Experimental apparatus and methods for rodent forced swim and swim training interventions
By using a multi-compartment experimental device and an automated control system, the problems of versatility and safety of rodent experimental devices have been solved, and the automation and accuracy of forced swimming and swimming training intervention experiments have been achieved, reducing experimental costs and personnel burden.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Patents(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- SHANDONG UNIV
- Filing Date
- 2024-10-17
- Publication Date
- 2026-05-29
AI Technical Summary
Existing rodent experimental devices cannot simultaneously conduct forced swimming and swimming training intervention experiments. They pose a risk of animal drowning, require extensive human intervention, and involve complex data recording, which affects the accuracy and efficiency of experimental results.
Design a multi-compartment experimental device that combines a liftable compartment panel and a lidar system with a main control system to automate forced swimming and swimming training intervention experiments, reduce human intervention, prevent animal drowning, and improve the accuracy of experimental results.
This technology enables automated switching between two experiments within a limited space, reducing experimental costs, minimizing manual operations, improving the accuracy and efficiency of experimental results, and reducing the burden on researchers.
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Figure CN119096901B_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This invention relates to the field of animal experimental apparatus technology, specifically to an experimental apparatus and method for forced swimming and swimming training interventions in rodents. Background Technology
[0002] In the development of antidepressants or health products, rodent models of depression are often created using equipment that simulates the depressive state. A common method for simulating rodent depression is "forced swimming," which involves placing animals in a confined space with a controlled water level. The animals struggle desperately in this confined environment, attempting to escape but unable to, thus providing an inescapable pressure environment to exhaust them. After a period of time, the animals exhibit a typical "immobile state," reflecting a state known as "behavioral despair." This behavioral despair model is similar to depression, and current research has found that this method is effective against most antidepressants.
[0003] In addition, existing research on rodents also includes swimming training intervention experiments. This involves placing mice in a large device with a certain water level to provide them with an active and open environment for swimming training and intervention. After a period of training, the mice are taken out and their physical condition and condition are observed to conduct relevant research.
[0004] Due to limited existing laboratory space and the large footprint of experimental devices, it is impossible to place two experimental devices simultaneously. Furthermore, designing different devices for different experiments increases experimental costs. Additionally, different experimental devices have different experimental objectives and operating methods, making it difficult to conduct different experiments using the same device. Therefore, existing forced swimming devices have many problems:
[0005] First, the same apparatus 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, resulting in the loss of experimental animals and greatly affecting the progress of the experiment. Third, the entire experiment requires a high degree of participation from the experimenters, who must constantly change animals and drain water. Rodents are prone to stress responses due to stimulation from the operators, affecting the accuracy and authenticity of the experimental data. Fourth, recording the depressive state of rodents requires multiple experimental verifications to obtain reliable results. Existing experimental methods require multiple manual measurements, and the data recording process is complex, difficult for one person to complete, and requires the cooperation of multiple people, which is time-consuming and labor-intensive, greatly increasing the burden on researchers. Summary of the Invention
[0006] To address the problems existing in the prior art, this invention provides an experimental device and method for forced swimming and swimming training intervention in rodents. It can simultaneously conduct forced swimming experiments and swimming training intervention experiments, improving the applicability of the device. It can also accurately judge the state of rodents during the experiment, prevent the experimental animals from drowning, reduce human operation during the experiment, avoid stress reactions in animals that affect the experimental results, and further reduce the workload of operators and the burden on researchers by increasing the degree of automation of the device.
[0007] The technical solution of the present invention is as follows:
[0008] In a first aspect of the invention, an experimental apparatus and method for forced swimming and swimming training intervention in rodents are provided, comprising a swimming container, the swimming container being divided into multiple animal swimming chambers by multiple compartment partitions; the compartment partitions are movable, and when raised above the highest experimental water level, the multiple animal swimming chambers are independent, and when lowered to the bottom of the compartments, the multiple animal swimming chambers are connected.
[0009] Each animal swimming chamber is equipped with a lifting platform and a lidar system. The lifting platform is equipped with a weighing structure to detect the mass signal of the experimental animals; the lidar system detects the water surface fluctuation signal inside the chamber.
[0010] It also includes a main control system, which is communicatively connected to the weighing structure and the lidar system.
[0011] In some embodiments of the present invention, the intercom panel is driven to move up and down by an intercom panel lifting structure.
[0012] In some embodiments of the present invention, the upper part of the weighing structure is connected to the lifting platform, 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 to move up and down.
[0013] In some embodiments of the present invention, the main control system is communicatively connected to the intercom lift structure and the lift platform lift structure, respectively.
[0014] In some embodiments of the present invention, the side walls of the plurality of animal swimming chambers are provided with feed cylinders, water outlets, and water inlets; the feed cylinders are positioned above the highest experimental water level; and the water outlets are located at the bottom of the animal swimming chambers near the chamber floor.
[0015] In some embodiments of the present invention, the inlet is connected to an inlet pipe to add water to the inside of the swimming container, and the outlet is connected to an outlet pipe to drain water from the swimming container.
[0016] In some embodiments of the present invention, both the inlet pipe and the outlet pipe are equipped with valves, and the valves are communicatively connected to the 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 lidar system includes multiple radar probes, which are evenly distributed inside the animal swimming chamber, and each radar probe detects the optical signal at its respective location.
[0019] In a second aspect of the invention, a method of using an experimental apparatus for forced swimming and swimming training intervention in rodents is provided, comprising the following steps: when a forced swimming experiment is conducted, the main control system controls the intercompartment to be raised by the intercompartment lifting structure to a height above the highest experimental water level, multiple animal swimming chambers are independent, and controls the lifting platform to be periodically raised and lowered by the lifting platform lifting structure at fixed intervals; when the lifting platform is raised to its highest position, the feed hopper provides food for the rodents; after the lidar system has not detected a fluctuation signal in the water inside the chamber for a preset time, the main control system controls the valve at the outlet to drain all the water from the corresponding animal swimming chamber;
[0020] During the swimming training intervention experiment, the main control system controlled the intercom section to descend to the bottom of the compartment via the intercom section lifting structure. Multiple animal swimming compartments were connected to conduct the experiment. The lidar system did not detect any fluctuation signals in the water inside the compartments. The main control system then controlled the valve at the outlet to immediately drain all the water from the corresponding animal swimming compartments.
[0021] One or more technical solutions of the present invention have the following beneficial effects:
[0022] By setting up multiple liftable chamber panels, this device can separately realize forced swimming experiments and swimming training intervention experiments. It enables the completion of forced swimming experiments, which require narrow and limited space, and swimming training intervention experiments, which require relatively free and open space, within a limited laboratory space. This reduces experimental costs and improves the applicability of the device.
[0023] Each animal swimming chamber is equipped with a lifting platform and a lidar system. The lifting platform has a weighing structure that detects the mass signal of the experimental animals. The lidar system detects the water surface fluctuation signal inside the chamber. The main control system, through comprehensive processing and judgment of the mass signal and water surface fluctuation signal, controls the opening and closing of the water inlet and outlet, improving the automation of the device. It also controls the valve at the outlet to drain all the water in the corresponding animal swimming chamber in a timely manner during the experiment, enabling accurate judgment of the rodent's condition during the experiment and preventing the experimental animals from drowning.
[0024] By setting up communication connections between the main control system and the intercom lifting structure, the lifting platform lifting structure, and the lidar system, human intervention during the experiment can be reduced, and stress reactions in animals during the experiment can be avoided from affecting the experimental results. Furthermore, by increasing the degree of automation of the device, the workload of operators can be reduced, and the burden on researchers can be lowered. Attached Figure Description
[0025] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the experimental device for forced swimming and swimming training of rodents in Embodiment 1 of the present invention;
[0026] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the animal swimming chamber in Embodiment 1 of the present invention;
[0027] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the lifting platform in Embodiment 1 of the present invention;
[0028] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the compartment intercom in Embodiment 1 of the present invention.
[0029] In the diagram: 1. Main control system; 2. Swimming container; 21. Container outer wall; 22. Chamber partition; 221. Chamber partition surface; 222. Chamber partition lifting structure; 23. Chamber floor; 24. Container support leg; 3. Animal swimming chamber; 31. Lifting platform; 311. Lifting platform surface; 312. Weighing structure; 313. Lifting platform lifting structure; 314. Lifting platform outer shell; 32. Feed cylinder; 33. Water outlet; 34. Water inlet; 35. Lid radar system; 351. Radar probe. Detailed Implementation
[0030] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.
[0031] Example 1
[0032] Because forced swimming training of mice requires a confined environment to create a stressful environment, while swimming training intervention experiments require a more spacious environment to enable mice to perform active swimming movements, the limited space and funding in existing laboratories make it impossible to conduct both experiments using the same apparatus.
[0033] In a typical embodiment of the present invention, such as Figure 1 As shown, an experimental apparatus 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 set as a rectangular trough structure. In other embodiments of the present invention, the overall structure of the swimming container 2 can be set according to the actual experimental needs.
[0034] The swimming container 2 is divided into multiple animal swimming chambers 3 by multiple compartment partitions 22. The compartment partitions 22 can be raised and lowered. When raised above the highest experimental water level, the multiple animal swimming chambers 3 are independent. When lowered to the bottom plate 23, the multiple animal swimming chambers 3 are connected. Throughout the entire process of raising and lowering the compartment partitions 22, the connection between the compartment partitions 22 and the swimming container is sealed to prevent water leakage.
[0035] By setting up multiple liftable chamber partitions 22, the spacing and connection states of multiple animal swimming chambers 3 can be switched, which can be used to conduct forced swimming experiments of multiple rodents and swimming training intervention experiments of one or more rodents according to experimental needs, thus improving the applicability of the device.
[0036] Each animal swimming chamber 3 is equipped with a lifting platform 31 and a lidar system 35. The lifting platform 31 has a weighing structure 312 that detects the mass signal of the experimental animals. The lidar system 35 detects water surface fluctuation signals within the chamber. A main control system 1 is also included, which is communicatively connected to both the weighing structure 312 and the lidar system 35. In this embodiment, the mass signal of the experimental animals detected by the weighing structure 312 and the water surface fluctuation signal detected by the lidar system 35 are both transmitted to the external main control system 1. The main control system 1 performs joint analysis and processing of these two signals, improving the automation of the device while simultaneously determining whether any experimental animals have drowned.
[0037] Furthermore, the intercom 22 is provided with an intercom 221 and an intercom lifting structure 222, the intercom 221 being driven up and down by the intercom lifting structure 222. In this embodiment, as... Figure 4 As shown, the multiple compartment intercom panels 221 are rectangular structures, with their sides perpendicularly abutting against the side walls of the swimming container 2. Their lifting structures can employ, but are not limited to, cylinders, hydraulic structures, or electric actuators to achieve the lifting and lowering of the compartment intercom panels 221. The compartment intercom lifting structure 222 can be installed on the bottom plate or side wall of the swimming container 2, to achieve the lifting and lowering of the compartment intercom panels 221.
[0038] Furthermore, the upper part of the weighing structure 312 is connected to the lifting platform 311, and the lower part of the weighing structure 312 is connected to the lifting platform lifting structure 313; the lifting platform lifting structure 313 drives the lifting platform 311 to move up and down. In this embodiment, the lifting platform lifting structure 313 is installed on the bottom plate of the animal swimming chamber 3, such as... Figure 3As shown, the lifting platform 31 is provided with a lifting platform shell 314. The weighing structure 312 and the lifting structure 313 are both located inside the lifting platform shell 314 to prevent water ingress and damage. At the same time, during the lifting process, the contact points between the lifting platform 31 and the animal swimming chamber 3 are sealed to prevent water leakage.
[0039] Furthermore, the main control system 1 is communicatively connected to the intercom section lifting structure 222, the lifting platform lifting structure 313, and the lidar system 35. The main control system 1 controls the lifting and stopping of the intercom section lifting structure 222 and the lifting platform lifting structure 313. The lifting of the lifting platform 31 controls the switching between the rodent's support and swimming states. The lidar system 35 determines the water fluctuation state in the animal's swimming chamber. By communicating with the intercom section lifting structure 222, the lifting platform lifting structure 313, and the lidar system 35, the main control system 1 reduces human intervention during experiments, avoids stress responses in animals that could affect experimental results, and further reduces the workload of operators and the burden on researchers by increasing the automation level of the device.
[0040] In addition, each of the animal swimming chambers 3 has a feed container 32, a water outlet 33, and a water inlet 34 on its side wall. The feed container 32 is positioned above the highest experimental water level to prevent the feed in the feed container 32 from being submerged during the experiment. The water outlet 33 is located at the bottom of the animal swimming chamber 3 near the chamber floor 23 for easy drainage. In this embodiment, as... Figure 2 As shown, the water outlet 33 and the water inlet 34 are located on the same side of the side wall of the animal swimming chamber 3, and the water inlet 34 is located above the water outlet 33 for easy water filling. In other embodiments of the present invention, the position of the water inlet 34 can be set according to the actual situation. The height of the feed bucket 32 is above the height of the lifting platform 31 when it is raised to the highest point, so as to enable the experimental animals to eat feed.
[0041] Furthermore, the inlet 34 is connected to the inlet pipe to add water to the swimming container 2, and the outlet 33 is connected to the outlet pipe to drain water from the swimming container 2. Both the inlet and outlet pipes are equipped with valves, which are communicatively connected to the main control system 1. The main control system 1 controls the valves at the outlet 33 and the inlet 34 to perform water addition and drainage operations on the entire device, and to control the water level in the animal swimming chamber 3.
[0042] At the start of the experiment, the main control system 1 controls the valve at the inlet 34 to open, adding water to the device. After the experiment, the main control system controls the valve at the outlet 33 to open, draining water from the device. During the experiment, the lidar system 35 is used to detect water surface fluctuation signals. The main control system comprehensively processes and judges the mass signal and water surface fluctuation signal, and controls the valve at the outlet 33 to drain all the water from the corresponding animal swimming chamber 3 in a timely manner 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 arranged at the bottom plate of the swimming container 2 to achieve 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 configured with adjustable height to facilitate the experimenter's adjustment during experimental operations. The container support legs 24 can also be provided with a sliding device to facilitate movement.
[0044] In this embodiment, the lidar system 35 includes multiple radar probes 351, which are evenly distributed on the side walls of the animal swimming chamber 3. Each radar probe 351 detects the optical signal at its respective location. It is understood that the specific positions of the radar probes 351 are set to achieve the acquisition of optical signals within the chamber. By detecting optical signals using the multiple radar probes 351 positioned on the side walls of the animal swimming chamber 3, the lidar system 35 can obtain the water surface ripple signal within the chamber and transmit the water surface ripple signal to the main control system 1.
[0045] Example 2
[0046] First, it should be noted that the forced swimming experiment requires mice to enter a state of despair for a certain period of time for observation. Therefore, the mice need to enter the water immediately and struggle motionless for a period of time before being retrieved to prevent drowning. In contrast, the swimming training intervention experiment is a positive stimulus intervention to train mice to swim and to observe whether their physical condition 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 the mice are swimming without moving, they need to be retrieved immediately to prevent them from drowning due to exhaustion.
[0047] Understandably, mice are negatively affected during forced swimming training, becoming immobile after reaching a state of despair, at which point they need to be retrieved to prevent drowning. In contrast, mice are positively affected during swimming training intervention, swimming in a more relaxed environment, and becoming exhausted after becoming immobile, at which point they need to be retrieved immediately to prevent drowning.
[0048] In a second aspect of the invention, a method of using an experimental apparatus for forced swimming and swimming training intervention in rodents is provided, comprising the following steps: when a forced swimming experiment is conducted, the main control system 1 controls the intercom 221 to be raised by the intercom lifting structure 222 to a height above the highest experimental water level, thereby separating multiple animal swimming chambers 3, and controls the lifting platform 31 to be periodically raised and lowered by the lifting structure 313 at fixed intervals; when the lifting platform 311 is raised to the highest position, the feed hopper 32 provides food for the experimental animals; after the lidar system 35 has not detected any fluctuation signal in the water in the chamber for a preset time, the main control system 1 controls the valve at the outlet 33 to drain all the water from the corresponding animal swimming chamber 3.
[0049] In this embodiment, mice are used as experimental subjects, such as Figure 1 As shown, the specific steps of the forced swimming experiment are as follows:
[0050] Step 1: After the experimenters select the forced swimming experiment through the main control system 1, the main control system 1 controls the intercom 221 to be raised by the intercom lifting structure 222 and above the highest experimental water level, thus separating multiple animal swimming chambers 3.
[0051] Step 2: The lifting platforms 31 are all raised to the highest position, and the water inlet automatically fills into the designated water level. The experimenters place the experimental mice on the lifting platform 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, level with the bottom plate 23 of the chamber. The mouse quickly enters the water. 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 and is in a state of despair. At this time, the lidar system detects that there is no ripple on the water surface and stays for a preset time. At the same time, the water outlet 33 automatically opens and releases water quickly, while the lifting platform 31 rises to the highest position. During this process, the mouse descends with the liquid surface and reaches the top of the lifting platform 311. The mouse is given food and water to restore it to an active state.
[0054] Step 5: If the operation needs to be repeated, continue to repeat steps 2 to 4 after a period of time. During this period, the mouse can be replaced or the experiment can be ended to achieve and complete the forced swimming experiment.
[0055] When conducting swimming training intervention experiments, the main control system 1 controls the intercom panel 221 to descend to the bottom panel 23 of the intercom panel 222, and multiple animal swimming chambers 3 are connected to conduct experiments. When the lidar system 35 does not detect any fluctuation signals in the water inside the chamber, the main control system 1 controls the valve at the outlet 33 to immediately drain all the water from the corresponding animal swimming chamber 3.
[0056] In this embodiment, as Figure 1 As shown, the specific operational 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 intercom 22 of the first, second, fourth and fifth animal swimming cabins 3 from left to right descends, the six animal swimming cabins 3 become two animal swimming cabins 3, the space of the connected animal swimming cabins 3 becomes larger, and it is transformed into a swimming intervention experimental device, which can be used to conduct experiments separately.
[0058] Step 2: The experiment was conducted using the animal swimming chamber 3 connected on the left. Its lifting platform 31 was raised to the highest position, and the water inlet 34 automatically filled water to the designated water level. The experimenters placed the experimental mice on the lifting platform 311.
[0059] Step 3: The lifting platform 31 descends slowly. It should be noted that the descent speed of the lifting platform 31 should be lower than that of the forced swimming experiment. The mouse gradually enters the liquid surface, allowing the mouse to gradually adapt to the water surface state. After the mouse is completely in the liquid surface, the lifting platform 31 descends to the bottom of the animal swimming chamber 3, which is flush with the bottom plate 23 of the chamber.
[0060] Step four: The mice swim on the water surface to achieve swimming training intervention and observation.
[0061] Step 5: When the lidar system 35 detects no ripples on the liquid surface, the outlet 33 immediately opens and water is released quickly. At the same time, the three lifting platforms 31 rise together to lift the mouse, preventing it from drowning due to exhaustion during swimming, and then retrieve the mouse.
[0062] It should be noted that the duration of the mice's despair state during the forced swimming experiment, as well as the duration of the swimming training intervention, are to be adjusted and set by the experimenters according to the experimental needs.
[0063] In this embodiment, the working principle of the lidar system 35 is as follows:
[0064] When the water surface in the horizontal space where the radar probe 351 is located is undisturbed, the circuit feedback is low potential and the converted digital signal is 0; when the water surface in the horizontal 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 lidar system 35 through an OR gate logic circuit, and the lidar system 35 transmits the aggregated digital signal to the main control system 1.
[0065] The mouse is not in the animal swimming chamber 3: When the main control system 1 receives the weight signal that there is no mouse on the weighing structure 312 and the digital signal of the lidar system 35 is 0, the main control system 1 controls the outlet 33 to open and the inlet 34 to close, and the lifting platform 31 to rise to the highest position.
[0066] When the mouse first enters the animal swimming chamber 3: When the main control system 1 receives the weight signal of the mouse on the weighing structure 312 and the digital signal of the lidar system 35 is 0, the main control system 1 controls the outlet 33 to close and the 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 outlet 33 to close and the inlet 34 to close, and the lifting platform 31 begins to descend until the lowest position;
[0067] The mouse struggles or swims in the animal swimming chamber 3: the main control system 1 receives a weight signal that there is no mouse on the weighing structure 312, and the digital signal of the lidar system 35 remains at 1.
[0068] Mice were near death in animal swimming chamber 3:
[0069] When the forced swimming experiment is conducted, the main control system 1 receives the digital signal from the lidar system 35, which changes from 1 to 0 for a preset time. Then, the outlet 33 opens, the inlet 34 closes, and the lifting platform 31 rises to the highest position.
[0070] When the swimming training intervention experiment is conducted, after the main control system 1 receives the digital signal from the lidar 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 from the corresponding animal swimming chamber 3, and the lifting platform 31 is raised to the highest position.
[0071] The duration of the mice's despair state during the forced swimming experiment, as well as the duration of the mice's swimming training intervention, were automatically adjusted and set by the experimenters in the experimental modes 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 lidar system 35 jointly affect the main control system 1 to control the opening and closing of the valves at the outlet 33 and inlet 34 and the start and stop of the lifting platform lifting structure 313. This ensures that when the experimental animal is not supported by the lifting platform 311 and there is no water surface fluctuation in the animal swimming chamber 3, the outlet 33 will empty all the water in the animal swimming chamber and the lifting platform 31 will rise to the highest position, ensuring that the experimental animal will not drown.
[0073] By measuring water surface ripple information using the lidar system 35, the experimental animals can be identified as swimming, struggling, or motionless. This reduces the inaccuracy of experimental results caused by the algorithmic complexity of existing technologies that rely on camera image recognition and the inconsistency of human judgment standards in manual recognition. It ensures that experimental data is recorded for experimental animals under the same standard, further ensuring the accuracy and consistency of experimental results.
[0074] The present invention provides an experimental device and method for forced swimming and swimming training intervention in rodents, which can simultaneously carry out forced swimming experiments and swimming training intervention experiments, improves the applicability of the device, accurately judges the state of rodents during the experiment, prevents experimental animals from drowning, reduces human operation during the experiment, avoids stress response in animals that affects experimental results, and further reduces the workload of operators and the burden on researchers by increasing the degree of automation of the device.
[0075] While the specific embodiments of the present invention have been described above in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, this 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 without creative effort based on the technical solutions of the present invention are still within the scope of protection of the present invention.
Claims
1. A method of using an experimental apparatus for forced swimming and swimming training interventions in rodents, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: During the forced swimming experiment, the main control system controls the intercompartment panels to rise above the highest experimental water level, driven by the intercompartment panel lifting structure. Multiple animal swimming chambers operate independently, and the system controls the lifting platform to rise and fall periodically at fixed intervals, driven by the lifting platform lifting structure. When the lifting platform reaches its highest position, the feed hopper provides food for the rodents. After the lidar system has not detected any fluctuation signal in the water inside the chamber for a preset time, the main control system controls the valve at the outlet to drain all the water from the corresponding animal swimming chamber. When conducting swimming training intervention experiments, the main control system controls the intercom between the cabins to descend to the bottom of the cabin via the intercom lifting structure. Multiple animal swimming cabins are connected to conduct the experiment. The lidar system does not detect any fluctuation signals in the water inside the cabins. The main control system controls the valve at the outlet to immediately drain all the water from the corresponding animal swimming cabins. The experimental apparatus for forced swimming and swimming training intervention in rodents includes a swimming container divided into multiple animal swimming chambers by multiple compartment partitions. The compartment partitions are adjustable in height; when raised above the highest experimental water level, the multiple animal swimming chambers are independent; when lowered to the bottom of the chamber, the multiple animal swimming chambers are connected. Each animal swimming chamber is equipped with a lifting platform and a lidar system. The lifting platform has a weighing structure for detecting the mass signal of the experimental animals. The lidar system detects water surface fluctuation signals within the chamber. The apparatus also includes a main control system. The main control system is communicatively connected to the weighing structure and the lidar system; the intercompartment is driven up and down by the intercompartment lifting structure; the upper part of the weighing structure is connected to the lifting platform, 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 to move up and down; the main control system is communicatively connected to the intercompartment lifting structure and the lifting platform lifting structure respectively; multiple animal swimming chambers are respectively provided with feed cylinders, water outlets, and water inlets on their side walls; the feed cylinders are positioned above the highest experimental water level; the water outlets are located at the bottom of the animal swimming chambers near the bottom plate of the chamber.
2. The method of using the experimental apparatus for forced swimming and swimming training intervention in rodents as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The inlet is connected to the inlet pipe to add water to the swimming container, and the outlet is connected to the outlet pipe to drain water from the swimming container.
3. The method of using the experimental apparatus for forced swimming and swimming training intervention in rodents as described in claim 2, characterized in that, Both the inlet and outlet pipes are equipped with valves, which are communicatively connected to the main control system.
4. The method of using the experimental apparatus for forced swimming and swimming training intervention in rodents as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The bottom plate of the swimming container is equipped with container support legs.
5. The method of using the experimental apparatus for forced swimming and swimming training intervention in rodents as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The lidar system includes multiple radar probes, which are evenly distributed on the side wall of the animal swimming chamber, and each radar probe detects the optical signal at its respective location.