RU204879U1 - Device for automated cognitive research - Google Patents

Abstract

The utility model relates to medical research equipment used in experimental biology, psychophysiology, and is intended for conducting cognitive research, for example, exploring the depth of working memory of small laboratory animals. A device for automated cognitive research in the form of a labyrinth with vertical walls, a lid and a bottom, containing a central compartment communicated with the sleeves through guillotine doors, characterized in that the vertical walls and the bottom are made of matte light-transmitting material, the sleeves are oriented parallel to each other, the central compartment and groups of nearby sleeves are equipped with removable covers made of material, selectively transparent in the infrared range, under the bottom contains uniform illumination in the appropriate range, the bottom of the part of each sleeve farthest from the central compartment is made in the form of a removable pallet, with the possibility of placing a stimulus on it, in addition, above the labyrinth with the ability to move above it and fix the shadow of the animal on the covers in the infrared range, a video camera is installed, made with the possibility of outputting information to the control unit, which is also made with the ability to automatically control the guillotine doors, replace the removable pallet by means of a low-noise robot manipulator and an automatic feeder for each sleeve In addition, the number of robotic manipulators corresponds to the number of groups of nearby arms. The technical result is expressed in the depersonalization of the cognitive research process due to automatic control and recognition of the movement of the test animal in the device using video fixation methods, a robotic system for selecting and supplying stimuli to the device. automatic animal reward system. 1 wp f-ly, 4 dwg.

Description

The utility model refers to medical research equipment used in experimental biology, psychophysiology, and is intended for cognitive research, for example, the study of the depth of working memory of small laboratory animals.

There are known systems for assessing cognitive indicators in laboratory animals such as the Morris Labyrinth, which is used to study diseases such as autism, Alzheimer's disease, and various brain injuries. This setup allows you to assess the locomotor activity and working memory of the animal. The disadvantages of this method are the increased stressfulness of the research process, since the animal is placed in water, and throughout the entire time is in a state of constant danger due to the threat of drowning (Buccafusco JJ Methods of Behavior Analysis in Neuroscience. Florida: CRC Press, 2000. 352 p.).

There is also known a multi-arm labyrinth, including a central compartment, communicated with the labyrinths, separated from it by guillotine doors, containing walls, a bottom and a cover (see Ya.V. Gorina, OL Lopatina, Yu.K. Komleva, etc. Eight-arm radial labyrinth as a tool for assessing spatial learning and memory in mice, Siberian Medical Review, 2016, No. 5-P.46-52).

The disadvantage of such a device is the requirement from the researcher to constantly place stimuli at the end points of the arms and full manual control of the guillotine doors that regulate the movement of laboratory animals during the experiment.

It should be noted that all presented test systems have a number of common disadvantages, such as:

During the experiment, the animal can orient itself towards the objects surrounding the test system, as well as switch attention to external irritating factors, since in order to record the course of the study, it is necessary to directly observe the movement of the animal;

experimental installations require constant monitoring of the testing process by the researcher, which can indirectly affect the course of the experiment due to being near the test installation or when calculating the results in manual mode;

with an increase in the number of types of stimuli, the load on the researcher increases due to the increase in the work on the maintenance of the experiment.

The task to be solved by the claimed device is to automate the process of conducting cognitive research of laboratory animals with the possibility of changing the research protocols during the experiment and creating an isolated space for the movement of the test animal, which minimizes the impact of the stress factor of the research process.

The technical result, which manifests itself in solving the problem, is expressed in the depersonalization of the process of cognitive research due to automatic control and recognition of the movement of the tested animal in the device using video recording methods, a robotic system for selecting and supplying stimuli to the device, and an automatic animal reward system.

The problem is solved in that a device for automated cognitive research in the form of a labyrinth with vertical walls, a lid and a bottom, containing a central compartment communicated with the sleeves through guillotine doors, differs in that the vertical walls and the bottom are made of matte light-transmitting material, the sleeves are oriented parallel to each other, the central compartment and groups of nearby sleeves are equipped with removable covers made of material selectively transparent in the infrared range, uniform illumination in the corresponding range is placed under the bottom, the bottom of the part of each sleeve farthest from the central compartment is made in the form of a removable pallet, with the possibility of placing on it stimulus, in addition, over the labyrinth with the ability to move above it and with the fixation of the shadow of the animal on the covers in the infrared range, a video camera is installed, made with the possibility of outputting information to the control unit, which is also made with the ability to automatically automatic control of guillotine doors, replacement of a removable tray by means of a low-noise robotic arm and an automatic feeder for each arm according to the study protocol.

In addition, the number of robotic arms corresponds to the number of groups of nearby arms.

The set of features of the utility model formula provides the ability to automate the process of conducting cognitive research with a change in research protocols during the experiment and create a space isolated from the external environment for the movement of the test animal, which minimizes the impact of the stress factor of the research process on it.

In this case, the distinctive features of the utility model formula solve the following functional tasks.

The features "vertical walls and the bottom of the labyrinth are made of matte light-transmitting material" allow:

organize a vertical light flux in the labyrinth space and, thereby, form a shadow spot from the animal on the labyrinth lid;

create an isolated space in which the animal is limited from observing other stimuli surrounding the installation.

The features "sleeves are oriented parallel to each other" ensure minimization of the maze area and reduce the laboriousness of the procedure for replacing or installing stimuli (by simplifying the trajectory of movement of robotic manipulators that implement this function).

The features “the central compartment and groups of nearby sleeves are equipped with removable covers” allow the animal to be placed in the maze and provide more convenient maintenance of the maze as a whole and its individual elements (washing, replacement, etc.).

The features "[removable covers are made] of a material that is selectively transparent in the infrared range" allow the labyrinth to be seen from bottom to top, with the formation of a shadow spot on the covers, while the animal is restricted from observing other stimuli surrounding the installation.

Signs "uniform illumination in the appropriate range is placed under the bottom" provide illumination of the entire floor area in the labyrinth and thereby exclude the formation of a shadow not from the animal's body.

Signs indicating that "the bottom of the part of each sleeve farthest from the central compartment is made in the form of a removable pallet, with the possibility of placing a stimulus on it" provide replacement of the stimulus in the sleeve by installing a corresponding pallet with a stimulus placed on it, if necessary, in the part farthest from the central compartment.

The signs "above the labyrinth with the ability to move above it and with the fixation of the animal's shadow on the covers in the infrared range, a video camera is installed" provide an automated collection of data on the movements of the test animal.

The sign "video camera is made with the ability to output information to the control unit" provides automation and coordination of the output of information about the movements of the animal.

The features "the control unit is also made with the ability to automatically control the guillotine doors, replace the removable pallet and an automatic feeder for each sleeve according to the research protocol" provide automation and coordination of the experiment in accordance with the established research protocol entered in the control unit (i.e. without control and participation researcher).

The feature "replacement of the removable pallet is carried out by means of a low-noise robotic manipulator" provides a minimal stress factor from external noise in the test animal.

The features of the dependent claim of the formula allow each group of nearby arms to be provided with a separate robotic arm, while the trajectories of the robotic arms are short in length, simple in shape, and do not intersect with each other.

The utility model is illustrated by drawings, which show:

figure 1 is a front view of the device, view A in figure 4;

figure 2 is a top view of the device;

figure 3 is a side view of the device;

figure 4 is a horizontal section A-A of the device.

The drawings show vertical walls 1 and 2 and covers 3 and 4 of the central compartment 5, consisting of the main part 6 and compartments of selection 7, and sleeves 8, respectively, the bottom 9 of the labyrinth, guillotine doors 10, 11 and 12, uniform infrared illumination 13, module RGB backlights 14, removable trays 15, stimuli 16, video camera 17, control unit 18, low-noise robotic manipulators 19, automatic feeders 20, shadow 21 animals, racks 22, shelves 23 for stimuli 16, automatic presses 24 removable trays 15, parts 25 sleeves 8 to accommodate removable pallets 15.

The labyrinth contains a central compartment 5, consisting of a main part 6 and selection compartments 7, and a sleeve 8.

The main part 6 of the central compartment 5 and the selection compartments 7 with groups of adjacent sleeves 8 are provided with covers 3 and 4, respectively, which are removable from a material that is selectively transparent in the infrared range.

Vertical walls 1 and 2 of the central compartment 5 and sleeves 8, respectively, and the bottom 9 of the labyrinth are made of matte light-transmitting material.

Under the bottom 9 of the labyrinth there is a uniform infrared illumination 13, including a RGB illumination module 14.

The main part 6 of the central compartment 5 through the guillotine doors 10 is communicated with the symmetrically located compartments of the choice 7 of the central compartment 5, each of which, in turn, through the guillotine doors 11 is communicated with a group of nearby sleeves 8.

The sleeves 8 are oriented parallel to each other and for each of them the part 25 farthest from the central compartment 5 is separated from the rest of the space of the sleeve 8 by means of a guillotine door 12, and the bottom of this part 25 is made in the form of a removable pallet 15, with the possibility of placing a stimulus 16 on it.

In this case, for each sleeve 8, the shape of the bottom of its part 25 is congruent with the shape of the removable pallet 15.

Removable trays 15 are held by corresponding automatic grippers 24, which are structurally aligned with the bottom 9 of the labyrinth.

Guillotine doors 10, 11 and 12 are made with the possibility of moving vertically upward when closing and vertically downward when opening.

Above the labyrinth with the ability to move above it and with the possibility of fixing the shadow 21 of the animal on the surface of the covers 3 and / or 4 in the range corresponding to the radiation range of uniform infrared illumination 13, a video camera 17 is installed, configured to output information to the control unit 18, which is also made with the possibility of automatic control of the guillotine doors 10, 11 and 12, replacement of the removable pallet 15 by means of a low-noise robotic manipulator 19 and control of the automatic feeder 20 for each arm according to the research protocol.

Low-noise robotic manipulators 19 are structurally combined with racks 22 containing shelves 23 for stimuli 16, on which removable trays 15 and stimuli 16 are located.

The claimed device operates as follows.

Enter the required research protocol into the control unit 18.

An animal is placed in the main part 6 of the central compartment 5 and the lid 3 is closed.

At this moment, a uniform infrared illumination 13 is turned on, and as a result of the transillumination of the bottom 9 of the labyrinth, the shadow 21 of the animal is formed on the surface of the covers 3 and / or 4.

The video camera 17 captures the shadow 21 of the animal, which is recognized and monitored by the program of the control unit 18.

Further, according to the research protocol, the corresponding robotic arm 19 grabs the required removable pallet 15 with the stimulus 16 placed on it, if necessary, from the rack 22 and installs it into the corresponding sleeve 8, or rather its part 25, the shape of the bottom of which is congruent with the shape of the removable pallet 15.

After that, the corresponding automatic grippers 24 fix the removable pallet 15 with the stimulus 16 placed on it, if necessary, in the part 25 of the sleeve 8, pressing it from below and thereby forming a closed space of the sleeve 8.

After fixing the removable pallet 15 with the stimulus 16 placed on it, if necessary, the robot-manipulator 19 proceeds to the next cycle of placing the stimulus 16 in the sleeve 8 or performs the reverse procedure for moving the stimulus 16 from the labyrinth to the shelf 23 of the rack 22, which occurs in the reverse sequence, according to commands coming from the control unit 18. The process is repeated for each of the parts 25 of the arms 8 using robotic manipulators 19.

After that, one of the two guillotine doors 10, separating the main part 6 of the central compartment 5 from the corresponding compartment of the selection 7, is lowered and gives the animal access to the guillotine doors 11 separating this compartment of the selection 7 from the sleeves 8.

After lowering one of the guillotine doors 11, the entrance to the corresponding sleeve 8 opens. As soon as the video camera 17 recorded the movement of the animal's shadow 21 from the central compartment 5 to the sleeve 8, the corresponding guillotine door 11 is closed.

According to the research protocol, the control unit 18 lowers the corresponding guillotine door 12, which separates the space of the sleeve 8 from its part 25 with the removable tray 15 installed in it and opens the animal's access to the previously placed stimulus 16.

If the animal begins to study the stimulus 16, the video camera 17 observes this process as the approach of the shadow 21 of the animal and the placed stimulus 16, and the control unit 18 turns on the corresponding automatic feeder 20, which gives the animal access to the reward.

After that, the animal leaves the part 25, which is separated from the rest of the space of the sleeve 8, raising the corresponding guillotine door 12.

Further, the animal moves from the sleeve 8 to the selection compartment 7, while the corresponding guillotine door 11 is closed, and returns to the main part 6 of the central compartment 5, while the corresponding guillotine door 10 is closed.

In case of refusal to study the stimulus 16, which is revealed by the lack of movement of the shadow 21 of the animal to part 25 of one of the arms 8, or the selection of the wrong stimulus 16 by the animals, the control unit 18 changes the uniform infrared illumination 13 to negative red illumination using the RGB illumination module 14, which is negative reinforcement.

The RGB backlight module 14 according to the research puncture can create illumination of both all and individual zones of the bottom 9 of the labyrinth in the entire range of the visible light spectrum. This makes it possible to have an additional tool of light aversive impact on the test animal during the experiment.

This process is repeated many times, depending on the research protocol.

Claims (2)

1. A device for automated cognitive research in the form of a labyrinth with vertical walls, a lid and a bottom, containing a central compartment communicated with the sleeves through guillotine doors, characterized in that the vertical walls and the bottom of the labyrinth are made of matte light-transmitting material, the sleeves are oriented parallel to each other , and the central compartment and groups of nearby sleeves are equipped with removable covers made of a material that is selectively transparent in the infrared range, while uniform illumination is placed under the bottom of the labyrinth in the corresponding range, the bottom of the labyrinth, the part of each sleeve farthest from the central compartment, is made in the form of a removable tray for placement on it stimulus, and above the labyrinth with the possibility of moving above it and with fixing the shadow of the animal on the covers in the infrared range, a video camera is installed, made with the possibility of outputting information to the control unit, and the control unit is also made with the ability to automatic control of guillotine doors, replacement of a removable tray by means of a low-noise robotic arm and an automatic feeder for each arm according to the study protocol. 2. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the number of robotic manipulators corresponds to the number of groups of nearby sleeves.

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