A mouse time-limited diet control system

Abstract

The utility model discloses a mouse time -limited diet control system belongs to automatic feeding device technical field. The system includes by the cage of upper cage body and lower cage body, by the fixed hollowed plate and the lift type platform board of double -deck bottom board, automatic feeder, drinking water device and residue cleaning device, the fixed hollowed plate is fixed between upper and lower cage body, the lift type platform board bottom is equipped with the lift type piston, and the automatic feeder is placed in the cage top and is equipped with the timer in it, the drinking water device is fixed on one outer side wall of upper cage body, and the drinking water mouth is connected into the cage, and the residue cleaning device includes lateral telescopic piston push plate and closed garbage box, and the piston push plate is located on the inner wall of one side of the cage, and the garbage box is communicated with the lower cage, and is located on the outer wall of one side of the cage opposite to the piston push plate. The utility model integrates automatic feeding and time -limited diet control function, and the diet behavior of accurate, stable intervention experimental mouse is intervened, and the accuracy and repeatability of metabolic intervention experiment are improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of automated feeding device technology, specifically relating to a time-limited feeding control system for mice. Background Technology

[0002] With the deepening of metabolic research, dietary intervention methods such as intermittent fasting (IF) and time-restricted diets (TRE) have been widely used in animal models. Traditional time-restricted diet experiments often rely on manual feeding at set times and manual removal of food. This method is not only cumbersome to operate, but also easily affected by human error, especially in studies that require circadian rhythm control or feeding at multiple time points. Manual intervention is difficult to meet the needs of long-term stable control.

[0003] Currently, various automated feeding systems have been applied in experimental research, including dedicated cage systems with automatic gating functions, such as BioDAQ; program-controlled automated feeding devices, such as the FED3 and Phenome systems; and automated feeding systems combining commercial automated feeders with 3D-printed scaffolds developed by Jason Lê et al. While these systems can achieve timed or behavior-triggered automatic feeding, they still have the following problems: ① The systems are expensive and costly, making them difficult to popularize; ② The devices are large, occupying cage space and affecting the mice's natural activity; ③ Residual food cannot be automatically removed, affecting the accuracy of feeding time control.

[0004] Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop a novel experimental mouse diet control system that integrates timed automatic feeding, timed feeding window control, and automatic food residue cleaning functions to achieve a high-precision, highly stable, and reproducible metabolic research intervention program. Utility Model Content

[0005] To address the problems of existing automatic feeding systems, such as the inability to automatically remove food residue, inaccurate control of feeding time, and interference with the natural activities of mice, the purpose of this invention is to provide a time-limited feeding control system for mice. Through device integration and time control design, a mouse feeding platform can be precisely set for feeding time periods and automatically remove any remaining feed after the feeding period ends. By integrating automatic feeding and time-limited feeding control functions, mice can be fed only within a predetermined time period, thereby improving the accuracy and repeatability of metabolic intervention experiments.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0007] This utility model provides a timed feeding control system for mice, comprising: a cage, a double-layered bottom plate, an automatic feeder, a drinking device, and a food waste cleaning device; wherein:

[0008] The cage consists of an upper cage and a lower cage;

[0009] The double-layer bottom plate consists of a fixed perforated plate and a lifting platform plate. The fixed perforated plate is fixed between the upper cage and the lower cage and has a number of mesh holes evenly distributed on it. The lifting platform plate is a solid structure and has a lifting piston at the center of its bottom, which can drive the lifting platform plate to move up and down between the fixed perforated plate and the bottom.

[0010] The automatic feeder is placed on top of the cage and has a timer inside for automatically feeding feed pellets at a set time.

[0011] The drinking device is a standard laboratory mouse drinking bottle, which is fixed to an outer side wall of the upper cage, and the drinking spout is connected to the upper cage.

[0012] The residue cleaning device includes a lateral telescopic piston pusher plate and a closed garbage box; the lateral telescopic piston pusher plate is located on one inner wall of the lower cage and is used to push feed pellets on the lifting platform plate to the opposite side; the closed garbage box communicates with the lower cage and is located on the outer wall of the lower cage opposite to the lateral telescopic piston pusher plate, and is used to receive feed pellets pushed out by the lateral telescopic piston pusher plate.

[0013] Preferably, both the upper cage and the lower cage are transparent boxes, with the upper cage serving as the mouse's activity space and the lower cage serving as the mouse's time-limited diet control space.

[0014] Preferably, the mesh size of the fixed perforated plate is larger than the diameter of the feed pellets fed by the automatic feeder, allowing the feed pellets to fall freely while effectively supporting the mouse's movements and preventing it from falling.

[0015] Preferably, the automatic feeder automatically feeds feed pellets at a set time, which automatically fall onto the platform formed by the fixed perforated plate and the lifting platform plate.

[0016] Preferably, there are multiple drinking devices, evenly distributed on the outer side wall of the upper cage, independent of the automatic feeder, and supporting all-weather water supply.

[0017] Preferably, a one-way baffle is provided at the connection between the enclosed garbage box and the lower cage to prevent feed particles located on the lifting platform from falling out during the lifting process.

[0018] Compared with existing technologies, this invention proposes a time-restricted feeding control system for mice. Through the synergistic cooperation of time control and structural mechanisms, it precisely and stably intervenes in the eating behavior of experimental mice, with the following beneficial effects:

[0019] (1) Precisely implement time-limited feeding intervention: Generally, experimental mice often eat multiple times after receiving feed. Simply controlling the feeding time cannot ensure the time limit of feeding behavior. The time-limited feeding control system for mice in this utility model follows the behavior pattern of mice. Through the lifting platform and automatic feeder, it ensures that the mice only have the opportunity to come into contact with feed particles during the set time period (providing physical support during normal and feeding periods, and removing the platform when feeding is removed so that they can no longer come into contact with food), thereby achieving precise control of the feeding time of experimental mice.

[0020] (2) Automated residue removal: This utility model combines a lateral telescopic piston push plate with a closed garbage box on the opposite side. After the feeding time ends, the residual feed is actively removed after the lifting platform plate automatically descends, completely blocking the food contact path and thus preventing the mice from eating again.

[0021] (3) Unified time control: The timer inside the automatic feeder is the main control unit. No external controller is needed. It drives a series of mechanical actions such as feeding, lowering, pushing, and lifting, so that the timed feeding, timed removal and reset can be automated.

[0022] (4) Compact structure: All lifting and cleaning devices are built into the bottom or sides of the cage, without interfering with the normal activity area of ​​the experimental mice.

[0023] (5) Improve experimental consistency and reproducibility: The systematic mechanical control process can replace manual intervention, reduce human error, and is suitable for long-term, high-frequency mouse dietary intervention studies. Attached Figure Description

[0024] Figure 1 The diagram below shows the structure of the timed feeding control device for mice in this embodiment; the reference numerals are as follows: 1. Upper cage; 2. Lower cage; 3. Fixed perforated plate; 4. Lifting platform plate; 5. Automatic feeder; 6. Drinking device; 7. Lifting piston; 8. Laterally telescopic piston push plate; 9. Enclosed garbage box; 10. One-way baffle. Detailed Implementation

[0025] To more fully understand and demonstrate the technical solution, purpose, and advantages of this utility model, the technical effects produced by this utility model will be described in further detail and completely below with reference to specific embodiments and accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of this utility model, and not all of them. It should be noted that for those skilled in the art, other embodiments obtained without departing from the concept of this utility model are all within the protection scope of this utility model.

[0026] The following embodiments exemplarily describe a timed feeding control system for mice, including: a cage, a double-layered bottom plate, an automatic feeder, a drinking device, and a food waste removal device; wherein:

[0027] The cage consists of an upper cage and a lower cage.

[0028] The double-layer bottom plate consists of a fixed perforated plate and a lifting platform plate. The fixed perforated plate is fixed between the upper and lower cages and has several mesh holes evenly distributed on it. The lifting platform plate is a solid structure and has a lifting piston at the center of its bottom, which can drive the lifting platform plate to move up and down between the fixed perforated plate and the bottom.

[0029] The automatic feeder is located on top of the cage and has a timer inside to automatically feed feed pellets at set times.

[0030] The drinking device is a standard laboratory mouse drinking bottle, which is fixed to one of the outer walls of the upper cage, and the drinking spout is connected to the upper cage.

[0031] The residue cleaning device includes a lateral telescopic piston pusher plate and a closed garbage box; the lateral telescopic piston pusher plate is located on one inner wall of the lower cage and is used to push feed pellets on the lifting platform plate to the opposite side; the closed garbage box is connected to the lower cage and is located on the outer wall of the lower cage opposite to the lateral telescopic piston pusher plate, and is used to receive feed pellets pushed out by the lateral telescopic piston pusher plate.

[0032] In some embodiments, both the upper and lower cages are transparent boxes, with the upper cage serving as the mouse's activity space and the lower cage serving as the mouse's time-limited diet control space.

[0033] In some embodiments, the mesh size of the fixed perforated plate is larger than the diameter of the feed pellets fed by the automatic feeder, allowing the feed pellets to fall freely while effectively supporting the mouse's movements and preventing it from falling.

[0034] In some embodiments, the automatic feeder automatically dispenses feed pellets at a set time, which automatically fall onto a platform formed by the bonding of a fixed perforated plate and a lifting platform plate.

[0035] In some embodiments, there are multiple drinking devices, evenly distributed on the outer side wall of the upper cage, independent of the automatic feeder, and supporting all-weather water supply.

[0036] In some embodiments, a one-way baffle is provided at the connection between the enclosed garbage box and the lower cage to prevent feed particles located on the lifting platform from falling out during the lifting and lowering process.

[0037] Example 1

[0038] like Figure 1 As shown, this embodiment provides a time-restricted diet control system for mice, including:

[0039] 1. Cage structure: The cage consists of two transparent boxes, upper cage 1 and lower cage 2. Upper cage 1 is the activity space for the mouse, and lower cage 2 is the food restriction control device.

[0040] 2. Double-layer bottom plate structure: The upper layer is a fixed perforated plate 3 with several regular mesh holes. The hole diameter is larger than the diameter of the feed pellets, allowing the feed pellets to fall freely, but effectively supporting the mouse's movement and preventing it from falling; the lower layer is a solid lifting platform plate 4, which can be moved between the state of being in contact with the fixed perforated plate 3 and the bottom by being driven by the lifting piston 7 at the bottom.

[0041] 3. Automatic feeding device: The automatic feeder 5 is installed on the top of the upper cage 1. It automatically releases feed pellets at a set time through the built-in timer, so that they fall onto the platform formed by the fixed hollow plate 3 and the lifting platform plate 4.

[0042] 4. Drinking device: The drinking device 6 is a standard laboratory mouse drinking bottle, which is fixed to the outside of one wall of the upper cage 1. The drinking mouth is connected to the cage body and is independent of the automatic feeding device, supporting water supply around the clock.

[0043] 5. Food Residue Cleaning Device: When the system reaches the preset feeding time endpoint, the following actions are automatically triggered: The bottom lifting piston 7 drives the lifting platform plate 4 to descend to the bottom of the lower cage 2; the lateral telescopic piston push plate 8 set on one side pushes the remaining food on the lifting platform plate 4 to the opposite side, and the remaining food is pushed into the closed garbage box 9 set on the other side. The closed garbage box 9 has a one-way baffle 10 to prevent food from falling out; after cleaning, the lateral telescopic piston push plate 8 is retracted, and the bottom lifting piston 7 raises the lifting platform plate 4 back to its original position, restoring the mouse's free movement space.

[0044] When the aforementioned timed feeding control device for mice is in operation, all actions, including feeding, lowering, pushing feed, and rising, are automatically completed based on the start and end times set by the automatic feeder, without the need for additional program control. The specific operation is as follows:

[0045] (1) Preparation: Place the experimental mice in the timed feeding control device. At this time, the lower lifting platform 4 and the upper fixed hollow plate 3 are in a close contact position, and the mice move freely.

[0046] (2) Set automatic feeding parameters: Place a certain weight of feed pellets in the automatic feeder 5 according to the experimental requirements, and preset the daily "feeding start time" and "feeding end time".

[0047] (3) Feeding start-up phase: When the set feeding time is reached, the automatic feeder 5 releases a certain amount of feed particles, which fall onto the surface of the lifting platform plate 4 through the fixed perforated plate 3, and the mice eat on the lifting platform plate 4.

[0048] (4) Feeding termination and residue removal stage: After the set feeding end time is reached, the bottom lifting piston 7 drives the lifting platform plate 4 to descend to the bottom of the lower cage; the side extension piston push plate 8 on one side is activated to push the remaining feed particles into the closed garbage box 9 on the other side, and the one-way baffle 10 on it prevents the mice from contacting the remaining feed particles again.

[0049] (5) Reset phase: After cleaning, the lateral telescopic piston push plate 8 is retracted, and the bottom lifting piston 7 lifts the lifting platform plate 4 back to its original position, restoring the mouse to a complete platform activity space.

[0050] (6) System daily cycle: The above process can be automatically repeated every day. Researchers only need to periodically check the feed pellets and clean the closed garbage box on one side.

[0051] In summary, the mouse time-limited diet control system of this invention provides precise and stable intervention in the eating behavior of experimental mice through the synergistic combination of time control and structural mechanisms.

[0052] The above are merely preferred embodiments of this utility model and are not intended to limit the scope of this utility model. Various modifications and variations can be made to this utility model by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, or improvements made within the spirit and principles of this utility model should be included within the protection scope of this utility model.

Claims

1. A time-restricted feeding control system for mice, characterized in that, Includes cage body, double-layer bottom plate, automatic feeder, drinking device and food waste removal device; among which: The cage consists of an upper cage and a lower cage; The double-layer bottom plate consists of a fixed perforated plate and a lifting platform plate; The fixed perforated plate is fixed between the upper cage and the lower cage, and has a number of mesh holes evenly distributed on it; the lifting platform plate is a solid structure, and a lifting piston is provided at the center of its bottom, which can drive the lifting platform plate to move up and down between the fixed perforated plate and the bottom. The automatic feeder is located on top of the cage and has a timer inside it; The drinking device is a standard laboratory mouse drinking bottle, which is fixed to an outer side wall of the upper cage, and the drinking spout is connected to the upper cage. The residue cleaning device includes a lateral telescopic piston pusher plate and a closed garbage box; the lateral telescopic piston pusher plate is located on one inner wall of the lower cage and can push feed pellets on the lifting platform plate to the opposite side; the closed garbage box is connected to the lower cage and is located on the outer wall of the lower cage opposite to the lateral telescopic piston pusher plate, and can receive feed pellets pushed out by the lateral telescopic piston pusher plate.

2. The time-restricted feeding control system for mice according to claim 1, characterized in that, Both the upper and lower cages are transparent boxes. The upper cage serves as the mouse's activity space, and the lower cage serves as the mouse's time-limited food control space.

3. The time-restricted feeding control system for mice according to claim 1, characterized in that, The mesh diameter of the fixed perforated plate is larger than the diameter of the feed particles fed by the automatic feeder.

4. The time-restricted feeding control system for mice according to claim 1, characterized in that, The automatic feeder automatically dispenses feed pellets at the set time of the timer, which automatically fall onto the platform formed by the fixed perforated plate and the lifting platform plate.

5. The time-restricted feeding control system for mice according to claim 1, characterized in that, There are multiple drinking devices, evenly distributed on the outer side wall of the upper cage, which are independent of the automatic feeder and support water supply around the clock.

6. The time-restricted feeding control system for mice according to claim 1, characterized in that, A one-way baffle is provided at the connection between the enclosed garbage box and the lower cage.

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