Animal handling and running wheel behavior test system

Abstract

The application is suitable for the technical field of animal behavior experiment, and provides an animal operation rotating wheel behavior experiment system, which comprises a central control unit, a rotating wheel, a rotating wheel motion recording module, a rotating wheel unlocking control module and an operation switch module; the operation switch module is connected with the rotating wheel unlocking control module, the rotating wheel unlocking control module is connected with the rotating wheel, the rotating wheel is connected with the rotating wheel motion recording module, and the rotating wheel motion recording module is connected with the central control unit; the rotating wheel motion recording module is used for collecting motion data of the rotating wheel and sending the motion data to the central control unit; and the rotating wheel unlocking control module is used for controlling the rotating wheel to be unlocked for a preset time according to a current unlocking control mode and the number of actions of the operation switch module. The application can solve the problem that the prior art is difficult to quantify animal motion motivation, and provides a more objective quantitative index for motion motivation research.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of animal behavior experiment technology, and in particular relates to an experimental system for animal manipulation of a rotating wheel. Background Technology

[0002] Animal manipulation of wheel-based behaviors is a core research tool in neuroscience and experimental animal behavior. Assessing animal motivation for wheel-based movement can provide crucial data support for research exploring neural circuits related to motor reward and the regulatory effects of genetic / pharmacological interventions on voluntary movement. In related technologies, animal motivation assessments commonly use wheel-based movement performance (such as distance traveled) as the evaluation indicator. This not only makes it difficult to directly quantify the operational effort an animal is willing to expend to obtain a motor reward, but also fails to effectively distinguish between an animal's "motivation (wanting to run)" and its "basic motor execution ability (being able to run)." Due to the lack of high-precision quantitative data collection of operational costs, existing equipment cannot accurately characterize the core dimensions of movement motivation. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In view of this, embodiments of the present invention provide an experimental system for animal operation of a rotating wheel to solve the problem that existing technologies are unable to quantify animal movement motivation.

[0004] This invention provides an experimental system for animal manipulation of a rotating wheel, comprising: a central control unit, a rotating wheel, a rotating wheel motion recording module, a rotating wheel unlocking / locking control module, and an operation switch module; The operation switch module is connected to the wheel unlocking and locking control module, the wheel unlocking and locking control module is connected to the wheel, the wheel is connected to the wheel motion recording module, and the wheel motion recording module is connected to the central control unit; The wheel motion recording module is used to collect the motion data of the wheel and send it to the central control unit; The rotary wheel unlocking and locking control module is used to control the preset unlocking time of the rotary wheel according to the current unlocking and locking control mode and the number of times the operation switch module is activated.

[0005] In one possible implementation, the operating switch module includes: a first pressure rod; The first pressure rod is connected to the wheel unlocking control module; The rotary wheel unlocking and locking control module is used to control the preset unlocking time of the rotary wheel according to the current unlocking and locking control mode and the number of times the first pressure bar is activated.

[0006] In one possible implementation, the unlocking control mode includes: a fixed ratio control mode; In the fixed ratio control mode, the wheel unlocking and locking control module is used to control the wheel to unlock for a preset time when the number of times the first pressure rod is activated reaches a preset fixed threshold.

[0007] In one possible implementation, the unlocking control mode is: a progressive ratio control mode; In the progressive ratio control mode, the wheel unlocking and locking control module is used to control the wheel to unlock for a preset time when the number of times the first pressure rod is activated reaches a preset dynamic threshold; wherein, the magnitude of the preset dynamic threshold is positively correlated with the number of times the wheel is unlocked.

[0008] In one possible implementation, under the progressive ratio control mode, the wheel unlocking control module is further configured to: When the total duration reaches the first preset duration threshold, or when the duration during which the first lever does not move reaches the second preset duration threshold, the progressive ratio control mode is initialized. Wherein, the first preset duration threshold is greater than the second preset duration threshold.

[0009] In one possible implementation, the operating switch module further includes: a second pressure rod; The second pressure rod has the same shape and structure as the first pressure rod and is used as a control group for the first pressure rod. The second pressure rod is not connected to the wheel unlocking and locking control module.

[0010] In one possible implementation, the rotary wheel locking / unlocking control module is a miniature electromagnetic lock, which is connected to the central control unit.

[0011] In one possible implementation, the wheel motion recording module is a photoelectric rotary incremental encoder.

[0012] In one possible implementation, the animal-operated wheel behavior experimental system further includes: a host computer; The host computer is connected to the central control unit.

[0013] In one possible implementation, the animal wheel-operating behavior experimental system further includes: a power supply module; The power module is connected to the central control unit, the wheel, the wheel motion recording module, the wheel unlocking / locking control module, and the operation switch module.

[0014] The beneficial effects of the embodiments of the present invention compared with the prior art are as follows: This invention constructs an experimental system comprising a central control unit, a wheel, a wheel motion recording module, a wheel unlocking / locking control module, and an operation switch module. The wheel unlocking / locking control module controls the wheel to unlock within a specified time based on the unlocking / locking control mode and the number of actions performed by the operation switch module. The wheel motion recording module simultaneously collects wheel motion data and uploads it to the central control unit. Unlike traditional wheel experiments that only record wheel motion, this embodiment establishes an experimental paradigm of "active operation triggering of movement permissions." It can rely on the frequency and duration of animal-initiated unlocking operations, combined with wheel motion data within the unlocking window, for joint analysis. This enables a quantitative representation of animal movement motivation, providing objective and traceable experimental data for quantitatively assessing animal movement motivation levels. It effectively solves the technical problem of quantifying animal movement motivation in existing technologies, improving the reliability and persuasiveness of animal behavioral experimental results. Attached Figure Description

[0015] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, 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 the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0016] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the animal wheel-operating behavior experimental system provided in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the operation switch module provided in an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0017] In the following description, specific details such as particular system architectures and techniques are set forth for illustrative purposes and not for limitation, in order to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments of the invention. However, those skilled in the art will understand that the invention can be implemented in other embodiments without these specific details. In other instances, detailed descriptions of well-known systems, apparatuses, circuits, and methods are omitted so as not to obscure the description of the invention with unnecessary detail.

[0018] To illustrate the technical solution described in this invention, specific embodiments are described below.

[0019] Existing experimental schemes do not integrate operant conditioning paradigms and lack the ability to quantify and collect operational costs, making it difficult to guarantee the accuracy of motion motivation evaluation results. This invention, through configuring multiple lockout / unlock control modes and combining them with an operation switch module, achieves direct quantitative measurement of the core component of motion motivation (effort cost).

[0020] See Figure 1As shown, the animal wheel-operated behavior experimental system provided in this embodiment of the invention includes: a central control unit 11, a wheel 12, a wheel motion recording module 13, a wheel locking / unlocking control module 14, and an operation switch module 15. The hardware connections are as follows: the operation switch module 15 is connected to the wheel locking / unlocking control module 14, the wheel locking / unlocking control module 14 is connected to the wheel 12, the wheel 12 is connected to the wheel motion recording module 13, and the wheel motion recording module 13 is connected to the central control unit 11. The operation switch module 15 is used to trigger operations for the animal, transmitting the animal's operation signal to the wheel locking / unlocking control module 14. The wheel locking / unlocking control module 14 outputs a control signal based on the received operation signal to achieve locking and unlocking control of the wheel 12. The wheel motion recording module 13 collects the motion data generated by the operation of the wheel 12 in real time and uploads the collected motion data to the central control unit 11, which then completes signal reception, data storage, and experimental logic management.

[0021] In this embodiment, the wheel unlocking / locking control module 14 is used to control the wheel to unlock and maintain it for a preset duration based on the currently operating unlocking / locking control mode and the number of actions fed back by the operation switch module 15. The wheel unlocking / locking control module 14 can be a miniature electromagnetic lock, and the central control unit 11 is connected to the miniature electromagnetic lock, which can control the miniature electromagnetic lock to switch between different control modes.

[0022] like Figure 2 As shown, the operation switch module 15 can be configured as a first lever 151 that triggers the micro switch. This first lever 151 is electrically connected to the wheel unlocking / locking control module 14. The wheel unlocking / locking control module 14 executes timed unlocking control of the wheel based on the current unlocking / locking control mode and the cumulative number of actions of the first lever 151. Optionally, the system can also be equipped with a second lever 152 as a control. The two levers are located on the left and right sides of the wheel to eliminate experimental bias caused by animal preferences. The two levers can be disassembled and their positions interchanged at any time. The experimental rules are configured as follows: pressing the first lever 151 triggers the wheel to unlock, while pressing the second lever 152 does not output any control commands or generate experimental feedback, thereby achieving the assessment of the specificity of animal operating behavior.

[0023] The unlocking and locking control modes in this embodiment include, but are not limited to, a fixed ratio control mode and a progressive ratio control mode.

[0024] In the fixed ratio control mode, the rotary wheel unlocking and locking control module 14 determines that the number of times the first pressure lever 151 is pressed reaches a preset fixed threshold, and then controls the rotary wheel 12 to unlock for a preset time. For example, the rotary wheel 12 is unlocked after being pressed 3 times. After each unlocking is triggered, the rotary wheel 12 remains open for 20 seconds, and the indicator light illuminates for 5 seconds to provide a visual prompt. After the 20-second timeout, the rotary wheel 12 returns to the locked state.

[0025] In the progressive ratio control mode, when the number of times the first lever 151 is pressed reaches a preset dynamic threshold, the wheel 12 is controlled to unlock for a preset duration. The preset dynamic threshold increases with the cumulative number of unlocks, and the two are positively correlated. For example, a progressive ratio sequence can be used: 1, 2, 4, 6, 9, 12, 15, 20, 25, 32, 40, 50, 62, 77, 95, 118, 145, 178, 219, 268, 328… In this mode, the breakpoint value (the highest ratio threshold that the animal can successfully complete) can be used as the core indicator for quantitatively evaluating the animal's exercise motivation. The experiment termination condition is set as follows: the total experiment duration reaches the first preset duration threshold of 90 minutes, or the interval between two consecutive lever presses reaches the second preset duration threshold of 30 minutes. Subsequently, the progressive ratio control mode is initialized.

[0026] The rotary motion recording module 13 can employ a photoelectric rotary incremental encoder. The rotary wheel 12 is coaxially connected to the photoelectric rotary incremental encoder via a coupling, acquiring the rotary wheel's motion parameters in real time with low frictional resistance, including motion speed, continuous motion time, and motion distance. The system has preset motion state judgment rules: a rotary wheel motion speed ≥ 0.5 cm / s is judged as a valid motion state, and < 0.5 cm / s is judged as a stationary non-motion state; further subdividing the motion levels: speed < 5 cm / s is slow motion, 5–15 cm / s is medium-speed motion, and > 15 cm / s is fast motion. In this embodiment, all behavioral events, including lever pressing actions, rotary wheel unlocking / locking state switching, and various rotary wheel motion parameters, are stored with high-precision timestamps. All behavioral events (including lever pressing actions, rotary wheel locking state switching, and motion parameters) are synchronously stored on the host computer 16 via a high-precision timestamp module (such as DS3231) combined with a USB to TTL bridge module, with a resolution of up to 10 ms. The stored behavioral event data can ultimately provide reliable data support for researchers studying animal movement motivations.

[0027] This invention constructs an experimental system comprising a central control unit, a wheel, a wheel motion recording module, a wheel unlocking / locking control module, and an operation switch module. The wheel unlocking / locking control module controls the wheel to unlock within a specified time based on the unlocking / locking control mode and the number of actions performed by the operation switch module. The wheel motion recording module simultaneously collects wheel motion data and uploads it to the central control unit. Unlike traditional wheel experiments that only record wheel motion, this embodiment establishes an experimental paradigm of "active operation triggering of movement permissions." It can rely on the frequency and duration of animal-initiated unlocking operations, combined with wheel motion data within the unlocking window, for joint analysis. This enables a quantitative representation of animal movement motivation, providing objective and traceable experimental data for quantitatively assessing animal movement motivation levels. It effectively solves the technical problem of quantifying animal movement motivation in existing technologies, improving the reliability and persuasiveness of animal behavioral experimental results.

[0028] In one possible implementation, see Figure 1 As shown, the animal manipulation wheel behavior experiment system also includes a host computer 16, which is communicatively connected to the central control unit 11. The host computer 16 can receive all the raw experimental data forwarded by the central control unit 11, including lever operation events, wheel unlocking and locking sequence, wheel motion parameters, and high-precision timestamps corresponding to each behavioral event. At the same time, operators can issue configuration commands through the host computer 16 to complete the online configuration of experimental parameters such as unlocking and locking control mode switching, threshold parameters, unlocking duration, and experimental termination conditions, as well as the start and stop control of the experimental process. It also supports the visualization, storage, and subsequent export and analysis of experimental data.

[0029] In one possible implementation, the animal manipulation wheel behavior experimental system also includes a power supply module. The power supply module is electrically connected to the central control unit 11, the wheel 12, the wheel motion recording module 13, the wheel locking / unlocking control module 14, and the operation switch module 15. The power supply module provides a stable power supply to all functional units within the system. It can provide multiple isolated power outputs according to the load requirements of each hardware component, reducing electromagnetic interference, ensuring the stable operation of devices such as the miniature electromagnetic lock, encoder, and operation switches, and improving the system's operational reliability during long-term animal behavior experiments.

[0030] For the sake of simplicity and clarity, only the above-described functional modules / units are used as examples. In practical applications, the functions described above can be assigned to different functional modules / units as needed. These modules / units can be implemented in hardware, software, or a combination of both.

[0031] In the above embodiments, the descriptions of each embodiment have their own emphasis. Parts not detailed or described in a particular embodiment can be referred to in the relevant descriptions of other embodiments. Unless otherwise specified or in conflict with logic, the terminology and / or descriptions between different embodiments are consistent and can be referenced interchangeably. Technical features in different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments based on their inherent logical relationships.

[0032] The above-described embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, and are not intended to limit it. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some of the technical features. Such modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, and should all be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An experimental system for animal manipulation of a rotating wheel, characterized in that, include: Central control unit, rotating wheel, rotating wheel motion recording module, rotating wheel locking / unlocking control module, and operation switch module; The operation switch module is connected to the wheel unlocking and locking control module, the wheel unlocking and locking control module is connected to the wheel, the wheel is connected to the wheel motion recording module, and the wheel motion recording module is connected to the central control unit; The wheel motion recording module is used to collect the motion data of the wheel and send it to the central control unit; The rotary wheel unlocking and locking control module is used to control the preset unlocking time of the rotary wheel according to the current unlocking and locking control mode and the number of times the operation switch module is activated.

2. The animal wheel-operated behavior experimental system as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The operation switch module includes: a first pressure rod; The first pressure rod is connected to the wheel unlocking control module; The rotary wheel unlocking and locking control module is used to control the preset unlocking time of the rotary wheel according to the current unlocking and locking control mode and the number of times the first pressure bar is activated.

3. The animal wheel-operating behavior experimental system as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The unlocking / locking control mode includes: a fixed ratio control mode; In the fixed ratio control mode, the wheel unlocking and locking control module is used to control the wheel to unlock for a preset time when the number of times the first pressure rod is activated reaches a preset fixed threshold.

4. The animal wheel-operating behavior experimental system as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The unlocking / locking control mode is: progressive ratio control mode; In the progressive ratio control mode, the wheel unlocking and locking control module is used to control the wheel to unlock for a preset time when the number of times the first pressure rod is activated reaches a preset dynamic threshold; wherein, the magnitude of the preset dynamic threshold is positively correlated with the number of times the wheel is unlocked.

5. The animal wheel-operating behavior experimental system as described in claim 4, characterized in that, In the progressive ratio control mode, the wheel unlocking control module is further configured to: When the total duration reaches the first preset duration threshold, or when the duration during which the first lever does not move reaches the second preset duration threshold, the progressive ratio control mode is initialized. Wherein, the first preset duration threshold is greater than the second preset duration threshold.

6. The animal manipulation wheel behavior experimental system as described in any one of claims 2 to 5, characterized in that, The operating switch module further includes: a second pressure rod; The second pressure rod has the same shape and structure as the first pressure rod and is used as a control group for the first pressure rod. There is no control connection between the second pressure rod and the wheel unlocking and locking control module.

7. The animal manipulation wheel behavior experimental system as described in any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The rotary wheel locking / unlocking control module is a miniature electromagnetic lock, which is connected to the central control unit.

8. The animal manipulation wheel behavior experimental system as described in any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The rotary motion recording module is a photoelectric rotary incremental encoder.

9. The animal manipulation wheel behavior experimental system as described in any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, Also includes: Host computer; The host computer is connected to the central control unit.

10. The animal manipulation wheel behavior experimental system as described in any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, Also includes: Power module; The power module is connected to the central control unit, the wheel, the wheel motion recording module, the wheel unlocking / locking control module, and the operation switch module.

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