JP7398673B2 - Animal experiment equipment and animal experiment methods - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to animal experiment equipment and animal experiment methods.

Some animal experiments, such as microbiome animal experiments, are conducted in isolated environments. Isolators are examples of experimental equipment that can ensure an isolated environment, and vinyl isolators are often used. The isolator is equipped with a storage container formed of a plastic sheet, and can safely house experimental animals such as germ-free animals, gnotobiotic animals, immunodeficient animals, and infectious disease model animals (for example, patent documents 1).

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2010-94087

Vinyl isolators have the problem of requiring a long time for experiment preparation and post-processing. For example, vinyl isolators must be sterilized before laboratory animals are introduced into them. Sterilization involves the steps of disinfection, drying, and sterility testing, and sterilization is achieved when sterility is confirmed by the sterility testing. These operations will take approximately three weeks.
Furthermore, in animal experiments using vinyl isolators, if multiple bacteria are to be administered to experimental animals, multiple vinyl isolators are required, which requires a large installation space. In animal experiments using vinyl isolators, there was a problem in that depending on the work, it took a long time for inexperienced people to become familiar with the operation.

One aspect of the present invention aims to provide animal experiment equipment and an animal experiment method that can shorten the time required for experiments and allow animal experiments to be conducted in a small space.

The present invention includes the following aspects.
[1] One or more breeding cages that house experimental animals, a breeding cage unit having a circulation mechanism for circulating air within the breeding cage, a cabinet section that can accommodate the breeding cage in a freely accessible manner, and the cabinet. A safety cabinet having a cabinet exhaust mechanism for discharging air inside the section, a compartment housing the cabinet, a compartment unit having an air supply mechanism supplying air into the compartment, and an isolation housing the compartment. and an isolation room unit having an isolation room exhaust mechanism for discharging the air in the isolation room, and the circulation mechanism includes a first supply system that supplies air to the breeding cage, and a first supply system that supplies air to the breeding cage; a first exhaust system for discharging air, the first supply system and the first exhaust system are removably attached to the rearing cage, and the rearing cage purifies the air from the first supply system. and an exhaust filter that cleans the air flowing from the rearing cage to the first exhaust system, and the cabinet exhaust mechanism creates negative pressure in the cabinet section by discharging the air inside the cabinet section. and a second exhaust system filter that purifies the air discharged by the second exhaust system, and the air supply mechanism supplies air to the compartment to clean the air discharged by the second exhaust system. and a third supply system filter that purifies the air supplied to the compartment by the third supply system, and the isolation chamber exhaust mechanism includes Animal experiment equipment, comprising a fourth exhaust system that makes the isolation chamber a negative pressure by exhausting air.

[2] The animal experiment equipment according to [1], wherein the supply air filter, the exhaust filter, the second exhaust system filter, and the third supply system filter are HEPA filters.

[3] The animal experiment facility according to [1] or [2], further comprising a cage rack for accommodating the breeding cage in the isolation room.

[4] Among [1] to [3], the compartment is formed of a flexible sheet and includes a container that accommodates the cabinet section and a support frame that supports the container. Animal experiment equipment as described in any one of the above.

[5] An animal experiment method using the animal experiment equipment according to any one of [1] to [4], wherein a first breeding cage among the plurality of breeding cages is connected to the first feeding cage. A first step of removing the system from the system and the first discharge system and transporting it into the cabinet section, opening the first breeding cage inside the cabinet section, and using the experimental animal in the first breeding cage to collect the animal. a second step of conducting an experiment, closing the first breeding cage within the cabinet section, carrying out the first breeding cage from the cabinet section and connecting it to the first supply system and the first discharge system; A third step, an animal experiment method.

[6] The animal according to [5], wherein after the third step, the cabinet section is disinfected, and then the first to third steps are performed on a second breeding cage among the plurality of breeding cages. experimental method.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the time required for experiments can be shortened and animal experiments can be conducted in a small space.

FIG. 1 is a plan view schematically showing an animal experiment facility according to an embodiment. FIG. 1 is a front view schematically showing the animal experiment equipment of the embodiment. FIG. 2 is a front view of an example of an individually ventilated rearing cage. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of the breeding cage with the lid open. It is a schematic diagram of an example of a breeding cage unit. FIG. 2 is a side view of an example of a safety cabinet. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an example of a compartment unit. It is a schematic diagram of an example of the container of a compartment.

[Animal experiment equipment]
Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present invention will be described based on the drawings. FIG. 1 is a plan view schematically showing the animal experiment equipment of the embodiment. FIG. 2 is a front view schematically showing the animal experiment equipment of the embodiment. FIG. 3 is a front view of an example of an individually ventilated rearing cage. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of the breeding cage unit with the lid opened. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of an example of a breeding cage unit. FIG. 6 is a side view of an example of a safety cabinet. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an example of a compartment unit. FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of an example of a compartment unit.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the animal experiment equipment 10 includes a breeding cage unit 1, a safety cabinet 2, a compartment unit 3, an isolation room unit 4, and a cage rack 5.
Each component will be explained below.

<Breeding cage unit>
The breeding cage unit 1 includes one or more individual ventilation breeding cages 11 and a circulation mechanism 12.

As shown in FIG. 3, the individually ventilated breeding cage 11 includes a cage body 111, a lid 112, an air supply filter 114, and an exhaust filter 115. The individually ventilated breeding cage 11 is also referred to as an IVC (Individually Ventilated Cage). The individually ventilated breeding cage 11 is an example of a "breeding cage".

The cage body 111 is formed into a container shape. The cage body 111 includes a bottom plate 111a and a side plate 111b. The bottom plate 111a is formed into a rectangular shape. The side plate 111b is provided upright on the periphery of the bottom plate 111a. The bottom plate 111a and the side plate 111b may be integrally molded.

The cage body 111 can accommodate the experimental animal M. The cage body 111 is made of, for example, a plastic plate, a glass plate, or the like. It is preferable that the cage body 111 is transparent because it makes it easier to observe the condition of the experimental animal M.

The lid portion 112 closes the upper opening of the cage body 111. The lid portion 112 can open and close the upper opening of the cage body 111 (see FIG. 4). By closing the lid portion 112, the individually ventilated breeding cage 11 is brought into a closed state. By opening the lid part 112, the individually ventilated rearing cage 11 is brought into an open state.

The lid part 112 includes an air supply connection part 116 and an exhaust connection part 117.
A supply path 131 (see FIGS. 1 and 2) of the first supply system 13 is detachably connected to the air supply connection portion 116. The air supply connection part 116 has a ventilation hole 116a that guides air from the supply path 131 into the individually ventilated rearing cage 11. The exhaust passage 141 (see FIGS. 1 and 2) of the first exhaust system 14 is detachably connected to the exhaust connection portion 117. The exhaust connection part 117 has a ventilation hole 117a that guides the air inside the individual ventilation rearing cage 11 to the exhaust path 141.

The air supply filter 114 is provided on the lid portion 112. The air supply filter 114 is attached to the air supply connection 116, for example, and closes the ventilation hole 116a of the air supply connection 116. Air supplied from the supply path 131 passes through the air supply filter 114 . The air supply filter 114 cleans this air and passes it into the individually ventilated rearing cage 11. Although the intake filter 114 is shown inside the lid part 112 in FIG. 3, the same effect can be obtained even if it is installed in front of the ventilation hole 116a in the supply path 131 (above the air supply connection part 116 in FIG. 3). .

The exhaust filter 115 is provided on the lid portion 112. The exhaust filter 115 is attached to the exhaust connection part 117, for example, and closes the ventilation hole 117a of the exhaust connection part 117. Air flowing from the individually ventilated rearing cage 11 to the exhaust path 141 passes through the exhaust filter 115 . Exhaust filter 115 cleans this air. Although the exhaust filter 115 is shown inside the lid 112 in FIG. 3, the same effect can be obtained even if it is installed behind the ventilation hole 117a in the exhaust path 117 (above the exhaust connection 117 in FIG. 3). play.

As the supply air filter 114 and the exhaust filter 115, HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) filters are desirable. HEPA filters can remove particulate matter (e.g. bacteria, mold, viruses, etc.) in the air, and for example, remove particulate matter with a particle diameter of 0.3 μm by 99.97% to 99.999%. Collect within the range of Therefore, clean air can be supplied to the inside of the individually ventilated rearing cage 11, and clean air can also be discharged to the outside of the cage 11. In breeding animals where high cleanliness is not necessarily required, filters with low collection performance may be used.

The air that has passed through the air supply filter 114 and the exhaust filter 115 is purified and becomes clean air. The cleanliness of clean air can be classified, for example, as Class 5 to Class 8 according to ISO14644-1.

Since the individually ventilated rearing cage 11 is equipped with an air supply filter 114 and an exhaust filter 115, the interior thereof is maintained in a clean state even when it is removed from the supply path 131 and the exhaust path 141 (see FIGS. 1 and 2). be able to.

As shown in FIG. 4, when the lid portion 112 of the individually ventilated rearing cage 11 is opened, the upper opening of the cage body 111 is opened. Therefore, the operator W (see FIGS. 1 and 2) can insert his hand into the cage body 111 and handle the experimental animal M.
When handling germ-free or infected animals, worker W should wear protective equipment such as dust-free clothing, masks, gloves, and hats to prevent mutual biological contamination between worker W and laboratory animal M. To wear.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the distribution mechanism 12 includes a first supply system 13 and a first discharge system 14. The circulation mechanism 12 circulates air into the individually ventilated rearing cage 11 installed in the cage rack 5.

The first supply system 13 includes a supply path 131 and a blower 132. The supply path 131 can be connected to the air supply connection 116 (see FIG. 3) of the individually ventilated breeding cage 11 when the individually ventilated breeding cage 11 is installed in the cage rack 5.
The blower 132 supplies air supplied from a supply source (not shown) into each individual ventilation rearing cage 11 through the supply path 131.

The first discharge system 14 includes a discharge passage 141 . The exhaust path 141 is connected to the exhaust connection part 117 (see FIG. 3) of the individual ventilation breeding cage 11 when the individual ventilation breeding cage 11 is installed in the cage rack 5. The exhaust path 141 exhausts the air inside the individual ventilation rearing cage 11 to the outside of the system.
The supply path 131 and the discharge path 141 may be collectively referred to as an "air flow path."

Different air flow passages (supply passage 131 and discharge passage 141) are connected to the plurality of individual ventilation rearing cages 11. Since the individual ventilation breeding cages 11 are connected to individual airflow passages, mutual biological contamination of the plurality of individual ventilation breeding cages 11 can be avoided.

In this way, the distribution mechanism 12 supplies air into the individual ventilation breeding cage 11 through the supply path 131 and exhausts the air inside the individual ventilation breeding cage 11 through the exhaust path 141. Through this, the inside of the individually ventilated rearing cage 11 can be ventilated.

<Cage rack>
As shown in FIG. 5, the cage rack 5 includes a cage storage section 51, a first equipment section 52, and a second equipment section 53. The cage storage section 51 can store one or more individual ventilation rearing cages 11. In the cage rack 5 shown in FIG. 5, a plurality of individual ventilation rearing cages 11 can be installed in multiple stages. The cage storage section 51 can store, for example, the individually ventilated rearing cages 11 arranged in a matrix of 3×3, 6×6, 6×8, 8×10, or the like.
Animal experiments may require multiple experimental animals colonized with different bacteria. In that case, these plurality of experimental animals can be housed, for example, one at a time in the individually ventilated breeding cage 11.

When the plurality of individually ventilated rearing cages 11 are installed in the cage storage section 51, the air supply connection section 116 and the exhaust connection section 117 (see FIG. 3) are provided with a supply path 131 (first supply system 13) and a discharge path, respectively. 141 (first discharge system 14) can be connected.
The individual ventilation rearing cage 11 can be taken out from the cage rack 5 by removing the air supply connection 116 and the exhaust connection 117 (see FIG. 3).

The first equipment section 52 houses a blower 132 (see FIGS. 1 and 2) and the like. The second equipment section 53 houses a control section (not shown) that controls the air flow rate in the first supply system 13 and the first exhaust system 14, and the like.
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the cage rack 5 is installed, for example, inside the isolation room 41 and outside the compartment 31. Note that the cage rack 5 may be installed inside the compartment 31 and outside the cabinet section 21.

Since the animal experiment equipment 10 includes the cage rack 5, a desired number of experimental animals M can be kept in an isolated environment. The cage rack 5 can store the individually ventilated rearing cage 11 in a compact manner, so it is suitable for saving space.

<Safety cabinet>
As shown in FIG. 6, the safety cabinet 2 includes a cabinet section 21 and a cabinet exhaust mechanism 22. A safety cabinet is also referred to as a "biological safety cabinet."
The cabinet section 21 includes a cabinet body 211, a shutter 212, and a circulation filter 213.

A work space 214, a first exhaust path 215, and a second exhaust path 216 are formed inside the cabinet body 211. The first exhaust path 215 takes in air in the work space 214 from an intake port formed on the bottom surface of the work space 214 and guides it to the blower 232 . The second exhaust path 216 is formed on the back side of the work space 214 and guides air from the first exhaust path 215 to the upper part of the cabinet section 21.

A front opening 217 communicating with the work space 214 is formed in the cabinet body 211 . The worker W can take the individually ventilated rearing cage 11 into and out of the work space 214 through the front opening 217. The worker W can insert his hand through the front opening 217 and operate the individual ventilation rearing cage 11 in the work space 214.

The cabinet section 21 can return part of the air guided by the second exhaust path 216 to the work space 214 through the circulation filter 213. The circulation filter 213 cleans the air returning from the second exhaust path 216 to the work space 214 .

The work space 214 can accommodate the individual ventilated rearing cage 11 in a manner that can be taken in and out.
The shutter 212 can freely open and close a front opening 217. In FIG. 6 , shutter 212 covers a portion of front opening 217 . The shutter 212 is made of glass, plastic, or the like. The shutter 212 is preferably transparent.
Preferably, a waste container 218 is provided within the workspace 214. Container 218 may be a packaging bag made of plastic sheet or the like.
Although not shown, in order to comply with biosafety level 3, the cabinet section may have a glove box structure equipped with gloves for both hands.

The cabinet exhaust mechanism 22 includes a second exhaust system 23 and a second exhaust system filter 24.
The second exhaust system 23 includes an exhaust passage 231 and a blower 232. The exhaust path 231 exhausts the air within the cabinet section 21 (specifically, a portion of the air guided by the second exhaust path 216) to the outside of the system.

The blower 232 guides air in the work space 214 to the exhaust path 231 through the first exhaust path 215 and the second exhaust path 216. Thereby, the blower 232 can create a negative pressure in the work space 214. "Negative pressure" as used herein means that the atmospheric pressure inside the compartment 31 is lower than the space outside the cabinet section 21.

The second exhaust system filter 24 is provided in the exhaust path 231. The second exhaust system filter 24 cleans the air exhausted through the exhaust path 231. The second exhaust system filter 24 may be provided outside the cabinet section 21 or may be provided within the cabinet section 21.

As the circulation filter 213 and the second exhaust system filter 24, HEPA filters are preferable.
In the class II safety cabinet 2, HEPA filters are essential as the circulation filter 213 and the second exhaust system filter 24. The air that has passed through the HEPA filter is purified and becomes clean air. The cleanliness of clean air can be classified, for example, as Class 5 to Class 8 according to ISO14644-1.
Note that the circulation filter 213 is not installed in a class I safety cabinet.

<Compartment room unit>
As shown in FIG. 7, the compartment unit 3 includes a compartment 31 and an air supply mechanism 32.
The compartment 31 includes a container 311 and a support frame 312.
The container 311 is made of, for example, a flexible sheet. The flexible sheet is, for example, a plastic sheet. Preferably, the container 311 is transparent.

The container 311 includes a top section 313 and a side section 314. The top surface portion 313 has, for example, a rectangular shape. The side surface portion 314 hangs down from the entire periphery of the top surface portion 313 . The length of the side surface portion 314 is preferably such that the lower end of the side surface portion 314 reaches the floor surface F or is close to the floor surface F. The container 311 can accommodate at least the cabinet section 21 (see FIGS. 1 and 2). The housing body 311 may be capable of housing the entire safety cabinet 2. It is preferable that the container 311 can secure a space on the front side of the cabinet section 21 in which the worker W can work.
Although not shown, one or more slits are formed in the side surface 314 through which the worker W enters and exits the compartment 31.

The support frame 312 includes a frame body 315 and four support legs 316. The frame body 315 is formed in a rectangular shape. The frame body 315 supports the top surface portion 313 of the container 311. The support legs 316 are formed at four corners (corners) of the frame 315 and support the frame 315. Caster wheels 317 may be provided at the lower ends of the support legs 316.

The compartment 31 is easy to install because it includes the container 311 made of a flexible sheet. Moreover, the container 311 formed of a flexible sheet is inexpensive and is advantageous in terms of cost.

The air supply mechanism 32 includes a third supply system 33 and a third supply system filter 34.
The third supply system 33 includes a supply path 331 and a blower 332. The supply path 331 guides air sent from the blower 332 to the compartment 31 . The supply path 331 is connected to the upper part of the container 311.
The blower 332 can create positive pressure in the compartment 31 by supplying air to the compartment 31 through the supply path 331 . "Positive pressure" as used herein means that the air pressure inside the isolation room 41 is higher than the space outside the compartment 31.
A part of the air in the compartment 31 flows out of the compartment 31 through the gap between the lower end of the side part 314 and the floor F, the slit in the side part 314, and the like.

The third supply system filter 34 cleans the air flowing from the blower 332 toward the compartment 31 . As the third supply system filter 34, a HEPA filter can be used. In the work space 214, when handling sterile animals that require an environment strictly free of microorganisms, clean air is required in the work space, so a HEPA filter is used as the third supply system filter 34. use. The cleanliness of the clean air that has passed through the third supply system filter 34 is, for example, class 5 to class 8 according to ISO14644-1.

As shown in FIG. 8, a porous sheet 318 may be provided at the upper part of the container 311 at a position downwardly away from the top surface part 313. The porous sheet 318 has a large number of ventilation holes 318a distributed over the entire area. The porous sheet 318 is made of plastic, for example. The porous sheet 318 forms an introduction space 319 between it and the top section 313 .

Since the supply path 331 is connected to the container 311 at a higher position than the porous sheet 318, air from the supply path 331 is introduced into the introduction space 319. The air in the introduction space 319 passes through the ventilation holes 318a of the porous sheet 318 and is released into the space inside the container 311. Thereby, air from the supply path 331 is evenly supplied into the container 311.

A commercially available product suitable for the compartment unit 3 is "Biobubble Clean Room" manufactured by Biobubble Co., Ltd. or CLEA Japan Co., Ltd.

<Isolation room unit>
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the isolation room unit 4 includes an isolation room 41 and an isolation room exhaust mechanism 42.
The isolation room 41 can accommodate the compartment room 31 and the breeding cage unit 1. Preferably, the isolation room 41 is capable of accommodating the entire compartment unit 3.

The isolation chamber exhaust mechanism 42 includes a fourth exhaust system 43 and a fourth exhaust system filter 44.
The fourth exhaust system 43 includes an exhaust passage 431 and a blower 432. The discharge path 431 discharges the air within the isolation chamber 41 to the outside of the system. The blower 432 can make the inside of the isolation room 41 a negative pressure by discharging the air inside the isolation room 41 through the exhaust path 431 . "Negative pressure" here refers to a pressure that is lower than atmospheric pressure.

The fourth exhaust system filter 44 is provided in the exhaust passage 431. The fourth exhaust system filter 44 cleans the air passing through the exhaust path 431. As the fourth exhaust system filter 44, for example, a HEPA filter can be used. The air that has passed through the HEPA filter is purified and becomes clean air. The cleanliness of clean air can be classified, for example, as Class 5 to Class 8 according to ISO14644-1.

As the isolation room 41, BSL2 or BSL3 (BSL: biosafety level) equipment can be used.

[Animal experiment method]
Next, an example of an animal experiment method using the animal experiment equipment 10 will be explained.
The experimental animals used in this animal testing method are not particularly limited, but include mammals such as rodents (including mice, rats, hamsters, and guinea pigs), cats, dogs, rabbits, monkeys, pigs, and ferrets. can. The experimental animal may be a bird such as a chicken.
As experimental animals, gnotobiotic animals, germ-free animals, SPF (specific pathogen free) animals, etc. can be used. The experimental animal may be an immunodeficient animal or an infectious disease model animal infected with an infectious disease.

Examples of animal experiments include microbiome animal experiments. "Microbiome" refers to the collection of microorganisms present on and within the skin (e.g., saliva, oral mucosa, conjunctiva, gastrointestinal tract, reproductive/urinary tract, vaginal canal, etc.) of animals (e.g., humans). . The microbiome includes, for example, bacteria, fungi, and archaea. For example, microorganisms within the gastrointestinal tract (eg, intestines) may contribute to the digestion of nutrients, the synthesis of physiologically active substances, the production of enzymes that cannot be produced by the animal in question, and the like.

Animal experiments may be experimental treatments for experimental animals or may be breeding management.
Experimental procedures include, for example, administration of experimental bacteria to germ-free or SPF animals (into the gastrointestinal tract, skin, oral cavity), data collection work (observation of condition, measurement of body weight, sampling for colonization analysis), and in vinyl isolators. Difficult tasks (e.g. administering medication by injection, analysis using equipment), autopsy, etc.

Examples of test substances administered to experimental animals include substances containing specific microorganisms. The substance containing specific microorganisms is, for example, fecal-derived material containing human-derived microorganisms (eg, intestinal bacteria). Other test substances include drugs, tumor cells, and infectious organisms. The route of administration of the test substance may be oral administration, transanal administration, or intravascular administration.

Examples of samples to be collected when collecting samples from experimental animals include feces, body fluids (such as blood), organs, and body hair.

Breeding management includes, for example, checking the status of experimental animals colonized with specific microorganisms (eg, human intestinal bacteria).

Hereinafter, specific procedures of the animal experiment method will be described using the case of using the animal experiment equipment 10 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 as an example.

(Preparation process)
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the isolation room exhaust mechanism 42 of the isolation room unit 4 is operated to exhaust the air in the isolation room 41 through the exhaust passage 431, thereby creating a negative pressure in the isolation room 41. .
Inside the isolation room 41, a compartment unit 3, a safety cabinet 2, and a cage rack 5 are installed. As shown in FIG. 5, a plurality of individually ventilated rearing cages 11 are housed in the cage rack 5.

As shown in FIG. 3, an experimental animal M is kept in an individually ventilated breeding cage 11. Clean air is supplied to the individually ventilated rearing cage 11 through a supply path 131 and a supply air filter 114. The air inside the individually ventilated rearing cage 11 is exhausted through the exhaust passage 141. The interior of the individually ventilated breeding cage 11 is ventilated by supplying and discharging air to and from the individually ventilated breeding cage 11. Since clean air is supplied to the individually ventilated breeding cage 11, the experimental animal M is kept in an environment isolated from the outside of the individually ventilated breeding cage 11.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the compartment 31 is disinfected (or sterilized). Disinfection can be performed, for example, by spraying a disinfectant onto the container 311 and the support frame 312 (see FIG. 7). Thereby, the interior of the compartment 31 becomes a clean environment.

Examples of active ingredients of disinfectants include chlorine dioxide, hydrogen peroxide, alcohol, sodium hypochlorite, and quaternary ammonium compounds.
Note that disinfection refers to, for example, a physical or chemical operation to kill microorganisms. Sterilization refers to, for example, operations that kill or eliminate all classes of microorganisms and spores.

The air supply mechanism 32 of the compartment unit 3 is operated to supply clean air into the compartment 31. Since the interior of the compartment 31 is maintained at a positive pressure, a clean environment within the compartment 31 is maintained.

(First step: Bringing in individual ventilated breeding cages)
Among the plurality of individual ventilation breeding cages 11 stored in the cage rack 5, the first individual ventilation breeding cage 11 (first breeding cage) is removed from the supply path 131 and the discharge path 141, and the cage rack 5 is removed. Remove from. Since the individual ventilation rearing cage 11 is equipped with an air supply filter 114 and an exhaust filter 115 (see FIG. 3), the inside thereof is maintained in a clean state even when it is removed from the supply path 131 and the exhaust path 141.

The individually ventilated rearing cage 11 is disinfected before being brought into the compartment 31. Disinfection can be performed, for example, by spraying a disinfectant on the outside of the individually ventilated rearing cage 11.

The individually ventilated rearing cage 11 is placed in the compartment 31. Next, as shown in FIG. 6, the individually ventilated rearing cage 11 is carried into the work space 214 of the cabinet section 21 through the front opening 217.
It is preferable that the worker W wears protective equipment such as dust-free clothing, a mask, gloves, and a hat.

(Second step: animal experiment)
As shown in FIG. 4, the operator opens the lid 112 of the individually ventilated breeding cage 11 and performs an animal experiment on the experimental animal M in the cage body 111, for example, an experimental treatment (injecting a test substance into the experimental animal M). administration, sample collection from experimental animal M, etc.).

As shown in FIG. 6, since the inside of the work space 214 is under negative pressure, air may flow into the work space 214 from the front opening 217. However, since the cabinet section 21 is located within the clean compartment 31, the air flowing into the work space 214 is clean air. Therefore, the experimental animal M is not exposed to biological contamination from the outside.

Since the inside of the work space 214 is under negative pressure, the air inside the work space 214 is not released to the outside of the cabinet section 21 . Therefore, biological exposure to the worker W does not occur, and no biological contamination occurs to the worker W.

After the experimental treatment, the lid 112 of the individually ventilated rearing cage 11 is closed.
Waste generated during the animal treatment process (such as gloves) is placed in a container 218 located within the workspace 214 .

(Third step: Carrying out the individual ventilation rearing cage)
The individually ventilated rearing cage 11 is carried out from the cabinet section 21 through the front opening 217. The individually ventilated rearing cage 11 is disinfected before being taken out. Disinfection can be performed, for example, by spraying a disinfectant on the outside of the individually ventilated rearing cage 11.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the individually ventilated rearing cage 11 is carried out of the compartment 31 and stored in the cage rack 5 again. The supply path 131 and the exhaust path 141 are connected to the individually ventilated breeding cage 11, and ventilation in the individually ventilated breeding cage 11 is restarted.

As shown in FIG. 6, it is preferable that the work space 214 after the individual ventilated rearing cage 11 is carried out is disinfected by spraying a disinfectant or the like. For example, the bottom surface and inner surface of the work space 214, the inner surface of the shutter 212, etc. can be disinfected. As a result, the work space 214 becomes a clean environment again. Experimental equipment (tweezers, etc.) used in animal experiments should also be disinfected by spraying with disinfectant.
The container 218 containing waste is transported out of the cabinet section 21 after its outer surface is disinfected by spraying a disinfectant or the like. The container 218 is disposed of after being sterilized using an autoclave or the like.

If it is necessary to conduct experiments on experimental animals in other individually ventilated breeding cages 11, the following procedure will be carried out.
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, among the plurality of individual ventilation breeding cages 11 installed in the cage rack 5, the second individual ventilation breeding cage 11 (second breeding cage) is connected to the supply path 131 and the discharge channel 131. It is removed from the cage rack 5 and carried out from the cage rack 5.
Animal experiments are performed on the experimental animals in this individually ventilated breeding cage 11 according to the first to third steps described above. By repeating the first to third steps, experiments can be conducted on the required number of experimental animals.

[Effects of the animal experiment equipment and animal experiment method of the embodiment]
According to the animal experiment equipment 10, the compartment 31 has a clean positive pressure environment due to the air supply mechanism 32. Therefore, biological contamination of the experimental animal M can be suppressed even if the individually ventilated breeding cage 11 is opened in the cabinet part 21 even though the inside of the cabinet part 21 is under negative pressure. Furthermore, since the inside of the cabinet section 21 is under negative pressure, biological exposure to the worker W is unlikely to occur, and contamination can be suppressed. In this way, the animal experiment facility 10 is excellent in that biological contamination of both the experimental animals M and the workers W can be suppressed.

The animal experiment facility 10 includes an isolation room unit 4. The inside of the isolation chamber 41 is brought to negative pressure by the isolation chamber exhaust mechanism 42 . Therefore, biological contamination to the outside of the animal experiment equipment 10 is prevented even though the interior of the compartment 31 is under positive pressure.
In this way, the animal experiment equipment 10 has a multilayer structure including the safety cabinet 2, the compartment unit 3, and the isolation room unit 4. The spread of biological contamination can be suppressed.

Since the animal experiment equipment 10 has a simple structure, it is easy to prepare for experiments. Preparations for the experiment include, for example, disinfecting the compartment 31 and the individually ventilated rearing cage 11, but these tasks are easy and can be completed in a short time. In addition, post-treatment (cleaning up) of the experiment includes disinfection of the work space 214 of the cabinet section 21 and disinfection of the individually ventilated rearing cage 11, but the animal experiment equipment 10 has a simple structure, so post-treatment is easy. , which can shorten working time.
When sterilizing the individually ventilated rearing cage 11, experimental instruments, etc. in preparation for an experiment or post-processing, the sterilization process can be performed using an autoclave, so that the working time can be shortened. Furthermore, since the animal experiment equipment 10 has a simpler structure and is easier to handle than a vinyl isolator, it is possible to train operators in a short time.
In this way, the animal experiment equipment 10 can reduce the time required for experiments.

When a vinyl isolator is used in place of the animal experiment equipment 10, the following problems may occur. Vinyl isolators have low heat resistance and cannot be sterilized by autoclaving, so animals cannot be brought in until the vinyl isolator is disinfected with a disinfectant, dried, and confirmed to be sterile. After disinfection, it will take at least three weeks to confirm that the product is sterile. Disinfection after the experiment also takes the same amount of time (about 3 weeks), so experiments using vinyl isolators require a long time of at least 6 weeks for experiment preparation and post-processing. Furthermore, with vinyl isolators, experimental treatments are performed through gloves provided on the sides, but since it is not easy to work with gloves, the work may take a long time depending on the work. Furthermore, since vinyl isolators are complicated to operate, it may take a long time to train operators.

The animal experiment equipment 10 uses individually ventilated breeding cages 11 to ensure a clean environment for experimental animals. Since the individually ventilated rearing cage 11 is small in size, space can be saved compared to the case where a vinyl isolator is used. In addition, when setting up experimental groups that handle multiple bacteria that each require isolation, multiple individual ventilation breeding cages 11 are required, but since the size of the individual ventilation breeding cages 11 is small, animal experiments can be conducted in a small installation space. becomes possible.

Since the animal experiment equipment 10 includes the safety cabinet 2, experiments using the experimental animals M can be conducted within the work space 214, which can secure a large space. Therefore, animal experiments can be conducted using almost the same experimental techniques as in a non-isolated general experimental environment. Therefore, work can be done in a shorter time than when using a vinyl isolator, which has limited work space.

In experiments and breeding using vinyl isolators, if a contamination accident occurs, all animals kept in the same vinyl isolator will be contaminated.
On the other hand, in the animal experiment facility 10, the animals are kept in individual ventilation breeding cages 11 with individual ventilation systems, so even if a contamination accident occurs, the contamination can be limited to only a specific breeding cage 11. There are advantages.

The animal experiment equipment 10 is easy to handle because it has few components that are easily damaged, and contamination accidents are less likely to occur. On the other hand, vinyl isolators are inferior in handling because care must be taken not to damage the plastic sheet that makes up the container.

Since the animal experiment facility 10 includes the safety cabinet 2, it can provide a wider work space 214 than when a vinyl isolator is used. Therefore, for example, equipment such as experimental equipment can be brought into the work space 214 and used for experiments. Equipment such as measuring devices is preferably subjected to appropriate sterilization treatment (for example, formalin sterilization) before being brought into work space 214.

Since the animal experiment equipment 10 uses an individually ventilated rearing cage 11, the experimental animal M kept in the cage rack 5 is transferred while still in the individually ventilated rearing cage 11 and placed in the cabinet section 21 for the experiment. can be provided. After the experiment is finished, the individually ventilated rearing cage 11 can be returned to the cage rack 5 as it is. In this way, the individually ventilated breeding cage 11 for breeding can be used as is as a transportation means for animal experiments, which facilitates the experimental work.

The animal experiment method has the same effects as the animal experiment equipment 10. For example, as described above, biological contamination of both the experimental animal M and the worker W can be suppressed. Furthermore, it is possible to suppress the spread of biological contamination to the outside.

The configurations and combinations thereof in the embodiments described above are merely examples, and additions, omissions, substitutions, and other changes to the configurations are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention.
For example, in the animal experiment equipment 10 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the compartment 31 includes a container 311 made of a flexible sheet and a support frame 312, but the configuration of the compartment is It is not limited to this. For example, the compartment may be a self-supporting structure comprised of highly rigid compartment walls.
Although the cabinet exhaust mechanism 22 includes a second exhaust system 23 and a second exhaust system filter 24, the animal experiment equipment of the embodiment achieves the above-described effects even when the cabinet exhaust mechanism does not include the second exhaust system filter. .

1... Breeding cage unit, 2... Safety cabinet, 3... Compartment room unit, 4... Isolation room unit, 5... Cage rack, 11... Individual ventilation breeding cage (breeding cage), 12... Distribution mechanism, 13... First supply system, 14...first exhaust system, 21...cabinet section, 22...cabinet exhaust mechanism, 23...second exhaust system, 24...second exhaust system filter, 31...compartment, 32...air supply mechanism, 33...third Supply system, 34...Third supply system filter, 41...Isolation chamber, 42...Isolation room exhaust mechanism, 43...Fourth exhaust system, 114...Air supply filter, 115...Exhaust filter, 311...Container, 312...Support frame , M... Experimental animals.

Claims (6)

a breeding cage unit having one or more breeding cages housing experimental animals, and a circulation mechanism for circulating air within the breeding cage;
a safety cabinet having a cabinet section that can accommodate the breeding cage in a manner that allows the breeding cage to be freely taken out and taken out; and a cabinet exhaust mechanism that exhausts air within the cabinet section;
A compartmental unit that includes a compartment that accommodates the cabinet part, and an air supply mechanism that supplies air into the compartment;
comprising an isolation room that accommodates the compartment, and an isolation room unit that has an isolation room exhaust mechanism that exhausts air in the isolation room;
The circulation mechanism includes a first supply system that supplies air to the breeding cage, and a first exhaust system that discharges air in the breeding cage,
The first supply system and the first discharge system are removably attached to the breeding cage,
The breeding cage includes an air supply filter that cleans the air from the first supply system, and an exhaust filter that cleans the air flowing from the breeding cage to the first exhaust system,
The cabinet exhaust mechanism includes a second exhaust system that makes the inside of the cabinet part a negative pressure by exhausting the air inside the cabinet part, and a second exhaust system filter that cleans the air exhausted by the second exhaust system. Equipped with
The air supply mechanism includes a third supply system that makes the interior of the compartment a positive pressure by supplying air to the compartment, and a third supply system that purifies the air supplied to the compartment by the third supply system. A supply system filter;
The isolation chamber exhaust mechanism is an animal experiment facility including a fourth exhaust system that makes the isolation chamber a negative pressure by discharging the air inside the isolation chamber. The animal experiment equipment according to claim 1, wherein the supply air filter, the exhaust filter, the second exhaust system filter, and the third supply system filter are HEPA filters. The animal experiment equipment according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a cage rack for accommodating the breeding cage in the isolation room. The compartment is
a container formed of a flexible sheet and housing the cabinet part;
a support frame that supports the container;
The animal experiment equipment according to any one of claims 1 to 3. An animal experiment method using the animal experiment equipment according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
A first step of removing a first breeding cage among the plurality of breeding cages from the first supply system and the first discharge system and transporting it into the cabinet section;
a second step of opening the first breeding cage in the cabinet section and conducting an animal experiment using the experimental animal in the first breeding cage;
a third step of closing the first breeding cage within the cabinet section, carrying out the first breeding cage from the cabinet section and connecting it to the first supply system and the first discharge system; Animal experiment methods. 6. The animal experiment method according to claim 5, wherein after the third step, the cabinet section is disinfected, and then the first to third steps are performed on a second breeding cage among the plurality of breeding cages.

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