CN219516658U - Mouse fixing device suitable for photoacoustic tomography brain imaging - Google Patents

Abstract

The utility model discloses a mouse fixing device suitable for photoacoustic tomography brain imaging, which relates to the technical field of mouse fixing, and comprises a supporting seat, a head fixing assembly and a buffer, wherein the supporting seat is L-shaped and is used for fixing a mouse body; the head fixing component is arranged at the top end of the supporting seat, one end of the head fixing component is hinged with the supporting seat and is used for fixing the head of the mouse; one end of the buffer is fixed on the supporting seat, the other end of the buffer is connected with the other end of the head fixing assembly, and the buffer is used for controlling the relative height of the head fixing assembly and the supporting seat and receiving an ultrasonic water sac in the photoacoustic tomography brain imaging system so as to relieve pressure on the head of a mouse. Through design head fixed subassembly and buffer, make the nimble angle of bending of adjustment of mouse neck according to experimental conditions, alleviate the water pocket pressure that receives under the neck bending state of mouse, ensured the stability and the security of the photoacoustic fault brain formation of image of mouse under gaseous anesthesia.

Description

Mouse fixing device suitable for photoacoustic tomography brain imaging

Technical Field

The utility model relates to the technical field of mouse fixation, in particular to a mouse fixing device suitable for photoacoustic tomography brain imaging.

Background

Central nervous system diseases include alzheimer's disease, parkinson's disease, huntington's disease, epilepsy, etc., and most frequently have ambiguous pathogenesis, many complications, difficult nursing and treatment, and cause serious socioeconomic burden. In clinical scientific researches on the diseases, mice are often selected as model animals due to strong reproductive capacity, short breeding cycle, small size, easy control, complete transgenic lines and mature molecular control.

The photoacoustic tomography technology is used as a novel compound imaging technology based on the photoacoustic effect, has the safety of optical imaging, high contrast and penetration depth of ultrasonic imaging, and is rapidly developed in the fields of angiography, tumor diagnosis, brain function imaging and the like. The experimental steps of the living brain imaging of the small animal based on the photoacoustic tomography system are as follows: after the mice are anesthetized, the mice are fixed on an imaging platform, an ultrasonic couplant is smeared on the head to be in close contact with an ultrasonic water sac, and real-time high-quality imaging is carried out on blood vessels, tumors and brain functions of the mice through a photoacoustic tomography system. In order to avoid the head of a small animal from generating moving image quality in the imaging process under the awake state, the head of the small animal needs to be fixed, and meanwhile, isoflurane anesthesia is adopted to control the anesthesia depth of the small animal in real time so as to explore the brain function and activity condition of the small animal.

However, in order to improve the imaging quality of tomographic imaging, enough ultrasonic array elements are often placed in a smaller imaging space, and the imaging area is required to be located as centrally as possible in the array to ensure uniform illumination and efficient photoacoustic signal reception. Conventional mouse fixtures, such as brain stereotactic machines, are therefore not compatible with the smaller imaging volume of the system due to their oversized dimensions. In addition, due to the limitations of light, insonification depth and imaging area, the mice need to be imaged with the brain in a vertical and bent head posture, so that the brain is kept as horizontal as possible, and the mice can be conveniently debugged in a limited space of the system to achieve the optimal imaging effect. After the head of the mouse is dehaired, the ultrasonic couplant is smeared and tightly attached to a water sac in an ultrasonic array in the system, so that photoacoustic signals are transmitted through water, and signal loss is reduced. Because the water sac is large in volume, a contact point with the head of the mouse can generate large pressure, when the head of the mouse is in a bending state, the respiration channel of the mouse is pressed, so that the mouse is choked and dead, and the imaging and continuous observation of blood vessels are not facilitated.

Disclosure of Invention

The embodiment of the utility model aims to provide a mouse fixing device suitable for photoacoustic tomography brain imaging, which is used for solving the technical problems that the mouse brain photoacoustic tomography imaging device in the related technology is large in size and easy to cause asphyxia of mice, can realize the operations of fixing, anesthesia and the like of mice in tomography, effectively improves the experimental success rate of living small animal imaging, and reduces the operation difficulty.

According to a first aspect of an embodiment of the present utility model, there is provided a mouse fixing device suitable for photoacoustic tomography brain imaging, including a support base, a head fixing component and a buffer, wherein the support base is L-shaped and is used for fixing a mouse body; the head fixing component is arranged at the top end of the supporting seat, one end of the head fixing component is hinged with the supporting seat and is used for fixing the head of the mouse; one end of the buffer is fixed on the supporting seat, the other end of the buffer is connected with the other end of the head fixing assembly, and the buffer is used for controlling the relative height of the head fixing assembly and the supporting seat and receiving an ultrasonic water sac in the photoacoustic tomography brain imaging system so as to relieve pressure on the head of a mouse.

Further, a plurality of body fixing pieces are arranged on the supporting seat so as to fix the limbs of the mice.

Further, the head fixing assembly comprises a head holder and a tooth fixer, a first rotating shaft is arranged on the supporting seat, a second rotating shaft is arranged on the head holder, the first rotating shaft and the second rotating shaft are connected through a hinge, and the tooth fixer is used for penetrating into the oral cavity of a mouse and locking the tooth of the mouse.

Further, the hinge is a damped hinge.

Further, a nose cover and an anesthetic line interface are arranged on the head holder, the nose cover Cheng Yuan is cylindrical and is suitable for the mouth and nose of a mouse, the anesthetic line interface is connected with an external anesthetic line, and the incisor holder is sleeved in the nose cover.

Further, the tooth fixer comprises a tooth clamping groove and a push-pull screw hole, the head holder is provided with a push-pull groove, the head holder is connected with the tooth fixer through a push-pull nut, and the push-pull nut penetrates through the push-pull groove and is fixedly connected with the push-pull screw hole, so that the tooth fixer can move along the push-pull groove.

Further, the buffer comprises a buffer plate and a lifting column, wherein the buffer plate is cylindrical, the outer diameter of the buffer plate is smaller than the diameter of an imaging area in the photoacoustic tomography system, the inner diameter of the buffer plate is larger than the diameter of a head of a mouse, and two ends of the lifting column are respectively connected with the buffer plate and the supporting seat.

The technical scheme provided by the embodiment of the utility model can comprise the following beneficial effects:

according to the embodiment, the head fixing assembly and the buffer are designed, so that the bending angle of the neck of the mouse can be flexibly adjusted according to experimental conditions, the pressure generated by the water sac under the bending state of the neck of the mouse is reduced, the stability and the safety of photoacoustic tomography brain imaging of the mouse under gas anesthesia are ensured, non-experimental purpose damage in the imaging process is reduced, continuous research work is facilitated, the success rate of experiments is effectively improved, and animal welfare of the experiments is ensured.

It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the utility model as claimed.

Drawings

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with the utility model and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the utility model.

Fig. 1 is an assembly structure diagram illustrating a mouse fixing device suitable for photoacoustic tomography brain imaging according to an exemplary embodiment.

Fig. 2 is a schematic structural view of a fixing base according to an exemplary embodiment.

Fig. 3 is a schematic view of a head holder according to an exemplary embodiment.

Fig. 4 is a schematic structural view of a tooth holder according to an exemplary embodiment.

Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating a structure of a buffer according to an exemplary embodiment.

Reference numerals: 1. a support base; 2. a body mount; 3. a first rotation shaft; 4. a head holder; 5. a nose mask; 6. an anesthetic line interface; 7. a push-pull groove; 8. a tooth holder; 9. push-pull screw holes; 10. a door tooth clamping groove; 11. a buffer; 12. a buffer plate; 13. lifting columns.

Detailed Description

Reference will now be made in detail to exemplary embodiments, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. When the following description refers to the accompanying drawings, the same numbers in different drawings refer to the same or similar elements, unless otherwise indicated. The implementations described in the following exemplary examples do not represent all implementations consistent with the utility model.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the utility model. As used in this specification and the appended claims, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should also be understood that the term "and/or" as used herein refers to and encompasses any or all possible combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

It should be understood that although the terms first, second, third, etc. may be used herein to describe various information, these information should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one type of information from another. For example, first information may also be referred to as second information, and similarly, second information may also be referred to as first information, without departing from the scope of the utility model. The word "if" as used herein may be interpreted as "at … …" or "at … …" or "responsive to a determination", depending on the context.

Since photoacoustic tomography systems often employ annular or hemispherical ultrasound arrays for the reception of photoacoustic signals, the intermediate space is the imaging region. In order to improve the imaging quality of tomographic imaging, enough ultrasonic array elements are often placed in a smaller space, so that the imaging area is smaller. When a mouse performs brain imaging in a prone position, the length of the body exceeds an imaging area, the requirement that an imaging sample (head) is positioned at the center of the array cannot be met, and uniform illumination and effective photoacoustic signal reception cannot be ensured. Conventional mouse fixtures, such as brain stereotactic machines, are therefore not compatible with the smaller imaging volume of the system due to their oversized dimensions and do not meet the head angle adjustment requirements. Photoacoustic tomography of the brain of a mouse plays a very important role in the study of brain functions of the mouse, but a proper experimental device is lacking at present. Therefore, the utility model provides the mouse fixing device suitable for photoacoustic tomography brain imaging, which can realize imaging operation of a mouse under a photoacoustic tomography system, comprises body fixing, safe and stable anesthesia and effective body protection in imaging, never improves experiment success rate, and fully ensures animal welfare.

Fig. 1 is an assembly structure diagram of a mouse fixing device suitable for photoacoustic tomography brain imaging according to an exemplary embodiment, and as shown in fig. 1, the device may include a support base 1, a head fixing assembly, and a buffer 11, the support base 1 being L-shaped for fixing a mouse body; the head fixing component is arranged at the top end of the supporting seat 1, and one end of the head fixing component is hinged with the supporting seat 1 and is used for fixing the head of a mouse; one end of the buffer 11 is fixed on the supporting seat 1, and the other end of the buffer 11 is connected with the other end of the head fixing component, and is used for controlling the relative height of the head fixing component and the supporting seat 1 and receiving an ultrasonic water sac in the photoacoustic tomography brain imaging system so as to relieve the pressure on the head of the mouse.

According to the embodiment, the head fixing assembly and the buffer 11 are designed, so that the bending angle of the neck of the mouse can be flexibly adjusted according to experimental conditions, the pressure generated by the water sac under the bending state of the neck of the mouse is reduced, the stability and the safety of photoacoustic tomography brain imaging of the mouse under gas anesthesia are ensured, non-experimental purpose damage in the imaging process is reduced, continuous research work is facilitated, the success rate of experiments is effectively improved, and animal welfare of the experiments is ensured.

Specifically, the support base 1 is provided with a plurality of body fixing members 2 for fixing limbs of a mouse. As shown in fig. 1 and 2, the support base 1 is preferably matched with the body size of a mouse (weight range is 15-40 g), the length is slightly longer than the body length below the neck of the mouse, and the width is slightly wider than the body width of the mouse after the body of the mouse is opened. The bottom of the supporting seat 1 can be fixed on a lifting table for adjusting the height of an imaging surface. In the imaging process, in order to prevent instability of fixation for a long time and damage to the head of a mouse, the body of the mouse needs to be fixed. As shown in fig. 2, the support base 1 further includes body fixing members 2, and preferably, four body fixing members 2 are provided for fixing the limbs of the mice. The internal opening of the body fixing part 2 is matched with the size of the four limbs of the mouse, and is fixed on the flat plate of the supporting seat 1 in a clamping groove shape.

Specifically, the head fixing assembly comprises a head holder 4 and a tooth fixer 8, a first rotating shaft 3 is arranged on the supporting seat 1, a second rotating shaft is arranged on the head holder 4, and the first rotating shaft 3 and the second rotating shaft are connected through a hinge, so that the relative angle between the supporting seat 1 and the head fixing assembly can be flexibly controlled, and the bending condition of the head of a mouse is controlled. The incisor holder 8 is used to access the mouth of the mouse and lock the incisors of the mouse. In an embodiment, a damped hinge is used to connect the first rotation axis 3 and the second rotation axis, in order not to see the bending, but to stabilize at the desired angle after bending.

Specifically, be provided with nose cup 5 and anesthesia pipeline interface 6 on the head holder 4, nose cup 5 journey cylindric and size and mouse mouth-nose adaptation, anesthesia pipeline interface 6 is connected with external anesthesia pipeline for supply the gaseous anesthesia of mouse, tooth fixer 8 suit is in the nose cup 5. The anesthetic tube interface 6 is connected with a tube of the small animal gas anesthetic machine, the nose cover 5 is in a round shape, the nose cover 5 is plugged into the mouth and nose of the mouse from the connection direction of the supporting seat 1, and the door teeth are clamped on the door tooth clamping grooves 10 of the door tooth fixing device 8. The push-pull nut passes through the push-pull groove 7 of the head clamp 4 and is fixed on the push-pull screw hole 9 of the tooth fixer 8, and the front part of the mouth and nose of the mouse is tightly attached to the nose cover 5 by adjusting the position of the push-pull nut and locking, so that the relative seal is formed and a certain fixing effect is achieved on the head of the mouse. The nose mask 5 only covers the front part of the mouth and nose of the mouse, and avoids the imaging effect of the brain region.

Specifically, the tooth holder 8 includes a tooth clamping groove 10 and a push-pull screw hole 9, the head holder 4 is provided with a push-pull groove 7, the head holder 4 and the tooth holder 8 are connected by a push-pull nut, and the push-pull nut passes through the push-pull groove 7 and is fixedly connected with the push-pull screw hole 9, so that the tooth holder 8 can move along the push-pull groove 7.

Specifically, in order to avoid the non-experimental purpose injury of the respiratory tract compression and the unsmooth death of the mice caused by the pressure generated by the water sac, as shown in fig. 5, the mouse fixing device provided by the utility model is provided with a buffer 11, the buffer 11 comprises a buffer plate 12 and a lifting column 13, the buffer plate 12 is cylindrical, the outer diameter of the buffer plate is smaller than the diameter of an imaging area in a photoacoustic tomography system, the inner diameter of the buffer plate is slightly larger than the diameter of the head of the mice, and two ends of the lifting column 13 are respectively connected with the buffer plate 12 and the supporting seat 1. The buffer plate 12 is in a circular shape, the size of the middle round hole is matched with the width of the supporting seat 1, and the pressure generated by the water bag is dispersed in the buffer plate 12. The buffer plate 12 is provided with an opening remote from the support seat 1, sized to cooperate with the head holder 4 to ensure normal movement of the anaesthetic line with the smallest possible size of the intermediate circular hole. The lifting column 13 is connected with the buffer plate 12 and is fixed on the supporting seat 1, and the distance between the supporting plate and the head fixing assembly is controlled. In one embodiment, the lifting column is fixed in a lifting manner by a screw.

In this embodiment, the color of each component of the device is preferably white, so as to reduce the absorption of light by the device and generate a strong photoacoustic signal, and eliminate signal interference during imaging.

Other embodiments of the utility model will be apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the specification and practice of the disclosure herein. This utility model is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the utility model following, in general, the principles of the utility model and including such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice within the art to which the utility model pertains.

It is to be understood that the utility model is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown in the drawings, which have been described above, and that various modifications and changes may be effected without departing from the scope thereof.

Claims (7)

1. The mouse fixing device suitable for photoacoustic tomography brain imaging is characterized by comprising a supporting seat, a head fixing assembly and a buffer, wherein the supporting seat is L-shaped and is used for fixing a mouse body; the head fixing component is arranged at the top end of the supporting seat, one end of the head fixing component is hinged with the supporting seat and is used for fixing the head of the mouse; one end of the buffer is fixed on the supporting seat, the other end of the buffer is connected with the other end of the head fixing assembly, and the buffer is used for controlling the relative height of the head fixing assembly and the supporting seat and receiving an ultrasonic water sac in the photoacoustic tomography brain imaging system so as to relieve pressure on the head of a mouse.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the support base is provided with a plurality of body fixing members for fixing limbs of the mouse.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the head fixation assembly comprises a head holder and a tooth holder, a first rotation shaft is provided on the support base, a second rotation shaft is provided on the head holder, the first rotation shaft and the second rotation shaft are connected by a hinge, and the tooth holder is used for penetrating into the mouth of the mouse and locking the tooth of the mouse.

4. A device according to claim 3, wherein the hinge is a damped hinge.

5. A device according to claim 3, wherein the head holder is provided with a nose cup Cheng Yuan which is tubular and sized to fit over the mouth and nose of a mouse, and an anesthetic line interface which is connected to an external anesthetic line, and the incisor holder is fitted over the nose cup.

6. A device according to claim 3, wherein the tooth holder comprises a tooth clamping groove and a push-pull screw hole, the head holder is provided with a push-pull groove, the head holder and the tooth holder are connected by a push-pull nut, and the push-pull nut passes through the push-pull groove and is fixedly connected with the push-pull screw hole, so that the tooth holder can move along the push-pull groove.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the buffer comprises a buffer plate and a lifting column, the buffer plate is cylindrical, the outer diameter of the buffer plate is smaller than the diameter of an imaging area in the photoacoustic tomography system, the inner diameter of the buffer plate is larger than the diameter of a head of a mouse, and two ends of the lifting column are respectively connected with the buffer plate and the supporting seat.