Rumen in-vitro fermentation gas production rate measuring device based on water column direct reading

Abstract

The utility model relates to a rumen in-vitro fermentation gas production rate measuring device based on water column direct reading, which belongs to the technical field of rumen in-vitro simulation fermentation and comprises a conical flask, a heating device and a transparent tube. The conical flask is used for containing a rumen buffer solution and feed, the heating device is used for heating the conical flask, the transparent tube is vertically placed, scale marks are arranged on the tube wall of the transparent tube, and the top end and the bottom end of the transparent tube are connected with an upper guide tube and a lower guide tube in a sealed mode respectively. One end, far away from the transparent tube, of the upper guide tube is hermetically connected into the conical flask; in an initial state, the transparent pipe is in a state of being full of water. The utility model has the characteristics of simple operation, stable system and high accuracy.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of rumen in vitro simulated fermentation technology, and in particular to a device for measuring the gas production of rumen in vitro fermentation based on direct reading of a water column. Background Technology

[0002] Gastric fermentation is a core component of the digestive system of ruminants. Through the action of microorganisms, complex carbohydrates such as cellulose are degraded into volatile fatty acids (VFAs), which significantly improves feed utilization and affects animal growth performance. Among these, gas production (mainly composed of CO2 and CH4) is a key indicator for evaluating feed digestibility and rumen microbial activity.

[0003] Currently, RUSITEC (Rumen In Vitro Simulation Technology) has become an important tool for ruminant nutrition research due to its advantages such as controllable conditions, good repeatability, and dynamic monitoring. However, existing gas production measurement devices have significant shortcomings in terms of accuracy, stability, and operability, specifically manifested in the following three technical solutions: The pressure sensor method indirectly estimates gas production by monitoring pressure changes inside a sealed fermentation bottle, but the high-pressure environment is prone to leakage, compromising the system's airtightness; high pressure inhibits microbial activity, affecting the authenticity of the fermentation process; and the pressure-volume conversion relies on a mathematical model, resulting in significant cumulative errors. The sealed syringe method reads gas volume by the displacement of the syringe piston, but feed particles can easily enter the piston gap, causing jamming and reading deviations; simultaneously, increased pressure inside the syringe can easily lead to leakage. The flexible fermentation bag extraction method requires manual puncture of the fermentation bag and extraction of gas, which is cumbersome and prone to introducing human error during the extraction process, compromising the system's airtightness.

[0004] In view of the above-mentioned technical phenomena, the inventors believe that there is an urgent need for a device for measuring the gas production of rumen in vitro fermentation that is simple to operate, highly accurate, and designed to resist interference. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a device for measuring the gas production of rumen in vitro fermentation based on direct reading of water column, which aims to solve the technical problems of low measurement accuracy, complex operation and poor system stability in the prior art.

[0006] This utility model provides a device for measuring the gas production of rumen in vitro fermentation based on direct reading of a water column, which adopts the following technical solution:

[0007] A device for measuring rumen gas production in vitro based on direct water column reading includes,

[0008] A conical flask, said conical flask being used to hold rumen buffer and feed;

[0009] A heating device is used to heat the conical flask;

[0010] A vertically placed transparent tube has graduation lines on its wall. The top and bottom of the transparent tube are respectively sealed with an upper guide tube and a lower guide tube. The end of the upper guide tube away from the transparent tube is sealed to the inside of a conical flask.

[0011] In its initial state, the transparent tube is fully loaded with water.

[0012] Preferably, it also includes a bracket, which includes a base, a back plate and a fixing clip. The back plate is fixedly connected to the surface of the base in a vertically upward direction, and the fixing clip is U-shaped and horizontally disposed on the side wall of the back plate.

[0013] The transparent tube can be detachably installed inside the clamping opening.

[0014] Preferably, the heating device is a water bath constant temperature oscillator.

[0015] Preferably, the volume of the conical flask is 500 mL;

[0016] The length of the transparent tube shall not exceed 50cm.

[0017] Preferably, the top and bottom of the transparent tube are respectively provided with silicone plugs, and the two sets of silicone plugs are respectively provided with openings for sealing connection of the upper and lower conduits.

[0018] Preferably, the bending radius of the upper and lower conduits is greater than or equal to 5 cm.

[0019] Preferably, the conical flask is provided in multiple sets, and the support is provided with multiple sets of transparent tubes corresponding to and connected to the conical flask.

[0020] In summary, this utility model has the following beneficial technical effects:

[0021] 1. In this invention, the rumen buffer solution and feed in the conical flask are heated by activating the heating device. The rumen microorganisms decompose the substrate under constant temperature conditions and produce fermentation gas. The fermentation gas enters the transparent tube through the upper conduit, pushing the water column in the transparent tube to fall. That is, the water in the transparent tube flows out from the lower conduit. The corresponding gas volume is read through the scale line on the wall of the transparent tube, and the gas production is directly obtained. It has the characteristics of simple operation and stable system.

[0022] 2. The conical flask in this invention has a volume of 500mL, the length of the transparent tube does not exceed 50cm, and the bending radius of the upper and lower tubes is greater than or equal to 5cm, which can bring about the beneficial effect of reducing errors.

[0023] 3. The conical flasks in this invention are provided in multiple sets, and each set is provided with a transparent tube that is connected to each set of conical flasks, so that multiple sets of experiments can be carried out simultaneously. Attached Figure Description

[0024] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the process flow of a rumen in vitro fermentation gas production measuring device based on direct water column reading provided by an embodiment of this utility model;

[0025] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the support structure viewed from above;

[0026] Figure 3 This is a graph showing the relationship between the height of the transparent tube, the channel pressure, and the test error in Test Example 1 of this utility model;

[0027] Figure 4 This is a graph showing the relationship between the volume of air injected and the volume displayed by the device in Test Example 2 of this utility model;

[0028] Figure 5 This is a graph showing the gas production rate-time relationship between the fermentation bag device and the device of this utility model in Test Example 3.

[0029] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached drawings: 1. Conical flask; 2. Heating device; 3. Transparent tube; 31. Scale line; 32. Upper guide tube; 33. Lower guide tube; 34. Silicone stopper; 341. Opening; 4. Support; 41. Base; 42. Back plate; 43. Fixing clip. Detailed Implementation

[0030] The following is in conjunction with the appendix Figure 1-5 The present invention will be described in further detail below.

[0031] Example

[0032] This invention provides a device for measuring the gas production of rumen in vitro fermentation based on direct water column reading. (Refer to...) Figure 1 A device for measuring rumen gas production in vitro based on direct water column reading includes a conical flask 1, a heating device 2, a transparent tube 3, and a support 4 for fixing the transparent tube 3, wherein the transparent tube 3 is in a vertical position. The conical flask 1 contains rumen buffer solution and feed. The heating device 2 is used to heat the conical flask 1, so that the rumen buffer solution inside the conical flask 1 ferments at a constant temperature to produce fermentation gas. The transparent tube 3 has graduation lines 31 on its wall, and the top and bottom ends of the transparent tube 3 are respectively sealed and connected to an upper conduit 32 and a lower conduit 33. The other end of the upper conduit 32 is sealed and connected to the inside of the conical flask 1.

[0033] In the initial state, the transparent tube 3 is fully loaded with water. When the fermentation gas enters the conical flask 1 through the upper tube 32, the water level in the transparent tube 3 drops, that is, some of the water in the transparent tube 3 is discharged to the external environment through the lower tube 33. The volume of the fermentation gas produced can be obtained through the scale line 31 of the transparent tube 3.

[0034] Reference Figure 1To reduce errors, the conical flask 1 in this invention is 500mL, and the length of the transparent tube 3 does not exceed 50cm, thus keeping the error within 5%. Furthermore, to ensure that the fermentation gas in the conical flask 1 smoothly enters the transparent tube 3, and to allow the water in the transparent tube 3 to drain out through the lower tube 33, the bending radii of the upper tube 32 and the lower tube 33 are greater than 5cm.

[0035] Reference Figure 1 To ensure a good seal, silicone plugs 34 are installed at the top and bottom of the transparent tube 3. The two sets of silicone plugs 34 are respectively provided with openings 341 for sealing connection between the upper conduit 32 and the lower conduit 33. At the same time, silicone plugs 34 are also installed at the mouth of the conical bottle 1.

[0036] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 2 The bracket 4 includes a base 41, a back plate 42 and a fixing clip 43. The back plate 42 is fixedly connected to the surface of the base 41 in a vertically upward direction. The fixing clip 43 is U-shaped, and multiple sets of fixing clips 43 are horizontally fixed to the side wall of the back plate 42. The transparent tube 3 can be detachably installed in the clamping opening of the fixing clip 43.

[0037] Reference Figure 1 In this embodiment, the heating device 2 is a water bath constant temperature shaker; and in this embodiment, multiple sets of conical flasks 1 can be set, and multiple sets of conical flasks 1 can be placed in the water bath constant temperature shaker at the same time. The support 4 is also provided with multiple sets of transparent tubes 3 that are connected one-to-one with the multiple sets of conical flasks 1, so that the staff can conduct multiple sets of experiments at the same time.

[0038] Test case

[0039] Test Example 1

[0040] Reference Figure 3 To improve the stability and reduce the error of the rumen in vitro fermentation gas production measurement device based on direct water column reading, the parameters of the conical flask, transparent tube, upper tube, and lower tube were verified. The results showed that controlling the height of the transparent tube below 50 cm ensures that the gas production measurement error is no higher than 5%. At this height, the internal pressure of the device is -5 kPa, the minimum withstand negative pressure of the upper tube is -10 kPa, the bending radius is no less than 5 cm, and the bending strength is >10 MPa, thus ensuring the stability of the measurement device.

[0041] Test Example 2

[0042] Reference Figure 4To verify the accuracy and repeatability of the rumen in vitro fermentation gas production measurement device based on direct water column reading, a simulated gas production measurement experiment was designed. The water bath level in the constant temperature water bath shaker ranged from 5-10 cm, the temperature ranged from 30-45℃, and the shaker speed ranged from 0-20 r / s. A fixed amount of air was injected into the measurement device using a syringe, and the displayed value was read. This operation was repeated 6 times. Referring to Table 1, it can be seen that there was no significant difference between the injected air volume and the volume displayed by the device (P > 0.05), and the linear relationship was y = 0.9998x(R²). 2 =0.9998), proving that the direct-reading gas production measurement device has high accuracy and repeatability.

[0043]

[0044] Table 1 Test Record of Injected Air Volume and Device Display Volume

[0045] Test Example 3

[0046] Reference Figure 5 To verify the accuracy of the rumen in vitro fermentation gas production measurement device based on direct water column reading in practical applications, an in vitro rumen fermentation simulation experiment was designed. The experiment employed a single-factor experimental design, with two treatment groups: the device group and the fermentation bag device group. The fermentation substrate was a formulated diet. The measured indicators were rumen gas production and dry matter digestibility.

[0047] As shown in Table 2, there was no significant difference in dry matter digestibility between the experimental group and the control group (P > 0.05), indicating that the device of this invention can accurately simulate the rumen digestion process, and the gas production recorded by the device of this invention in actual application also has high accuracy and stability.

[0048]

[0049] Table 2. Effects of the present invention's device group and fermentation bag device group on gas production and dry matter digestibility.

[0050] The implementation principle of this utility model's device for measuring rumen gas production based on direct water column reading is as follows:

[0051] The conical flask containing rumen buffer and feed is fixed in the heating device. Water is poured into the transparent tube, and the initial liquid level is adjusted to the zero mark on the scale to ensure that there is no residual gas in the system. The two ends of the upper tube are sealed and connected to the inside of the conical flask and the transparent tube, respectively, and the lower tube is sealed and connected to the bottom of the transparent tube. The heating device is turned on to heat the rumen buffer in the conical flask. The rumen microorganisms and feed decompose the substrate under constant temperature conditions, producing fermentation gas. The fermentation gas enters the transparent tube through the upper tube, pushing the water column in the transparent tube down. That is, the water in the transparent tube flows out from the lower tube. The corresponding gas volume is read through the scale on the wall of the transparent tube to directly obtain the gas production.

[0052] The above are all preferred embodiments of this utility model, and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of this utility model. Therefore, all equivalent changes made to the structure, shape and principle of this utility model should be included within the scope of protection of this utility model.

Claims

1. A device for measuring rumen gas production in vitro based on direct water column reading, characterized in that, include, A conical flask (1) is used to hold rumen buffer and feed; Heating device (2) for heating the conical flask (1); A vertically placed transparent tube (3) has scale lines (31) on its wall. The top and bottom ends of the transparent tube (3) are respectively sealed and connected to an upper conduit (32) and a lower conduit (33). The end of the upper conduit (32) away from the transparent tube (3) is sealed and connected to the inside of a conical flask (1). In its initial state, the transparent tube (3) is fully loaded with water.

2. The device for measuring rumen gas production based on direct water column reading according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a bracket (4), which includes a base (41), a back plate (42) and a fixing clip (43). The back plate (42) is fixedly connected to the surface of the base (41) in a vertically upward direction. The fixing clip (43) is U-shaped and is horizontally set on the side wall of the back plate (42). The transparent tube (3) can be detachably installed in the clamping opening of the fixing clamp (43).

3. The device for measuring rumen gas production in vitro based on direct water column reading according to claim 1, characterized in that, The heating device (2) is a water bath constant temperature oscillator.

4. The device for measuring rumen gas production in vitro based on direct water column reading according to claim 1, characterized in that, The volume of the conical flask (1) is 500 mL; The length of the transparent tube (3) does not exceed 50cm.

5. The device for measuring rumen gas production based on direct water column reading according to claim 4, characterized in that... The top and bottom of the transparent tube (3) are respectively provided with silicone plugs (34), and the two sets of silicone plugs (34) are respectively provided with openings (341) for sealing connection of the upper conduit (32) and the lower conduit (33).

6. The device for measuring rumen gas production in vitro based on direct water column reading according to claim 5, characterized in that, The bending radius of the upper conduit (32) and the lower conduit (33) is greater than or equal to 5 cm.

7. The device for measuring rumen gas production in vitro based on direct water column reading according to claim 2, characterized in that, The conical bottle (1) is provided in multiple sets, and the bracket (4) is provided with multiple sets of transparent tubes (3) that are connected to the conical bottle (1).

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