Measuring device for foot sole pain of rodent

Abstract

The utility model relates to the technical field of foot sole pain sense measurement, and provides a measuring device for foot sole pain sense of rodents, which comprises a base and a measuring box, the measuring box is arranged at the top end of the base, a top cover is arranged at the top end of the measuring box, and supporting columns are fixed at four corners of the bottom of the measuring box. The bottom end of the supporting column is fixedly connected with the top of the base, an aluminum wire mesh is arranged at the bottom end of the measuring box, a lower support is arranged below the aluminum wire mesh, vertical parts on the two sides of the lower support are fixed to the side wall of the base, and a thermal imaging camera is arranged at the top end of a straight part at the bottom of the lower support. By means of the advanced motion control and high-precision pressure sensing feedback technology, the moving track of the Von Frey cellosilk is accurately controlled to micron-level precision, it is ensured that the stimulation condition is stable in the whole process from animal foot sole positioning to stable pressure applying, errors caused by force and position deviation of traditional manual operation are effectively avoided, and the operation efficiency is improved. And a foundation is laid for accurately obtaining pain sense data.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of foot pain measurement technology, and in particular to a measuring device for foot pain in rodents. Background Technology

[0002] Pain testing is an important tool for studying pain mechanisms, evaluating the efficacy of analgesic drugs, and developing novel analgesic therapies. In biomedical research, rodents (such as mice and rats) are widely used as experimental animal models due to their physiological and genetic similarities to humans. By conducting pain testing on rodents, we can gain a deeper understanding of the physiological mechanisms of pain, assess the effectiveness and safety of potential analgesics, and provide a theoretical basis for clinical treatment.

[0003] Currently, rodent pain testing techniques mainly include the following:

[0004] (1) Mechanical stimulation method: The pain threshold of animals is assessed by using mechanical stimulation of different intensities (such as the Von Frey test).

[0005] (2) Thermal stimulation method: The pain response of animals is assessed by thermal radiation (such as the hot plate method) or thermal conduction (such as the Hargreaves method).

[0006] (3) Chemical stimulation method: Using chemical substances (such as formalin) to induce pain response in animals.

[0007] (4) Electrical stimulation method: using electrical stimulation to induce pain response in animals.

[0008] Among them, the Von Frey measurement method is one of the most commonly used mechanical stimulation methods. This method assesses the pain threshold of animals to mechanical stimulation by stimulating the soles of their feet with fibers of different stiffness (Von Frey fibers).

[0009] Limitations of the traditional Von Frey measurement method: Although the Von Frey measurement method is widely used, the traditional Von Frey measurement method has the following drawbacks:

[0010] (1) Manual operation is inefficient:

[0011] Fiber replacement is cumbersome: Traditional methods require the experimenter to manually replace different types of Von Frey fibers. The experimenter must select the appropriate type from a set of fibers according to a predetermined measurement sequence and install it on the measuring device. This process is not only time-consuming and labor-intensive but also prone to human error, such as improper installation or incorrect model selection.

[0012] Inconvenient observation: The experimenter needs to observe the mouse's paws through a mirror on the base and visually judge whether the paws have lifted. This method has the following problems: ① Visual fatigue: Prolonged observation can easily lead to visual fatigue for the experimenter, affecting the accuracy of judgment. ② High subjectivity: Different experimenters have different standards for judging animal reactions, resulting in poor reproducibility of results. ③ Reaction time error: There is a delay in manual observation and recording of reaction time, affecting data accuracy.

[0013] Extremely low measurement efficiency: Due to the above reasons, traditional methods require a lot of time for each measurement, making it difficult to achieve high-throughput experiments.

[0014] (2) Measurement conditions are difficult to guarantee:

[0015] Randomizing the testing order is difficult: Von Frey pain measurement theory requires a randomized testing order to reduce experimental bias. However, traditional measurement methods rely entirely on manual operation, making it difficult to guarantee the randomness of the testing order. Experimenters may exhibit patterns in the testing order due to fatigue, lack of concentration, or other factors, thus affecting the accuracy of the experimental results.

[0016] Inaccurate pressure control: Von Frey pain measurement requires a constant applied pressure, but it is difficult to precisely control the pressure manually. The experimenter may apply uneven force or improper fiber installation, causing the applied pressure to deviate from the set value, affecting the reliability of the measurement results.

[0017] (3) Inefficient data recording and analysis:

[0018] Manual data recording: Traditional methods require experimenters to manually record measurement data, including information such as animal reaction time and reaction intensity. This process is not only prone to human error, such as incorrect or missing data, but also inefficient and difficult to adapt to the needs of large-scale experiments.

[0019] Data analysis is complex: After the experiment, the experimenter needs to organize and analyze a large amount of data. This process is tedious and prone to errors, which affects the reliability of the experimental results. Utility Model Content

[0020] The purpose of this invention is to provide a measuring device for plantar pain sensation in rodents, thereby solving the aforementioned problems.

[0021] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, this utility model provides the following technical solution: a measuring device for measuring plantar pain in rodents, comprising a base and a measuring box. The measuring box is provided at the top of the base, and a top cover is provided at the top of the measuring box. Support columns are fixed at the four corners of the bottom of the measuring box, and the bottom ends of the support columns are fixedly connected to the top of the base. An aluminum wire mesh is provided at the bottom of the measuring box, and a lower support is provided below the aluminum wire mesh. The vertical parts on both sides of the lower support are fixed to the side walls of the base. A thermal imaging camera is provided at the top of the flat part at the bottom of the lower support. Three baffles are equally spaced inside the measuring box, and plantar stimulation components are provided at both ends of the top of the base.

[0022] Preferably, the measuring box is composed of a steel frame, with the rectangular structure consisting of four squares being the steel frame, and the four side panels and the top panel of the measuring box being made of transparent glass.

[0023] Preferably, the three baffles divide the interior of the measuring box into four small square areas, and four thermal imaging cameras are set up, with one thermal imaging camera corresponding to the bottom of each small square area. The aluminum wire mesh is in the shape of a hollow grid.

[0024] Preferably, the foot stimulation component includes robotic arms disposed at both ends of the top of the base. Slide rails are provided on both sides of the bottom end of the robotic arms, and sliders are provided on the inner sidewalls of the slide rails. The sliders can slide on the slide rails and are fixed to both sides of the bottom end of the robotic arms. A fixing clamp is provided at the top of one end of the robotic arms, and fiber filaments are clamped on the fixing clamp. A telescopic rod is provided at the bottom of one end of the robotic arms, and the output end of the top of the telescopic rod protrudes from the top of the base and is fixedly connected to the bottom end of the fixing clamp.

[0025] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of this utility model are as follows:

[0026] 1. This utility model provides a measuring device for pain sensation in the soles of rodents. Through an intelligent robotic arm, relying on its advanced motion control and high-precision pressure sensing feedback technology, it accurately controls the movement trajectory of Von Frey fibers to the micron level. From positioning the animal's sole to applying stable pressure, it ensures that the stimulation conditions are stable throughout the entire process, effectively avoiding the errors caused by force and position deviations in traditional manual operation, and laying a solid foundation for accurately acquiring pain data.

[0027] 2. This utility model provides a measuring device for plantar pain in rodents. Through automated simultaneous measurement of multiple animals, a specially designed testing platform is divided into multiple small areas, allowing multiple animals to be placed at once. Under intelligent software scheduling, the robotic arm quickly switches working targets, efficiently completing the stimulation, monitoring, and data collection of multiple animals in sequence, significantly shortening the total experimental time. On the other hand, the robotic arm has a built-in intelligent recognition module that can automatically replace Von Frey fibers without manual intervention, saving time on fiber replacement, reducing the risk of manual operation, and ensuring a smooth experimental process.

[0028] 3. The present invention provides a measuring device for pain sensation in the soles of rodents, which monitors the animal's sole reaction in real time and accurately through a thermal imaging camera, and judges whether the sole is raised with objective image data, completely replacing manual visual observation, and completely eliminating the subjectivity and error caused by human judgment differences, making data collection more real and reliable.

[0029] 4. The present invention provides a measuring device for plantar pain in rodents. Through software, the core control function is fully utilized. According to the preset algorithm, a random measurement sequence is generated, and the robotic arm is precisely controlled to stimulate the animal in sequence. This effectively breaks the conventional fixed sequence mode, reduces experimental bias, and ensures that the experimental results are pure and objective.

[0030] 5. The present invention provides a measuring device for plantar pain in rodents, which minimizes human interference and ensures standardized and consistent experimental conditions from precise and stable mechanical stimulation and objective real-time response monitoring to random and orderly measurement procedures. This results in highly reproducible experimental results and provides solid support for further in-depth research and application. Attached Figure Description

[0031] Figure 1 This is an overall structural diagram of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 2 A partial structural cross-section of this utility model Figure 1 ;

[0033] Figure 3 This is a partial structural cross-sectional view of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 4 This is a partial structural diagram of the plantar stimulation component of this utility model.

[0035] The following are the labels in the attached diagram: 1. Base; 2. Measuring box; 21. Top cover; 22. Support column; 23. Aluminum wire mesh; 24. Baffle plate; 3. Lower bracket; 31. Thermal imaging camera; 4. Robotic arm; 41. Slide rail; 42. Slider; 43. Fixing clamp; 44. Fiber filament; 45. Telescopic rod. Detailed Implementation

[0036] The technical solutions of the present utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present utility model, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present utility model, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the protection scope of the present utility model.

[0037] To further understand the content of this utility model, a detailed description of this utility model will be provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0038] Combination Figures 1 to 4 As shown, this utility model discloses a measuring device for measuring plantar pain in rodents, comprising a base 1 and a measuring box 2. The measuring box 2 is mounted on the top of the base 1, and a top cover 21 is mounted on the top of the measuring box 2. Support columns 22 are fixed at the four corners of the bottom of the measuring box 2, and the bottom ends of the support columns 22 are fixedly connected to the top of the base 1. An aluminum wire mesh 23 is mounted on the bottom of the measuring box 2, and a lower support 3 is mounted below the aluminum wire mesh 23. The vertical parts on both sides of the lower support 3 are fixed to the side walls of the base 1. A thermal imaging camera 31 is mounted on the top of the flat part at the bottom of the lower support 3. Three baffles 24 are evenly spaced inside the measuring box 2, and plantar stimulation components are mounted at both ends of the top of the base 1.

[0039] The measuring box 2 is composed of a steel frame. The rectangular structure formed by four squares is the steel frame. The four side panels and the top panel of the measuring box 2 are made of transparent glass, which serves as a enclosure to ensure that the experimenters can observe the state of the animals.

[0040] Three shields 24 divide the interior of the measuring box 2 into four small square areas, each containing an experimental animal. The shields 24 prevent the animals from interfering with each other. Four thermal imaging cameras 31 are provided, one below each small square area, to identify the animal's foot area and record the animal's reaction. The aluminum wire mesh 23 is a perforated grid, with each grid allowing the Von Frey fiber filament 44 held by the clamp 43 on the intelligent robotic arm 4 to pass through, for stimulating the foot of the experimental animal.

[0041] The thermal imaging camera 31 has high resolution and fast imaging capabilities, and can monitor changes in the temperature of an animal's foot in real time. When the foot is lifted, the heat source moves further away and the temperature drops, thus helping to judge the animal's reaction.

[0042] The foot stimulation component includes robotic arms 4 located at both ends of the top of the base 1. Slide rails 41 are provided on both sides of the bottom of the robotic arms 4. Slider 42 is provided on the inner side wall of the slide rails 41. The slider 42 can slide on the slide rails 41 and is fixed to both sides of the bottom of the robotic arms 4. A fixing clamp 43 is provided at the top of one end of the robotic arms 4. Fiber filaments 44 are clamped on the fixing clamp 43. A telescopic rod 45 is provided at the bottom of one end of the robotic arms 4. The output end of the telescopic rod 45 protrudes from the top of the base 1 and is fixedly connected to the bottom of the fixing clamp 43.

[0043] Fiber filaments 44 are installed on both sides of the measuring box 2. Each fiber filament 44 is responsible for the pain measurement operation of two adjacent square areas. The fiber filaments 44 can be controlled by computer software.

[0044] The fiber filament 44 is mounted on the fixed clamp 43 at one end of the robotic arm 4. Different types of fiber filament 44 can be replaced according to experimental needs. It is used to apply pressure stimulation to the sole of the animal's foot. The fixed clamp 43 is pushed up by the telescopic rod 45 to move the fiber filament 44 held on it upward through the hollow grid of the aluminum wire mesh 23 to stimulate the sole of the animal's foot.

[0045] Working principle:

[0046] Four rodents were placed in four small square areas, and the following parameters were entered into the computer software: the type of fiber 44 to be tested, the pain measurement interval, the pressure value applied by the robotic arm 4, the allowed silence time, and whether to randomize the measurement order.

[0047] During the measurement process, after the software is started, the robotic arm 4 clamps the corresponding fiber filament 44 according to the parameters set by the experimenter, and under the guidance of the thermal imaging camera 31, precisely stimulates the sole of the animal's foot and applies a fixed pressure.

[0048] Thermal imaging camera 31 monitors animal foot reflexes in real time:

[0049] If the animal's foot is observed to lift, stop the operation and record the positive data;

[0050] If the animal does not respond after the allowed silence period, stop the operation and record negative data;

[0051] Robotic arm 4 performs a new round of measurements after the countdown ends, according to the set pain measurement interval time.

[0052] If a new round of measurements requires the replacement of Von Frey fiber 44, the robotic arm 4 will automatically replace it before performing the pain measurement operation.

[0053] Randomized measurement: If the experimenter selects randomized measurement, the software will automatically generate the measurement order to ensure the randomness of the test order;

[0054] Data recording and analysis: The software analyzes the collected data and generates statistical charts on the results page for easy reference by experimenters.

[0055] Statistical charts can include the following:

[0056] The average reaction time, positive reaction rate, and reaction intensity distribution of each group of animals.

[0057] Software system:

[0058] The main functions of the software system include:

[0059] (1) Parameter settings: The experimenter can set the following parameters through the software:

[0060] The required test parameters include fiber type 44, pain measurement interval, pressure applied by the intelligent robotic arm 4, allowable silence time, and whether the measurement sequence is randomized.

[0061] (2) Data Acquisition: The software automatically acquires the following data through thermal imaging camera 31 and robotic arm 4:

[0062] Animal reaction time, animal reaction intensity, applied pressure value, and measurement time;

[0063] (3) Data Analysis: The software analyzes the collected data and generates the following statistical charts:

[0064] The average reaction time, positive reaction rate, and reaction intensity distribution of each group of animals;

[0065] (4) Data storage and management: The software can store experimental data in the database and provide functions such as data query and export, which facilitates subsequent analysis and processing by the experimenter.

[0066] It should be noted that, in this document, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are used only to distinguish one entity or operation from another, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Furthermore, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus.

[0067] Although embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions and alterations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the present invention, the scope of which is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A device for measuring the pain sensation of the soles of rodents, comprising a base (1) and a measuring box (2), characterized in that: A measuring box (2) is provided at the top of the base (1), and a top cover (21) is provided at the top of the measuring box (2). Support columns (22) are fixed at the four corners of the bottom of the measuring box (2). The bottom end of the support column (22) is fixedly connected to the top of the base (1). An aluminum wire mesh (23) is provided at the bottom of the measuring box (2). A lower support (3) is provided below the aluminum wire mesh (23). The vertical parts on both sides of the lower support (3) are fixed to the side wall of the base (1). A thermal imaging camera (31) is provided at the top of the flat part at the bottom of the lower support (3). Three baffles (24) are provided at equal intervals inside the measuring box (2). Foot stimulation components are provided at both ends of the top of the base (1).

2. A device for measuring the nociception of the foot sole of a rodent according to claim 1, characterized in that: The measuring box (2) is composed of a steel frame. The rectangular structure formed by four squares is a steel frame. The four side plates and the top plate of the measuring box (2) are made of transparent glass.

3. A device for measuring nociception in the soles of the feet of rodents according to claim 2, characterized in that: Three baffles (24) divide the interior of the measuring box (2) into four small square areas. Four thermal imaging cameras (31) are set up, with one thermal imaging camera (31) corresponding to the bottom of each small square area. The aluminum wire mesh (23) is a hollow grid.

4. A device for measuring the nociception of the foot sole of a rodent according to claim 3, characterized in that: The foot stimulation component includes robotic arms (4) located at both ends of the top of the base (1). Slide rails (41) are provided on both sides of the bottom end of the robotic arms (4). Slider (42) is provided on the inner side wall of the slide rails (41). The slider (42) can slide on the slide rails (41) and is fixed on both sides of the bottom end of the robotic arms (4). A fixing clamp (43) is provided at the top of one end of the robotic arms (4). Fiber filaments (44) are clamped on the fixing clamp (43). A telescopic rod (45) is provided at the bottom of one end of the robotic arms (4). The output end of the telescopic rod (45) protrudes from the top of the base (1) and is fixedly connected to the bottom end of the fixing clamp (43).

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