High-throughput automatic disinfection device for experimental animal transport cages

Abstract

A high-throughput automatic disinfection device for experimental animal transport cages, the high-throughput automatic disinfection device comprising a front-end support assembly (1), a rear-end support assembly (2) and a disinfection mechanism (3), wherein the disinfection mechanism (3) comprises a bottom frame (4), an upper frame (5) and a disinfection chamber assembly; a plurality of rollers (6) arranged in parallel are provided between a left rim and a right rim of the upper frame (5), and there is a gap between two adjacent rollers (6); the disinfection chamber assembly comprises a chamber body (7), which is a box with a front opening and a rear opening, and ultraviolet lamps (8) are provided on four faces in the box, respectively; and two baffles (9) are provided on a bottom plate of the box, light-blocking curtains (10) are provided at the front open end and the rear open end of the box, respectively, the four faces in the box are reflective faces, and upper light-blocking plates (11) and lower light-blocking plates (12) are provided in the box close to the front opening and the rear opening, respectively. The high-throughput automatic disinfection device for experimental animal transport cages can eliminate pathogenic microorganisms on the outer surface of a transport box outside an animal facility building, thereby reducing the risk of facility contamination, and eliminating the health risks of the staff in the facility building.

Description

A high-throughput automatic disinfection device for experimental animal transport cages Technical Field

[0001] The invention belongs to the technical field of life sciences and relates to a high-throughput automatic disinfection device for experimental animal transport cages. Background Art

[0002] In the history of human life science development, experimental animals are an important part of life science research. The high quality of microbial control of experimental animals (rats and mice) is crucial to the development of scientific research, and the level of microbial control is closely related to the disinfection of animals in our daily life. At present, the experimental rats and mice required by domestic research institutes and universities are mainly sourced from domestic enterprises and institutions with production qualifications. The animals for sale are packaged and sealed within the barrier of the production facility, and then transported to the user facility by air or land. The staff of the user facility generally transports the purchased animals in batches to the vicinity of the animal facility quarantine room, and then wipes the outer surface with disinfectant, or disinfects it by other means. The animals are then brought into the quarantine room inside the facility barrier together with the transport boxes, unpacked and separated into cages for quarantine. After passing the quarantine, the animals enter different breeding rooms for subsequent scientific research.

[0003] In the experimental animal industry, it is very common for experimental animals to flow between production or users and user facilities. The environment during transportation is relatively complex. Therefore, when the transport cage arrives at the user's destination facility, the outer surface of the transport box may be at risk of contamination. Although the animals are in professional transport boxes, the level of microbial control can be ensured. However, the outer surface of the box may be at risk of contamination during transportation. If the facility management personnel fail to disinfect the outer surface of the transport box, foreign pathogenic microorganisms are very likely to be unknowingly brought into the facility building, which will pose a potential health risk to the staff in the building. In more serious cases, it may endanger the safety of existing animals within the facility barrier and affect the ongoing scientific experiments.

[0004] In summary, disinfection of the outer surface of transport packaging is crucial to maintaining a high level of microbial control in a facility. Technical issues

[0005] In order to solve the above technical problems, the present invention proposes a high-throughput automatic disinfection device for experimental animal transport cages. This device can effectively solve the problem of disinfecting the outer surface of the transport packaging box when the transport cage enters the destination facility building. Compared with traditional wiping disinfection, it can not only eliminate pathogenic microorganisms on the outer surface of the transport box outside the animal facility building, reduce the risk of facility contamination, and eliminate the health risk of the facility building staff, but also, through this device, a batch of animal transport cages can be automatically disinfected with high throughput, which can improve the work efficiency of the facility staff per unit time. Technical Solutions

[0006] The technical solution of the present invention to solve the above problems is: a high-throughput automatic disinfection device for experimental animal transport cages, which is special in that:

[0007] It includes a front-end support assembly, a rear-end support assembly and a disinfection mechanism;

[0008] The front end support assembly and the rear end support assembly are respectively arranged at both ends of the disinfection mechanism to support the disinfection mechanism;

[0009] The disinfection mechanism includes a bottom frame, an upper frame and a disinfection chamber assembly. The bottom frame and the upper frame are both rectangular structures. The upper frame is located on the upper part of the bottom frame and the two are arranged in parallel. The front and rear ends of the bottom frame and the upper frame are respectively connected to the front support assembly and the rear support assembly. A plurality of parallel rollers are provided between the left and right frames of the upper frame, and there is a gap between two adjacent rollers.

[0010] The disinfection chamber assembly includes a chamber body, which is a box body with front and rear openings. The bottom of the box body is arranged on the upper surface of the bottom frame, and the upper frame passes through the interior of the box body. The four surfaces inside the box body are respectively provided with ultraviolet lamps; two baffles are provided on the bottom plate of the box body, and the two baffles are respectively located at the front and rear ends of the bottom plate, and light-blocking curtains are respectively provided at the front and rear open ends of the box body. The four surfaces inside the box body are all reflective surfaces, and upper and lower light-blocking plates are provided inside the box body near the front and rear openings.

[0011] Furthermore, the four inner surfaces of the box are respectively provided with a plurality of trapezoidal grooves, the ultraviolet lamp is arranged in the trapezoidal grooves, and the trapezoidal grooves are also provided with a mesh cover for protecting the ultraviolet lamp to prevent the experimental animal transport cage from colliding with the ultraviolet lamp and causing damage to the ultraviolet lamp.

[0012] Furthermore, the height of the baffle is lower than the bottom height of the bottom frame, the upper light blocking plate is vertically arranged near the front and rear openings inside the box, the top of which is fixed to the top plate of the box, and the lower end is at a certain distance from the upper frame, the lower light blocking plate is vertically arranged, the bottom of which is fixed to the bottom plate of the box, and the lower light blocking plate is arranged corresponding to the upper light blocking plate.

[0013] Furthermore, the upper light blocking plate and the lower light blocking plate are brown plastic plates.

[0014] Furthermore, the four surfaces of the box are made of mirror-finished 304 stainless steel.

[0015] Furthermore, the ultraviolet lamp located at the upper part of the box is an electrodeless ultraviolet lamp, and the wavelength of the electrodeless ultraviolet lamp is 254nm.

[0016] Furthermore, the ultraviolet lamps located at the lower part and both sides of the box are pulsed xenon ultraviolet lamps, and the wavelength of the pulsed xenon ultraviolet lamps is 254nm.

[0017] Furthermore, the front end support assembly and the rear end support assembly each include two support legs, and universal wheels are provided at the bottom of the support legs.

[0018] Furthermore, the roller is mounted on the upper frame via a bearing, a driven sprocket is provided at one end of the roller, a motor is provided on the upper frame, a driving sprocket is mounted on the motor output shaft, and the driving sprocket and each driven sprocket are connected via a chain.

[0019] Furthermore, a control switch is included, which is used to control the rotation of the motor and the start of the ultraviolet lamp. The control switch can be set on the front support component or the rear support component. Beneficial effects

[0020] Advantages of the present invention:

[0021] The present invention provides a high-throughput automatic disinfection device for experimental animal transport cages. This device can effectively solve the problem of disinfecting the outer surface of the transport packaging box when the transport cage enters the destination facility building. Compared with traditional wiping disinfection, it can not only eliminate pathogenic microorganisms on the outer surface of the transport box outside the animal facility building, reduce the risk of facility contamination, and eliminate the health risk of the facility building staff, but also, through this device, a batch of animal transport cages can be automatically disinfected with high throughput, which can improve the work efficiency of the facility staff per unit time. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] FIG1 is a side view of a high-throughput automatic disinfection device for experimental animal transport cages provided by the present invention;

[0023] FIG2 is a cross-sectional view of FIG1 ;

[0024] FIG3 is a front view of FIG1;

[0025] FIG4 is a cross-sectional view of FIG3 .

[0026] Among them, 1-front end support assembly, 2-rear end support assembly, 3-disinfection mechanism, 4-bottom frame, 5-upper frame, 6-drum, 7-warehouse body, 8-UV lamp, 9-baffle, 10-light blocking curtain, 11-upper light blocking plate, 12-lower light blocking plate, 13-trapezoidal groove, 14-control switch, 15-universal wheel. Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0027] In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, the following detailed description of the embodiments of the present invention provided in the drawings is not intended to limit the scope of the invention for which protection is claimed, but merely represents selected embodiments of the present invention.

[0028] In the description of the present invention, it should be clarified that the terms "vertical", "transverse", "longitudinal", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "up", "down", "horizontal", etc. in the specification and claims of the present invention and the above-mentioned drawings indicate orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and do not mean that the devices or elements referred to must have a specific orientation or position. Therefore, they cannot be understood as limiting the present invention.

[0029] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, the terms "mounted," "connected," and "connected" should be understood broadly. For example, they may refer to fixed, detachable, or integral connections; mechanical or electrical connections; and direct or indirect connections through an intermediary. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0030] The movement of experimental animals, rats and mice, across regions and units outside barriers is very common in the industry. During transportation, the traditional wiping and disinfection of the outer surface of the animal packaging box is not comprehensive and inefficient, and there may be a risk of contamination. Therefore, this application proposes a high-throughput automatic disinfection device for experimental animal transport cages.

[0031] 1 to 4 , the high-throughput automatic disinfection device for experimental animal transport cages includes: a front-end support assembly 1, a rear-end support assembly 2 and a disinfection mechanism 3. The front-end support assembly 1 and the rear-end support assembly 2 are respectively arranged at the two ends of the disinfection mechanism 3 for supporting the disinfection mechanism 3.

[0032] Specifically, referring to Figure 2, the disinfection mechanism 3 includes a bottom frame 4, an upper frame 5, and a disinfection chamber assembly. The bottom frame 4 and the upper frame 5 are both horizontally arranged rectangular structures, with the upper frame 5 located above the bottom frame 4. The front and rear ends of the bottom frame 4 and the upper frame 5 are respectively fixedly connected to the front support assembly 1 and the rear support assembly 2. A plurality of parallel rollers 6 are provided between the left and right sides of the upper frame 5, with a certain gap between adjacent rollers 6.

[0033] Specifically, referring to Figures 2, 3, and 4, the disinfection chamber assembly includes a chamber body 7, which is a box body with front and rear openings. The bottom of the box body is fixed to the upper surface of the bottom frame 4, and the upper frame 5 passes through the interior of the box body and exits from the front and rear open ends of the box body. The four surfaces inside the box body are respectively provided with ultraviolet lamps 8, and the light emitted by the ultraviolet lamps 8 is used to disinfect the exterior of the transport cage. The four surfaces inside the box body are all reflective surfaces for reflecting the light emitted by the ultraviolet lamps 8. The interior of the box body is provided with an upper light baffle 11 and a lower light baffle 12 near the front and rear openings, which are mainly used to block the light emitted by the ultraviolet lamp 8 from emitting outside the chamber body 7. Two baffles 9 are provided on the bottom plate of the box, located at the front and rear ends of the bottom plate, respectively. Light-blocking curtains 10 are provided at the front and rear openings of the box, respectively. The upper ends of the light-blocking curtains 10 are fixed to the top plate of the box, and the lower portions of the light-blocking curtains are attached to the roller. The positions of the light-blocking curtains 10 and the baffles 9 correspond to each other, and the light-blocking curtains naturally droop under their own gravity. When the light-blocking curtains are stationary, they can seal the inlet and outlet of the upper portion of the roller. The two baffles 9 and the light-blocking curtains 10 are primarily used to block the light emitted by the ultraviolet lamp 8 from emitting outside the chamber 7.

[0034] The experimental animal transport cage is placed on the roller 6, which rolls and drives it from the front end of the warehouse body 7 into the interior of the warehouse body 7. The light emitted by the ultraviolet lamp 8 irradiates the surface of the transport cage for disinfection. There is a certain gap between two adjacent rollers 6, which will not hinder the light emitted by the ultraviolet lamp 8 at the bottom of the warehouse body 7 from being emitted upward. After the experimental animal transport cage is disinfected, it is output from the rear end of the warehouse body 7, completing the disinfection.

[0035] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, referring to FIG2 , the four interior surfaces of the housing are each provided with a plurality of trapezoidal grooves 13. UV lamps 8 are positioned within these grooves. These grooves 13 are also provided with mesh covers to protect UV lamps 8. This prevents damage to the UV lamps caused by collisions with the experimental animal transport cage. Furthermore, the inner walls of the trapezoidal grooves 13 are also mirrored, effectively reflecting light.

[0036] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, referring to FIG. 2 , the height of the baffle 9 is lower than the bottom height of the bottom frame 4. The upper light baffle near the front and rear openings inside the box is vertically arranged, with its top fixed to the top plate of the box, and the lower end is at a certain distance from the upper frame 5. The lower light baffle 12 is vertically arranged, with its bottom fixed to the bottom plate of the box, and the lower light baffle 12 is arranged corresponding to the upper light baffle, and the distance between the upper baffle and the roller must ensure that the experimental animal transport cage can pass through.

[0037] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the upper and lower light-blocking panels 11, 12 are made of brown plastic sheets, as shown in FIG2 , and provide excellent light-blocking performance. Referring to FIG4 , the light-blocking curtain 10 is composed of multiple strips, with the gap between two connected strips minimized. The width of the light-blocking curtain 10 can be greater than the front and rear openings of the chamber 7 .

[0038] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the four inner surfaces of the warehouse body 7 are made of mirror-finished 304 stainless steel, which is wear-resistant and reflective, and can achieve a good disinfection effect on the experimental animal transport cage.

[0039] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the UV lamp located in the upper portion of the chamber is a stepless UV lamp. The UV lamps 8 located in the lower portion and on both sides of the chamber are pulsed xenon UV lamps. The stepless UV lamps are 300 mm long, have a power of 250 W, and a wavelength of 254 nm. Four are evenly distributed in the upper portion of the chamber. The pulsed xenon UV lamps are 160 mm long, have a power of 15 W, and a wavelength of 254 nm. Ten are evenly distributed in the lower portion and on both sides of the chamber.

[0040] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, referring to Figures 1 and 2, the front-end support assembly 1 and the rear-end support assembly 2 each include two support legs, and a universal wheel 15 is provided at the bottom of the support legs, so that the entire device can be moved as needed. The universal wheel 15 has a self-locking function. When it reaches the set position, the self-locking function of the universal wheel 15 is turned on to fix the device.

[0041] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the drum 6 is mounted on the upper frame 5 via a bearing. A driven sprocket is provided at one end of the drum 6. A motor is mounted on the upper frame 5. A driving sprocket is mounted on the motor output shaft. The driving sprocket and the driven sprockets are connected by a chain. The motor drives the driving sprocket to rotate, which in turn drives the drum 6 via the chain to achieve the transportation of experimental animals.

[0042] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, referring to FIG1 , a control switch 14 is further included. The control switch 14 is used to control the rotation of the motor and the activation of the ultraviolet lamp 8. The control switch 14 can be provided on the front support assembly 1 or the rear support assembly 2. The motor is a stepper motor, and the control switch 14 can control the speed of the stepper motor, thereby controlling the transport speed of the experimental animals. In a specific implementation, the transport speed of the roller is controlled to be 9-12 mm / s.

[0043] In summary, the present invention proposes a high-throughput automatic disinfection device for experimental animal transport cages, which can effectively solve the problem of disinfecting the outer surface of the transport packaging box when the transport cage enters the destination facility building. Compared with traditional wiping disinfection, it can not only eliminate pathogenic microorganisms on the outer surface of the transport box outside the animal facility building, reduce the risk of facility contamination, and eliminate the health risk of the facility building staff, but also, through this device, a batch of animal transport cages can be automatically disinfected with high throughput, which can improve the work efficiency of the facility staff per unit time.

[0044] The above descriptions are merely embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention. Any equivalent structure or equivalent process transformation made using the contents of the present invention description and drawings, or directly or indirectly applied to other related system fields, are also included in the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A high-throughput automatic disinfection device for experimental animal transport cages, characterized in that: It comprises a front-end support assembly (1), a rear-end support assembly (2) and a disinfection mechanism (3); The front end support assembly (1) and the rear end support assembly (2) are respectively arranged at two ends of the disinfection mechanism (3) and are used to support the disinfection mechanism (3); The disinfection mechanism (3) comprises a bottom frame (4), an upper frame (5) and a disinfection chamber assembly. The bottom frame (4) and the upper frame (5) are both rectangular structures. The upper frame (5) is located above the bottom frame (4), and the two are arranged in parallel. The front and rear ends of the bottom frame (4) and the upper frame (5) are respectively connected to the front support assembly (1) and the rear support assembly (2). A plurality of rollers (6) arranged in parallel are arranged between the left and right frames of the upper frame (5), and there is a gap between two adjacent rollers (6). The disinfection chamber assembly comprises a chamber body (7), which is a box body with front and rear openings, the bottom of the box body is arranged on the upper surface of the bottom frame (4), the upper frame (5) passes through the interior of the box body, and the four surfaces inside the box body are respectively provided with ultraviolet lamps (8); two baffles (9) are arranged on the bottom plate of the box body, and the two baffles (9) are respectively located at the front and rear ends of the bottom plate, and light-blocking curtains (10) are respectively arranged at the front and rear opening ends of the box body, and the four surfaces inside the box body are all reflective surfaces, and the interior of the box body is provided with an upper light-blocking plate (11) and a lower light-blocking plate (12) near the front and rear openings.

2. [Corrected 18.02.2024 in accordance with Rule 91] The high-throughput automatic disinfection device for experimental animal transport cages according to claim 1 is characterized in that: A plurality of trapezoidal grooves (13) are respectively provided on the four inner surfaces of the box body, and the ultraviolet lamp (8) is arranged in the trapezoidal groove (13). A mesh cover for protecting the ultraviolet lamp (8) is also provided on the trapezoidal groove (13).

3. The high-throughput automatic disinfection device for experimental animal transport cages according to claim 2, characterized in that: The height of the baffle (9) is lower than the bottom height of the bottom frame (4); an upper light baffle is vertically arranged near the front and rear openings inside the box, with its top fixed to the top plate of the box and its lower end at a certain distance from the upper frame (5); a lower light baffle (12) is vertically arranged with its bottom fixed to the bottom plate of the box, and the lower light baffle (12) is arranged correspondingly to the upper light baffle.

4. The high-throughput automatic disinfection device for experimental animal transport cages according to claim 3, characterized in that: The upper light blocking plate (11) and the lower light blocking plate (12) are brown plastic plates.

5. The high-throughput automatic disinfection device for experimental animal transport cages according to claim 4, characterized in that: The four surfaces of the box are made of mirror-finished 304 stainless steel.

6. The high-throughput automatic disinfection device for experimental animal transport cages according to claim 5, characterized in that: The ultraviolet lamp (8) located at the upper part of the box body is an electrodeless ultraviolet lamp, and the wavelength of the electrodeless ultraviolet lamp is 254nm.

7. The high-throughput automatic disinfection device for experimental animal transport cages according to claim 6, characterized in that: The ultraviolet lamps (8) located at the lower part and both sides of the box body are pulse xenon ultraviolet lamps, and the wavelength of the pulse xenon ultraviolet lamps is 254nm.

8. The high-throughput automatic disinfection device for experimental animal transport cages according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: The front end support assembly (1) and the rear end support assembly (2) each comprise two support legs, and universal wheels (15) are provided at the bottom of the support legs.

9. The high-throughput automatic disinfection device for experimental animal transport cages according to claim 8, characterized in that: The roller (6) is mounted on the upper frame (5) via a bearing, a driven sprocket is provided at one end of the roller (6), the upper frame (5) is provided with a motor, a driving sprocket is mounted on the motor output shaft, and the driving sprocket and the driven sprockets are connected via a chain.

10. The high-throughput automatic disinfection device for experimental animal transport cages according to claim 9, characterized in that: It also includes a control switch (14), which is used to control the rotation of the motor and the turning on of the ultraviolet lamp (8). The control switch (14) can be arranged on the front support component (1) or the rear support component (2).

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