Optically Accessible Egg Window for Intravital Capillary Observation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for drug development, particularly for microcirculation-targeting drugs, are time-consuming, costly, and ethically challenging, necessitating improved in vivo experimental models that are minimally invasive and cost-effective.
Innovation Solution
An optically accessible system for embryonated eggs is developed, comprising a disc with a concave inner surface and a central through hole, allowing intravital studies with minimal invasiveness and sterility, using transparent plates and breathable membranes for real-time vascular capillary tissue observation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional animal models are used for drug development, then comprehensive in vivo data can be obtained, but the process becomes time-consuming, costly, and ethically challenging
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the essential in vivo testing function from complex animal models by using a simplified chick embryo model that can be observed directly through the eggshell, eliminating the need for invasive procedures and long development cycles while maintaining physiological relevance
Solution Approach 2:
The invention creates a simplified copy of the in vivo system using chick embryos that replicate key physiological processes of adult animals, allowing drug screening without requiring full-scale animal models, thus reducing time and ethical concerns while preserving data reliability
2Reliability
If traditional animal models are used for drug development, then comprehensive in vivo data can be obtained, but costs and ethical impact increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention employs disposable chick embryo models that are inexpensive to obtain and maintain compared to traditional animal models, allowing multiple testing iterations without the high costs associated with animal housing, care, and ethical compliance, while still providing reliable in vivo data
3Difficulty of detecting and measuring
If invasive methods are used for observation, then detailed internal structures can be viewed, but the system becomes less stable and more harmful
Solution Approach 1:
The invention uses the eggshell and air cell as natural intermediaries that allow optical access to the chick embryo's internal structures without requiring invasive procedures, enabling detailed observation of vascular and tissue development while maintaining the integrity and stability of the living system
4Difficulty of detecting and measuring
If complex imaging systems are used for intravital studies, then detailed observations can be made, but the device complexity and costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention leverages the natural optical properties of the eggshell and air cell structure to provide self-service imaging capabilities, allowing standard optical microscopes to capture detailed intravital images without requiring complex specialized imaging equipment, thus reducing system complexity and costs while maintaining high observation capability
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables rapid, versatile, and reliable pre-screening of therapeutic agents on embryonal models, reducing costs and ethical concerns by eliminating the need for animal testing, and providing high-quality data for drug development.
Implementation Method 1
a disc (10) having the function of a plug for an egg from which at least a part of the shell has been removed, said disc having a concave inner surface to reflect the profile of an egg
Data Source
AI summary
An optically accessible system for studies on embryonated eggs characterized in that it comprises a disc (10) having a concave inner surface to reflect the profile of an egg; said disc (10) comprises a central through hole (11); said hole (11) is closed by a transparent plate (16) to make said system optically accessible; said through hole (11) is adapted to be placed alongside the respiratory membrane of an embryonated egg from which, in the portion where said system is to be made optically accessible, the shell has been partially removed.