Experimental device for swimming scheme of young autism rats

Abstract

The utility model relates to the technical field of animal experiments, in particular to an experimental device for a swimming scheme of a young autism rat, which comprises an inner box body and an outer box body, the outer box body is sleeved on the outer side of the inner box body, a water circulation space is reserved between the outer box body and the inner box body, and the inner box body is internally separated by baffles to form a plurality of swimming lanes. A constant-temperature heating rod is arranged at the bottom of the swimming lane, scale marks for displaying the water level are arranged on the inner side wall of the inner box body, a water outlet pipe is arranged on the side wall of the swimming lane, a first water pump is arranged on the water outlet pipe, a filtering structure is arranged below the water outlet pipe, and a water pumping pipe is arranged on the side, away from the filtering structure, in the outer box body. A second water pump is arranged on the water pumping pipe, a water storage tank is connected to the tail end of the water pumping pipe, a water inlet pipe located above the swimming lane is arranged on the water storage tank, and a third water pump is arranged on the water inlet pipe. The temperature is controllable, the water level can be visually observed, in addition, the complexity of water changing is reduced, and the workload of researchers is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of animal experimental technology, and in particular to an experimental device for a swimming program for young autistic rats. Background Technology

[0002] Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that typically begins before age 3 and persists into adulthood, leaving individuals unable to live independently. ASD is characterized by two core features: impaired social interaction and communication, and repetitive, stereotyped behavioral patterns. In addition, comorbidities include intellectual disability, motor impairment, hyperactivity, anxiety, sensory abnormalities, elevated pain threshold, and self-harming behaviors. 50%-60% of affected children exhibit intellectual disability and learning and memory impairments. Therefore, exploring a simple and easily implemented intervention method is crucial for addressing the current challenges. Swimming is easier to implement in terms of exercise program execution and exercise prescription, and intervention can be initiated even in infancy. Therefore, swimming may be a viable option for exploring as a primary exercise intervention for ASD.

[0003] Long-term research has shown that early swimming may affect hippocampal morphology and structure, and thus alter learning and memory in ASD by altering hippocampal molecular pathways, regulating the expression of scaffold proteins and receptor proteins, and consequently influencing dendritic spine plasticity. Currently, there is no dedicated equipment for basic animal research on swimming in rats or young rats. Such studies typically place rats in basins or maze test pools, which involves cumbersome water changes, and the temperature and water level are uncontrollable, increasing both the workload for researchers and the risk of drowning deaths in rats. Utility Model Content

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide an experimental device for swimming programs in young autistic rats, which can solve the above-mentioned technical problems.

[0005] This invention provides an experimental device for a swimming program for young autistic rats, comprising an inner box and an outer box. The outer box is fitted over the outer box with a space for water flow between them. The inner box has multiple lanes formed by baffles. A constant temperature heating rod is provided at the bottom of each lane. The inner sidewall of the inner box has scale lines for displaying the water level. A water outlet pipe is provided on the sidewall of each lane, and a first water pump is provided on the water outlet pipe. A filter structure is provided below the water outlet pipe. A water suction pipe is provided on the side of the outer box away from the filter structure, and a second water pump is provided on the water suction pipe. The end of the water suction pipe is connected to a water storage tank. A water inlet pipe is provided on the water storage tank above the lanes, and a third water pump is provided on the water inlet pipe.

[0006] Furthermore, the baffle is provided with multiple through holes and the baffles are arranged at equal intervals.

[0007] Furthermore, a barrier net is fixedly installed on the side of the swimming lane near the water outlet pipe.

[0008] Furthermore, the constant temperature heating rod is rectangular.

[0009] Furthermore, the outer casing is provided with rollers at the four corners of its bottom.

[0010] Furthermore, a drain pipe is provided on the lower part of the side wall of the outer casing, and a valve is provided on the drain pipe.

[0011] Furthermore, the filter structure includes a frame and a filter screen, the edges of which are detachably connected to the frame.

[0012] Furthermore, the frame is a rectangular three-sided frame, and mushroom-shaped nails are evenly distributed on the upper surface of the frame, and the edge of the filter screen is provided with fixing holes that match the mushroom-shaped nails.

[0013] Furthermore, an L-shaped handle is provided on the upper part of the frame near the side wall of the outer casing.

[0014] Furthermore, the water storage tank is equipped with a water inlet that connects to an external water pipe.

[0015] Beneficial effects:

[0016] This invention is applicable to rats aged 8 days to adulthood. By setting up multiple lanes, it can accommodate multiple rats for swimming. The rats in each lane can move around undisturbed, and the rats have a large range of movement. The filtration structure can filter out rat feces, and the circulating water ensures clean water flow. The temperature is controllable, the water level can be observed directly, and the tediousness of changing water is reduced, thus reducing the workload of researchers. Attached Figure Description

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

[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of this utility model;

[0019] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of this utility model;

[0020] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the filter structure in this utility model.

[0021] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached drawings: 1-Inner chamber, 2-Outer chamber, 3-Baffle, 4-Swimming lane, 5-Heating rod, 6-Outlet pipe, 701-First water pump, 702-Second water pump, 703-Third water pump, 8-Pump pipe, 9-Water storage tank, 10-Inlet pipe, 11-Through hole, 12-Roller, 13-Drain pipe, 14-Valve, 15-Frame, 16-Filter screen, 17-Mushroom nail, 18-Handle, 19-Inlet, 20-Barrier net, 21-Control panel. Detailed Implementation

[0022] The technical solution of this utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the embodiments. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this utility model, not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this utility model, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the protection scope of this utility model.

[0023] In the description of this utility model, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", etc., indicating the orientation or positional relationship are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing this utility model and simplifying the description, and are not intended to 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 utility model.

[0024] Furthermore, 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 indicated technical features. Thus, features defined with "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the stated features. In the description of this utility model, "a plurality of" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified. Furthermore, the terms "installed," "connected," and "linked" should be interpreted broadly; for example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this utility model based on the specific circumstances.

[0025] Example 1

[0026] An experimental apparatus for a swimming protocol for young autistic rats, such as Figure 1-3As shown, the system includes an inner tank 1 and an outer tank 2. The outer tank 2 is fitted over the inner tank 2, with a space for water flow between them. The inner tank 1 is divided into multiple lanes 4 by baffles 3. Multiple through holes 11 are evenly distributed on the baffles 3 and the baffles 3 are arranged at equal intervals. There is one lane 4 every 0.5m inside the inner tank 1, for a total of 3 lanes. The through holes 11 are evenly distributed with a diameter of 1cm, and the distribution of the through holes 11 is required to ensure that there are through holes at different heights of the baffles 3 (the figure only shows that the baffles have through holes, and the actual arrangement is staggered), so that water can flow through and the water level of the three lanes 4 can be controlled to keep the water level of the three lanes 4 consistent. A rectangular thermostatic heating rod 5 is installed at the bottom of lane 4. The inner wall of the inner chamber 1 has scale lines indicating the water level for easy and intuitive measurement of the water depth. A water outlet pipe 6 is installed on the side wall of lane 4, and a first water pump 701 is mounted on the water outlet pipe 6. A barrier net 20 is fixedly installed on the side of lane 4 near the water outlet pipe 6. The aperture of the barrier net 20 is designed to allow rat feces to pass through. The barrier net 5 serves to intercept the animal and prevent it from being killed due to excessive water flow during the test. The rat, exhausted, is inhaled through the water outlet pipe 6. A filter structure is located below the water outlet pipe 6. Inside the outer casing 2, on the side away from the filter structure, is a water suction pipe 8. A second water pump 702 is installed on the water suction pipe 8. The end of the water suction pipe 8 is connected to a water storage tank 9. The water storage tank 9 has an inlet pipe 10 located above the lane 4, flush against the side wall of the lane 4. A third water pump 703 is installed on the inlet pipe 10. Alternatively, the inlet pipe 10 can be configured to enter along the side wall of the lane 4. Simultaneously, the side of the water storage tank 9 has an inlet 19 that connects to an external water pipe. Normally closed, the inlet 19 is connected to the external water pipe when new water needs to be introduced. The first, second, and third water pumps and the constant temperature heating rod are all controlled by the control panel. Their electrical connections and operating methods are applicable to existing technologies and will not be described in detail here. In addition, a purifier can be installed between the second water pump 702 and the water storage tank 9. The purifier has a detachable activated carbon filter layer to further purify the water entering the water storage tank 9. Furthermore, the required water level or a certain water level can be achieved by adjusting the power of the first, second, and third water pumps.

[0027] A drain pipe 13 is provided on the lower part of the side wall of the outer casing 2. A valve 14 is provided on the drain pipe 13. After the water between the inner casing 1 and the outer casing 2 has circulated multiple times, it needs to be drained. Opening the valve 14 and tilting the entire device will completely drain the sewage. Rollers 12 are provided at the four corners of the bottom of the outer casing 2 for easy movement of the entire device.

[0028] The filter structure is used to filter and collect rat feces to purify the water. Its specific structure includes a frame 15 and a filter screen 16. The frame 15 is a rectangular three-sided frame, and mushroom-shaped nails 17 are evenly distributed on the upper surface of the frame 15. The edge of the filter screen 16 has fixing holes that match the mushroom nails 17. The fixing holes are fitted onto the mushroom nails 17 to complete the detachable connection between the filter screen 16 and the frame 15. An L-shaped handle 18 is provided on the upper part of the frame near the side wall of the outer box 2. When it is necessary to remove the frame 15, hold the handle 18 to remove the filter structure, remove the filter screen 16 and discard it, replace it with a new filter screen, and put the filter structure back in place. Making the filter screen 16 and the frame 15 detachable not only makes it easy to clean rat feces, but also prevents feces from sticking to the filter screen and returning to the device, causing continuous pollution to the water quality.

[0029] Working and usage process:

[0030] Clean water is injected into the inner tank through the water storage tank. The first water pump is turned off during water injection. After the required amount of water is injected, the thermostatic heating rod is turned on and the temperature is set to 32℃. Once the water temperature and level are stable, the rat is placed in the swimming lane and begins swimming. At the same time, the first, second, and third water pumps are turned on to circulate the water. By adjusting the pumps, the water level is kept constant, and the thermostatic heating rod continues to work, gradually stabilizing the temperature at 32℃ again. Alternatively, a water level sensor can be added to work with the control panel to set different water levels according to the growth of the rat. The control panel sends electrical signals to control the water pumps to achieve different water level changes.

[0031] The experimental results for different rats are as follows:

[0032] At 8 days old, the pups swam for 2 minutes in water at 32°C, with the water level covering their legs.

[0033] At 9 days old, the baby swam for 5 minutes, with the water level above its belly.

[0034] At 10 days old, the baby swam for 10 minutes with the water level above its head, and then rested for 2 days.

[0035] From 13 to 17 days old, swim for 15, 20, 25, 30, and 40 minutes daily.

[0036] From 20 to 36 days old, swim for 40 minutes daily for 5 days, then rest for 2 days.

[0037] Swim for 40 minutes daily from 36 to 64 days old;

[0038] 64 days old is the end date of the 8-week intervention.

[0039] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this utility model, and are not intended to limit it. Although the utility model 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 or all of the technical features therein. Such modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this utility model.

Claims

1. An experimental apparatus for a swimming program in young autistic rats, characterized in that, The device includes an inner casing and an outer casing. The outer casing is fitted over the outer casing, leaving space for water flow between them. The interior of the inner casing is divided into multiple lanes by baffles. A constant temperature heating rod is installed at the bottom of each lane. The inner sidewall of the inner casing has scale lines to display the water level. A water outlet pipe is installed on the sidewall of each lane, and a first water pump is installed on the water outlet pipe. A filter structure is installed below the water outlet pipe. A water suction pipe is installed on the side of the outer casing away from the filter structure, and a second water pump is installed on the water suction pipe. The end of the water suction pipe is connected to a water storage tank. A water inlet pipe is installed on the water storage tank above the lanes, and a third water pump is installed on the water inlet pipe.

2. The experimental apparatus for a swimming protocol for young autistic rats according to claim 1, characterized in that, The baffle has multiple through holes evenly distributed and the baffles are arranged at equal intervals.

3. The experimental apparatus for a swimming protocol for young autistic rats according to claim 1, characterized in that, A barrier net is fixedly installed on the side of the swimming lane closest to the water outlet pipe.

4. The experimental apparatus for a swimming protocol for young autistic rats according to claim 1, characterized in that, The thermostatic heating rod is rectangular.

5. The experimental apparatus for a swimming protocol for young autistic rats according to claim 1, characterized in that, The outer casing is equipped with rollers at the four corners of its bottom.

6. The experimental apparatus for a swimming protocol for young autistic rats according to claim 1, characterized in that, The lower part of the side wall of the outer casing is provided with a sewage pipe, and the sewage pipe is equipped with a valve.

7. The experimental apparatus for a swimming protocol for young autistic rats according to claim 1, characterized in that, The filter structure includes a frame and a filter screen, the edges of which are detachably connected to the frame.

8. The experimental apparatus for a swimming protocol for young autistic rats according to claim 7, characterized in that, The frame is a rectangular three-sided frame, and mushroom-shaped nails are evenly distributed on the upper surface of the frame. The edge of the filter screen is provided with fixing holes that match the mushroom-shaped nails.

9. The experimental apparatus for a swimming protocol for young autistic rats according to claim 8, characterized in that, An L-shaped handle is provided on the upper part of the frame near the side wall of the outer casing.

10. The experimental apparatus for a swimming protocol for young autistic rats according to claim 1, characterized in that, The water storage tank is equipped with an inlet that connects to an external water pipe.

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