Simple mouse metabolism cage

Abstract

The utility model discloses a simple mouse metabolism cage which comprises a mouse activity device, an excrement and urine separation device and a urine collection device. The mouse activity device body is a bottom-removed 1L plastic barrel, vent holes are formed in the barrel wall of the 1L plastic barrel, a food box is bonded and fixed to the inner wall of the 1L plastic barrel, a drinking kettle is bonded and fixed to the outer wall of the 1L plastic barrel and inserted into a drinking opening, and an activity area screen with the hole diameter of 3.7 mm is bonded and fixed to the bottom of the 1L plastic barrel. A main body of the excrement and urine separating device is a short-neck glass funnel, an upper end opening of the short-neck glass funnel is clamped and supported below the movable area screen, and an excrement and urine separating screen with the aperture of 0.7 mm is fixedly embedded in the inner wall of the short-neck glass funnel. A main body of the urine collecting device is a centrifugal tube, a through hole of a tube cover of the centrifugal tube is sleeved with a lower port of a short-neck glass funnel, a tube body is inserted into a 1L plastic barrel with a hole in the top to be fixed, and a 1kg counterweight iron block is bonded and fixed to the bottom of the barrel. According to the three-stage linkage excrement and urine separation device, efficient excrement and urine separation and collection are achieved through a three-stage linkage structure, and the device has the advantages of being simple in preparation method and high in stability.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of biological experimental technology, specifically relating to a simple mouse metabolic cage that can separate mouse feces and urine and collect urine. Background Technology

[0002] Metabolic analysis is an important phenotype in preclinical animal experiments. Collecting 24-hour urine from mice for metabolic analysis is a common procedure in animal experiments, but current collection methods are limited and prone to error. A common method for collecting 24-hour urine from mice is using universal metabolic cages for both mice and rats. However, these cages are expensive, and when a large number of mice are required for the experiment, they occupy a significant amount of space and increase unnecessary evaporation, leading to measurement errors.

[0003] To save experimental costs, utilize space effectively, and reduce unnecessary evaporation, we have invented a simple mouse metabolic cage. Utilizing the principle of a universal mouse-large metabolic cage, it offers advantages such as a suitable activity area for mice, separation of feces and urine, urine collection, reusability, a transparent design (facilitating observation of the animal's condition and the state and quantity of food, water, feces, and urine, helping to monitor the physiological status and indicators of experimental animals in real time), ease of operation (the main body of the cage and its accessories are detachable, facilitating metabolic experiments and cage cleaning and disinfection, improving experimental efficiency), and customizability (different sizes and configurations of metabolic cages can be customized to suit mice of different sizes, weights, and numbers). It also overcomes the disadvantages of the universal mouse-large metabolic cage, such as its high price, large footprint, and excessive unnecessary evaporation. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide a mouse metabolic cage that is cheaper and more readily available than existing universal mouse and rat metabolic cages.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0006] A simple mouse metabolic cage includes a mouse activity device, a feces-urine separation device, and a urine collection device.

[0007] Furthermore, the mouse activity device includes a first 1L plastic bucket (1), a food box (2), a water replenishment device (3), and an activity area screen (4). The first 1L plastic bucket (1) requires the base to be cut off, and there are several ventilation holes on the upper part of the bucket body. The food box (2) is a small box made of screen mesh, located on the wall of the first 1L plastic bucket (1). The water replenishment device (3) is a 60ml ball-type water bottle, with the water inlet inserted into the first 1L plastic bucket (1), and the bottle wall tightly attached to the bucket body. The activity area screen (4) is a 3.7mm aperture wire mesh, which is attached to the bottom of the first 1L plastic bucket (1).

[0008] Furthermore, the fecal-urine separation device includes a short-necked glass funnel (5) and a fecal-urine separation screen (6). The upper end of the short-necked glass funnel (5) is connected to the bottom of the mouse activity device, and the lower end is inserted into the centrifuge tube (7). The fecal-urine separation screen (6) is a wire mesh with a 0.7 mm aperture, which is placed in the short-necked glass funnel (5).

[0009] Furthermore, the urine collection device includes a centrifuge tube (7), a second 1L plastic bucket (8), and a counterweight (9). The centrifuge tube (7) is fitted into the lower opening of the short-necked glass funnel (5), and the tube body is fixed in the second 1L plastic bucket (8). The second 1L plastic bucket (8) has an opening above the lid for inserting the centrifuge tube (7). The counterweight (9) is a 1kg iron ring placed at the bottom of the second 1L plastic bucket (8).

[0010] Furthermore, the aforementioned simple mouse metabolic cage is characterized in that it is suitable for the activities of mice with a total weight not exceeding 100g and a total number not exceeding 4.

[0011] Furthermore, the aforementioned simple mouse metabolic cage is characterized by being suitable for separating mouse feces and urine.

[0012] Furthermore, the aforementioned simple mouse metabolic cage is characterized by being suitable for collecting urine from mice over a 24-hour period.

[0013] The beneficial effects of this utility model are as follows:

[0014] The simplified mouse metabolic cage provided by this invention saves experimental costs to the greatest extent. All materials with the same function, after being cleaned, disinfected, and sterilized in a clean and intact condition, can be assembled into similar devices according to relevant principles and sequences, and all can be reused. In terms of application, it can be developed into various forms (with or without fasting or water restriction) of mouse urine collection experiments for any duration (without violating animal survival rules and respecting the maximum lifespan of animals), facilitating the conduct of metabolic-related experiments. Attached Figure Description

[0015] Figure 1This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the mouse metabolic cage proposed in this utility model;

[0016] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the mouse activity device of the mouse metabolic cage proposed in this utility model.

[0017] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the fecal-urine separation device for the mouse metabolic cage proposed in this utility model.

[0018] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the urine collection device for the mouse metabolic cage proposed in this utility model.

[0019] In the picture: 1 First 1L plastic bucket, 2 Food box, 3 Water bottle, 4 Activity area screen, 5 Short-necked glass funnel, 6 Feces and urine separation screen, 7 Centrifuge tube, 8 Second 1L plastic bucket, 9 Counterweight iron block. Detailed Implementation

[0020] The experimental technical solutions applicable to this utility model are described clearly and completely below with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the experimental solutions described are only a partial description of the applicability of this utility model, and not a complete description.

[0021] Reference Figure 1 : Mouse metabolic cage device, including mouse activity device, feces and urine separation device, and urine collection device.

[0022] Reference Figure 2 The mouse activity device includes a first 1L plastic bucket (1), a food box (2), a water replenishment device (3), and a screen (4) for the activity area. The first 1L plastic bucket (1) has its base cut off and several ventilation holes on the upper part of the bucket. The food box (2) is a small box made of screen and is located on the wall of the first 1L plastic bucket (1). The water replenishment device (3) is a 60ml ball-type water bottle with the drinking spout inserted into the first 1L plastic bucket (1) and the bottle wall is close to the bucket body. The screen (4) for the activity area is a wire mesh with a 3.7mm aperture and is attached to the bottom of the first 1L plastic bucket (1).

[0023] Reference Figure 3 The fecal-urine separation device includes a short-necked glass funnel (5) and a fecal-urine separation screen (6). The upper end of the short-necked glass funnel (5) is connected to the bottom of the mouse activity device, and the lower end is inserted into the centrifuge tube (7). The fecal-urine separation screen (6) is a wire mesh with a 0.7 mm aperture, which is placed in the short-necked glass funnel (5).

[0024] Reference Figure 4The urine collection device includes a centrifuge tube (7), a second 1L plastic bucket (8), and a counterweight (9). The centrifuge tube (7) is fitted into the lower opening of a short-necked glass funnel (5), and the tube body is fixed in the second 1L plastic bucket (8). The second 1L plastic bucket (8) has an opening above the lid for inserting the centrifuge tube (7). The counterweight (9) is a 1kg iron ring placed at the bottom of the second 1L plastic bucket (8).

[0025] The aforementioned simple mouse metabolic cage is characterized in that it is suitable for the activity of mice with a total weight not exceeding 100g and a total number not exceeding 4.

[0026] The aforementioned simple mouse metabolic cage is characterized by being suitable for separating mouse feces and urine.

[0027] The aforementioned simple mouse metabolic cage is characterized by being suitable for collecting urine from mice over a 24-hour period.

[0028] Before the experiment, the following should be checked:

[0029] 1. Check if the lid of the simple mouse metabolic cage is intact;

[0030] 2. Is the kettle leaking?

[0031] 3. Check if the vent is blocked;

[0032] 4. Check whether the food container and plastic bucket are firmly attached and do not wobble;

[0033] 5. Check whether the base screen is intact and undamaged, and whether it is firmly attached to the plastic bucket and glass funnel;

[0034] 6. Check if the glass funnel is broken;

[0035] 7. Is there a feces and urine separation screen inside the glass funnel, and is the screen firmly adhered?

[0036] 8. Ensure there are no gaps between the sieve and the funnel, and that the centrifuge tubes are correctly connected to the glass funnel without any shaking;

[0037] 9. Check that the centrifuge tubes are correctly connected to the plastic container below and that there is no shaking;

[0038] 10. Check if the plastic bucket below is intact and without cracks;

[0039] 11. Check if the counterweight is in the plastic bucket below and in the center.

[0040] Then the experiment begins. First, select the amount of water and food according to the experimental requirements. Place the mice in the plastic bucket above and cover it. Select an appropriate time to observe the mice, collect urine, and end the experiment.

[0041] When collecting urine, first remove the mouse to avoid stress during the final specimen collection process. After removing the mouse, pull the centrifuge tube out of the plastic bucket below, rotate the centrifuge tube cap, and replace the cap of the centrifuge tube containing urine with a new one. Once the urine collection is successful, the remaining equipment can be cleaned and disinfected for use in the next experiment.

[0042] The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solution of this utility model and are not intended to limit it. Although this utility model has been described in detail with reference to preferred experimental schemes, any equivalent substitutions or modifications made by those skilled in the art to the technical solution of this utility model without departing from the spirit and scope of the technical solution of this utility model should be covered within the scope of the claims of this utility model.

Claims

1. A simple mouse metabolic cage, specifically comprising a mouse activity device, a feces-urine separation device, and a urine collection device, characterized in that, The mouse activity device is a first 1L plastic bucket (1) with the bottom removed. The bucket has several ventilation holes, a food box (2) on the inner wall, and a water replenishment device (3) on the outer wall. The first 1L plastic bucket (1) is connected to the activity area screen (4). The feces and urine separation device includes a short-necked glass funnel (5) connected below the activity area screen (4). The lower tube is inserted into a centrifuge tube (7). The inner wall of the lower tube is provided with a feces and urine separation screen (6). The centrifuge tube (7) is inserted into the second 1L plastic bucket (8). The bottom of the second 1L plastic bucket (8) has a counterweight iron block (9).

2. The simplified mouse metabolic cage according to claim 1, characterized in that, The mouse activity device includes a first 1L plastic bucket (1), a food box (2), a water replenishment device (3), and an activity area screen (4). The first 1L plastic bucket (1) requires the base to be cut off, and there are several ventilation holes on the upper part of the bucket. The food box (2) is a small box made of screen and is located on the wall of the first 1L plastic bucket (1). The water replenishment device (3) is a 60ml ball-type water bottle with the drinking spout inserted into the first 1L plastic bucket (1) and the bottle wall is close to the bucket body. The activity area screen (4) is a wire mesh with a 3.7mm aperture and is attached to the bottom of the first 1L plastic bucket (1).

3. The simplified mouse metabolic cage according to claim 1, characterized in that, The fecal-urine separation device includes a short-necked glass funnel (5) and a fecal-urine separation screen (6). The upper opening of the short-necked glass funnel (5) is connected to the bottom of the mouse activity device, and the lower opening is inserted into the centrifuge tube (7). The fecal-urine separation screen (6) is a wire mesh with a 0.7 mm aperture, which is placed in the short-necked glass funnel (5).

4. A simplified mouse metabolic cage according to claim 1, characterized in that, The urine collection device includes a centrifuge tube (7), a second 1L plastic bucket (8), and a counterweight (9). The centrifuge tube (7) is fitted into the lower opening of a short-necked glass funnel (5), and the tube body is fixed in the second 1L plastic bucket (8). The second 1L plastic bucket (8) has an opening above the lid for inserting the centrifuge tube (7). The counterweight (9) is a 1kg iron ring placed at the bottom of the second 1L plastic bucket (8).

5. A simplified mouse metabolic cage according to claim 1, characterized in that, This activity is suitable for mice with a total weight not exceeding 100g and a total number not exceeding 4.

6. A simplified mouse metabolic cage according to claim 1, characterized in that, Suitable for separating feces and urine in mice.

7. A simplified mouse metabolic cage according to claim 1, characterized in that, Suitable for 24-hour urine collection in mice.

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