driven by the cabin interlayer lifting structure 222 to descend to the cabin bottom plate 23, and multiple animal swimming cabins 3 are connected for experiments; the laser radar system 35 does not detect any fluctuation signal of the water in the cabin, and the main control system 1 controls the valve at the water outlet 33 to immediately drain all the water in the corresponding animal swimming cabin 3.

[0056] In this embodiment, if Figure 1 As shown in Figure 2, the specific steps of the swimming training intervention experiment are as follows:

[0057] Step 1: After the experimenter selects the swimming intervention experiment through the main control system 1, the compartment partitions 22 of the first, second, fourth, and fifth animal swimming chambers 3 from left to right are lowered, and the six animal swimming chambers 3 are reduced to two animal swimming chambers 3. The space of the connected animal swimming chambers 3 becomes larger, and the swimming intervention experiment device is transformed into a swimming intervention experiment device, and experiments can be carried out separately;

[0058] Step 2: The experiment is conducted in the animal swimming chamber 3 connected to the left side. The lifting platform 31 is raised to the highest position, and the water inlet 34 automatically fills the water to the specified level. The experimenter places the experimental mouse on the lifting platform surface 311;

[0059] Step 3: The lifting platform 31 slowly descends. It should be noted that the descending speed of the lifting platform 31 is slower than that of the forced swimming test. The mouse gradually enters the liquid surface to allow the mouse to gradually adapt to the water surface. After the mouse is completely in the liquid surface, the lifting platform 31 descends to the bottom of the animal swimming chamber 3 and is flush with the chamber bottom plate 23.

[0060] Step 4: The mice swim in the water, implementing swimming training intervention and observation on the mice;

[0061] Step 5: When the laser radar system 35 detects that there is no fluctuation in the liquid level, the water outlet 33 is immediately opened to quickly release water. At the same time, the three lifting platforms 31 rise together to lift the mouse to prevent it from drowning due to exhaustion during swimming, and the mouse is salvaged.

[0062] It should be noted that the time that mice are in a state of despair in the forced swimming experiment, as well as the time that mice undergo swimming training intervention, are adjusted and set by the experimenters according to the experimental needs.

[0063] In this embodiment, the working principle of the laser radar system 35 is:

[0064] When the water surface in the horizontal plane space where the radar probe 351 is located does not fluctuate, the circuit feedback is low potential and the converted digital signal is 0; when the water surface in the horizontal plane space fluctuates up and down, the circuit feedback is high potential and the converted digital signal is 1; the digital signals generated by all radar probes 351 are connected in parallel to the laser radar system 35 through the OR gate logic circuit, and the laser radar system 35 transmits the summarized digital signals to the main control system 1.

[0065] There is no mouse in the animal swimming chamber 3: when the main control system 1 receives a weight signal indicating that there is no mouse on the weighing structure 312 and the digital signal of the laser radar system 35 is 0, the main control system 1 controls the water outlet 33 to open, the water inlet 34 to close, and the lifting platform 31 to rise to the highest position;

[0066] When the mouse first arrives in the animal swimming chamber 3: the main control system 1 receives the weight signal of the mouse on the weighing structure 312 and the digital signal of the laser radar system 35 is 0, the main control system 1 controls the water outlet 33 to close and the water inlet 34 to open, and the height of the lifting platform 31 remains unchanged until the water level in the animal swimming chamber 3 reaches the experimental water level. The main control system 1 controls the water outlet 33 to close and the water inlet 34 to close, and the lifting platform 31 begins to descend to the lowest position;

[0067] The mouse struggles or swims in the animal swimming chamber 3: the main control system 1 receives a weight signal indicating that there is no mouse on the weighing structure 312, and the digital signal of the laser radar system 35 remains at 1.

[0068] Mice dying in animal swimming chamber 3:

[0069] When the forced swimming experiment is conducted, after the main control system 1 receives the digital signal from the laser radar system 35 and changes from 1 to 0 for a preset time, the water outlet 33 is opened, the water inlet 34 is closed, and the lifting platform 31 is raised to the highest position;

[0070] When conducting a swimming training intervention experiment, after the main control system 1 receives the digital signal from the laser radar system 35 and changes from 1 to 0, the main control system 1 controls the valve at the water outlet 33 to immediately drain all the water in the corresponding animal swimming chamber 3, and the lifting platform 31 is raised to the highest position;

[0071] The duration of the mice in the despair state in the forced swimming experiment and the duration of the mice during the swimming training intervention are regulated and set by the experimenter in the experimental mode of forced swimming and swimming training intervention set in the main control system 1.

[0072] The mass signal measured by the weighing structure 312 and the water surface fluctuation signal detected by the laser radar system 35 jointly influence the main control system 1 to control the opening and closing of the valves at the water outlet 33 and the water inlet 34 and the start and stop of the lifting structure 313 of the lifting platform, ensuring that when the experimental animals are not supported by the lifting platform table 311 and there is no fluctuation in the water surface in the animal swimming chamber 3, the water outlet 33 will drain all the water in the animal swimming chamber and the lifting platform 31 will be raised to the highest position to ensure that the experimental animals will not drown.

[0073] By measuring the water surface fluctuation information through the laser radar system 35, it is possible to determine whether the experimental animals are in three states: swimming, struggling, and motionless. This reduces the algorithm complexity of camera image recognition in the existing technology and the inconsistency of human judgment standards in manual recognition, which leads to inaccurate experimental results. It can ensure that the experimental animals record experimental data under the same standard, further ensuring the accuracy and consistency of the experimental results.

[0074] The present invention provides an experimental device and method for forced swimming and swimming training intervention of rodents, which can simultaneously realize forced swimming experiments and swimming training intervention experiments, improve the applicability of the device, accurately judge the state of rodents during the experiment, prevent experimental animals from drowning, reduce human operations during the experiment, avoid stress reactions of animals during the experiment that affect the experimental results, and further reduce the workload of operators and the burden on scientific researchers by improving the degree of automation of the device.

[0075] Although the above describes the specific embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, it is not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention. Those skilled in the art should understand that various modifications or variations that can be made by those skilled in the art on the basis of the technical solution of the present invention without any creative work are still within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. An experimental apparatus for forced swimming and swimming training intervention in rodents, characterized in that: The swimming container comprises a swimming container, which is divided into a plurality of animal swimming chambers by a plurality of compartment panels; the compartment panels can be raised and lowered, and when raised above the highest experimental water level, the plurality of animal swimming chambers are independent, and when lowered to the compartment bottom plate, the plurality of animal swimming chambers are connected; Each animal swimming cabin is equipped with a lifting platform and a laser radar system. The lifting platform is provided with a weighing structure, which detects the mass signal of the experimental animals; the laser radar system detects the water surface fluctuation signal in the cabin; It also includes a main control system, which is communicatively connected with the weighing structure and the laser radar system.

2. The experimental device for rodent forced swimming and swimming training intervention as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that The cabin inter-plate is driven to move up and down by the cabin inter-plate lifting structure.

3. The experimental device for rodent forced swimming and swimming training intervention as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that: The upper part of the weighing structure is connected to the lifting platform surface, and the lower part of the weighing structure is connected to the lifting platform lifting structure; the lifting platform lifting structure drives the lifting platform surface to move up and down.

4. The experimental device for rodent forced swimming and swimming training intervention as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that: The main control system is communicatively connected with the cabin inter-plate lifting structure and the lifting platform lifting structure respectively.

5. The experimental device for rodent forced swimming and swimming training intervention as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: The side walls of the multiple animal swimming chambers are respectively provided with a feed barrel, a water outlet, and a water inlet; the feed barrel is located higher than the highest experimental water level; the water outlet is located at the bottom of the animal swimming chamber close to the chamber bottom plate.

6. The experimental device for rodent forced swimming and swimming training intervention as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that: The water inlet is connected to the water inlet pipe for adding water into the swimming container, and the water outlet is connected to the water outlet pipe for draining water from the swimming container.

7. The experimental device for rodent forced swimming and swimming training intervention as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that: The water inlet pipe and the water outlet pipe are both provided with valves, and the valves are communicatively connected with the main control system.

8. The experimental device for rodent forced swimming and swimming training intervention as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: The bottom plate of the swimming container is provided with container supporting legs.

9. The experimental device for rodent forced swimming and swimming training intervention as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: The laser radar system includes a plurality of radar probes, which are evenly distributed on the side walls of the animal swimming chamber, and the plurality of radar probes respectively detect optical signals at respective locations.

10. A method for using the experimental device for rodent forced swimming and swimming training intervention as described in any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that: The following steps are involved: When conducting a forced swimming experiment, the main control system controls the cabin interlayer to be driven by the cabin interlayer lifting structure to rise above the highest experimental water level, and multiple animal swimming chambers are independent, and controls the lifting platform to be driven by the lifting platform lifting structure to periodically rise and fall at a fixed time; when the lifting platform surface rises to the highest position, the feed barrel provides food for the rodents; after the laser radar system does not detect the fluctuation signal of the water in the cabin for a preset time, the main control system controls the valve at the water outlet to discharge all the water in the corresponding animal swimming chamber; When conducting a swimming training intervention experiment, the main control system controls the cabin partition to be driven by the cabin partition lifting structure to descend to the cabin bottom plate, and multiple animal swimming cabins are connected for experiments. The lidar system does not detect any fluctuation signals of the water in the cabin. The main control system controls the valve at the water outlet to immediately drain all the water in the corresponding animal swimming cabin.

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