Rotating IVC System

Abstract

The present invention discloses a rotating IVC system including a cage fixing frame and a cage. An air supply pipe and an exhaust pipe are formed in the cage fixing frame, which are independent of each other and are fitted together, and the cage fixing frame is provided with a plurality of air supply ports communicating with the air supply pipe and a plurality of exhaust pipes communicating with the exhaust pipe, and a plurality of cages are provided in the cage fixing frame, and each cage is connected to one air supply port and one exhaust pipe. The air supply pipe and the exhaust pipe can be respectively connected to a fresh air supply and exhaust system in a barrier environment, so that the air in the cage is continuously discharged from the exhaust pipe to the fresh air supply and exhaust system, and at the same time, the clean air purified by the fresh air supply and exhaust system is injected into the cage from the air supply port through the air supply pipe, thereby maintaining the freshness and cleanliness of the air in the cage. The rotating IVC system of the present invention can greatly reduce the influence of the external environment on the environment in the cage, and improve the accuracy of the experiment.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] (CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS) The present invention claims priority to a Chinese patent application bearing application number 2022106117850 and entitled "Rotary IVC System" filed with the State Intellectual Property Office of the People's Republic of China on May 31, 2022, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] (Technical field) The present invention relates to the technical field of laboratory animal breeding equipment, and in particular to a rotating IVC system. [Background technology]

[0003] According to the requirements set out in the national standard GB14925 "Environment and Facilities for Experimental Animals", the breeding and experimental environment of experimental animals must reach the SPF standard overall. All experimental institutions have remodeled their experimental environments to build barrier environments, but how to dynamically operate and maintain barrier environment facilities has become a difficult problem to solve, and very few institutions can survive. In the 1990s, the popularization of the use of IVC (Individually Ventilated Cage) in some developed countries greatly simplified the operation procedures of barrier environments. By separating the living environment of humans and animals, animals can enjoy the cleanliness of SPF standards in class 10,000 or higher purification cages and class 100 purification clean benches, while avoiding the trouble of laboratory animal breeders and animal experimenters performing advanced cleaning, effectively preventing cross-infection between animals and between humans and animals, and ensuring the health and safety of experimental staff and breeders.

[0004] With the use of the IVC system cage, the maintenance of a huge barrier environment has been changed to just maintaining the normal operation of the cage, and the required costs are only 1 / 7 of the maintenance costs of the entire barrier environment. However, the heat, noise, vibration, etc. generated during operation have a certain impact on the experimental animals, and the area used by the cage frame is still large and the breeding density is still not high, so the costs are still very high.

[0005] In view of this, the applicant once proposed a central exhaust ventilation cage system (EVC), which, on the premise that it does not affect the number of cages that can be installed, can greatly reduce the area of ​​the cage frame used, increase the breeding density, and reduce the breeding cost. However, although the central exhaust ventilation cage system (EVC) can exhaust the dirty air in the cage, the air that enters the cage is still the atmosphere in the laboratory, and the atmosphere generally contains various environmental impact factors, so animal experiments or animal breeding cannot be carried out in a clean environment, which will affect the effect or results of the experiment and make them inaccurate.

[0006] The information disclosed in the Background section is intended merely to enhance understanding of the overall background of the present invention and should not be construed as an admission or in any way suggesting that such information constitutes prior art known to those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] The objective of the present invention is to provide a rotating IVC system (EVC), which has a simple structure, small area usage, and high breeding density, and can greatly reduce the influence of the external environment on the cage environment, thereby improving the accuracy of the experiment. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] To achieve the above objectives, an embodiment of the present invention provides a rotational IVC system including a cage fixing frame and a cage.

[0009] An air supply pipe and an exhaust pipe are formed in the cage fixing frame, the cage fixing frame is provided with a plurality of air supply ports communicating with the air supply pipe and a plurality of exhaust pipes communicating with the exhaust pipe, a plurality of the cages are provided in the cage fixing frame, and each of the cages is connected to one of the air supply ports and one of the exhaust pipes. The air supply pipe and the exhaust pipe can be respectively connected to a fresh air supply and exhaust system in a barrier environment, and when the fresh air supply and exhaust system is in a state where it is continuously operating, the air in the cage is continuously discharged from the exhaust pipe to the fresh air supply and exhaust system, and at the same time, the clean air purified by the fresh air supply and exhaust system is injected into the cage from the air supply port through the air supply pipe, thereby maintaining the freshness and cleanliness of the air in the cage.

[0010] In one or more embodiments of the present invention, the cage fixing frame includes a plurality of cage fixing frame units, each of which includes a fixing frame bottom surface for installing the cage, and a fixing frame side wall formed in the center of the fixing frame bottom surface and vertically penetrating the fixing frame bottom surface, the fixing frame side wall surrounding the fixing frame side wall forming an air chamber, and the air supply port being opened in the fixing frame side wall. The plurality of cage fixing frame units are stacked in the vertical direction, and the adjacent fixing frame side walls are fitted together in a sealed manner to form an air supply pipe communicating with each cage fixing frame unit.

[0011] In one or more embodiments of the present invention, an independent air lumen is further formed within the air chamber formed by the fixed frame side wall, and the air lumen is arranged to be connected to the fixed frame side wall via the exhaust pipe, and each of the air lumens is sealed and connected to the adjacent air lumen to form an exhaust pipe line connected to each cage fixed frame unit.

[0012] In one or more embodiments of the present invention, the rotary IVC system further includes a support tube, the support tube being disposed through and sealed to the plurality of air lumens, the support tube having a plurality of bleed holes at locations corresponding to each of the air lumens, and the support tube forming the exhaust pipeline together with the air lumens.

[0013] In one or more embodiments of the present invention, the total area of ​​the bleed holes corresponding to each of the air lumens gradually decreases along the bleed direction of the support tube at a rate of 8% to 15%, and preferably the rate of decrease is 10%.

[0014] For example, in the bleed direction of the support tube, the total area of ​​the bleed holes corresponding to the previous air lumen is π×1 2 cm 2 Then, the total area of ​​the bleed holes corresponding to the next air lumen is 0.9×π×1 2 cm 2 And so we infer it like this.

[0015] In one or more embodiments of the invention, the number of bleed holes in the support tube gradually decreases along the bleed direction of the support tube.

[0016] In one or more embodiments of the invention, the size of the bleed holes in the support tube gradually decreases along the bleed direction of the support tube.

[0017] In one or more embodiments of the present invention, a reinforcing rib is further provided between the air lumen and the fixed frame side wall, and the reinforcing rib includes a tubular portion provided on the lower end surface of the air lumen and surrounding the support tube, and a plurality of rib portions extending from the tubular portion to the fixed frame side wall.

[0018] In one or more embodiments of the invention, the air lumen is provided with a sealed end cover, which has a through hole formed therein for receiving the support tube, and the sealed end cover seals the air lumen such that it forms fluid communication only with the interior of the support tube and the exhaust tube.

[0019] In one or more embodiments of the present invention, the upper end surface of the bottom surface of the fixed frame is divided into a number of equal parts corresponding to a number of cages by a number of protrusions arranged along the radial direction, and within each equal part, a slide groove and two fixing holes are provided extending from the edge of the bottom surface of the fixed frame to its center, the slide groove and the two fixing holes are distributed in a triangle, and a slide rail and fixing part that fit the slide groove and fixing holes are provided at the lower end of the cage.

[0020] In one or more embodiments of the present invention, the fixed frame side wall includes a first polygonal side wall formed on an upper end surface of the bottom surface of the fixed frame and a second polygonal side wall formed on a lower end surface of the bottom surface of the fixed frame, the first polygonal side wall and the second polygonal side wall are arranged coaxially, and each side of the first polygonal side wall fits into two adjacent protrusions.

[0021] In one or more embodiments of the present invention, the lower end of the second polygonal side wall of the bottom surface of the fixed frame may be sealed and fitted to the upper end of the first polygonal side wall of the bottom surface of another fixed frame provided below the bottom surface of the fixed frame to form an air supply pipeline communicating with each cage fixed frame unit.

[0022] In one or more embodiments of the present invention, the rotating IVC system further includes a cage frame for accommodating a cage fixing frame, the cage frame including a bottom plate, an upper plate, and a plurality of pillars arranged between the upper plate and the bottom plate, the cage fixing frame being rotatably arranged within the cage frame, and a plurality of casters being fixedly arranged on the lower end surface of the bottom plate.

[0023] In one or more embodiments of the present invention, the top plate and the bottom plate are provided with an air bleed port communicating with the exhaust pipeline, the top plate and the bottom plate are provided with an air intake port surrounding the air bleed port and communicating with the air supply pipeline, and the air bleed port and the air intake port are connected to a fresh air supply and exhaust system in the barrier environment via a cage frame fluid piping having a quick connection, thereby forming a cage circulation fresh air supply and exhaust system.

[0024] In one or more embodiments of the present invention, seal rings and shaft parts are provided between the lower end surface of the upper plate and the upper end surface of the cage fixing frame at locations corresponding to the junction of the air supply pipeline and the intake port and the junction of the exhaust pipeline and the bleed port, and shaft parts are provided at locations on the bottom plate corresponding to the junction of the exhaust pipeline and the bleed port.

[0025] In one or more embodiments of the present invention, the exhaust pipes all have the same length and hole diameter, and the air supply openings all have the same hole diameter. Effect of the Invention

[0026] Compared with the prior art, the rotary IVC system of the embodiment of the present invention has a simple structure, a small area to be used, and a large breeding density. Two ventilation ducts that do not interfere with each other are formed in the cage fixing frame, and the cages are respectively connected to the two ventilation ducts. The two ventilation ducts are connected to the fresh air supply and exhaust system in the barrier environment. The fresh air supply and exhaust system forms an internal circulation with the cage fixing frame and the cage, and the dirty air in the cage is discharged and purified before being sent back into the cage, thereby greatly reducing the impact of the external environment on the environment inside the cage and improving the accuracy of the experiment.

[0027] In the embodiment of the present invention, the rotary IVC system strengthens the structure of the cage fixed frame by providing a support pipe, and the exhaust pipe (for air extraction) is formed by connecting the independent air lumens in the cage fixed frame unit to the support pipe, and the total area of ​​the air extraction holes corresponding to each air lumen is changed and gradually decreased by 8% to 15% along the air extraction direction of the support tube, so that the amount of air extracted by the support tube is substantially the same, thereby ensuring that the flow rate of dirty air extracted from the cage is consistent, and the interference of the experimental influencing factors is further controlled. Specifically, for example, the number of air extraction holes in the support tube is gradually decreased along the air extraction direction, or the inner diameter of the air extraction holes is gradually decreased, so that the amount of air extracted by the support tube is substantially the same, thereby ensuring that the flow rate of fresh air entering the cage is consistent, and the interference of the experimental influencing factors is further controlled, and the independent air lumens in the cage fixed frame unit can also temporarily store and buffer the dirty air extracted by the support tube, which further improves the accuracy of the amount of dirty air extracted from each cage.

[0028] The rotating IVC system of the embodiment of the present invention increases the number of animals kept per unit area, making more scientific and effective use of space, and can reduce costs by 2 / 3 compared with traditional IVC. As a result, many experimental institutions that have been forced to lower the standards and requirements for their experimental environment due to high maintenance costs can now conduct experimental operations in accordance with the experimental standards mandated by the state, greatly improving the accuracy and reliability of experimental data. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0029] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a three-dimensional structural diagram of a rotational IVC system according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a rotational IVC system according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a detailed enlarged view of part A in FIG. 2. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a three-dimensional structural diagram of a cage fixing frame unit of a rotating IVC system according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a plan view of a cage fixing frame unit of the rotating IVC system of one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a side view of a cage fixing frame unit of the rotational IVC system of one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a cage fixing frame unit of a rotational IVC system according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a structural diagram of a cage of a rotational IVC system according to one embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0030] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings, however, it should be understood that the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited by the specific embodiments.

[0031] In particular, unless expressly stated otherwise, throughout the specification and claims, the term "comprises" or variations thereof, such as "includes" or "comprising," should be understood to include the described parts or components and not to exclude other parts or components.

[0032] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, one embodiment of the present invention provides a rotating IVC system including a cage frame 10, a cage fixing frame 20, a support tube 30, and a cage 40. The cage fixing frame 20 is provided in the cage frame 10, the support tube 30 is drilled vertically in the cage frame 10 and the cage fixing frame 20, and a plurality of cages 40 are provided in the cage fixing frame 20. The cage fixing frame 20 is composed of a plurality of circular rotating cage fixing frame units 21 provided in a stacked manner, and a plurality of cages 40 may be installed in each cage fixing frame unit 21.

[0033] The cage frame 10 may be made of 304 stainless steel material. The cage frame 10 includes a bottom plate 11, a top plate 12, and four pillars 13. The four pillars 13 are distributed at the four corners of the cage frame 10, and both ends of the pillars 13 are fixedly connected to the bottom plate 11 and the top plate 12, respectively. The bottom plate 11 and the top plate 12 are provided with symmetrical bleed ports 15, and the top plate 12 is provided with an intake port 16 surrounding the bleed port 15. The bleed port 15 and the intake port 16 are respectively connected to the fresh air supply and exhaust system of the barrier environment through the cage frame fluid piping with a quick connection, thereby forming a cage circulation fresh air supply and exhaust system. Four casters 14 are fixedly connected to the four corners of the lower end surface of the bottom plate 11.

[0034] 4 to 7, the circular rotating cage fixed frame unit 21 includes a fixed frame bottom surface 211, which is configured as a circular structure in this embodiment. The upper end surface of the fixed frame bottom surface 211 is divided into ten equal parts by 20 protrusions 212 arranged along the radial direction, and within each equal part, a slide groove 213 is provided extending from the edge of the fixed frame bottom surface to its center, and the groove width of the slide groove 213 gradually decreases along the direction pointing to the center of the fixed frame bottom surface 211. The bottom surface 211 of the fixed frame in each equal portion is provided with two more fixing holes 214 on both sides of the slide groove 213, and a through hole 215 is also provided at the narrow end of the slide groove 213. A slide rail that fits the slide groove 213 and a fixing part 44 that fits the fixing hole 214 are provided on the lower end surface of each cage 40. An engagement part 43 is provided at the front end of the slide rail. The slide rail fits into the slide groove 213, the fixing part 44 fits into the fixing hole 214, and the engagement part 43 fits into the through hole 215, thereby forming a stable triangular fixed structure between the cage 40 and the bottom surface 211 of the fixed frame, and the cage 40 can be prevented from tilting or loosening, as shown in Figure 8. In other embodiments, the slide rail is not provided, and the engagement part 43 is directly configured as a belt-shaped rail structure, which can also function as a slide rail.

[0035] A first decagonal polygonal side wall 216 and a second decagonal polygonal side wall 217 are respectively provided coaxially at the center of the upper end face and the lower end face of the fixed frame bottom surface 211, the first polygonal side wall 216 and the second polygonal side wall 217 being provided coaxially at the center and penetrating the fixed frame bottom surface 211 vertically, the first polygonal side wall 216 and the second polygonal side wall 217 forming the fixed frame side wall of the cage fixed frame unit 21. The fixed frame side walls surround and form an air chamber 218. When multiple cage fixing frame units 21 are stacked in the vertical direction, adjacent fixing frame side walls are hermetically fitted together (the lower end of the second polygonal side wall 217 of the upper fixing frame bottom surface 211 may be hermetically fitted into the upper end of the first polygonal side wall 216 of another fixing frame bottom surface 211 provided below the fixing frame bottom surface 211), thereby forming an air supply pipeline 50 communicating with each cage fixing frame unit 21 by fitting multiple air chambers 218 vertically, as shown in Figures 2 and 3.

[0036] Each side of the first polygonal side wall 216 fits the two adjacent protrusions 212, and the height of the first polygonal side wall 216 is determined by the height of the corresponding cage 40. The lower end of the second polygonal side wall 217 may be hermetically fitted to the upper end of the first polygonal side wall 216 of the adjacent fixing frame bottom surface 211, thereby realizing that the adjacent cage fixing frame units 21 are fixed in a vertically overlapping manner to prevent them from falling over, and forming an air supply pipe 50 communicating with each cage fixing frame unit 21. In order to further improve the stability of the cage fixing frame 20, the lower end of the second polygonal side wall 217 may be hermetically fitted to the upper end of the first polygonal side wall 216 of the adjacent fixing frame bottom surface 211, and then fixed by screws.

[0037] In other embodiments, the number of protrusions 212 can be changed according to needs, and accordingly, the number of sides of the first polygonal side wall 216 and the second polygonal side wall 217 can be changed, as long as it corresponds to the protrusions 212.

[0038] An air supply port 2161 is provided on each side of the first polygonal side wall 216, and the air supply port 2161 communicates with the air supply pipe 50 and is used to transport purified gas to the cage 40 together with the external fresh air supply and exhaust system, and the hole diameters of the multiple air supply ports 2161 are all the same. An exhaust pipe 2162 is also provided on each side of the first polygonal side wall 216, and the exhaust pipe 2162 is used to extract dirty gas from within the cage 40 together with the external fresh air supply and exhaust system.

[0039] An independent air lumen 219 is further formed in the air chamber 218 formed by the fixed frame side wall, and the air lumen 219 is connected to the fixed frame side wall through an exhaust pipe 2162. When the cage fixed frame units 21 are stacked, each air lumen 219 is sealed and communicates with the adjacent air lumen 219 to form an exhaust pipe 60 communicating with each cage fixed frame unit 21. The exhaust pipe 60 and the air supply pipe 50 are coaxially fitted together and are installed independently of each other, and the diameter of the exhaust pipe 60 is much smaller than that of the air supply pipe 50. A plurality of exhaust pipes 2162 communicate the exhaust pipe 60 with the cage 40, and the length and hole diameter of the plurality of exhaust pipes 2162 are the same, as shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 4.

[0040] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the support tube 30 is provided through a number of air lumens 219 and the top plate 12 and the bottom plate 11, is provided to be sealed to the air lumens 219, and is provided rotatably with respect to the air extraction ports of the top plate 12 and the bottom plate 11. A number of air extraction holes 31 are provided at the positions of the support tube 30 corresponding to each air lumen 219, and the support tube 30 forms an exhaust pipe 60 together with the air lumen 219. The upper end or lower end of the support tube 30 may be connected to the fresh air exhaust system of the barrier environment through the air extraction port 15 via the cage frame fluid pipe with a quick connection (connected to the exhaust passage of the fresh air exhaust system), thereby extracting the dirty air in the cage 40. The provision of the support tube 30 can strengthen the structure of the cage fixing frame and improve its stability. In addition, in order to ensure the consistency of the flow rate of dirty air extracted from within the cage 40 and to better control the interference of experimental influencing factors, the total area of ​​the air extraction holes 31 corresponding to each air lumen 219 gradually decreases at a ratio of 8% to 15% along the air extraction direction of the support tube 30, and preferably the gradually decreasing ratio is 10%.

[0041] For example, in certain embodiments, this may be achieved by having the number of bleed holes 31 on the support tube 30 gradually decrease along the bleed direction of the support tube 30 and / or the size of the bleed holes 31 on the support tube 30 gradually decrease along the bleed direction of the support tube 30.

[0042] In addition, for example, in the air extraction direction of the support tube 30, the total area of ​​the air extraction holes 31 corresponding to the front air lumen 219 is π×1 2 cm 2 Then, the total area of ​​the air bleed holes 31 corresponding to the next air lumen 219 is 0.9×π×1 2 cm 2 And so we infer it like this.

[0043] 3, the air lumen 219 is formed by combining an annular inner wall 2192, an inner bottom wall 2193 and a sealing end cover 2191, and through holes are formed in the sealing end cover 2191 and the inner bottom wall 2193, the through holes are used to drill the support tube 30, and the through holes are sealed and connected to the support tube 30 by a seal ring. The exhaust pipe 2162 is provided between the annular inner wall 2192 and the side wall of the fixed frame, and together with the reinforcing rib 220, the air lumen 219 is independently and stably located in the air chamber 218. The sealing end cover 2191 together with the seal ring seals the air lumen 219, which forms a fluid communication only with the inside of the support tube 30 and the exhaust pipe 2162. When multiple cage fixing frame units 21 are stacked in the vertical direction, adjacent fixing frame side walls are hermetically fitted together, and the space between the fixing frame side walls and the support tube 30 and the annular inner wall 2192 forms the air supply pipeline 50, and the interior of the support tube 30 and the air lumen 219 form the exhaust pipeline 60.

[0044] In another embodiment, the air lumen 219 may be formed only by the annular inner wall 2192, and the height relationship between the annular inner wall 2192 and the fixed frame side wall satisfies that when a plurality of cage fixed frame units 21 are stacked in the vertical direction and adjacent fixed frame side walls are hermetically fitted together, adjacent annular inner walls 2192 are similarly hermetically fitted together, and the support tube 30 is provided within the annular inner wall 2192. In this case, the space between the fixed frame side wall and the annular inner wall 2192 forms the air supply pipe 50, and the inside of the support tube 30 and the inside of the annular inner wall 2192 communicate with each other to form the exhaust pipe 60. Alternatively, the support pipe 30 may not be provided, and the exhaust pipe 60 may be directly formed by the inside of the annular inner wall 2192. In this case, the rule of change in the diameter of the exhaust pipe 2162 on each air lumen 219 is set to be the same as the rule of change in the air bleed hole 31 on the support pipe 30, for example, the diameter of the exhaust pipe 2162 becomes gradually smaller in the bleed direction.

[0045] As shown in Figures 3 and 7, a reinforcing rib 220 is further provided between the air lumen 219 and the side wall of the fixed frame, and the reinforcing rib 220 includes a tube portion 221 provided on the lower end surface of the air lumen 219 and surrounding the support tube 40, and a plurality of rib portions 222 extending from the tube portion 221 to the side wall of the fixed frame.

[0046] Between the lower end surface of the upper plate 12 and the upper end surface of the cage fixing frame 20, a seal ring and a shaft part are provided at the joint position of the air supply pipe 50 and the intake port 16 and the joint position of the exhaust pipe 60 and the bleed port 15. The seal ring has characteristics such as wear resistance, high pressure resistance, and corrosion resistance. The provision of the shaft part can obtain the effect of rotating the cage fixing frame 20. The cage fixing frame unit 21 located at the bottom end is provided with a block cover at its bottom, which can block the air supply pipe 50. In this embodiment, the air supply pipe 50 is used for air supply, and the second bleed pipe 60 is used for bleed.

[0047] 8, the cage 40 includes a cage body 41 and a cage cover 42, and the cage cover 42 is hermetically joined to the cage body 41. The cage 40 may be made of high-temperature polysulfone or PC plastic, and has excellent resistance to acidic or alkaline detergents or steam sterilization, and still maintains its strength after repeated autoclave sterilization, and has a long service life. In addition, the cage 40 is provided with air ports 411 and 412 at its inner end, and a rubber air guide pipe 413 is provided at the air port, and the air guide pipe 413 can be inserted into the air supply port 2161 and the exhaust pipe 2162 to realize fluid communication between the cage 40 and the air supply pipe 50 and the exhaust pipe 60.

[0048] The cage 40 is further provided with a water bottle 414 for the animals to drink water, a feeding box, and the like, and of course, an automatic water and feeding system may be provided according to the actual needs of use.

[0049] In the rotary IVC system of the present invention, the air supply pipe 50 and the exhaust pipe 60 can be respectively connected to a fresh air supply and exhaust system in a barrier environment. When the fresh air supply and exhaust system is in continuous operation, the air in the cage 40 is continuously discharged from the exhaust pipe 60 to the fresh air supply and exhaust system via the exhaust pipe 2162, and at the same time, clean air purified by the fresh air supply and exhaust system is injected into the cage 41 from the air supply port 2161 via the air supply pipe 50, thereby maintaining the freshness and cleanliness of the air in the cage 41.

[0050] Compared with the prior art, the rotary IVC system of the embodiment of the present invention has a simple structure, a small area to be used, and a large breeding density. Two ventilation ducts that do not interfere with each other are formed in the cage fixing frame, and the cages are respectively connected to the two ventilation ducts. The two ventilation ducts are connected to the fresh air supply and exhaust system in the barrier environment. The fresh air supply and exhaust system forms an internal circulation with the cage fixing frame and the cage, and the dirty air in the cage is discharged and purified before being sent back into the cage, thereby greatly reducing the impact of the external environment on the environment inside the cage and improving the accuracy of the experiment.

[0051] In the embodiment of the present invention, the rotary IVC system strengthens the structure of the cage fixed frame by providing a support pipe, and the exhaust pipe (for air extraction) is formed by connecting the independent air lumens in the cage fixed frame unit to the support pipe, and the total area of ​​the air extraction holes corresponding to each air lumen is changed and gradually decreased by 8% to 15% along the air extraction direction of the support tube, so that the amount of air extracted by the support tube is substantially the same, thereby ensuring that the flow rate of dirty air extracted from the cage is consistent, and the interference of the experimental influencing factors is further controlled. Specifically, for example, the number of air extraction holes in the support tube is gradually decreased along the air extraction direction, or the inner diameter of the air extraction holes is gradually decreased, so that the amount of air extracted by the support tube is substantially the same, thereby ensuring that the flow rate of fresh air entering the cage is consistent, and the interference of the experimental influencing factors is further controlled, and the independent air lumens in the cage fixed frame unit can also temporarily store and buffer the dirty air extracted by the support tube, which further improves the accuracy of the amount of dirty air extracted from each cage.

[0052] The rotating IVC system of the embodiment of the present invention increases the number of animals kept per unit area, making more scientific and effective use of space, and can reduce costs by 2 / 3 compared with traditional IVC. As a result, many experimental institutions that have been forced to lower the standards and requirements for their experimental environment due to high maintenance costs can now conduct experimental operations in accordance with the experimental standards mandated by the state, greatly improving the accuracy and reliability of experimental data.

[0053] The above description of specific exemplary embodiments of the present invention is for the purposes of explanation and illustration. These descriptions are not intended to limit the present invention to the precise forms disclosed, and it will be apparent that many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings. The purpose of the selection and description of the exemplary embodiments is to enable those skilled in the art to realize and utilize various different exemplary embodiments and various different choices and modifications of the present invention by understanding the specific principles of the present invention and its practical use. The scope of the present invention is intended to be limited by the claims and their equivalents.

[0054] (Additional Note) (Appendix 1) 1. A rotary IVC system comprising: a cage fixing frame in which an air supply pipe and an exhaust pipe are formed, the air supply pipe and the exhaust pipe being provided independently of each other and fitted together, the cage fixing frame being provided with a plurality of air supply ports communicating with the air supply pipe and a plurality of exhaust pipes communicating with the exhaust pipe; a cage, the cage being provided on the cage fixing frame, each of the cages communicating with one of the air supply ports and one of the exhaust pipes; The air supply pipe and the exhaust pipe can be respectively connected to a fresh air supply and exhaust system in a barrier environment, and when the fresh air supply and exhaust system is kept in continuous operation, the air inside the cage is continuously discharged from the exhaust pipe to the fresh air supply and exhaust system, and the clean air purified by the fresh air supply and exhaust system is injected into the cage from the air supply port through the air supply pipe, thereby maintaining the freshness and cleanliness of the air inside the cage.

[0055] (Appendix 2) The cage fixing frame includes a plurality of cage fixing frame units, each of the cage fixing frame units comprising: A bottom surface of a fixed frame for installing the cage; a side wall of the fixed frame formed at the center of the bottom surface of the fixed frame and vertically penetrating the bottom surface of the fixed frame, the side wall of the fixed frame surrounding the fixed frame forming an air chamber, and the air supply port being opened in the side wall of the fixed frame, The rotary IVC system described in Appendix 1, characterized in that the multiple cage fixing frame units are stacked in the vertical direction, and adjacent fixing frame side walls are sealed and fitted together to form air supply pipelines communicating with each cage fixing frame unit.

[0056] (Appendix 3) The rotary IVC system described in Appendix 2, characterized in that an independent air lumen is further formed within the air chamber formed by the fixed frame side wall, the air lumen is configured to be connected to the fixed frame side wall via the exhaust pipe, and each of the air lumens is sealed and connected to the adjacent air lumen to form an exhaust pipe line communicating with each cage fixed frame unit.

[0057] (Appendix 4) The rotary IVC system described in Appendix 3 further includes a support tube, the support tube being provided to pass through a plurality of the air lumens and sealed against the air lumens, the support tube having a plurality of air bleed holes at locations corresponding to each of the air lumens, and the support tube forming the exhaust pipeline together with the air lumens.

[0058] (Appendix 5) A rotary IVC system as described in Appendix 4, characterized in that the total area of ​​the bleed holes corresponding to each of the air lumens gradually decreases at a ratio of 8% to 15% along the bleed direction of the support tube.

[0059] (Appendix 6) 6. The rotary IVC system of claim 5, wherein the number of bleed holes in the support tube gradually decreases along the bleed direction of the support tube.

[0060] (Appendix 7) 6. The rotary IVC system of claim 5, wherein the size of the bleed holes in the support tube gradually decreases along the bleed direction of the support tube.

[0061] (Appendix 8) The rotary IVC system described in Appendix 4, characterized in that a reinforcing rib is further provided between the air lumen and the fixed frame side wall, the reinforcing rib including a tubular portion provided on the lower end surface of the air lumen and surrounding the support tube, and a plurality of rib portions extending from the tubular portion to the fixed frame side wall.

[0062] (Appendix 9) 5. The rotary IVC system of claim 4, wherein the air lumen is provided with a sealed end cover, the sealed end cover has a through hole for passing through the support tube, and the sealed end cover seals the air lumen such that it forms fluid communication only with the inside of the support tube and the exhaust tube.

[0063] (Appendix 10) The rotary IVC system described in Appendix 2, characterized in that the upper end surface of the bottom of the fixed frame is divided into a plurality of equal parts corresponding to a plurality of cages by a plurality of protrusions arranged along the radial direction, and within each equal part, a slide groove and two fixing holes extending from the edge of the bottom of the fixed frame to its center are provided, the slide groove and the two fixing holes are distributed in a triangular shape, and a slide rail and fixing part that fit the slide groove and fixing holes are provided at the lower end of the cage.

[0064] (Appendix 11) The side wall of the fixed frame includes a first polygonal side wall formed on an upper end surface of the bottom surface of the fixed frame and a second polygonal side wall formed on a lower end surface of the bottom surface of the fixed frame, the first polygonal side wall and the second polygonal side wall are arranged coaxially, and each side of the first polygonal side wall fits into two adjacent protrusions, A rotary IVC system as described in Appendix 10, characterized in that the lower end of the second polygonal side wall of the bottom surface of the fixed frame may be sealed and fitted to the upper end of the first polygonal side wall of another bottom surface of the fixed frame provided below the bottom surface of the fixed frame to form an air supply pipeline communicating with each cage fixed frame unit.

[0065] (Appendix 12) The rotating IVC system described in Appendix 1, further comprising a cage frame for accommodating a cage fixing frame, the cage frame comprising a bottom plate, an upper plate, and a plurality of pillars arranged between the upper plate and the bottom plate, the cage fixing frame being rotatably arranged within the cage frame, and a plurality of casters being fixedly arranged on the lower end surface of the bottom plate.

[0066] (Appendix 13) The rotary IVC system of claim 12, characterized in that the top and bottom plates are provided with an exhaust port communicating with the exhaust pipeline, the top plate is provided with an intake port surrounding the exhaust port and communicating with the air supply pipeline, and the exhaust port and intake port are connected to a fresh air supply and exhaust system in the barrier environment via a cage frame fluid piping having a quick connection, thereby forming a cage circulation fresh air supply and exhaust system.

[0067] (Appendix 14) A rotary IVC system as described in Appendix 13, characterized in that seal rings and shaft parts are provided at locations corresponding to the joint positions of the air supply pipeline and the intake port and the exhaust pipeline and the bleed port between the lower end surface of the upper plate and the upper end surface of the cage fixing frame, and shaft parts are provided at locations corresponding to the joint positions of the exhaust pipeline and the bleed port on the bottom plate.

[0068] (Appendix 15) A rotary IVC system as described in Appendix 1, characterized in that the lengths and hole diameters of the multiple exhaust pipes are all the same, and the hole diameters of the multiple air outlets are the same.

Claims

1. 1. A rotational IVC system comprising: a cage fixing frame in which an air supply pipe and an exhaust pipe are formed, the air supply pipe and the exhaust pipe being provided independently of each other and fitted together, the cage fixing frame being provided with a plurality of air supply ports communicating with the air supply pipe and a plurality of exhaust pipes communicating with the exhaust pipe; a cage, the cage being provided on the cage fixing frame, each of the cages communicating with one of the air supply ports and one of the exhaust pipes; The air supply pipe and the exhaust pipe can be respectively connected to a fresh air supply and exhaust system in a barrier environment, and when the fresh air supply and exhaust system is kept in continuous operation, the air inside the cage is continuously discharged from the exhaust pipe to the fresh air supply and exhaust system, and the clean air purified by the fresh air supply and exhaust system is injected into the cage from the air supply port through the air supply pipe, thereby maintaining the freshness and cleanliness of the air inside the cage.

2. The cage fixing frame includes a plurality of cage fixing frame units, each of the cage fixing frame units comprising: A bottom surface of a fixed frame for installing the cage; a side wall of the fixed frame formed at the center of the bottom surface of the fixed frame and vertically penetrating the bottom surface of the fixed frame, the side wall of the fixed frame surrounding the fixed frame forming an air chamber, and the air supply port being opened in the side wall of the fixed frame, The rotary IVC system according to claim 1, characterized in that the plurality of cage fixing frame units are stacked in the vertical direction, the adjacent fixing frame side walls are hermetically fitted together, and an air supply pipe communicating with each cage fixing frame unit is formed.

3. The rotary IVC system according to claim 2, characterized in that an independent air lumen is further formed within the air chamber formed by the fixed frame side wall, the air lumen is arranged to be connected to the fixed frame side wall via the exhaust pipe, and each of the air lumens is sealed and connected to the adjacent air lumen to form an exhaust pipe line connected to each cage fixed frame unit.

4. The rotary IVC system of claim 3, further comprising a support tube, the support tube being provided through a plurality of the air lumens and sealed against the air lumens, the support tube having a plurality of air bleed holes at locations corresponding to each of the air lumens, and the support tube forming the exhaust pipeline together with the air lumens.

5. 5. The rotary IVC system of claim 4, wherein the total area of ​​the bleed holes corresponding to each air lumen gradually decreases at a ratio of 8% to 15% along the bleed direction of the support tube.

6. 6. The rotary IVC system of claim 5, wherein the number of bleed holes in the support tube gradually decreases along the bleed direction of the support tube.

7. 6. The rotary IVC system of claim 5, wherein the size of the bleed holes in the support tube gradually decreases along the bleed direction of the support tube.

8. The rotary IVC system described in claim 4, characterized in that a reinforcing rib is further provided between the air lumen and the fixed frame side wall, the reinforcing rib including a tubular portion provided on the lower end surface of the air lumen and surrounding the support tube, and a plurality of rib portions extending from the tubular portion to the fixed frame side wall.

9. 5. The rotary IVC system of claim 4, wherein the air lumen is provided with a sealed end cover, the sealed end cover has a through hole for passing through the support tube, and the sealed end cover seals the air lumen such that it forms fluid communication only with the inside of the support tube and the exhaust tube.

10. The rotary IVC system of claim 2, characterized in that the upper end surface of the bottom surface of the fixed frame is divided into a plurality of equal parts corresponding to a plurality of cages by a plurality of protrusions arranged along the radial direction, and within each equal part, a slide groove and two fixing holes extending from the edge of the bottom surface of the fixed frame to its center are provided, the slide groove and the two fixing holes are distributed in a triangular shape, and a slide rail and a fixing part that fit the slide groove and fixing holes are provided at the lower end of the cage.

11. The side wall of the fixed frame includes a first polygonal side wall formed on an upper end surface of the bottom surface of the fixed frame and a second polygonal side wall formed on a lower end surface of the bottom surface of the fixed frame, the first polygonal side wall and the second polygonal side wall are arranged coaxially, and each side of the first polygonal side wall fits into two adjacent protrusions, The rotary IVC system of claim 10, characterized in that the lower end of the second polygonal side wall of the bottom surface of the fixed frame may be sealed and fitted to the upper end of the first polygonal side wall of another bottom surface of the fixed frame provided below the bottom surface of the fixed frame to form an air supply pipeline communicating with each cage fixed frame unit.

12. The rotating IVC system of claim 1, further comprising a cage frame for accommodating a cage fixing frame, the cage frame including a bottom plate, an upper plate, and a plurality of pillars arranged between the upper plate and the bottom plate, the cage fixing frame being rotatably arranged within the cage frame, and a plurality of casters being fixedly arranged on the lower end surface of the bottom plate.

13. The rotary IVC system of claim 12, characterized in that the upper and bottom plates have an air bleed port communicating with the exhaust pipeline, the upper plate has an air intake port surrounding the air bleed port and communicating with the air supply pipeline, and the air bleed port and the air intake port communicate with a fresh air supply and exhaust system in the barrier environment through a cage frame fluid piping with a quick connection, thereby forming a cage circulation fresh air supply and exhaust system.

14. The rotary IVC system of claim 13, characterized in that seal rings and shaft parts are provided at locations corresponding to the joint positions of the air supply pipeline and the intake port and the exhaust pipeline and the bleed port between the lower end surface of the upper plate and the upper end surface of the cage fixing frame, and shaft parts are provided at locations corresponding to the joint positions of the exhaust pipeline and the bleed port on the bottom plate.

15. 2. The rotary IVC system according to claim 1, wherein the exhaust pipes have the same length and hole diameter, and the air supply openings have the same hole diameter.

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