Mouse endocrine monitoring system and its sensor module

Abstract

This invention provides a mouse endocrine monitoring system and its sensor module, belonging to the field of monitoring technology, aiming to solve the technical problems of existing mouse endocrine monitoring systems, such as high invasiveness, poor real-time performance, and inability to simultaneously monitor multiple parameters. It includes a sensor module, a data acquisition unit, a wireless transmission module, a data analysis and processing unit, and a power supply module. The sensor module integrates three sensors: body temperature, blood glucose, and insulin. It uses a minimally invasive sensing needle fixed to the subcutaneous tissue of the mouse, resulting in a compact and lightweight design that does not interfere with the mouse's normal activity. This invention can collect multiple endocrine physiological parameters, including body temperature, blood glucose, and insulin, in real time, continuously, and synchronously. The data is wirelessly transmitted to the analysis unit for processing and report generation. It boasts advantages such as high monitoring accuracy, low invasiveness, long battery life, and good biocompatibility, making it suitable for long-term endocrine monitoring in mouse models of metabolic diseases such as diabetes, obesity, and aging, effectively reducing experimental trauma and improving data accuracy and experimental efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of monitoring technology, and more specifically, relates to a mouse endocrine monitoring system and its sensor module. Background Technology

[0002] Endocrine system monitoring plays a crucial role in biomedical research, serving as a core component in elucidating the pathogenesis of metabolic and endocrine diseases such as diabetes, obesity, and aging. Mice, as the most widely used laboratory animal, are ideal for constructing disease models of endocrine disorders and metabolic disturbances; therefore, accurate monitoring of their endocrine-related physiological parameters is essential for scientific research.

[0003] Current endocrine monitoring in mice still relies heavily on traditional techniques, primarily employing laboratory methods such as blood extraction and in vitro testing. These methods require repeated manual operations by researchers, which are not only cumbersome and time-consuming but also struggle to guarantee testing efficiency. Existing monitoring technologies have significant drawbacks:

[0004] First, traditional blood collection methods (such as blood collection from the inner canthus of the mouse eye) are highly invasive to mice. Frequent blood collection can easily cause tissue damage, stress response, or even infection in mice. At the same time, it greatly increases the workload and complexity of experiments for laboratory personnel.

[0005] Secondly, existing methods mostly involve intermittent data acquisition and lack real-time, continuous monitoring capabilities. They cannot capture instantaneous dynamic changes in parameters such as blood glucose and insulin in a timely manner, resulting in significant data lag that directly affects the accuracy of experimental results.

[0006] Finally, conventional monitoring methods can only detect single indicators such as blood glucose or insulin, and cannot simultaneously monitor multiple endocrine-related physiological parameters such as body temperature, blood glucose, and insulin, making it difficult to comprehensively assess the endocrine status and health status of mice.

[0007] In addition, some studies have attempted to optimize monitoring methods using wireless or implantable sensors, but these sensors are generally too large and heavy, making them unsuitable for the size and daily activities of mice and difficult to achieve long-term stable wearing and monitoring, which greatly limits their practical application in the field of dynamic endocrine monitoring in mice. Summary of the Invention

[0008] To address the aforementioned technical problems, this invention provides a mouse endocrine monitoring system and its sensor module, which solves the problems of existing mouse endocrine physiological parameter monitoring devices being large in size, highly invasive, interfering with normal mouse activities, having weak multi-parameter synchronous monitoring capabilities, not acquiring data in real time and with insufficient accuracy, and easily causing animal stress and infection.

[0009] Technical solution

[0010] A mouse endocrine monitoring system and its sensor module, including a sensor module, a data acquisition unit, a wireless transmission module, a data analysis and processing unit, and a power supply module;

[0011] The sensor module integrates a body temperature sensor, a blood glucose sensor, and an insulin sensor, and is fixed to the subcutaneous tissue of a mouse via a minimally invasive sensing needle. The data acquisition unit is electrically connected to the sensor module and the wireless transmission module, respectively. The wireless transmission module is communicatively connected to the data analysis and processing unit. The power supply module supplies power to all modules of the system.

[0012] Preferably, the sensor module is a miniaturized packaged structure with an overall weight of no more than 0.5g and a size suitable for subcutaneous implantation on the back or abdomen of a mouse, avoiding compression of the mouse's body surface or affecting its daily behaviors such as movement and eating.

[0013] Preferably, the minimally invasive sensing needle is a miniature stainless steel needle with a diameter ≤0.2mm and an insertion depth controlled at 2-3mm, penetrating only the epidermis and dermis of the mouse, reducing tissue damage and stress response, while ensuring effective contact between the sensor and subcutaneous tissue fluid.

[0014] Preferably, the body temperature sensor is a flexible thin-film infrared temperature sensor that fits into the subcutaneous tissue of the mouse, can continuously collect core body temperature data, has a response time of ≤1s, and a measurement accuracy of ±0.1℃, which is suitable for the precise monitoring needs of mouse body temperature fluctuations.

[0015] Preferably, the blood glucose sensor is a miniature electrochemical sensor based on glucose oxidase, with a working electrode area ≤0.1cm², which can realize real-time detection of blood glucose concentration in a small amount of tissue fluid, with a detection range covering 0.5-25mmol / L and an accuracy of ±5%, meeting the blood glucose monitoring needs of mouse diabetes model research.

[0016] Preferably, the insulin sensor is an electrochemical or optical sensor based on immune recognition, which can specifically bind to insulin molecules, with a detection limit of 0.1 μIU / mL and a detection range covering 1-100 μIU / mL, avoiding cross-interference with other molecules such as blood glucose.

[0017] Preferably, the data acquisition unit integrates a low-power signal conditioning circuit, which can amplify, filter and convert multi-channel sensor signals into analog and digital signals. The sampling frequency can be flexibly set between 1Hz and 10Hz to adapt to the monitoring frequency requirements of different experimental scenarios.

[0018] Preferably, the wireless transmission module is a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) module, which can realize real-time wireless data transmission within the mouse's activity range (≤10m), with a transmission delay of ≤500ms and an operating power consumption of ≤1mA, avoiding the limitation of wired connection on the mouse's activity, while ensuring low-power operation of the system.

[0019] Preferably, the data analysis and processing unit is a host computer software or a portable terminal, which can synchronously analyze body temperature, blood glucose, and insulin data, generate endocrine dynamic change curves, and set abnormal threshold alarms, so that researchers can monitor the physiological status of mice in real time.

[0020] Preferably, the power supply module is a miniature flexible thin-film battery or a button battery with a battery life of ≥30 days, which can meet the needs of long-term monitoring experiments, and supports battery replacement or wireless charging functions to reduce the interference of frequent operation on mice.

[0021] Preferably, the sensor module surface is coated with a biocompatible polyethylene glycol (PEG) or heparin coating, which can reduce tissue adhesion and inflammatory response, improve biocompatibility and wearing comfort after implantation, and reduce the risk of infection in mice.

[0022] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0023] In this invention, by miniaturizing and packaging the sensor module and implanting it with a minimally invasive needle, the size and weight of the device are significantly reduced, avoiding interference with the daily behaviors of mice, such as movement and eating, as well as behavioral experiments, while improving the long-term stability of monitoring.

[0024] In this invention, by integrating multi-parameter sensors for body temperature, blood glucose, and insulin, synchronous and continuous monitoring of endocrine-related physiological parameters in mice can be achieved, providing comprehensive and dynamic data support for research on endocrine disease models such as diabetes and obesity, and making up for the shortcomings of single-parameter monitoring in existing equipment.

[0025] In this invention, by employing a low-power data acquisition and Bluetooth low-power wireless transmission module, real-time wireless transmission of physiological parameters is achieved, avoiding the limitations of wired connections on mouse activity, while improving the timeliness and convenience of data acquisition, making it easier for researchers to monitor remotely.

[0026] In this invention, by using a biocompatible coating and a micro-invasive needle, tissue damage and stress response during implantation are reduced, the risk of infection and inflammation in mice is lowered, the welfare of experimental animals is improved, and the requirements of animal experimentation ethics are met.

[0027] In this invention, the accuracy and reliability of the detection of parameters such as body temperature, blood glucose, and insulin are ensured by using a high-precision sensor and a dedicated signal conditioning circuit. The detection accuracy meets the strict requirements of scientific research experiments and avoids the interference of data errors on experimental conclusions.

[0028] In this invention, the long-lasting power supply module and the replaceable / wireless charging design can meet the needs of long-term (≥30 days) monitoring experiments, reduce the stress interference of frequent equipment replacement on mice, and improve experimental efficiency and data continuity.

[0029] In this invention, the visualization curves and abnormal alarm functions of the data analysis and processing unit can present changes in the endocrine state of mice in real time, and promptly detect blood glucose fluctuations, abnormal body temperature, and other situations, providing intuitive evidence for experimental intervention and mechanism research.

[0030] In this invention, the modular design of the sensor module facilitates disassembly, maintenance, and sensor type replacement, and can be flexibly adapted to different experimental needs, thereby improving the system's versatility and scalability and reducing the cost of scientific research equipment. Attached Figure Description

[0031] Figure 1 This is a system architecture diagram of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 2 This is a system workflow diagram of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0033] The present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to specific embodiments, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments. Without departing from the technical concept of the present invention, those skilled in the art can make several simple deductions or substitutions to the present invention, all of which should be considered within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0034] Example 1: Overall Structure and Module Composition of a Mouse Endocrine Monitoring System

[0035] The mouse endocrine monitoring system of this embodiment includes a sensor module, a data acquisition unit, a wireless transmission module, a data analysis and processing unit, and a power supply module.

[0036] Sensor Module: Integrates a body temperature sensor, a blood glucose sensor, and an insulin sensor, packaged in a flexible, sheet-like structure measuring 10mm × 5mm × 1mm and weighing only 0.4g. It is suitable for subcutaneous implantation in the back of mice. A minimally invasive sensing needle is located on one side of the module. The needle is made of 0.2mm diameter 316L medical-grade stainless steel and is 2.5mm long, penetrating only the epidermis and dermis of the mouse, avoiding damage to the muscle layer and internal organs. The module is coated with a 0.05mm thick polyethylene glycol (PEG) biocompatible coating to reduce tissue adhesion and inflammatory reactions.

[0037] Data acquisition unit: The nRF52832 low-power MCU is used, which integrates signal amplification, filtering and 16-bit analog-to-digital conversion circuits. It is electrically connected to the body temperature sensor, blood glucose sensor and insulin sensor respectively. The sampling frequency can be flexibly set between 1Hz and 10Hz. The default sampling frequency in this embodiment is 5Hz.

[0038] Wireless transmission module: This is a low-power module with built-in BLE5.0 protocol, electrically connected to the data acquisition unit. It has a transmission distance of 10m, a transmission delay of ≤300ms, an operating current of 0.8mA, and a standby current of 1μA, enabling real-time wireless transmission of physiological data.

[0039] Data Analysis and Processing Unit: This is a host computer software running Windows. It can receive data via Bluetooth, plot dynamic curves of body temperature, blood glucose, and insulin in real time, set abnormal thresholds (such as blood glucose >16.7 mmol / L or <3.9 mmol / L) and trigger audible and visual alarms, and support data export for scientific research analysis.

[0040] Power supply module: It adopts CP082025 flexible thin film lithium battery with a capacity of 30mAh and a voltage of 3.7V, which powers the entire system and provides a battery life of up to 32 days. It supports inductive wireless charging and can be recharged without disassembling the module.

[0041] Example 2: Implantation and Fixation of Sensor Module

[0042] Taking 8-10 week old C57BL / 6 mice weighing 20-25g as an example, the implantation steps of the sensor module are described in detail:

[0043] Preoperative preparation: The mice were placed in an isoflurane anesthesia box and anesthetized with 2% isoflurane. After the righting reflex disappeared, the mice were fixed on the surgical board, the back was shaved (2cm×2cm area), and the skin was disinfected with 75% alcohol.

[0044] Incision preparation: A 2mm micro-incision was made in the interscapular region on the back of the mouse using sterile ophthalmic scissors, cutting only the epidermis to avoid damaging the dermis and subcutaneous blood vessels.

[0045] Needle implantation: The minimally invasive sensing needle of the sensor module is slowly inserted subcutaneously along the incision to a depth of 2.5mm, so that the tip of the needle is immersed in the subcutaneous tissue fluid to ensure that the sensor is in full contact with the tissue fluid.

[0046] Module fixation: Attach the sensor module to the skin on the back of the mouse, and use Vetbond sterile bio-adhesive to bond the edges of the module to the skin to prevent displacement or detachment. Finally, gently press the incision with sterile gauze and wait for the adhesive to cure to complete the operation.

[0047] Postoperative observation: The mice were returned to their cages and observed for activity, eating and drinking after they woke up. The wound healing was monitored within 24 hours after surgery to confirm that there were no abnormalities such as redness, swelling or oozing.

[0048] Example 3: System Workflow and Data Acquisition

[0049] The workflow of the mouse endocrine monitoring system in this embodiment is as follows:

[0050] System initialization: Press the power button on the power supply module to power on the system. The data acquisition unit performs a self-test on each sensor and enters standby mode after confirming that the body temperature sensor, blood glucose sensor, and insulin sensor are normal.

[0051] Data acquisition: The data acquisition unit collects the temperature analog signal from the body temperature sensor, the current signal from the blood glucose sensor, and the voltage signal from the insulin sensor at a sampling frequency of 5Hz. After amplification and filtering, the signals are converted into digital signals.

[0052] Data preprocessing: The collected data is denoised and smoothed, outliers exceeding the physiological range are removed, and the data is packaged into a fixed format data package.

[0053] Wireless transmission: The wireless transmission module sends data packets to the data analysis and processing unit via the BLE protocol at a frequency of 1 time / second, with each transmission containing 5 sets of sampled data.

[0054] Data processing and display: The host computer software parses and stores the data, plots the three-parameter change curves in real time, triggers an alarm when the data exceeds the threshold, and researchers can export the data for subsequent analysis.

[0055] Low power management: When no command is received from the host computer, the system automatically enters a low power standby mode, retaining only the basic power supply to the sensor module to extend battery life.

[0056] Example 4: Performance Verification and Effect Comparison

[0057] This embodiment verifies the system performance and compares it with traditional mouse monitoring equipment:

[0058] Body weight and stress test: The sensor module of this invention weighs 0.4g, accounting for only 1.6%-2% of the mouse body weight, which is much lower than that of traditional devices (≥2g, accounting for 8%-10% of body weight). Seven days after the operation, the activity level of mice in the invention group decreased by ≤5% compared with that in the traditional device group, while it decreased by ≥20%, significantly reducing the interference and stress response of the device on the mouse behavior.

[0059] Monitoring accuracy test:

[0060] Body temperature: Compared with a standard thermometer (±0.05℃), the error of continuous 24-hour monitoring is ≤±0.1℃, which meets the requirements of scientific research accuracy.

[0061] Blood glucose: Compared with commercial blood glucose meters (±5%), the detection range is 0.5-25 mmol / L, the error is ≤±4%, and the lower limit of detection is 0.5 mmol / L.

[0062] Insulin: Using ELISA as the gold standard, the detection limit is 0.1 μIU / mL, the range is 1-100 μIU / mL, the correlation coefficient R²≥0.95, and there is no cross-interference.

[0063] Battery life test: Under conditions of 5Hz sampling and 1 transmission per second, the power supply module lasts for 32 days, which is far longer than the 7-day battery life of traditional equipment, meeting the needs of long-term monitoring.

[0064] Biocompatibility test: Dissection 30 days after the operation showed that the implantation site of the invention group had only mild inflammatory cell infiltration, with no obvious adhesion or necrosis; the conventional device group showed obvious tissue hyperplasia and adhesion, proving that the coating of the invention can effectively reduce tissue damage.

[0065] Comparative example: Traditional mouse endocrine monitoring equipment

[0066] Traditional devices are mostly wired, single-parameter monitoring devices, which are bulky (≥2g) and need to be fixed to the neck or back of mice, which can easily lead to restricted activity and strong stress. They also have low sampling frequency (≤1Hz), high data transmission latency (≥2s), and short battery life (≤7 days), making it impossible to achieve long-term synchronous monitoring of multiple parameters. Furthermore, the implantation site is prone to infection and adhesion, which affects the accuracy of experiments and animal welfare.

[0067] The comparison shows that the present invention has significant advantages in miniaturization, low power consumption, multi-parameter synchronous monitoring, biocompatibility and long-term stability, which can effectively solve the pain points of the existing technology and provide reliable support for the study of mouse endocrine disease models.

[0068] The embodiments of the present invention are given for illustrative and descriptive purposes only, and are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the forms disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to better illustrate the principles and practical application of the invention, and to enable those skilled in the art to understand the invention and to design various embodiments with various modifications suitable for a particular purpose.

Claims

1. A mouse endocrine monitoring system, characterized in that, It includes a sensor module, a data acquisition unit, a wireless transmission module, a data analysis and processing unit, and a power supply module; The sensor module integrates a body temperature sensor, a blood glucose sensor, and an insulin sensor; The data acquisition unit is electrically connected to the sensor module and the wireless transmission module respectively, and is used to receive and preprocess the physiological parameter data acquired by the sensor. The wireless transmission module is communicatively connected to the data analysis and processing unit and is used to transmit preprocessed data. The power supply module provides power to all modules of the system.

2. A sensor module for monitoring mouse endocrine function, characterized in that, It integrates a body temperature sensor, a blood glucose sensor, and an insulin sensor; The sensor module is fixed to the subcutaneous tissue of a mouse using a minimally invasive sensing needle. The module is small in size, lightweight, and suitable for installation on the mouse body surface.

3. The mouse endocrine monitoring system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The body temperature sensor is a wireless infrared temperature sensor that detects the surface temperature of the mouse through infrared radiation and converts it into an electrical signal.

4. The mouse endocrine monitoring system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The blood glucose sensor is a glucose oxidase electrochemical sensor that generates a current signal proportional to blood glucose concentration through an enzymatic reaction.

5. The mouse endocrine monitoring system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The insulin sensor is an electrochemical sensor or optical sensor for insulin oxidase reaction, and its output signal is positively correlated with insulin concentration.

6. The sensor module according to claim 2, characterized in that, The minimally invasive sensing needle is a miniature needle that is inserted into the subcutaneous tissue of the mouse's back or abdomen and connected to the sensing element inside the module via a miniature connecting wire.

7. The mouse endocrine monitoring system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The data analysis and processing unit analyzes body temperature, blood glucose, and insulin data and generates monitoring reports.

8. The mouse endocrine monitoring system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The wireless transmission module enables real-time wireless transmission of physiological parameter data.

9. The sensor module according to claim 2, characterized in that, The sensor module is fitted to the mouse skin and does not interfere with the mouse's daily activities.

10. The mouse endocrine monitoring system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The power supply module is a long-life battery module, ensuring long-term stable operation of the system.

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