Simple spinal cord injury impactor and use method thereof

Abstract

The invention discloses a simple spinal cord injury impactor and a use method thereof, and relates to the technical field of basic medical research. The device is simple and light in structure and convenient to carry, gets rid of errors caused by traditional handheld operation, reduces errors caused by movement of modeling animals, and has the advantages of being good in stability, easy to operate and the like. The hitting device comprises a base, a hitting sleeve and a spine fixing device set. The base comprises a bottom plate and a vertical sliding rail; a top mounting plate is arranged above the vertical sliding rail, and an infrared distance meter is arranged in the top mounting plate; the striking sleeve is connected to the vertical sliding rail in a sliding manner; an electromagnetic control device and a striking striker are arranged in the striking sleeve; the electromagnetic control device is connected to the top of the striking sleeve, and the striking firing pin is located below the electromagnetic control device. The electromagnetic control device is used for controlling adsorption and release of the striker; the spine fixator set is arranged on the bottom plate and used for fixing the spine of the modeling animal in multiple directions. The invention further provides a using method of the spinal cord injury impactor.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of basic medical research technology, and in particular to a simple spinal cord injury striker and its method of use. Background Technology

[0002] Spinal cord injury is a highly disabling traumatic disease of the central nervous system, causing varying degrees of motor impairment, and in severe cases, hemiplegia and complete paralysis, continuously impacting patients' quality of life. Due to the complex pathological mechanisms of spinal cord injury, involving multiple factors, cell types, and pathological processes, there are currently no effective clinical treatments for this condition. Therefore, establishing spinal cord injury models using experimental animals to provide therapeutic targets is crucial, and establishing ideal and stable animal models is the primary challenge in conducting research on spinal cord injury.

[0003] Mice are the most commonly used animal models for spinal cord injury due to their genetic homology with humans, low cost, easy availability, rapid reproduction, and ease of gene editing. Currently, common methods for creating spinal cord injury models include spinal cord impingement models, compression injury models, traction injury models, transverse injury models, and ischemic injury models. Among these, the classic animal model of spinal cord injury created using the drop injury method closely resembles human injury and is considered the standard experimental model of spinal cord impingement.

[0004] Traditional spinal cord impactors are mainly divided into handheld impactors and pneumatic or electric impactors. Handheld impactors result in unstable and inconsistent model scores after impact. While pneumatic or electric impactors offer higher precision, they are complex in structure, expensive, cumbersome to operate, and bulky, making them difficult to move and hindering widespread application. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The embodiments of this application provide a simple spinal cord injury striker and its method of use. It is not only simple and lightweight in structure and easy to carry, but also eliminates the errors of traditional hand-held operation through electromagnetic control. By fixing the spine of the model animal in multiple directions (front, back, left, and right), it reduces the errors caused by the movement of the model animal. It has the advantages of good stability and simple operation.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, one embodiment of this application provides a simple spinal cord injury impactor, including a base, an impact sleeve, and a spinal fixation assembly. The base includes a base plate and a vertical slide rail mounted on the base plate. A top mounting plate is provided above the vertical slide rail, and an infrared rangefinder is installed inside the top mounting plate. The impact sleeve is slidably connected to the vertical slide rail. An electromagnetic control device and an impact pin are installed inside the impact sleeve. The electromagnetic control device is connected to the top of the impact sleeve, and the impact pin is located below the electromagnetic control device. The electromagnetic control device is used to control the adsorption and release of the impact pin. The spinal fixation assembly is mounted on the base plate and is used to fix the spine of the model animal from multiple directions.

[0007] Furthermore, the spinal fixation device group includes 4 to 6 spinal fixators; the spinal fixators can fix the spine of the model animal from four directions: front, back, left, and right; the clamping range of the spinal fixators is 1 to 3 mm. Furthermore, the spinal fixator is equipped with an adjustment knob; the adjustment knob can adjust the vertical and horizontal displacement of the spinal fixator.

[0008] Furthermore, the striking sleeve is a closed cylinder at the top; the striking sleeve is slidably connected to the vertical slide rail via an intermediate connecting plate; the rear end of the intermediate connecting plate is slidably connected to the vertical slide rail, and the front end is provided with a drop outlet; the striking sleeve is connected to the intermediate connecting plate and is located above the drop outlet.

[0009] Furthermore, the electromagnetic control device is bolted to the top wall of the striking sleeve; the electromagnetic control device includes an electromagnet; a permanent magnet is provided at the top of the striking pin; the magnetism of the permanent magnet is opposite to that of the electromagnet. Furthermore, the base, impact sleeve, and spinal fixation assembly are all made of lightweight materials and are 3D printed. Furthermore, the impact pins are available in three specifications: 10g, 15g, and 20g.

[0010] Furthermore, the bottom of the base plate is provided with an anti-slip structure or a vibration damping structure.

[0011] Furthermore, the infrared rangefinder has a ranging range of 0~80 mm; an accuracy of ±0.05–0.10 mm; and a response time ≤5 ms.

[0012] On the other hand, this application also provides a method for using the above-mentioned simplified spinal cord injury striker, including the following steps: anesthetizing the model animal and exposing the spinal cord; adjusting the spine of the model animal to a horizontal position and fixing it on the base using a spinal fixation device to ensure that the exposed spinal cord is located below the strike pin; setting the strike zero point; adjusting the position of the strike sleeve to a preset strike height position and locking it; controlling the electromagnetic control device to release the strike pin adsorbed at the bottom of the electromagnetic control device, thereby constructing a spinal cord injury model of the model animal; and evaluating the stability of the spinal cord injury striker by performing behavioral scoring of hindlimb motor ability and detection of immunofluorescence and pathological staining on the constructed spinal cord injury model of the model animal.

[0013] This application has the following advantages over the prior art: 1. The simplified spinal cord injury striking device of this application realizes the mechanization of the striking process through electromagnetic control, avoiding the errors caused by hand operation. It also fixes the spine in multiple directions (front, back, left, and right) through multiple spinal fixators, effectively restricting the animal's movement and improving the stability and repeatability of the model.

[0014] 2. The main components of the simplified spinal cord injury striker in this application are all made of lightweight materials and are 3D printed. It has a simple structure, low cost, is easy to carry and assemble, and is suitable for widespread promotion.

[0015] 3. The weight and diameter of the striking pin in the simplified spinal cord injury striking device of this application embodiment are interchangeable, which can be adapted to the needs of different animals and degrees of injury.

[0016] 4. The simplified spinal cord injury impactor of this application can construct a stable scoring mouse spinal cord injury model, providing a convenient, efficient, and low-cost model organism sample for scientific experiments. Attached Figure Description

[0017] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained from these drawings without creative effort.

[0018] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of a simplified spinal cord injury striker according to an embodiment of this application.

[0019] Figure 2 This is a front view of the simplified spinal cord injury striker according to an embodiment of this application.

[0020] Figure 3 This is a side view of a simplified spinal cord injury striker according to an embodiment of this application.

[0021] Figure 4 for Figure 3 AA sectional view.

[0022] Figure 5 This is a top view of the simplified spinal cord injury striker according to an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0023] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0024] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the terms "center", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this application.

[0025] In the description of this application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation", "connection" and "joining" should be interpreted broadly, for example, they can refer to fixed connections, detachable connections, or integral connections; those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application based on the specific circumstances.

[0026] The terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" can explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this application, unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more.

[0027] Reference Figures 1 to 5 This application provides a simple spinal cord injury striker, including a base 1, a strike sleeve 2, and a spinal fixation assembly 3. The base 1, strike sleeve 2, and spinal fixation assembly 3 are all made of safe, sturdy, and portable lightweight materials, such as aluminum alloy, and are manufactured by 3D printing.

[0028] The base 1 includes a base plate 11, a vertical slide rail 12, and a top mounting plate 13.

[0029] The base plate 11 is a rectangular plate with a length × width × thickness of 200 mm × 150 mm × 10 mm and a mass ≥ 2 kg. The bottom is equipped with an anti-slip structure or a vibration damping structure to further improve stability.

[0030] A vertical slide rail 12 is mounted on the upper surface of the base plate 11. A top mounting plate 13 is provided above the vertical slide rail 12, and an infrared rangefinder 4 is installed inside the top mounting plate 13. The infrared rangefinder 4 has a ranging range of 0~80 mm, an accuracy of ±0.05–0.10 mm, and a response time ≤5 ms.

[0031] The striking sleeve 2 is a closed-end cylinder with an outer diameter of 12 mm and a length of 18 mm. The striking sleeve 2 is slidably connected to the vertical slide rail 12 via an intermediate connecting plate 5. Specifically, the rear end of the intermediate connecting plate 5 is slidably connected to the vertical slide rail 12, and the front end has a drop opening 51. The striking sleeve 2 is connected to the intermediate connecting plate 5 and located above the drop opening 51. The effective vertical sliding stroke of the striking sleeve 2 is 0~240 mm, with a repeatability accuracy of ±0.05 mm. The striking sleeve 2 is locked in a preset position on the vertical slide rail 12 by a locking device.

[0032] The impact sleeve 2 is equipped with an electromagnetic control device 21 and an impact striker 22. The electromagnetic control device 21 is used to control the adsorption and release of the impact striker 22.

[0033] Specifically, the electromagnetic control device 21 is an electromagnet. The electromagnetic control device 21 is connected to the top wall of the striking sleeve 2 by bolts 24.

[0034] The striking pin 22 is located below the electromagnetic control device 21. The striking pin 22 is available in three sizes: 10g, 15g, and 20g, and its head diameter is 1 to 3 mm (rounded corners).

[0035] The striking pin 22 is equipped with a permanent magnet at its top, and the magnetism of the permanent magnet is opposite to that of the electromagnet. Thus, when the electromagnetic control device 21 is energized, the permanent magnet generates a magnetism opposite to that of the electromagnet, thereby attracting the striking pin 22 to its lower part; when the electromagnetic control device 21 is de-energized, the magnetism of the permanent magnet disappears, and the striking pin 22 is released and falls off.

[0036] The spinal fixation device group 3 includes four spinal fixators 31, each with a clamping range of 1-3 mm. The spacing between two adjacent spinal fixators 31 is 100 mm. The spinal fixators 31 are mounted on the base plate 11 and arranged in a rectangular array. The four spinal fixators 31 can fix the spine of the model animal (such as a mouse) from four directions: front, back, left, and right, thereby effectively restricting the movement of the model animal and improving the stability and repeatability of the model.

[0037] The spinal fixation device 31 is equipped with an adjustment knob 311, which can adjust the vertical and horizontal displacement of the spinal fixation device 31. The vertical adjustment range is ±20 mm, and the horizontal adjustment range is ±20 mm.

[0038] On the other hand, this application also provides a method of using the above-mentioned simplified spinal cord injury striker, including the following steps: Step 1. Anesthetize the model animal and expose the spinal cord.

[0039] Step 1.1. Before the operation, place the required surgical instruments in the surgical instrument box and sterilize them using high temperature and high pressure steam.

[0040] Step 1.2. Prepare surgical anesthetics for small animals. For mice, the dosage is ketamine (100 mg / kg) and xylazine (10 mg / kg), or isoflurane can be used for anesthesia.

[0041] Step 1.3. Anesthesia was administered via intraperitoneal injection before surgery. After the experimental animals lost consciousness, the fur on the backs of the mice was removed with a razor, and the shaved skin was disinfected with povidone-iodine. The experimental animals were C57BL / 6 mice aged 8-10 weeks.

[0042] Step 2. Adjust the spine of the model animal to a horizontal position and fix it to the base 1 using the spinal fixator 31, ensuring that the exposed spinal cord is located below the striking pin 22.

[0043] Step 2.1. Use a scalpel to cut open the sterilized skin and locate the 10th vertebra of the spine. First, remove the muscles around the vertebra to fully expose it. Then, use bone forceps to slowly remove the vertebra to expose the spinal cord.

[0044] Step 2.2. Use the spinal fixation device 31 to adjust the mouse's spine to a horizontal line and fix it to the base, ensuring that the exposed spinal cord is located below the impact pin 22.

[0045] Step 3. Set the zero point of impact: Adjust the position of the exposed spinal cord so that it is in perpendicular contact with the impact pin 22, adjust it again so that the impact pin 22 and the impact cannula 2 are in contact with the spinal cord, and set this as the zero point.

[0046] Step 4. Adjust the position of the striking sleeve 2 to the preset striking height and lock it. Turn on the electromagnetic control device 21. The permanent magnet at the top of the striking pin 22 is attracted by the electromagnetic control device 21, so that the striking pin 22 is fixed in the striking sleeve 2. Adjust the bottom of the striking sleeve 2 to 6.25mm away from the base, and then lock the striking sleeve 2.

[0047] Step 5. Using this height as the fixed impact height, control the electromagnetic control device 21 to release the impact pin 22 and construct a mouse spinal cord injury model.

[0048] Step 6. After the spinal cord injury is completed, the mouse is transferred from the base to the operating table and sutured layer by layer. First, the fascia of the mouse is sutured with absorbable sutures, and then the skin is sutured with skin sutures.

[0049] Step 7. Subcutaneously inject the operated mouse with 500 μL of experimental saline solution, along with analgesics and antibiotics. After surgery, place the mouse on an electric blanket until it wakes up. Once awake, transfer the mouse to the postoperative observation room. For one month after surgery, help the mouse urinate twice a day and monitor and record its condition and hind limb movement recovery daily.

[0050] Step 8. Evaluate the motor function of mice after injury using the Basso Mouse Motor Rating Scale and immunofluorescence staining, and evaluate the effectiveness of the spinal cord injury impactor.

[0051] In summary, the spinal cord injury impactor of this application uses safe, robust, and lightweight materials for its manufacture, and utilizes 3D printing to create a stable animal model that conforms to the pathology of spinal cord injury. The entire process of impacting the injury is mechanized, and electromagnetic control eliminates the errors inherent in traditional handheld operation. By fixing the spine of the modeling animal in multiple directions (anterior, posterior, left, and right), errors caused by mouse movement are reduced, increasing the stability of the model.

[0052] The spinal cord injury impactor of this application embodiment can change the weight and width of the impact pin as needed, which can meet the modeling needs of different animals and different degrees of severity. Furthermore, by changing the impact pin, it can also be used for pathological modeling of brain trauma.

[0053] Specifically, the spinal cord injury impactor of this application can be used for brain trauma modeling in mice and rats. By changing the diameter and weight of the impactor's striking pin and replacing the spinal fixator with a cranial fixator bar, it can also be used for brain trauma modeling. Specifically, the head of anesthetized mice or rats is fixed with a bar, then the desired brain region is selected, the skull is opened with a high-speed small animal cranial drill, a striking pin of appropriate weight and base width is selected, and the impactor is used to strike the opening to create a traumatic brain injury model.

[0054] Furthermore, the feasibility of the simplified spinal cord injury impactor has been proven through experiments, simulations, and usage. First, the impactor was manufactured using 3D printing. Then, spinal cord injury impact experiments were conducted on mice to construct mild (mice almost fully recover motor function after a period of time), moderate (mice experience some motor function impairment but partial recovery), and severe (mice are completely paralyzed, have urinary retention, and lose lower limb motor function) spinal cord injury models. Data collected through mouse kinematic scoring and pathological examination demonstrated the good stability of the impactor.

[0055] The above are merely specific embodiments of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A simple spinal cord injury striker, characterized in that, The device includes a base, a striking sleeve, and a spine fixation assembly. The base consists of a base plate and a vertical slide rail mounted on the base plate. A top mounting plate is located above the vertical slide rail, and an infrared rangefinder is installed inside the top mounting plate. The striking sleeve is slidably connected to the vertical slide rail. An electromagnetic control device and a striking pin are installed inside the striking sleeve. The electromagnetic control device is connected to the top of the striking sleeve, and the striking pin is located below the electromagnetic control device. The electromagnetic control device is used to control the adsorption and release of the striking pin. The spine fixation assembly is mounted on the base plate and is used to fix the spine of the model animal from multiple angles.

2. The simplified spinal cord injury striker according to claim 1, characterized in that, The spinal fixation device group includes 4 to 6 spinal fixators; the spinal fixators can fix the spine of the model animal from four directions: front, back, left, and right; the clamping range of the spinal fixators is 1 to 3 mm.

3. The simplified spinal cord injury striker according to claim 2, characterized in that, The spinal fixator is equipped with an adjustment knob; the adjustment knob can adjust the vertical and horizontal displacement of the spinal fixator.

4. The simplified spinal cord injury striker according to claim 1, characterized in that, The striking sleeve is a closed cylinder at the top; the striking sleeve is slidably connected to the vertical slide rail through an intermediate connecting plate; the rear end of the intermediate connecting plate is slidably connected to the vertical slide rail, and the front end is provided with a drop outlet; the striking sleeve is connected to the intermediate connecting plate and is located above the drop outlet.

5. The simplified spinal cord injury striker according to claim 1, characterized in that, The electromagnetic control device is bolted to the top wall of the striking sleeve; the electromagnetic control device includes an electromagnet; a permanent magnet is provided at the top of the striking pin; the magnetism of the permanent magnet is opposite to that of the electromagnet.

6. The simplified spinal cord injury striker according to claim 1, characterized in that, The base, impact sleeve, and spinal fixation assembly are all made of lightweight materials and 3D printed.

7. The simplified spinal cord injury striker according to claim 1, characterized in that, The impact pins are available in three sizes: 10g, 15g, and 20g.

8. The simplified spinal cord injury striker according to claim 7, characterized in that, The bottom of the base plate is provided with an anti-slip structure or a vibration damping structure.

9. The simplified spinal cord injury striker according to claim 1, characterized in that, The infrared rangefinder has a ranging range of 0~80 mm; an accuracy of ±0.05–0.10 mm; and a response time of ≤5 ms.

10. A method of using a simplified spinal cord injury striker according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: Anesthetize the model animals and expose their spinal cords; The spine of the model animal is adjusted to be horizontal and fixed to the base using a spinal fixation assembly, ensuring that the exposed spinal cord is located below the striking pin; Set the strike point to zero; Adjust the position of the striking sleeve to the preset striking height and lock it; By controlling the electromagnetic control device, the striking pin adsorbed at the bottom of the electromagnetic control device is released, thereby constructing a model of spinal cord injury in a modeling animal. The established animal model of spinal cord injury was subjected to behavioral scoring of hindlimb motor ability and detection by immunofluorescence and pathological staining to assess the stability of the spinal cord injury impactor.

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