Animal medicine observation cage

Abstract

The utility model relates to the technical field of animal observation cages, in particular to an animal medical observation cage. The device comprises an observation table, a rotatable disc body and a cage body structure, a radial sliding groove is formed in the edge of the rotatable disc body, multiple sets of balancing weights are assembled in the groove in a sliding mode, and an elastic element is connected with a center cage body to form a self-adaptive balancing mechanism; the pneumatic clamping assemblies are symmetrically arranged on the two sides of the disc body, and the flexible clamping force can be adjusted according to the rotating speed. When an experimental animal moves to cause center-of-gravity shift, centrifugal force drives the balancing weight to move along the sliding groove, reverse compensation torque is generated in real time through the feedback effect of the elastic element, and multi-dimensional stable control over the rotating state is achieved by synchronously combining the air layer vibration suppression effect of the pneumatic assembly. The animal observation cage effectively solves the problems of rotation jitter and data distortion caused by animal behaviors of a traditional observation cage, and is suitable for medical experiment scenes such as metabolic dynamics observation and the like.

Description

An animal medical observation cage Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of animal observation cage technology, and more specifically, to an animal medical observation cage. Background Technology

[0002] In animal medical experiments and clinical observations, it is often necessary to conduct multi-angle, comprehensive dynamic monitoring of laboratory animals to obtain data on their behavior and physiological responses. Traditional fixed observation cages, due to their limited field of view, cannot meet the needs of efficient observation. Therefore, current technologies generally adopt rotating observation cage structures. By driving the cage to rotate, the observer or camera equipment can acquire images of the animal from different angles without moving.

[0003] However, existing rotating observation cages have significant shortcomings in practical use: animals may move due to curiosity or instinct during rotation, causing uneven stress on the cage and resulting in shaking. This unstable rotation not only affects the accuracy of observation data but may also induce stress in the animals, interfering with the reliability of experimental results. Although some improvements attempt to alleviate shaking by reducing the rotation speed or increasing the cage weight, these methods often sacrifice the flexibility and efficiency of observation and fail to fundamentally solve the dynamic balance problem caused by animal activity. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This invention provides an animal medical observation cage, which solves the problems mentioned in the background art by using a sliding counterweight on a rotating disk and a tension spring connecting the disk. When the animal moves and causes uneven force on the cage, the counterweight can automatically adjust its position to dynamically balance the center of gravity of the rotating system, thereby solving the problems mentioned in the background art.

[0005] Because animals may move due to curiosity or instinct during rotation, the cage may experience uneven stress, which can lead to shaking.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the device includes an observation platform, on which a rotating disk is rotatably mounted, a placement plate is located at the center of the rotating disk, a cage is mounted on the placement plate, and several sliding grooves are provided on the rotating disk around the placement plate.

[0007] A counterweight is slidably disposed within the chute, and a tension spring is provided to connect the mounting plate to the counterweight, so that the counterweight is driven to slide radially along the chute by centrifugal force when the rotating disc rotates.

[0008] In the above technical solutions, although the rigid connection between the rotating disk and the placement disk enables the overall rotation of the cage, the lack of a dynamic balancing system with counterweights and tension springs means that changes in the animal's mass distribution when it moves within the cage will directly cause eccentric vibrations in the rotating disk. This not only increases the motor load but also causes cage swaying, interfering with observation. While simply increasing the mass of the rotating disk can improve inertial stability, it sacrifices the system's response speed, making it unable to adapt to the animal's dynamic movements in real time. Therefore, this design incorporates radial grooves and counterweights around the rotating disk, forming a negative feedback mechanism through the elastic connection of tension springs: when the animal moves to one side, the centrifugal force in that direction decreases, causing the corresponding counterweight to move inward under the tension spring's pull, while the counterweight on the symmetrical side slides outward due to increased centrifugal force, creating a "seesaw effect" that automatically compensates for torque.

[0009] Based on this, a motor is provided at the center of the bottom of the observation platform, with the motor output end facing upward and passing through the observation platform to be fixedly connected to the rotating disk.

[0010] In another technical solution, a placement groove is provided at the center of the rotating disk for storing the placement disk, and the placement groove is connected to the slide groove.

[0011] This technical solution places the motor at the center of the bottom of the observation platform and connects it directly to the rotating disk. Compared with the traditional solution of side-mounted motors driven by belts, this not only eliminates the start-stop vibration problem caused by transmission gaps, but also ensures uniform force on the rotating disk through axially symmetrical power transmission. If the mounting slot design is omitted and the mounting disk is simply fixed, the cage will deflect radially when the counterweight slides due to the lack of a guide rail. This solution forms a continuous mechanical movement channel by connecting the mounting slot and the slide groove, which not only constrains the sliding trajectory of the counterweight, but also provides a stable extension and contraction space for the tension spring.

[0012] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of this utility model are as follows:

[0013] A radial groove is set around the rotating disk, and a sliding counterweight is installed in the groove. The counterweight is connected to the central mounting plate by a tension spring, forming a dynamic balance system. When the animal moves in the cage, causing the center of gravity to shift, the change in centrifugal force drives the counterweight to slide along the groove. At the same time, the tension spring generates a corresponding elastic force, forming an automatic compensation torque to adjust the system's center of gravity in real time. Combined with the centrally located direct drive motor and the integrated mounting groove-sliding plate structure, this invention can quickly respond to changes in the center of gravity caused by animal activity, effectively suppress vibrations during cage rotation, and significantly improve observation stability and reliability. Attached Figure Description

[0014] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the overall three-dimensional structure of this utility model;

[0015] Figure 2 is a front view of the overall structure of this utility model;

[0016] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the centrifugal mechanism structure of the rotating disk and the placement disk of this utility model.

[0017] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the rotating disk part of this utility model.

[0018] The meanings of the labels in the diagram are as follows:

[0019] 1. Observation platform; 2. Rotary disc; 3. Placement plate; 4. Cage; 5. Motor; 6. Support column; 7. Side plate; 8. Cylinder; 9. Fixing plate; 10. Placement groove; 11. Slide groove; 12. Fixing hook; 13. Tension spring; 14. Counterweight. Detailed Implementation

[0020] 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.

[0021] Currently, there is a problem that animals may move during rotation due to curiosity or instinct, causing uneven stress on the cage and resulting in shaking. This invention provides an animal medical observation cage, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, including an observation platform 1. The observation platform 1 is a circular platform made of medical-grade stainless steel, symmetrically supported at the bottom by four support columns 6. The support columns 6 employ a multi-layer composite shock-absorbing structure design, with an outer rigid metal shell and an inner layer filled with biocompatible damping material, effectively absorbing high-frequency vibrations. A low-noise motor 5 is vertically mounted at the center of the top surface of the observation platform 1. The output shaft of the motor 5 is rigidly connected to the center of the bottom surface of the rotating disk 2 via a flange, ensuring that the power transmission axis is precisely aligned with the rotation center of the cage, avoiding image distortion caused by eccentric rotation.

[0022] The rotating disk 2 is a lightweight, high-strength alloy disc structure. Its top surface has a centrally located circular placement groove 10 with a suitable depth, into which a transparent polycarbonate placement disk 3 is embedded. The top of the placement disk 3 is an integrally formed cylindrical cage 4. Ventilation holes are evenly distributed on the side walls of the cage 4, and a removable cover plate with a pre-installed standardized interface supports connection to medical testing equipment such as infrared thermal imagers and physiological signal sensors. As shown in Figures 3 and 4, six radial grooves 11 are equally spaced on the surface of the rotating disk 2 around the outer periphery of the placement groove 10. Each groove 11 contains a counterweight 14 with an antibacterial surface treatment. The counterweight 14 is connected to a fixing hook 12 on the edge of the placement disk 3 via a medical-grade stainless steel tension spring 13, forming the core component of the dynamic balance system.

[0023] As shown in Figure 1, two side plates 7 are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the rotating disk 2. A cylinder 8 is fixed to each side plate 7. The base of the cylinder 8 is welded to the surface of the side plate 7 facing the center of the rotating disk 2, and the end of its piston rod is connected to an arc-shaped silicone fixing plate 9. When the motor 5 starts initially, the cylinder 8 maintains a preset flexible clamping force, keeping the fixing plate 9 in slight contact with the outer wall of the cage 4. This stage prevents initial shaking caused by sudden animal movement and allows the cage to finely adjust its position under centrifugal force. As the rotational speed reaches a stable value, the cylinder 8 gradually reduces the clamping force according to the rotational speed signal, creating a controllable gap between the fixing plate 9 and the cage 4. At this time, the cage can rotate freely, and the air layer in the gap damping effect suppresses high-frequency vibration. When the animal's violent activity causes abnormal swaying of the cage, the cylinder 8 can instantly increase the clamping force to implement dynamic braking, forming a dual stabilization mechanism in conjunction with the centrifugal compensation of the counterweight 14. This graded control strategy avoids interference with animal behavior caused by rigid clamping and achieves full-cycle stability through a contact-gap hybrid mode, making it particularly suitable for the transitional observation of animals during anesthesia recovery. The sliding path of the counterweight 14 is strictly matched with the extension direction of the slide groove 11 to ensure that the counterweight 14 can slide smoothly along the slide groove 11 when the centrifugal force changes, and the balance torque is adjusted in real time by the elastic deformation of the tension spring 13.

[0024] In medical experimental applications, when an animal moves within cage 4, the dynamic balance system automatically responds: the counterweight 14 in the direction of animal movement slides towards the placement slot 10 due to reduced centrifugal force, while the counterweight 14 in the opposite direction slides outward under centrifugal force. The reverse tension generated by the tension spring 13 forms a compensating torque, ensuring the cage's rotational stability meets the requirements of delicate operations such as microinjection and endoscopic observation. The damping material inside the support column 6 synchronously absorbs residual vibrations, ensuring a quiet environment within the cage and reducing animal stress. The standardized interface at the top of cage 4 allows for quick connection to ECG electrodes or a motion tracking module, which, combined with the smooth operation of the rotating disk 2, enables comprehensive monitoring of physiological indicators such as animal respiration, heart rate, and activity trajectory.

[0025] This embodiment solves the problems of rotational shaking and data acquisition interference caused by animal activity in traditional observation cages by using the counterweight balance design of the rotating disk 2, the flexible fixing mechanism of the cylinder 8, and the medical functional integration of the cage 4. It significantly improves the reliability and safety of animal medical experiments and is suitable for high-end medical research scenarios such as drug metabolism research and neurobehavioral analysis.

[0026] The foregoing has shown and described the basic principles, main features, and advantages of this utility model. Those skilled in the art should understand that this utility model is not limited to the above embodiments. The embodiments and descriptions in the specification are merely preferred examples and are not intended to limit the utility model. Various changes and modifications can be made to this utility model without departing from its spirit and scope, and all such changes and modifications fall within the scope of the claimed utility model. The scope of protection of this utility model is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. An animal medical observation cage, comprising an observation platform (1), a rotating disk (2) rotatably mounted on the observation platform (1), a placement disk (3) at the center of the rotating disk (2), and a cage (4) mounted on the placement disk (3), characterized in that, The rotating disk (2) is provided with several grooves (11) around the placement disk (3); a counterweight (14) is slidably arranged in the groove (11), and a tension spring (13) is provided to connect the placement disk (3) and the counterweight (14) for driving the counterweight (14) to slide radially along the groove (11) by centrifugal force when the rotating disk (2) rotates.

2. The animal medical observation cage according to claim 1, characterized in that: The rotating disk (2) is provided with two symmetrically distributed side plates (7). A cylinder (8) is fixedly provided on the side plate (7) at the center of the rotating disk (2), and the output end of the cylinder (8) is set towards the center of the rotating disk (2). A fixing plate (9) is fixedly provided on the output end of the cylinder (8).

3. The animal medical observation cage according to claim 1, characterized in that: The mounting plate (3) is connected to the tension spring (13) by a number of fixing hooks (12).

4. The animal medical observation cage according to claim 3, characterized in that: The counterweight (14) is connected to the other end of the tension spring (13) by a number of fixed hooks (12).

5. The animal medical observation cage according to claim 1, characterized in that: A motor (5) is provided at the center of the bottom of the observation platform (1). The output end of the motor (5) is set upward and passes through the observation platform (1) and is fixedly connected to the rotating disk (2).

6. The animal medical observation cage according to claim 1, characterized in that: The rotating disk (2) has a placement groove (10) at its center for storing the placement disk (3), and the placement groove (10) is connected to the slide groove (11).

7. The animal medical observation cage according to claim 1, characterized in that: The observation platform (1) has four symmetrical support columns (6) at its bottom.

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