Post-operative protective vest for small laboratory animals

Abstract

The application relates to the field of medical auxiliary devices for experimental animals, and discloses a small experimental animal postoperative protective vest. The vest comprises a vest main body and a fixing part. The vest main body is a belt-shaped main body with two forelimb perforations, a covering part is arranged in the middle of the belt-shaped main body, and the covering part is used for covering at least the region from the neck below to the front end of the abdomen of the small experimental animal. The two ends of the belt-shaped main body are provided with the fixing part, when the fixing part is engaged and fixed on the back of the small experimental animal, the covering part is tightly attached to the skin of the small experimental animal. The inner edge of the forelimb perforation is provided with a gap relative to the outer surface of the forelimb of the small experimental animal, so that the forelimb can relatively move in the forelimb perforation, and the gap enables the forelimb to at least realize a cleaning action from the mouth of the small experimental animal to the eye region. Through the application, the small experimental animal after the operation can still normally move to clean the eyes while avoiding biting the wound and suture line of the lower abdomen.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of laboratory animal medical auxiliary devices, specifically to a small laboratory animal postoperative protective vest, and more particularly to a protective vest for preventing common strains of mice such as C57BL / 6 and BALB / c from licking wounds or biting sutures after surgery. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, laboratory mice are the most commonly used experimental animals for scientific research. Mice not only share a high degree of genetic similarity with humans, but also possess advantages such as small size, ease of rearing, rapid growth and reproduction, and convenient handling and management. Commonly used mouse strains include C57BL / 6 and BALB / c, which play a crucial role in exploring gene expression function, disease pathogenesis, and drug screening. However, during surgical modeling or postoperative drug administration observation, mice are frequently observed biting or licking wounds, sutures, dressings, or medications on their skin, hindering the experiment's progress. For example, in the process of establishing a Crohn's disease model in mice, sutures are surgically placed around the anus for nearly a month, requiring measures to prevent mice from biting through the sutures and interfering with model establishment. Mice licking wounds or medications on their backs can significantly increase the risk of infection and mortality, or affect drug delivery and interfere with experimental observation.

[0003] Traditional Elizabethan collars obstruct a mouse's forward vision, causing spatial disorientation. Simultaneously, the mouse cannot clean its eyes, leading to symptoms such as redness, swelling, tearing, and increased discharge; in severe cases, this can even cause corneal ulcers or blindness. An Elizabethan collar with an outer diameter greater than 8cm hinders normal movement within the cage, while one smaller than 6cm fails to prevent neck bending. Mice are extremely flexible and agile, with short necks; currently, almost all Elizabethan collar products on the market are easily escaped by mice in actual experimental tests. Using elastic bandages causes chest compression, resulting in a respiratory rate exceeding 200 breaths per minute and a drop in blood oxygen saturation below 88%, with 73% of mice experiencing skin avulsion injuries upon removal. Overly rigid protective measures restrict a mouse's natural movement, interfering with behavioral experiments, such as limiting daily eye cleaning and leading to infection. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this application is to provide a postoperative protective vest for small laboratory animals, which allows small laboratory animals to move normally and perform eye cleaning while avoiding biting the lower abdominal wound and sutures after surgery.

[0005] This application discloses a postoperative protective vest for small laboratory animals, comprising: a vest body 100 and a fixing part 200;

[0006] The vest body 100 is a strip-shaped body with two forelimb perforations 110. The strip-shaped body has a covering part 120 in the middle, which is used to cover at least the area from the neck down to the front of the abdomen of a small experimental animal.

[0007] The two ends of the strip-shaped body are provided with the fixing part 200. When the fixing part 200 is engaged and fixed on the back of the small experimental animal, the covering part 120 is in close contact with the skin of the small experimental animal.

[0008] The inner edge of the forelimb perforation 110 is provided with a gap between it and the outer surface of the forelimb of the small laboratory animal, so as to allow the forelimb to move relative to each other within the forelimb perforation 110, wherein the gap enables the forelimb to perform cleaning actions from the mouth to the eye area of ​​the small laboratory animal.

[0009] In a preferred embodiment, the strip-shaped body has narrower fixing portions 200 at both ends along its length and a covering portion 120 with a width greater than the fixing portions 200 in the middle.

[0010] In a preferred embodiment, the cover 120 has a region consisting of two connected arcuate contours, each containing a forelimb perforation 110.

[0011] In a preferred embodiment, the covering portion 120 is integrally formed in a horizontal figure-eight shape.

[0012] In a preferred embodiment, the fastening part 200 includes at least one of a hook and loop fastener, a Velcro fastener, or a strap.

[0013] In a preferred embodiment, the fastener is a pair of Velcro fasteners.

[0014] In a preferred embodiment, the size of the Velcro connector is 1cm*2.5cm.

[0015] In a preferred embodiment, one of the pair of Velcro fasteners is disposed on the lower surface of the fixation portion 200 on the left side with the fiber surface 210 facing the body of the small laboratory animal, and the other is disposed on the upper surface of the fixation portion 200 on the right side with the hook surface 220 facing outward, such that when the fixation portion 200 is engaged and fixed on the back, the fiber surface 210 and the hook surface 220 are bonded to each other.

[0016] In a preferred embodiment, the fixing part 200 includes an adjustable connecting structure that adjusts the overlap length of the fixing part 200 according to the body size of the small laboratory animal, thereby adjusting the tightness of the vest when it wraps around the body of the small laboratory animal.

[0017] In a preferred embodiment, the edge of the covering portion 120 is provided with a flexible covering layer 300.

[0018] In a preferred embodiment, the flexible covering layer 300 is disposed at the edge of the covering portion 120 and the inner edge of the forelimb perforation 110, and the flexible covering layer 300 is used to cover the material cut-out of the vest body 100.

[0019] In a preferred embodiment, the flexible covering layer 300 is medical cotton cloth, medical gauze, or medical nonwoven fabric.

[0020] In a preferred embodiment, the vest body 100 is made of PVC leather.

[0021] In a preferred embodiment, an extension portion is also included;

[0022] The extension is detachably disposed on the vest body 100 and connected to the covering portion 120 of the vest body 100. The extension is configured to extend the coverage area of ​​the covering portion 120.

[0023] In a preferred embodiment, the vest body 100 is provided with a plurality of micropores, which are configured to improve breathability and maintain air circulation on the surface of the small experimental animal.

[0024] In a preferred embodiment, the small laboratory animal is a mouse.

[0025] In a preferred embodiment, the mice are C57BL / 6 mice and BALB / c mice.

[0026] In this embodiment, the central covering part of the strip body fits against the area from below the neck to the anterior abdomen of the experimental animal, preventing the body from bending excessively when wearing it. This effectively prevents the animal from licking or biting the surgical wound on the lower abdomen. At the same time, the covering part has two forelimb perforations, with a gap reserved between the inner edge of the perforations and the forelimbs, allowing the experimental animal's forelimbs to move relatively and extend to the front of the head area, thus ensuring that the animal can still perform eye cleaning. Furthermore, the covering part, combined with the fixing part that narrows at both ends and the limiting method of the forelimb perforations, prevents small experimental animals, even those with flexible bodies, from slipping off the vest, ensuring that the vest can be worn stably for a long time.

[0027] Furthermore, by designing the strip body to be narrow at both ends and wide in the middle, and forming a horizontal figure-eight structure composed of two connected arc contours in the middle covering part, the covering part can stably fit the area from the neck to the front abdomen, forming a physical barrier to limit the excessive bending of the mouse's body. The fixing part uses buckles, hook and loop fasteners or straps to achieve closure, and the tightness can be adjusted to ensure that small animals of different sizes can wear it stably.

[0028] Furthermore, a flexible covering layer is provided at the edge of the covering area, extending to the inner edge of the forelimb perforations. This layer covers material cuts, preventing sharp edges from directly contacting the skin, thereby reducing the risk of abrasion and bite damage, and improving wearing comfort. The vest body is preferably made of PVC leather with certain rigidity and waterproof properties, which can effectively support and restrain the animal's body shape, while also being easy to clean, disinfect, and reuse.

[0029] Furthermore, in experiments requiring further restriction of animal bending, an extension section can be added, which connects to the covering section, thereby expanding the coverage area to enhance the protective effect. When dealing with experimental animals of different lengths, it is not necessary to change the main body of the vest; adjustment can be achieved directly by adding the extension section. The multiple micropores evenly distributed on the main body of the vest improve overall breathability, maintain air circulation on the animal's body surface, and avoid stuffiness or skin inflammation when worn for a long time.

[0030] The specification of this application contains numerous technical features distributed across various technical solutions. Listing all possible combinations of these technical features (i.e., technical solutions) would make the specification excessively lengthy. To avoid this problem, the various technical features disclosed in the above-described invention, the various technical features disclosed in the following embodiments and examples, and the various technical features disclosed in the accompanying drawings can be freely combined to form various new technical solutions (all of which are considered to have been described in this specification), unless such a combination of technical features is technically infeasible. For example, one example discloses feature A+B+C, and another example discloses feature A+B+D+E. Features C and D are equivalent technical means that serve the same function, and technically only one needs to be used; they cannot be used simultaneously. Feature E can technically be combined with feature C. Therefore, the solution A+B+C+D should not be considered as described because it is technically infeasible, while the solution A+B+C+E should be considered as described. Attached Figure Description

[0031] It should be noted that the accompanying drawings are only used to illustrate the technical solution of this application, so as to provide a clearer understanding of the principles and structure of this application, and do not constitute a limitation on the scope of protection of this application.

[0032] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the effect of a mouse wearing a small experimental animal postoperative protective vest according to one embodiment of this application.

[0033] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a postoperative protective vest for small laboratory animals according to one embodiment of this application.

[0034] Figure 3This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a postoperative protective vest for small laboratory animals according to one embodiment of this application.

[0035] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the dimensions of a postoperative protective vest for small laboratory animals according to one embodiment of this application.

[0036] Figure 5 This is a partial structural schematic diagram of the fixing part (200) of a protective vest according to one embodiment of this application.

[0037] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0038] 100 - Vest body, 110 - Forelimb perforation, 120 - Covering part, 200 - Fixing part, 210 - Fiber surface, 220 - Hook and thorn surface, 300 - Flexible covering layer. Detailed Implementation

[0039] In the following description, many technical details are presented to help the reader better understand this application. However, those skilled in the art will understand that the technical solutions claimed in this application can be implemented even without these technical details and various variations and modifications based on the following embodiments.

[0040] the term

[0041] As used in this article, "PVC leather" refers to artificial leather material made primarily of polyvinyl chloride (PVC). This material typically consists of a woven or non-woven fabric base with a PVC resin coating on the surface. The surface can be processed through calendering, foaming, embossing, and other techniques to create a texture similar to natural leather.

[0042] As used in this article, the term "SPF" (Specific Pathogen Free) refers to laboratory animals being raised and bred in a specific barrier environment that does not carry specific pathogens commonly found in experimental studies, such as mouse viruses, mycoplasma, and parasites. An SPF environment typically involves isolated rearing, with purified air, feed, and water, and the animals need to wear or use devices that meet specific pathogen-free control requirements.

[0043] As used herein, the term "germ-free" (GF or Sterile) refers to laboratory animals kept in a completely isolated and strictly sterile environment, free from any detectable microorganisms in or on their bodies. Germ-free animals are typically used for gut microbiota research or highly sensitive immunological experiments, and the equipment and consumables used in their care must undergo rigorous sterilization to ensure that no exogenous microorganisms are introduced.

[0044] The advantages of this application are briefly described below:

[0045] 1. It can effectively prevent laboratory mice from licking or biting wounds or damaging surgical sutures;

[0046] 2. The Velcro design makes it easy to adjust the size and tightness of the vest, which can perfectly fit mice of various sizes (15-40g) and is not easy to escape;

[0047] 3. Quick donning and doffing, with a single operation taking less than 10 seconds, significantly improving experimental efficiency;

[0048] 4. It conforms to the mouse's body, providing a high level of comfort, and does not affect the mouse's normal activities and eating;

[0049] 5. The vest has a simple structure, readily available materials, is easy to manufacture, and has low cost, making it suitable for laboratory use. Cost calculation (taking 180 mice as an example): PVC leather (10 yuan, 40cm×80cm), Velcro (12 yuan), medical tape (3 yuan), total price 15 yuan; Elizabethan collar: 10 yuan / each × 180 pieces = 1800 yuan.

[0050] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the embodiments of this application will be described in further detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0051] This application relates to a postoperative protective vest for small laboratory animals, the structural diagram of which is shown below. Figure 1-5 As shown, the vest includes a main body 100 and a fixing part 200. The main body 100 is a strip-shaped body with two forelimb perforations 110. A covering part 120 is provided in the middle of the strip-shaped body, which is used to cover at least the area from the neck down to the front of the abdomen of the small laboratory animal. The fixing parts 200 are provided at both ends of the strip-shaped body. When the fixing parts 200 are engaged and fixed at the back (scapula) of the small laboratory animal, the covering part 120 is close to the skin of the small laboratory animal. A gap is provided between the inner edge of the forelimb perforation 110 and the outer surface of the forelimb of the small laboratory animal to allow the forelimb to move relative to each other within the forelimb perforation 110. The gap allows the forelimb to perform cleaning actions from at least the mouth to the eyes of the small laboratory animal.

[0052] In an optional embodiment, the width of the gap can be 1 mm to 5 mm, preferably 2 mm to 3 mm. This gap range allows the forelimb to freely extend, retract, and swing within the perforation to complete daily eye cleaning actions, while also preventing excessive friction between the forelimb and the edge of the perforation, reducing the risk of skin damage. Furthermore, the width of the gap can be adjusted according to the size of the experimental animal. For example, for experimental mice weighing approximately 15 g, the gap can be selected as 1 mm to 2 mm; for experimental mice weighing approximately 25 g to 35 g, the gap is preferably 2 mm to 3 mm.

[0053] In one optional application scenario, the protective vest can be used in SPF-grade or sterile animal laboratory environments. It should be noted that the "SPF-grade" and "sterile-grade" mentioned here do not rely on the inherent sterility of the vest material itself, but rather refer to the fact that the vest's material properties allow it to meet the corresponding usage requirements after standard disinfection or sterilization treatment.

[0054] In an optional embodiment, the strip-shaped body has narrower fixing portions 200 at both ends along its length and a covering portion 120 with a width greater than the fixing portions 200 in the middle.

[0055] In an optional embodiment, the cover 120 has a region consisting of two connected arcuate contours, each containing a forelimb perforation 110.

[0056] In an optional embodiment, the cover portion 120 is integrally formed in a horizontal figure-eight shape.

[0057] In one optional embodiment, the fixing part 200 includes at least one of a hook and loop fastener, a Velcro fastener, or a strap. When the fixing part 200 uses a hook and loop fastener, the hook and loop fastener can be metal or plastic, enabling quick insertion and closure on the back of the experimental animal, ensuring a secure connection and easy reuse. When the fixing part 200 uses a strap, one end of the strap is fixed to the vest body 100, and the other end can pass through a through hole or loop on the vest body 100 and be knotted for fixation. In some other embodiments, a snap fastener structure can also be used, which includes a tongue at one end (left fixing part 200) and a socket at the other end (right fixing part 200). The tongue has elastic forks that can be inserted into and engaged in the slot of the socket to achieve locking. When disassembly is required, the forks can be pressed to release, thereby achieving quick donning and undressing and reliable fixation. In some other embodiments, the fixing part (200) can also take the form of an adjustable buckle, snap fastener, or magnetic buckle to provide tightness adjustment or convenient disassembly function according to the needs of different experimental scenarios. It should be noted that the above-described implementation of the fixing part (200) is merely an illustrative example and is not intended to limit the scope of protection of this application.

[0058] Preferably, the fasteners are a pair of hook and loop fasteners, each measuring 1cm x 2.5cm. Figure 5 As shown, one of the pair of Velcro connectors is disposed on the lower surface of the fixation part 200 on the left side, with the fiber surface 210 facing the body of the small laboratory animal, and the other is disposed on the upper surface of the fixation part 200 on the right side, with the hook surface 220 facing outward, so that when the fixation part 200 is engaged and fixed at the back, the fiber surface 210 and the hook surface 220 are bonded to each other.

[0059] To prevent the Velcro connector from loosening when the laboratory animal struggles, the length of the fixing part 200 can be set to be able to basically wrap around the laboratory animal's body. Therefore, the Velcro connector has a larger overlapping adhesive area, thereby enhancing its friction after bonding.

[0060] In an optional embodiment, the fixing part 200 includes an adjustable connecting structure that adjusts the overlap length of the fixing part 200 according to the body size of the small laboratory animal, thereby adjusting the tightness of the vest when it wraps around the animal's body. Taking a Velcro connector as an example, when the fixing part 200 of this application uses a Velcro connector, the circumference of the vest wrapping around the animal's body can be reduced or increased within a certain range by changing the overlap length when the two ends are glued: when the overlap length increases, the vest wraps around the animal's body more tightly, thus fitting smaller animals; when the overlap length decreases, the vest wraps around the animal's body more loosely, thus fitting larger animals.

[0061] In other embodiments, a combination of a buckle and a sliding adjustment buckle can be used. The sliding adjustment buckle has two or more parallel through slots. The strap passes through the through slots in sequence to form a loop. When in use, the buckle is closed first, and then the strap is pulled to slide in the through slot, thereby changing the length of the extended strap and adjusting the tightness of the fixing part 200 around the experimental animal's body.

[0062] In an optional embodiment, the edge of the cover 120 is provided with a flexible covering layer 300.

[0063] In an optional embodiment, such as Figure 3 As shown, a flexible covering layer 300 is disposed at the edge of the covering portion 120 and the inner edge of the forelimb perforation 110. The flexible covering layer 300 is used to cover the material cuts of the vest body 100. Specifically, the flexible covering layer 300 is made of a strip-shaped flexible material and is fixed to the outer edge of the covering portion 120 and the inner edge of the forelimb perforation 110 by wrapping or covering, so that the material cuts of the vest body 100 are covered. The flexible covering layer 300 can be connected to the vest body 100 by means of surrounding stitching, gluing, etc., forming a buffer layer during use to avoid direct friction between the experimental animal's skin and the cut edges of the vest body 100.

[0064] In an optional embodiment, the flexible covering layer 300 is medical cotton cloth, medical gauze, or medical nonwoven fabric.

[0065] In an optional embodiment, the vest body 100 is made of PVC leather. This material was selected by the applicant after numerous experiments as a preferred material. PVC leather has a certain degree of rigidity, which can provide support during wear, making it difficult for small laboratory animals to lick or bite the surgical wounds and defenses on their abdomens by bending their bodies. At the same time, the surface of PVC leather is smooth and waterproof, effectively resisting the penetration of animal bodily fluids or external medications, facilitating cleaning and disinfection, and allowing the vest to be reused, thus reducing experimental costs.

[0066] In an optional embodiment, an extension may also be included. The extension is detachably disposed on the vest body 100 and connected to the cover portion 120 of the vest body 100. The extension is configured to extend the coverage area of ​​the cover portion 120. The connection between the extension and the cover portion 120 can be achieved in one of the following ways: a) Velcro is provided at the edges of the cover portion 120 and at corresponding positions on the extension, allowing for assembly and disassembly through adhesion; b) Fasteners that cooperate with each other are provided on the cover portion 120 and the extension, allowing for fixation through insertion and release by pressing when needed; c) Metal or plastic snaps are provided at corresponding positions on the cover portion 120 and the extension, allowing for engagement by pressing, facilitating segmented fixation.

[0067] In practical use, when encountering small laboratory animals of varying lengths, adaptation can be achieved by choosing whether to install an extension, replacing the extension with one of different lengths, or installing multiple extensions. For example, for shorter small laboratory animals, the vest body 100 can be used directly without an extension to meet the coverage requirements. For longer small laboratory animals, an extension can be installed at the connection point between the covering 120 and the extension, increasing the extension range of the covering 120 and ensuring coverage from the neck down to the anterior abdomen. Furthermore, the extension can be designed in various lengths to suit the size of the laboratory animal. By selecting the appropriate length and connecting it to the covering 120, adaptation to different sized laboratory animals can be achieved without affecting the position of the forelimb perforation 110. Since the vest body 100 remains unchanged, adaptation to animals of different lengths can be achieved simply by replacing the extension. Therefore, this structure improves the versatility and reusability of the device, and reduces experimental costs.

[0068] In an optional embodiment, the vest body 100 is provided with a plurality of micropores configured to improve breathability and maintain air circulation on the surface of small laboratory animals.

[0069] In one optional embodiment, the small laboratory animal is a mouse. Alternatively, the small laboratory animal may also be a laboratory animal of similar size, such as a rat, hamster, or gerbil.

[0070] In an optional embodiment, the mice are C57BL / 6 mice and BALB / c mice.

[0071] To better understand the technical solution of this application, a specific example is provided below. The details listed in this example are mainly for ease of understanding and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of this application.

[0072] In this embodiment, 20 mice of each strain (C57BL / 6, BALB / c, approximately 15g, 25g, and 35g) were selected, maintaining a consistent proportion across strains. All mice were randomly divided into two groups: Group A used the postoperative protective vest provided in this application, while Group B used a traditional Elizabethan collar as a control. All mice underwent a small incision in the lower abdomen, which was closed with sutures after the surgery.

[0073] like Figure 4 As shown, the structural dimensions of the postoperative protective vest for small laboratory animals in this embodiment are as follows:

[0074] The total length of the vest body 100 and the fixing part 200 along the longitudinal direction is 80mm. The fixing parts 200 at both ends of the vest body 100 are each 25mm long and 10mm wide. The fixing parts 200 extend beyond the vest body 100 by 20mm. The covering part 120 in the middle of the vest body 100 has a length dimension of 30mm (i.e., between the two fixing parts 200) and a width of 20mm at the center.

[0075] The cover 120 has two forelimb perforations 110, each perforation being approximately elliptical with a major axis of 10 mm and a distance of 6 mm between the two perforations. In the width direction of each perforation, the minor axis edges of the forelimb perforations 110 are approximately 10 mm and 5 mm from the outer edge of the cover 120, respectively.

[0076] The specific operating method is as follows:

[0077] First, the forelimbs of mice in group A are passed through the two forelimb perforations 110 on the covering portion 120 of the vest body 100, so that the covering portion 120 is located below the neck and extends to the front of the abdomen. Then, the fixing portions 200 at both ends of the vest body 100 are brought together and closed along the mouse's back. In this embodiment, Velcro fasteners are used. By adjusting the overlap length of the Velcro, the vest can fit snugly against the skin when wrapped around the mouse's body without excessively compressing and affecting breathing. After wearing, the covering portion 120 fits tightly against the mouse's neck and abdomen, forming a physical barrier, thereby limiting its bending range and preventing it from licking or biting the sutures on its lower abdomen.

[0078] During wear, a gap is provided between the inner edge of the forelimb perforation 110 and the mouse's forelimb, allowing the mouse's forelimb to still be raised freely to reach the eye and mouth areas, thus ensuring that it can perform daily cleaning. A flexible covering layer 300 is wrapped around the edge of the vest body 100 and the inner edge of the forelimb perforation 110 to avoid the cutting edges rubbing against the mouse's skin, while improving wearing comfort.

[0079] The effectiveness evaluation method is as follows:

[0080] 1) Observe the breakage rate of surgical sutures in mice. A section of surgical suture is sutured to the lower abdomen of a mouse, and the suture is observed to see if it is bitten off.

[0081] 2) The protective vest of this application and the Elizabethan collar of the prior art can both be maintained for more than 7 days.

[0082] 3) Observe the maintenance rate of daily food intake in mice (compare the food intake of mice wearing the protective vest of this application and the Elizabethan collar of the prior art with the previous day).

[0083] 4) Calculate the survival rate of mice within 30 days.

[0084] The experimental results are as follows:

[0085]

[0086] The results show that the postoperative protective vest provided in this application is significantly superior to the traditional Elizabethan collar in preventing suture damage, maintaining long-term wearing stability, ensuring food intake, and improving postoperative survival. In Group A mice, after wearing the vest for 7 days, the surgical sutures remained intact, with no damage caused by licking or friction. Furthermore, their eating, activity, and eye cleaning behaviors remained normal, indicating that the protective vest can effectively protect animals while also considering animal welfare.

[0087] It should be noted that in this patent application, 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 a process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one" does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes said element. In this patent application, if it refers to performing an action according to an element, it means performing the action at least according to that element, including two cases: performing the action only according to that element, and performing the action according to that element and other elements. Expressions such as "multiple," "repeatedly," and "various" include two, two times, two kinds, and more than two, more than two times, and more than two kinds.

[0088] All documents mentioned in this application are considered to be incorporated in their entirety into the disclosure of this application so that they can serve as a basis for modifications if necessary. Furthermore, it should be understood that after reading the foregoing disclosure of this application, those skilled in the art can make various alterations or modifications to this application, and these equivalent forms also fall within the scope of protection claimed in this application.

Claims

1. A postoperative protective vest for small laboratory animals, characterized in that, include: Vest body (100) and fixing part (200); The vest body (100) is a strip body with two forelimb perforations (110). The strip body has a covering part (120) in the middle, which is used to cover at least the area from the neck down to the front of the abdomen of a small experimental animal. The two ends of the strip-shaped body are provided with the fixing part (200). When the fixing part (200) is engaged and fixed on the back of the small experimental animal, the covering part (120) is close to the skin of the small experimental animal. The inner edge of the forelimb perforation (110) is provided with a gap between it and the outer surface of the forelimb of the small laboratory animal, so as to allow the forelimb to move relative to each other within the forelimb perforation (110), wherein the gap allows the forelimb to perform cleaning actions from the mouth to the eye area of ​​the small laboratory animal.

2. The postoperative protective vest for small laboratory animals as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The strip-shaped body has a narrower fixing portion (200) at both ends along its length, and a covering portion (120) with a width greater than the fixing portion (200) in the middle.

3. The postoperative protective vest for small laboratory animals as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The covering (120) has a region consisting of two connected arcuate contours, each containing a forelimb perforation (110).

4. The small experimental animal post-operative protective vest of claim 1, wherein, The fastening part (200) includes at least one of hook and loop fasteners or straps.

5. The postoperative protective vest for small laboratory animals as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The fastener is a pair of hook and loop fasteners. One of the hook and loop fasteners is located on the lower surface of the fixation part (200) on the left side with the fiber surface (210) facing the body of the small experimental animal. The other is located on the upper surface of the fixation part (200) on the right side with the hook surface (220) facing outward, so that when the fixation part (200) is engaged and fixed on the back, the fiber surface (210) and the hook surface (220) are bonded to each other.

6. The postoperative protective vest for small laboratory animals as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The fixing part (200) includes an adjustable connecting structure that adjusts the overlap length of the fixing part (200) according to the size of the small experimental animal, thereby adjusting the tightness of the vest when it wraps around the body of the small experimental animal.

7. The postoperative protective vest for small laboratory animals as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The edge of the covering part (120) is provided with a flexible covering layer (300).

8. The postoperative protective vest for small laboratory animals as described in claim 7, characterized in that, The flexible covering layer (300) is disposed at the edge of the covering part (120) and the inner edge of the forelimb perforation (110), and the flexible covering layer (300) is used to cover the material cut-out of the vest body (100).

9. The small experimental animal post-operative protective vest of claim 1, wherein, It also includes the extended section; The extension is detachably disposed on the vest body (100) and connected to the cover portion (120) of the vest body (100). The extension is configured to extend the coverage area of ​​the cover portion (120).

10. The postoperative protective vest for small laboratory animals as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The vest body (100) is provided with a plurality of micropores, which are configured to improve breathability and maintain air circulation on the surface of the small experimental animal.

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