RU216185U1 - DEVICE FOR FIXATION OF LABORATORY ANIMALS UNDER LOCAL BRAIN IRRADIATION - Google Patents

Abstract

The utility model relates to the field of experimental biology and medicine, in particular when modeling a local radiation effect on the dorsal region of the head. The device contains a semi-cylindrical hollow body made of a material transparent for ionizing radiation with transverse holes, attached to a flat base, the head part of the body is made in the form of a truncated cone with a hole for the animal's nose, and in the rear part of the body there is a valve with a screw and a through hole for output tail, wherein the truncated cone is rigidly fixed to the body and has a window in the upper part to control the position of the animal in the device; slot for the screw of the front valve, behind the post, in the upper part of the body, there is a recess for the screw for fixing the front valve in the lowest position, and in the upper part of the body there is a longitudinal slot for moving and fixing the rear valve. The rear gate valve has an internal protrusion along the circular perimeter, and the front gate valve has a thickness of 5 mm. The proposed utility model allows you to: securely fix laboratory animals in the head-neck area; use radiation-transparent materials; reduce tension and stress in the animal to minimize distortion of the results in the study, for example, the functions of higher nervous activity, and reduce trauma during fixation of a laboratory animal; simplify the work of the experimenter, as it allows one person to work without outside help by simplifying the design and operation process; easy to handle, clean and disinfect the device after the experiment. 5 ill.

Description

The utility model relates to the field of experimental biology and medicine and expands the arsenal of technical devices for fixing experimental unanesthetized animals, mainly rats, when simulating local radiation exposure to the dorsal region of the head.

A common problem of fixing small animals during research experiments is, on the one hand, the unreliability of fixation, and, on the other hand, the trauma and stress for the animal of known methods, which negatively affects the quality and purity of experimental data. Significant stress experienced by animals can alter behavioral responses, blood chemistry, and other physiological parameters, especially in the short term following exposure.

To ensure the targeted effect of ionizing radiation on certain areas of the brain, a rigid fixation of the head and neck of a laboratory animal is necessary.

A device for gentle immobilization of small laboratory animals is known, which allows manipulations with a selected area of the body surface (RU 2524251 C1). The device allows to achieve the degree of complete immobilization of laboratory animals, mainly rats, contains a body made of "stenoflex" with a loading opening and is equipped with a tripod, while the device uses a segment of a soft-elastic cylindrical tube with two stainless steel band clamps with a screw that transmits worm type force.

However, a disadvantage of the known device for gentle fixation is the excessive rigidity of the materials used, namely the metal crimp clamps and the "stenoflex" body, which make it difficult to control the position of the body of a laboratory animal during fixation. At the same time, metal clamps require a tool to work with them (a screwdriver or a wrench) and do not allow fast fixation, which increases labor costs, and a tripod made of wood cannot be fully sterilized with chemicals used in the operating room. In addition, the material from which the body of the device is made does not allow air to pass through and is not able to absorb liquid, which, under conditions of prolonged manipulations on laboratory animals, can have undesirable consequences (asphyxia, contamination of the surgical field with biological fluids, etc.). In addition, metal parts entering the irradiation field can distort the given distribution of dose loads on tissues.

A device for fixing laboratory animals (RU 14722 U1) is known, containing a tabletop, characterized in that it has a semi-cylindrical body with a flat base, the head part of which is made in the form of a truncated cone with a hole, and the tail part is equipped with a removable valve with a hole for the tail and a screw, which fixes it through a slot in the case, and two parallel plates with grooves are attached to the tabletop with a heavy base, into which the flat base of the case is inserted.

The disadvantage is the impossibility of rigid fixation of the head in a stationary state.

A device for fixing the head of laboratory animals is known (RU 2629777 C2). The invention relates to experimental medicine, in particular to a device for fixing the head of a previously anesthetized laboratory animal. The device contains an ear fixator, a muzzle fixator and a micromanipulator. The ear retainer consists of micrometric mechanisms of the ear retainers, tips of the ear retainers, safety balls of the tips of the ear retainers and the support of the ear retainers. The muzzle fixator consists of a lamb for fixing the incisors of the upper jaw, a latch of the incisors of the upper jaw, a sleeve for the fixation of the nose and lower jaw, a wheel of the muzzle fixer, springs, a support frame of the muzzle, and the micromanipulator consists of vertical and horizontal micrometric mechanisms with manual feed and wheels of vertical and horizontal feed.

The disadvantage is the need for anesthesia. In some experiments, it is necessary to study the behavioral reactions of animals, where the use of anesthesia is not possible due to a change in the purity of the reactions of animals.

A device (RU 198263 U1) is known for fixing laboratory animals with local brain irradiation, characterized in that it is made of an inert material and consists of a U-shaped rectangular platform with two sides, and on the sides of the sides there are two semicircular slots for fixing the limbs and the upper incisors, the lodgment, and the lodgment has a round hole for the dorsal region of the head, and in the end part of the lodgment there are two-lobed metal retainers with textile cords - two on the long part and one on the wide part of the lodgment.

The disadvantages of the device are the frequent self-injury of the rat and the need for the animal to be in an uncomfortable position, which causes additional stress and can lead to a deterioration in the purity of the experiment, especially under conditions of prolonged exposure. Also, with prolonged fixation of a rat in this device, there is a violation of blood circulation in the limbs, which can lead to injury and the inability of the animal to further perform motor tests when studying violations of higher brain functions.

We consider the prototype of the utility model to be a device (RU 199970 U1) for fixing laboratory animals, including a semi-cylindrical body with a flat base, a retainer in the form of a truncated cone with a hole for the nose of the animal is inserted into the head part of the body and fixed with a screw, and the tail part is equipped with a valve with a hole for the tail and two vertical slots for fixing in the housing, in the upper part of the housing there is a longitudinal slot for moving the latch, and at the entrance to the housing there is a vertical slot into which the valve is inserted.

The disadvantage is the unreliable fixation of the head-neck region, which complicates high-precision experiments with irradiation of the animal's brain.

The technical result of the proposed utility model is to improve the quality of fixing the head of laboratory animals in a simple device, as well as to improve the conditions for keeping animals for the duration of long-term experiments using ionizing radiation, which reduces stress, which is especially important when studying behavioral reactions in a short time after exposure.

The technical result is achieved by the fact that, just like in the known device, it contains a semi-cylindrical hollow body made of a material transparent for ionizing radiation with transverse holes, attached to a flat base, the head part of the body is made in the form of a truncated cone with a hole for the nose of the animal, and in the back part of the body is made with a valve with a screw and a through hole for the output of the tail.

A feature of this device is that the truncated cone is rigidly fixed to the body and has a window in the upper part to control the position of the animal in the device; post with a longitudinal slot for the screw of the front valve, behind the post, in the upper part of the body, there is a recess for the screw for fixing the front valve in the lowest position, and in the upper part of the body there is a longitudinal slot for moving and fixing the rear valve. The rear latch has an internal ledge around the circular perimeter, and the front latch has a thickness of 5 mm.

The utility model is illustrated by a detailed description and illustrations, which show:

Fig. 1 - device for fixing laboratory animals, side view: 1 - housing; 2 - through holes; 3 - base; 4 - cone; 5 - rear valve; 6 - rack; 7 - screw; 8 - front valve; 9 - rear valve screw; 10 - longitudinal slot; 11 - hole for irradiation; 14- slot; 15- notch for screw 7.

Fig. 2 - device for fixing laboratory animals, rear view: 1 - housing; 3 - base; 5 - rear valve; 6 - rack; 7 - screw; 9 - rear valve screw; 10 - longitudinal slot; 12 - slot in the rack; 13 - groove for fixing the neck.

Fig. 3 - front valve: a) side view: 7 - screw; 8 - front valve; b) straight view: 7 - screw; 13 - groove for fixing the neck.

Fig. 4 - rear valve: a) side view: 5 - rear valve; 9 - rear valve screw; b) straight view: 5 - rear valve; 9 - rear valve screw.

Fig. 5 is an example of animal fixation, side-back view.

The utility model (Fig. 1, Fig. 2) consists of collapsible parts and contains a semi-cylindrical body 1 with a flat base 3, the head part of the body is presented in the form of a truncated cone 4 (Fig. 1) with holes in the front (for breathing) and on top 11 ( to control head position). In the slot 14 (Fig. 1), located in the cervical area, a vertically moving valve 8 5 mm thick (Fig. 1) with a groove 13 for rigidly fixing the animal's neck is inserted, fixed with a screw 7 (Fig. 3 a, b) connecting the valve 8 and post 6 of the body 1. The valve 8 moves vertically along the slot 12 (Fig. 2) located in the post 6, providing an increase or decrease in the clearance for the neck of the animal inside the body 1, depending on its size and ensuring the immobility of the rat's head. In the upper part of the housing 1 there is a recess 15 (Fig. 1) for the screw 7 to fix the valve 8 in the lowest position. The entrance of the housing 1 is closed with a removable rear valve 5 with an internal ledge along the circular perimeter (Fig. 4), fixed with a screw 9 (Fig. 4 a, b), which moves in a horizontal slot 10 (Fig. 2) and can be fixed in it at a certain distance corresponding to the length of the animal. The rear latch 5 has a semi-circular hole for the tail of the animal. The semi-cylindrical body 1 contains through holes 2 (Fig. 1), eight pieces on each side to control the position of the animal and provide a microclimate (temperature, humidity, pressure) identical to the surrounding space. The slot 14 in the front of the body 1 does not reach the base 3 (Fig. 1), leaving on the sides of the body of the board, which serve as guides for the valve 8 and ensure its faster lowering down. Also, the sides are necessary so that the animal does not slip out of the device until it is fixed by the valve 8.

For experiments (Fig. 5) in the device, the rear valve 5 is removed from the housing 1 and the laboratory animal under study is launched through the entrance. The entrance of the housing 1 after loading the animal through it is closed with a rear valve 5 and fixed with a screw 9, which moves in a horizontal slot 10 at a certain distance corresponding to the length of the animal, achieving the tightest possible fixation of the rat in the housing so that the animal is unable to move back and forth in the device. In this case, the animal's head is in the cone 4, and the animal's nose is directed into the hole for unhindered breathing. The front latch 8 fixes the neck of the animal, fixing it with a screw 7. In the fixed animal, a given area of the head is irradiated, controlling its position through the hole 11.

The proposed utility model allows:

- securely fix laboratory animals in the head-neck area;

- use radiation-transparent materials;

- reduce tension and stress in the animal to minimize distortion of the results in the study, for example, of the functions of higher nervous activity and reduce trauma during fixation of a laboratory animal;

- to simplify the work of the experimenter, as it allows one person to work without outside help by simplifying the design and operation process;

- easy to process, clean and disinfect the device after the experiment.

Claims (2)

1. A device for fixing laboratory animals during local irradiation of the brain, including a semi-cylindrical hollow body made of a material transparent for ionizing radiation with transverse holes, attached to a flat base, the head part of the body is made in the form of a truncated cone with a hole for the nose of the animal, and in the rear part of the body has a valve with a screw and a through hole for the tail outlet, characterized in that the truncated cone is rigidly fixed to the body and has a window in the upper part to control the position of the animal in the device, a groove is made between the cone and the body, into which the front valve is inserted with a hole for fixing the neck of the animal, between the groove and the body there is a vertical stand with a longitudinal slot for the screw of the front valve, behind the stand, in the upper part of the body, there is a recess for the screw for fixing the front valve in the lowest position, and in the upper part of the body there is a longitudinal hole Drive to move and fix the rear gate valve. 2. The device according to claim. 1, characterized in that the rear valve has an internal protrusion around the circular perimeter, and the front valve has a thickness of 5 mm.

Images