System design for the differentiated testing of the effectiveness of tick repellents with regard to odor, taste, contact and distance effect

The system design addresses the challenge of unnatural odorant concentration and stimulus modality differentiation in tick repellent testing by using a flat base with a test-substance-free opening, enabling precise behavioral reaction recording and quantitative evaluation.

DE202020006179U1Active Publication Date: 2026-04-09METZ JENS CHRISTIAN
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Patent Information

Authority / Receiving Office
DE · DE
Patent Type
Utility models
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2020-05-27
Publication Date
2026-04-09

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Existing tick repellent testing systems suffer from unnatural odorant concentration due to vertical boundaries, making realistic olfactory long-range effect testing difficult and lacking differentiation between stimulus modalities like smell, contact, and visual perception.

Method used

A system design with a flat base and an active ingredient zone that spatially separates interior and exterior spaces, featuring a test-substance-free opening for contactless escape and direct physical contact, allowing differentiation of repellent effectiveness through various stimuli.

Benefits of technology

Enables precise behavioral reaction recording and quantitative evaluation of repellent effectiveness, eliminating wall effects and providing natural stimulus modalities for ticks.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Abstract

System setup for the differentiated testing of the effectiveness of tick repellents with regard to the stimulus types odor, taste, contact and distance effect, comprising a flat substrate (4) free of vertical boundaries for receiving a tick (22) and a test substance (18), wherein an active ingredient zone is arranged on the substrate (4) such that it spatially delineates a tick repellent-free interior space (12) from an exterior space (14), characterized in that: ◯ the interior (12) and the exterior (14) are physically connected to each other via at least one test-free opening (16), ◯ the active substance zone on the barrier-free substrate (4) is positioned in such a way that it provides the tick (22) with both a contactless escape route through the opening (16) and an interaction zone for optional direct physical contact with the test substance (18) in order to make behavioral reactions at the interface technically detectable.
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Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a system setup for the differentiated testing of the effectiveness of a tick repellent according to the preamble of claim 1.

[0002] Devices are known from the prior art (e.g., Publication D5) in which tick repellents are applied inside closed containers such as Petri dishes. However, these arrangements have technical disadvantages: The vertical boundaries of the containers create an unnatural concentration of odorants (wall effects), which makes a realistic test of the olfactory long-range effect difficult. Furthermore, these systems do not offer any structural possibilities for differentiating between different stimulus modalities such as smell, contact, or visual perception.

[0003] The object of the invention is to provide an improved system design that enables precise technical isolation and recording of behavioral reactions at interfaces without being influenced by wall effects, and that allows a quantitative evaluation of the protective effect.

[0004] The task is solved by a system design comprising a flat base (4) free of vertical boundaries. On this base, an active ingredient zone is structurally arranged to spatially separate an interior space (12) free of tick repellent from an exterior space (14). A key technical feature of the design is at least one test-substance-free opening (16) that physically connects the interior space (12) and the exterior space (14).

[0005] This specific geometric arrangement provides two options for a tick placed inside (22): a contactless escape route through the opening (16) and an interaction zone for direct physical contact with the test substance (18). This makes it possible to technically differentiate the effectiveness of the agent with regard to different types of stimuli.

[0006] One particular embodiment of the system design provides that the active ingredient zone is formed as a closed ellipse with a variable radial thickness (36). This geometry serves as a technical scale: The strength of the repellent effect is defined by the position at which a radial breakthrough path (38) occurs. The thicker the active ingredient zone is at the breakthrough point, the lower the specific protective effect of the substance.

[0007] For the isolation of visual perception (photosensory receptors), the active ingredient zone in a further embodiment exhibits an optical contrast to the substrate (4). This contrast makes it possible to detect the tick's reaction to a purely visual barrier, independent of chemical stimuli.

[0008] In order to spatially define the range of a repellent effect (distance effect) without physical contact, the active ingredient zone can also be positioned as a straight strip (32) at a variably selectable starting distance (34) to the starting point of the tick.

[0009] To receive the test substance (18), the active substance zone preferably comprises an absorbent substrate (42), for example, made of animal hair. This substrate forms a physically raised zone on the base (4) and thus enables a mechanoreceptive interaction that simulates natural host conditions.

[0010] The substrate (4) preferably consists of an inorganic material such as paper, which allows for a natural, unimpeded dispersion of fragrances and thus technically eliminates the sources of error of conventional closed test systems.