Infrared Animal Cage Tracking for Dark-Cycle Behavior Monitoring
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing animal tracking systems in laboratory settings are inefficient and resource-intensive, requiring manual counting and observation to monitor animal presence, position, and behavior, especially during light and dark cycles, which disrupts animal biological rhythms.
Innovation Solution
A system and method using infrared-reflective identification tags and optical sensors to track animals within cages, capturing images during light and dark cycles, enabling automated identification and tracking of individual animals based on unique patterns and positions, and recording their movements and behaviors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If manual counting and observation methods are used to monitor animal presence and behavior, then monitoring can be performed without specialized equipment, but the process becomes resource-intensive and disrupts animal biological rhythms
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical observation with an automated optical detection system. Optical sensors capture images of animals in cages, and image processing algorithms automatically identify and track animals based on their reflection patterns. This substitution eliminates the need for human observers and allows continuous monitoring without disrupting animal rhythms.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables animals to serve as their own identifiers through their unique optical reflection patterns. Each animal's body structure naturally creates a distinct reflection pattern when illuminated, allowing the system to automatically distinguish and track individual animals without requiring external tagging or identification devices.
2Productivity
If automated optical tracking systems are implemented to monitor animals continuously, then monitoring efficiency and data accuracy are improved, but system complexity and resource requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and utilizes the inherent optical reflection properties of animal bodies as the identification mechanism. By focusing on the natural reflection patterns created by animal anatomy rather than requiring complex identification tags or implants, the system reduces device complexity while maintaining tracking capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates optical copies or images of animals through camera capture. These digital images are then processed to extract identification and tracking information, replacing the need for physical identification devices and simplifying the overall system architecture.
3Duration of action of stationary object
If infrared illumination is used to enable tracking during dark cycles, then continuous monitoring capability is improved, but energy consumption and potential disruption to animals increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the wavelength parameter of illumination from visible light to infrared. This parameter change allows illumination to occur during dark cycles without affecting animal behavior, as infrared light is invisible to most laboratory animals. The system maintains continuous monitoring capability while minimizing disruption to animal biological rhythms.
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 precise, non-invasive, and continuous monitoring of animal presence, position, and behavior, reducing manual effort and minimizing disruption to animal rhythms, while providing detailed behavioral analysis and health insights.
Implementation Method 1
an optical emitter configured to emit infrared light toward an interior volume of an animal cage
Implementation Method 2
a first identification tag configured to install on a first ear of a first animal in a population of animals occupying the animal cage and including a first outer face configured to reflect infrared light in a first pattern
Implementation Method 3
an optical sensor configured to capture an infrared image of the interior volume of the animal cage
Data Source
AI summary
A method for animal identification and tracking includes, during a dark cycle: illuminating an interior of an animal cage with light outside of a visible light range; and capturing a first image of the interior of the animal cage. The method also includes: detecting a first identification tag in the first image; extracting a first set of tag features from the first image; identifying a first animal identifier of a first animal, tagged with the first identification tag, based on the first set of tag features; interpreting a first animal position of the first animal occupying the animal cage based on the first image; appending a cage log with the first animal identifier, a first timestamp corresponding to a time of capture of the first image, and the first animal position.