Small animal feeding device for contrast experiment

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of animal contrast experiments, and provides a small animal feeding device for a contrast experiment, which comprises a cage body, the interior of the cage body is divided into a plurality of feeding areas and a plurality of sewage discharging areas, the bottom of each feeding area is provided with a grid plate, and inner grooves are uniformly distributed in the grid plates; each inner groove is internally provided with a pressure sensor used for sensing walking of the small animals, the sensing end of each pressure sensor is provided with a sealing piece, and the feeding device further comprises number display screens in one-to-one correspondence with the feeding areas. When the small animal moves in the feeding area, the pressure sensor is triggered to count, the higher the movement activity degree of the small animal is, the more the times of triggering the pressure sensor is, that is, the larger the numerical value displayed on the corresponding number display screen is, and an experimenter can accurately know the movement activity condition of the target small animal by directly reading the actual numerical value on the number display screen. Continuous visual observation is not needed, experimenters are liberated, meanwhile, the evaluation accuracy is high, and therefore accurate judgment of a contrast experiment is facilitated.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the technical field of animal comparative experiments, in particular to a small animal breeding device for comparative experiments. Background Art

[0002] In scientific research in the field of biotechnology, comparative experiments are an important means to verify key scientific issues such as drug efficacy, physiological response mechanisms and genetic characteristics. Such experiments often rely on small animal models, such as mice and rats, as experimental subjects to simulate human disease states or physiological processes.

[0003] In comparative experiments, small animals usually need to undergo a series of treatment measures, such as medication, nutritional intervention, gene editing, etc. After the operation, the small animals need to be put back into the breeding cage for subsequent feeding and observation. During the feeding process, a key evaluation indicator of the experimental effect is the movement and activity of the small animals, which directly reflects key information such as their health status, behavioral changes or drug reactions. For example, in drug efficacy evaluation experiments, the increase or decrease in the amount of activity of small animals after receiving new drug treatment may be directly related to the efficacy and side effects of the drug. Traditionally, experimenters indirectly judge the experimental effect by observing the activities of small animals in the breeding cage, such as running frequency, exploratory behavior, etc. Although this visual observation method is simple and intuitive, it has a large error rate, which makes it difficult to guarantee the accuracy of the experimental results. For experiments that require long-term observation (such as continuous observation for 5 hours, 6 hours, etc.), it is not only time-consuming and laborious, but also long-term observation is prone to fatigue, further increasing the risk of experimental misjudgment.

[0004] Therefore, the present invention proposes a small animal breeding device for comparative experiments to solve the above problems. Summary of the invention

[0005] The embodiment of the present invention aims to provide a small animal breeding device for comparative experiments to solve the above problems.

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

[0007] A small animal breeding device for comparative experiments, comprising a cage, wherein the interior of the cage is divided into a plurality of breeding areas for breeding small animals and a sewage discharge area for discharging small animal feces, wherein the bottom of the breeding area is a grid plate, wherein inner grooves are evenly arranged on the grid plate, wherein each inner groove is provided with a pressure sensor for sensing the movement of the small animal, wherein the sensing end of the pressure sensor is provided with a sealing piece adapted to the inner groove, wherein the breeding device further comprises a digital display screen corresponding to the breeding area one by one, and used for displaying the number of times the pressure sensor is triggered within a set time interval, wherein each sealing piece is provided with a lamp bead with controllable brightness, wherein the lamp bead corresponds to the pressure sensor one by one, and the brightness of the lamp bead is proportional to the number of times the corresponding pressure sensor is triggered;

[0008] The number of times the pressure sensor in the feeding area is triggered accurately reflects the activity of the animals. The more active the animals are, the more times the pressure sensor is triggered, and the larger the value displayed on the corresponding display screen. The brightness of the lamp beads reflects the activity of the animals. The higher the brightness of the area, the more active the animals are in that area.

[0009] In an optional solution, the upper side of the sealing sheet is flush with the upper side of the grid plate, and a sealing gasket is provided on the inner wall of the inner groove to seal the gap between the side edge of the sealing sheet and the wall of the inner groove.

[0010] In an optional solution: a pull-out trash tray for collecting small animal excrement is provided in the dirt collection area.

[0011] In an optional solution: a food and water trough is provided in each of the feeding areas, and a feeding port for feeding food and water is provided on one side of the feeding area close to the food and water trough.

[0012] In an optional solution: the feeding device also includes a plurality of groups of limiting mechanisms corresponding to the feeding areas one by one, which are used to limit the small animals to a small space for easy capture. The limiting mechanisms include a first limiting plate and a second limiting plate arranged in the feeding area. The first limiting plate and the second limiting plate can both be translated, and the translation paths of the first limiting plate and the second limiting plate are perpendicular to each other.

[0013] In an optional solution: the limiting mechanism also includes an iron frame and a tubular magnet arranged on one side of the feeding area, a magnetic block is slidingly provided in the iron frame, and the magnetic block is connected to the first limiting plate, and a handle is also provided on the magnetic block for holding by hand to drive the magnetic block to slide along the iron frame, an iron rod is inserted into the tubular magnet, and one end of the iron rod located inside the feeding area is connected to the second limiting plate.

[0014] In an optional solution: the feeding device also includes a sealing mechanism for sealing the bottom of several feeding areas to prevent the odor of feces in the waste tray from being discharged, the sealing mechanism is periodically opened to allow feces to fall into the waste tray, the sealing mechanism includes a plurality of strip sheets arranged in parallel and arranged in the lower waste area, the plurality of strip sheets can all be deflected, and a transmission structure is provided between the plurality of strip sheets, the sealing mechanism also includes a driving member for driving the plurality of strip sheets to deflect synchronously.

[0015] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the embodiments of the present invention are as follows:

[0016] 1. After the experimental operation, the small animals are placed in the feeding area for subsequent feeding and observation. One feeding area corresponds to one small animal. When it is necessary to evaluate the activity status of the small animal, a time interval is set first. The number of times the pressure sensor in the corresponding feeding area is triggered during this period accurately reflects the activity status of the small animal. Specifically, when the small animal moves in the feeding area, its feet (or other parts) will press on the cover to trigger the pressure sensor for counting. The higher the activity level of the small animal, the more times the pressure sensor is triggered, that is, the larger the value displayed on the corresponding digital display screen. The experimenter can accurately know the activity status of the target small animal by directly reading the actual value on the digital display screen, without continuous visual observation. While freeing the experimenter, the evaluation accuracy is also high, which is conducive to accurate judgment of comparative experiments;

[0017] 2. The brightness of the lamp beads can directly reflect the active movements of small animals. The higher the brightness of the area, the more active the small animals are in that area. Combined with the scenes arranged around the different brightness areas, we can deeply understand the behavior patterns of small animals after the experimental operation and obtain more comprehensive and scientific experimental data.

[0018] 3. The small animals are restricted in a smaller range by translating the first restriction plate and the second restriction plate, so that the small animals cannot escape, and thus the small animals can be captured quickly and directly;

[0019] 4. The odor-sealing mechanism blocks the odor of feces in the dirt tray from being discharged. The odor-sealing mechanism is opened periodically to allow the feces of small animals to fall into the dirt tray in time for collection, thereby greatly improving the odor environment in the breeding area.

[0020] It should be understood that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the present application. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] The drawings herein are incorporated into and constitute a part of the specification to illustrate embodiments consistent with the present application and are used together with the specification to explain the principles of the present application. At the same time, these drawings and text descriptions are not intended to limit the scope of the concept of the present application in any way, but to illustrate the concept of the present application for those skilled in the art by referring to specific embodiments.

[0022] Figure 1 It is a schematic structural diagram of an embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 2 It is a front view of an embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 3 It is a top cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 4 Schematic diagram (part) of the arrangement between the grid plate, the pressure sensor and the sealing sheet in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of the arrangement between a plurality of strip sheets and a driving member in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] Notes on the accompanying drawings: 1-cage body, 101-feeding area, 102-pollution collection area, 2-grid plate, 3-limiting mechanism, 301-first limiting plate, 302-second limiting plate, 303-iron frame, 304-magnetic block, 305-handle, 306-tubular magnet, 307-iron rod, 4-odor sealing mechanism, 401-strip sheet, 402-driving member, 403-transmission structure, 5-inner groove, 6-pressure sensor, 7-sealing sheet, 8-sealing pad, 9-digital display screen, 10-water trough, 11-drop port, 12-pollution tray, 13-lamp beads. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] The present application is further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It is necessary to point out here that the following specific implementation methods are only used to further illustrate the present application and cannot be understood as limiting the scope of protection of the present application. Technical personnel in this field can make some non-essential improvements and adjustments to the present application based on the above application content.

[0029] See also Figure 1 to Figure 4A small animal breeding device for comparative experiments comprises a cage 1, wherein the cage 1 is internally divided into a plurality of breeding areas 101 for breeding small animals and a sewage discharge area 102 for discharging feces of small animals, wherein the bottom of the breeding area 101 is a grid plate 2, wherein inner grooves 5 are evenly arranged on the grid plate 2, wherein each inner groove 5 is provided with a pressure sensor 6 for sensing the movement of small animals, and a sealing piece 7 adapted to the inner groove 5 is provided at the sensing end of the pressure sensor 6, and the breeding device further comprises a digital display screen 9 corresponding one-to-one to the breeding area 101, for displaying the number of times the pressure sensor 6 is triggered within a set time interval.

[0030] It should be noted that the exterior surface of the cage body 1 is enclosed by a transparent plate (such as an acrylic plate, a PC plate, etc.) so that the state of the small animal can be observed intuitively. Each side wall of the feeding area 101 is provided with air holes (not shown in the figure); the pressure sensor 6 is a miniature pressure sensor. In the present application, the pressure sensor 6 sensing trigger count is set as follows: when the small animal's foot steps (or other parts are placed) on the sealing sheet 7 and reaches the set pressure trigger threshold, the corresponding pressure sensor 6 is triggered, and the time from the small animal's foot moving away and releasing until the next trigger is recorded as 1 time, The count is not made while the foot of the small animal is being pressed, which means that the small animal is not moving and is staying in the current position (such as sleeping, poor physical condition, etc.); in addition, the feeding device also includes a corresponding processing unit (not shown in the figure), which receives the trigger signal fed back by the pressure sensor 6, and then feeds back the count to the corresponding digital display screen 9 for display, thereby realizing the linkage between the pressure sensor 6 and the digital display screen 9. The processing unit includes a processor, and the processor model is Cortex-M7. The corresponding signal processing and feedback technology are existing technologies and will not be elaborated here.

[0031] After the experimental operation, the small animals are placed in the feeding area 101 for subsequent feeding and observation. One feeding area 101 corresponds to one small animal. When it is necessary to evaluate the movement activity of the small animal, a time interval is set first. The number of times the pressure sensor 6 in the corresponding feeding area 101 is triggered during this period accurately reflects the movement activity of the small animal. Specifically, when the small animal moves in the feeding area 101, its feet (or other parts) will press on the sealing sheet 7 to trigger the pressure sensor 6 for counting. The higher the level of movement activity of the small animal, the more times the pressure sensor 6 is triggered, that is, the larger the value displayed on the corresponding digital display screen 9. The experimenter can accurately know the movement activity status of the target small animal by directly reading the actual value on the digital display screen 9 without continuous visual observation. While freeing the experimenter, the evaluation accuracy is also high, which is conducive to accurate judgment of comparative experiments.

[0032] Furthermore, the upper side of the sealing sheet 7 is flush with the upper side of the grid plate 2, and a sealing gasket 8 is provided on the inner wall of the inner groove 5 for sealing the gap between the side of the sealing sheet 7 and the wall of the inner groove 5 to prevent small animal feces from entering the inner groove 5 through the gap.

[0033] Furthermore, a pull-out dirt tray 12 for collecting small animal excrement is provided in the dirt discharge area 102. The dirt tray 12 is arranged in the dirt discharge area 102 in a drawer-like manner. Excrement produced by small animals falls into the dirt tray 12 for collection, and the experimenter regularly pulls out the dirt tray 12 for cleaning.

[0034] Furthermore, the feeding area 101 is provided with a food and water trough 10, and a feeding port 11 for feeding food and water is provided on one side of the feeding area 101 close to the food and water trough 10. The experimenter feeds food and water into the food and water trough 10 through the feeding port 11. The feeding port 11 can be closed / opened (by providing a baffle structure or other similar structure at the feeding port 11, the closing and opening functions can be realized, which is not illustrated in the figure). It is opened when food and water are fed, and is in a closed state at other times to prevent small animals from escaping through the feeding port 11.

[0035] See also Figure 4 In one embodiment of the present invention, each of the sealing pieces 7 is provided with a lamp bead 13 with controllable brightness, and the lamp bead 13 corresponds to the pressure sensor 6 one by one, and the brightness of the lamp bead 13 is proportional to the number of induction triggering times of the corresponding pressure sensor 6, that is, the more induction triggering times of the pressure sensor 6, the brighter the corresponding lamp bead 13. The specific application is: according to the specific content of the comparative experiment, a certain scene is arranged in the breeding area 101, such as a tree simulation model, a light and dark contrast scene, etc., and the brightness of the lamp bead 13 directly reflects the active movement of the small animal. The higher the brightness of the area, the smaller the animal is in that area. The higher the regional movement activity, the more scenes arranged around the different brightness areas can be combined to gain a deeper understanding of the behavioral patterns of the small animals after the experimental operation, and obtain more comprehensive and scientific experimental data. It should be noted that during the evaluation of the small animals' movement activity, the lamp beads 13 are in an off state to avoid disturbing the small animals. The number of induction triggers of each pressure sensor 6 is recorded by the background processing unit. After the set evaluation time is reached, the experimenter controls all the lamp beads 13 to light up to accurately and intuitively reflect the small animals' active movement behavior (the corresponding control processing technology is existing technology and will not be repeated here).

[0036] See also Figure 1 to Figure 4In one embodiment of the present invention, the feeding device further includes a plurality of limiting mechanisms 3 corresponding to the feeding areas 101, which are used to limit the small animals to be located in a small space for easy capture. The limiting mechanisms 3 include a first limiting plate 301 and a second limiting plate 302 arranged in the feeding area 101. The first limiting plate 301 and the second limiting plate 302 can both be translated, and the translation paths of the first limiting plate 301 and the second limiting plate 302 are perpendicular to each other.

[0037] The limiting mechanism 3 also includes an iron frame 303 and a tubular magnet 306 arranged on one side of the feeding area 101. A magnetic block 304 is slidingly provided in the iron frame 303, and the magnetic block 304 is connected to the first limiting plate 301. The magnetic block 304 is also provided with a handle 305 for holding by hand to drive the magnetic block 304 to slide along the iron frame 303. An iron rod 307 is inserted into the tubular magnet 306, and one end of the iron rod 307 located inside the feeding area 101 is connected to the second limiting plate 302.

[0038] In the present embodiment, during the comparative experiment of small animals, operations such as blood drawing and temperature measurement are required, and the small animals need to be caught from the feeding area 101. Since the feeding area 101 usually needs to be provided with a large enough space for the small animals to move around, when catching small animals, the small animals usually flee everywhere in the feeding area 101, resulting in the catching work being time-consuming and difficult to implement. Therefore, the present application provides a limiting mechanism 3 for driving and limiting the small animals to be located in a small range of space for easy catching. Specifically, the magnetic block 304 is driven to slide along the iron frame 303 by holding the handle 305, that is, the first limiting plate 301 is driven to translate until the first limiting plate 301 contacts the second limiting plate 302, and then the iron rod 307 located outside the feeding area 101 is held by hand to pull the iron rod 307 to drive the second limiting plate 302 to translate, and the translation position of the second limiting plate 302 is observed by visual observation to satisfy the requirement of restricting the small animals to a smaller range of space. When the first and second limiting plates 301 and 302 translate, they continuously compress the space where the small animals are located. When the space is restricted to a certain extent, the small animals cannot escape, so that the small animals can be captured quickly and directly. It should be noted that under the action of magnetic attraction, the magnetic block 304 and the iron rod 307 will be affected by the magnetic attraction force to maintain a certain positioning force, that is, the first limiting plate 301 and the second limiting plate 302 are kept in position (it should be noted that the positioning force satisfies: the collision or other actions of the small animals will not cause the first limiting plate 301 and the second limiting plate 302 to be displaced). In addition, the limiting plate (the first limiting plate 301 or the second limiting plate 302) on which the displacement path passes through the water trough 10 is provided with a notch for avoiding the water trough 10 (the size of the notch is determined by the size of the cross-sectional profile of the water trough 10. In this embodiment, the size of the notch satisfies: the small animals cannot drill through the notch), so that the corresponding limiting plate can translate normally without being blocked by the water trough 10.

[0039] Furthermore, in this embodiment, each of the feeding areas 101 is provided with a throwing and catching port (not shown in the figure) on the top, which is used to throw small animals into the feeding area 101 and for experimenters to reach in and catch small animals. The throwing and catching port is arranged directly above the small animal restriction area after the first restriction plate 301 and the second restriction plate 302 are displaced.

[0040] See also Figure 1 and Figure 5 In one embodiment of the present invention, the feeding device further includes a sealing mechanism 4 for sealing the bottom of several feeding areas 101 to prevent the feces odor from being discharged from the dirt tray 12. The sealing mechanism 4 is periodically opened to allow the feces to fall into the dirt tray 12. The sealing mechanism 4 includes a plurality of strip sheets 401 arranged in parallel and arranged in the lower dirt area 102. The plurality of strip sheets 401 can be deflected, and a transmission structure 403 is provided between the plurality of strip sheets 401. The transmission structure is a sprocket chain transmission structure. The sealing mechanism 4 further includes a driving member 402 for driving the plurality of strip sheets 401 to deflect synchronously (the driving member 402 is a servo motor, a reduction motor, etc. in the prior art, which is not limited in this embodiment). A rubber strip (not shown in the figure) is provided between each two adjacent strip sheets 401 to play a sealing role.

[0041] In this embodiment, when the plurality of strip pieces 401 are in a horizontal state, they form a "plate-like" closed structure, thereby blocking the discharge of the feces odor in the dirt tray 12. Under the transmission action of the transmission structure 403, the plurality of strip pieces 401 are driven to deflect synchronously by the driving member 402 to realize opening and closing. The driving member 402 is started periodically (such as every 15 minutes, 20 minutes, etc.) to drive the plurality of strip pieces 401 to deflect. When the driving member 402 is started, its output shaft first rotates clockwise (or counterclockwise) to drive the plurality of strip pieces 401 to deflect from a horizontal state to a vertical state, so that the feces of the small animals falling on the plurality of strip pieces 401 fall into the dirt tray 12 in time for collection, and then the output shaft of the driving member 402 rotates counterclockwise (or clockwise) to drive the plurality of strip pieces 401 to return to a horizontal state, and this cycle is repeated (it should be noted that the above-mentioned opening to closing action takes a short time to minimize the discharge of feces odor in the dirt tray 12 when opening), thereby greatly improving the odor environment state of the breeding area 101.

[0042] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a sealing strip (not shown in the figure) is provided between the outward side contour of the dirt collecting tray 12 and the opening side contour of the dirt collecting area 102 to prevent the discharge of feces odor.

[0043] In addition, it should be understood that although the present specification is described according to implementation modes, not every implementation mode contains only one independent technical solution. This description of the specification is only for the sake of clarity. Those skilled in the art should regard the specification as a whole. The technical solutions in each embodiment may also be appropriately combined to form other implementation modes that can be understood by those skilled in the art.

Claims

1. A small animal breeding device for comparative experiments, comprising a cage (1), characterized in that: The cage (1) is internally divided into a plurality of feeding areas (101) for feeding small animals and a sewage discharge area (102) for discharging feces of the small animals. The bottom of the feeding area (101) is a grid plate (2). The grid plate (2) is evenly provided with inner grooves (5). Each inner groove (5) is provided with a pressure sensor (6) for sensing the movement of the small animal. The sensing end of the pressure sensor (6) is provided with a sealing sheet (7) adapted to the inner groove (5). The feeding device also includes a display screen (9) corresponding to the feeding area (101) one by one, and used to display the number of times the pressure sensor (6) is triggered within a set time interval. Each sealing sheet (7) is provided with a lamp bead (13) with controllable brightness. The lamp bead (13) corresponds to the pressure sensor (6) one by one, and the brightness of the lamp bead (13) is proportional to the number of times the corresponding pressure sensor (6) is triggered. The number of times the pressure sensor (6) in the feeding area (101) is triggered accurately reflects the activity of the small animal. The higher the activity of the small animal, the more times the pressure sensor (6) is triggered, and the larger the value displayed on the corresponding display screen (9). The brightness of the light beads (13) reflects the activity of the small animal. The higher the brightness of the area, the higher the activity of the small animal in the area.

2. The small animal breeding device for comparative experiments according to claim 1, characterized in that: The upper side of the sealing sheet (7) is flush with the upper side of the grid plate (2), and a sealing gasket (8) is provided on the inner wall of the inner groove (5) for sealing the gap between the side of the sealing sheet (7) and the groove wall of the inner groove (5).

3. The small animal breeding device for comparative experiments according to claim 1, characterized in that: A pull-out dirt tray (12) for collecting small animal excrement is provided in the dirt collection area (102).

4. The small animal breeding device for comparative experiments according to claim 1, characterized in that: The feeding area (101) is provided with a water trough (10), and a feeding port (11) for feeding food and water is provided on one side of the feeding area (101) close to the water trough (10).

5. The small animal breeding device for comparative experiments according to claim 1, characterized in that: The feeding device also includes a plurality of limiting mechanisms (3) corresponding one to one with the feeding area (101), which are used to limit the small animals to be located in a small space for easy capture. The limiting mechanism (3) includes a first limiting plate (301) and a second limiting plate (302) arranged in the feeding area (101). The first limiting plate (301) and the second limiting plate (302) are both capable of translation, and the translation paths of the first limiting plate (301) and the second limiting plate (302) are perpendicular to each other.

6. The small animal breeding device for comparative experiments according to claim 5, characterized in that: The limiting mechanism (3) further comprises an iron frame (303) and a tubular magnet (306) arranged on one side of the feeding area (101); a magnetic block (304) is provided on a sliding card in the iron frame (303), and the magnetic block (304) is connected to the first limiting plate (301); a handle (305) is provided on the magnetic block (304) for holding by hand to drive the magnetic block (304) to slide along the iron frame (303); an iron rod (307) is inserted through the tubular magnet (306), and one end of the iron rod (307) located inside the feeding area (101) is connected to the second limiting plate (302).

7. The small animal breeding device for comparative experiments according to claim 3, characterized in that: The feeding device further comprises a sealing mechanism (4) for sealing the lower part of a plurality of feeding areas (101) to prevent the excrement odor from being discharged from the dirt drop tray (12); the sealing mechanism (4) is periodically opened to allow the excrement to fall into the dirt drop tray (12); the sealing mechanism (4) comprises a plurality of strip sheets (401) arranged in parallel and arranged in the lower dirt area (102); the plurality of strip sheets (401) are all deflectable, and a transmission structure (403) is arranged between the plurality of strip sheets (401); the sealing mechanism (4) further comprises a driving member (402) for driving the plurality of strip sheets (401) to deflect synchronously.

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