A heat source contesting behavior experiment box

Abstract

The utility model belongs to the technical field of animal behavior experiment equipment, disclose a heat source contest behavior experiment box, including the box body that has the containing space inside, the box body adopts the heat -preserving material and is made, the bottom plate that places horizontally is equipped in the box body, the containing space in the box body is cut off into two parts of upper and nether with bottom plate, and bottom plate is made of heat -conducting material, the storage box is slidably connected in the box body, the storage box is located below the bottom plate, the upper end of storage box is open, and the cold source is placed in the storage box, first through slot that is used for the storage box horizontal is set up in the side wall of any side of the box body, is equipped with the recess that extends to the outside wall horizontally in any inside wall of the box body, recess lower end face is located above the bottom plate, and heat source part is installed in the recess, through the recess and heat source part of setting position height higher than the bottom plate on the side wall, ensure that the mouse must enter the recess by climbing to carry out the exclusive heat source to obtain the heat, so that the behavior indication of mouse is more explicit, and social grade is convenient for accurate determination.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model belongs to the technical field of animal behavior experimental equipment, specifically relating to a heat source competition behavior experimental box. Background Technology

[0002] In neuroscience and behavioral research, quantitatively assessing social hierarchy in mice is a significant challenge. Social hierarchy significantly influences an individual's stress levels, decision-making behavior, and neuroendocrine status, serving as a crucial foundation for studying social differences in mental illness. To identify potential influencing factors in mouse social hierarchy, a large body of literature was reviewed to validate authoritative experimental methods with strong data support for mouse social hierarchy. The significance of the heat source competition experiment for mouse social hierarchy was determined. The principle is that two mice compete for a limited heat source in a cold environment, and the one that occupies the heat source for a longer period of time is considered a superior individual with a higher social hierarchy.

[0003] However, current experimental kits in related fields rely on self-made, non-standardized devices. Common devices often place the heat source directly in a certain area on the mouse's activity surface. Although this can stimulate the mouse's thermotaxis, because the heat source and the activity surface are on the same plane, multiple mice are prone to clustering together at the heat source, making it impossible to accurately determine whether a mouse has successfully occupied or been driven away. Therefore, existing technologies suffer from the problem of blurred boundaries of mouse behavioral indicators due to the planar layout of the heat source, making it difficult to accurately determine social hierarchy. Utility Model Content

[0004] To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, the purpose of this invention is to provide a heat source competition behavior experimental box, which solves the problem in existing technologies where the planar layout of the heat source leads to blurred boundaries of behavioral indicators in mice, making it difficult to accurately determine social hierarchy.

[0005] The objective of this utility model can be achieved through the following technical solutions:

[0006] A heat source competition behavior experimental chamber, comprising a chamber with internal storage space;

[0007] The enclosure is made of thermal insulation material and has a horizontally placed bottom plate inside. The bottom plate divides the internal storage space into upper and lower parts and is made of thermally conductive material.

[0008] A storage box is slidably connected inside the box. The storage box is located below the bottom plate and has an open top. A cold source is placed inside the storage box.

[0009] A first through slot is provided on one side wall of the box for the storage box to pass through horizontally;

[0010] A groove extending horizontally to the outer wall is provided on any inner side wall of the enclosure. The lower end face of the groove is located above the bottom plate, and a heat source is installed in the groove.

[0011] Furthermore, pre-cooling plate assemblies are detachably connected to the inner side walls of the box, and corresponding clearance grooves are provided at the groove positions of the pre-cooling plate assemblies.

[0012] The precooling plate assembly is used to install on the inner wall of the chamber after precooling treatment before the experiment.

[0013] Furthermore, the box body is rectangular shell-shaped, and the pre-cooling plate assembly includes four independent side plates, which are respectively attached to the four inner side walls of the box body, and the side plates are located above the bottom plate.

[0014] Furthermore, each of the four corners inside the box is fixed with a vertically placed first locking strip. Each first locking strip is located between adjacent side panels. The side of the first locking strip closest to the adjacent side panel is provided with a first locking groove. The first locking groove passes through the upper end of the first locking strip and is slidably connected to the side panel.

[0015] Furthermore, the container is vertically divided into a detachable upper half and a lower half.

[0016] Furthermore, a horizontally placed second locking strip is fixed on any two opposite side walls inside the box. A second locking groove arranged along the axial direction is opened on the side surface of the two second locking strips that are close to each other. The second locking groove passes through both ends of the second locking strip, and the two ends of the bottom plate are slidably connected to the two second locking grooves respectively.

[0017] A second through groove is provided on any side wall of the box body perpendicular to the axis of the second card strip, and the second through groove is used for the bottom plate to slide out.

[0018] Furthermore, the base plates are arranged in two symmetrical positions, one above the other, with the two base plates touching each other and slidably connected in the second slot.

[0019] The beneficial effects of this utility model are:

[0020] 1. This application creates a low-temperature environment by using a box made of thermal insulation material and a cold source in the bottom storage box. The horizontally set bottom plate effectively transfers the cold to the entire activity surface, forcing mice to have a clear motivation to seek heat. Furthermore, by setting grooves and heat sources on the side walls that are higher than the bottom plate, the phenomenon of mice gathering in the heat source area, which is common in traditional methods, is effectively avoided. This ensures that mice must climb into the grooves to exclusively obtain heat, thus making the behavioral indicators of the mice clearer, greatly facilitating behavioral observation and data recording, and making it easier to accurately determine social status.

[0021] 2. By combining the pre-cooling plate assembly with the base plate, the mouse activity area can be cooled from multiple directions, including the bottom and side walls of the chamber, thereby quickly establishing a more stable low-temperature environment, reducing low-temperature dead zones, and extending the duration of the low-temperature environment, resulting in more consistent experimental data. Attached Figure Description

[0022] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this utility model or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, for those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0023] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of this utility model;

[0024] Figure 2 This is a partial structural diagram of the base plate of this utility model;

[0025] Figure 3 This is a partial structural diagram of the first through groove of this utility model;

[0026] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the groove portion of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 5 This is a partial structural diagram of the first card strip of this utility model. Detailed Implementation

[0028] 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 skilled in the art without creative effort are within the protection scope of the present utility model.

[0029] like Figures 1 to 5 As shown, a heat source competition behavior experimental box includes a box 100 with internal storage space;

[0030] The box 100 is made of thermal insulation material. Inside the box 100, there is a horizontally placed bottom plate 200. The bottom plate 200 divides the internal storage space of the box 100 into upper and lower parts, and the bottom plate 200 is made of thermally conductive material.

[0031] A storage box 300 is slidably connected inside the box 100. The storage box 300 is located below the bottom plate 200. The upper end of the storage box 300 is open. A cold source is placed inside the storage box 300.

[0032] A first through slot 101 for the storage box 300 to pass through horizontally is provided on one side wall of the box body 100;

[0033] A groove 102 extending horizontally to the outer side wall is provided on any inner side wall of the housing 100. The lower end face of the groove 102 is located above the bottom plate 200. A heat source part 400 is installed in the groove 102.

[0034] It should be noted that the height between the groove 102 and the base plate 200 and the size of the internal space of the groove 102 are adaptively designed according to the size of the experimental mice, and ensure that only one mouse can be accommodated in the groove 102 at a time; during the experiment, multiple mice are placed on the base plate 200 together.

[0035] This application creates a low-temperature environment by using a box 100 made of thermal insulation material and a cold source in the bottom storage box 300. The horizontally set bottom plate 200 effectively transfers the cold to the entire activity surface, forcing the mice to have a clear motivation to seek heat. Furthermore, by setting a groove 102 on the side wall that is higher than the bottom plate 200 and a heat source part 400, the heat source part 400 is completely separated from the bottom plate 200, which serves as the activity surface for the mice. This effectively avoids the phenomenon of mice gathering in the heat source area when the heat source part 400 is placed directly on the activity surface in the traditional method. It ensures that the mice must climb into the groove 102 to exclusively obtain heat, thereby making the behavioral indicators of the mice clearer and greatly facilitating behavioral observation and data recording.

[0036] The storage box 300 for placing the cold source adopts a drawer-type structure to facilitate quick replacement of the cold source, avoid interruption of the experimental process when replacing the cold source, reduce external stimulation to the mice, and thus ensure the accuracy and reliability of the experimental data.

[0037] Preferably, the height difference between the groove 102 and the base plate 200 is 5cm.

[0038] The inner sidewall of the housing 100 is detachably connected to a pre-cooling plate assembly 500, and the pre-cooling plate assembly 500 is provided with a matching clearance groove at the corresponding groove 102 position.

[0039] The precooling plate assembly 500 is used to install on the inner wall of the chamber 100 after precooling treatment before the experiment;

[0040] By working together with the precooling plate assembly 500 and the base plate 200, the mouse activity area is cooled from multiple directions, including the bottom and side walls of the chamber 100. This quickly establishes a more stable low-temperature environment, reduces low-temperature dead zones, and prolongs the duration of the low-temperature environment, resulting in more consistent experimental data.

[0041] The cabinet 100 is rectangular shell-shaped. The precooling plate assembly 500 includes four independent side plates. The four side plates are respectively attached to the four inner side walls of the cabinet 100. The side plates are located above the bottom plate 200. The precooling plate assembly 500 is composed of four independent side walls so that the precooling plate assembly 500 can be disassembled and placed inside a refrigerator or other refrigerator for precooling treatment.

[0042] Each of the four corners of the inner side of the housing 100 is fixed with a vertically placed first retaining strip 600. Each first retaining strip 600 is located between adjacent side panels. The side of the first retaining strip 600 closest to the adjacent side panel is provided with a first retaining groove 601. The first retaining groove 601 passes through the upper end of the first retaining strip 600 and is slidably connected to the side panel. The first retaining strip 600 and the first retaining groove 601 are used to limit and fix the side panel, improve the stability of the connection between the side panel and the housing 100, and enable a detachable connection between the side panel and the housing 100 by sliding the side panel in the vertical direction.

[0043] The box 100 is vertically divided into a detachable upper box 103 and a lower box 104; the upper box 103 is disassembled to allow for the disassembly and installation of the internal side panels of the box 100.

[0044] Preferably, the upper half box 103 and the lower half box 104 are respectively provided with matching plug-in blocks and plug-in slots to achieve a stable connection between the two.

[0045] A horizontally placed second clip 700 is fixed on either of the two opposite side walls inside the housing 100. A second slot 701 arranged along the axial direction is opened on the side surface of the two second clips 700 that are close to each other. The second slot 701 passes through both ends of the second clip 700. The two ends of the bottom plate 200 are slidably connected to the two second slots 701 respectively.

[0046] A second through groove 105 is provided on any side wall of the housing 100 perpendicular to the axis of the second card strip 700. The second through groove 105 is used for the bottom plate 200 to slide through.

[0047] The second clip 700, the second slot 701 and the second through slot 105 are designed to achieve a stable and detachable connection between the base plate 200 and the housing 100, so that the base plate 200 can be quickly replaced when needed.

[0048] Two base plates 200 are arranged symmetrically, one above the other, and are slidably connected to each other in the second slot 701. With the double base plate arrangement, when one base plate 200 is removed for replacement, the other base plate 200 can still provide an effective activity surface for the mouse. When the upper base plate 200 is in contact with the mouse's body for a period of time, heat transfer occurs between the two, which will cause the temperature of the upper base plate 200 to rise and cause the cold environment to fail. At this time, the upper base plate 200 needs to be removed so that the lower, cold base plate 200 can be used as a new activity surface to maintain the cold environment.

[0049] It should be noted that the top of the upper half box 103 has a ventilation port 106, and a baffle 800 is fixed to the top of the upper half box 103 by a support rod. The baffle 800 is located directly above the ventilation port 106, and a light source is located below the baffle 800 to reduce the influence of ambient brightness on the mice and reduce experimental errors.

[0050] Preferably, a camera for recording mice is provided below the baffle 800 to record mouse activities and the time the mouse occupies the heat source.

[0051] Preferably, the storage box 300 is provided with a handle 301 so that the storage box 300 can be pulled out and slid horizontally.

[0052] Preferably, the housing 100 is made of foam material, and the bottom plate 200 and side plates can be supported by heat-conducting metal plates such as iron plates.

[0053] Preferably, the cold source can be ice cubes or ice packs.

[0054] Preferably, the heat source can be an infrared heating lamp or the like, and in conjunction with a temperature sensor, the groove 102 can be kept at 36-38°C by infrared heating.

[0055] In the above embodiments, the height position of the groove 102 inside the box 100 remains fixed. In this application, another solution is provided as a second embodiment.

[0056] In the second embodiment, a vertically placed slide rail is provided on the side wall of the box 100, and a slide bar is slidably connected in the slide rail. The slide bar is flush with the side wall of the box 100. A groove 102 is provided on the side wall of the box 100 and is provided on the slide bar. A drive unit is fixedly installed in the slide rail. The drive unit is connected to the slide bar and is used to drive the slide bar to move up and down, so as to adjust the height of the groove 102. Correspondingly, side plates of various specifications with clearance grooves at different heights are provided.

[0057] Preferably, the drive unit can be an electric push rod or a telescopic cylinder.

[0058] In the description of this specification, references to terms such as "an embodiment," "example," "specific example," etc., indicate that a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples.

[0059] 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 illustrative of the principles of this 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 claims of this utility model.

Claims

1. A heat source competition behavior experimental chamber, comprising a chamber (100) with internal accommodating space, characterized in that, The box (100) is made of thermal insulation material. The box (100) has a horizontally placed bottom plate (200) inside. The bottom plate (200) divides the internal storage space of the box (100) into upper and lower parts, and the bottom plate (200) is made of thermally conductive material. A storage box (300) is slidably connected inside the box (100). The storage box (300) is located below the bottom plate (200). The upper end of the storage box (300) is open. A cold source is placed inside the storage box (300). A first through slot (101) for the storage box (300) to pass through horizontally is provided on the side wall of any side of the box body (100); The box (100) has a groove (102) extending horizontally to the outer side wall on any inner side wall. The lower end face of the groove (102) is located above the bottom plate (200). A heat source part (400) is installed in the groove (102).

2. The heat source competition behavior experimental chamber according to claim 1, characterized in that, The inner wall of the box (100) is detachably connected to a pre-cooling plate assembly (500), and the pre-cooling plate assembly (500) is provided with a matching clearance groove at the corresponding groove (102) position; The precooling plate assembly (500) is used to install on the inner wall of the chamber (100) after precooling treatment before the experiment.

3. The heat source competition behavior experimental chamber according to claim 2, characterized in that, The housing (100) is rectangular shell-shaped. The precooling plate assembly (500) includes four independent side plates. The four side plates are respectively attached to the four inner side walls of the housing (100) and are located above the bottom plate (200).

4. The heat source competition behavior experimental chamber according to claim 3, characterized in that, Each of the four corners of the inner side of the box (100) is fixed with a vertically placed first clip (600). Each first clip (600) is located between adjacent side plates. Each first clip (600) has a first slot (601) on the side closest to the adjacent side plate. The first slot (601) passes through the upper end of the first clip (600) and is slidably connected to the side plate.

5. The heat source competition behavior experimental chamber according to claim 4, characterized in that, The box (100) is vertically divided into a detachable upper box (103) and a lower box (104).

6. The heat source competition behavior experimental chamber according to claim 5, characterized in that, A horizontally placed second clip (700) is fixed on either of the two opposite side walls inside the box (100). A second slot (701) arranged along the axial direction is opened on the side surface of the two second clips (700) that are close to each other. The second slot (701) passes through both ends of the second clip (700). The two ends of the bottom plate (200) are slidably connected to the two second slots (701). A second through groove (105) is provided on any side wall of the housing (100) perpendicular to the axis of the second card strip (700), and the second through groove (105) is used for the bottom plate (200) to slide through.

7. The heat source competition behavior experimental chamber according to claim 6, characterized in that, The base plates (200) are arranged in two symmetrical positions, with the two base plates (200) fitting together and slidingly connected in the second slot (701).

Images