RU2796879C1 - Device of simulation of physical load in experimental animals - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: medicine.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to a device for simulating physical activity in small laboratory animals. Block A of the device has the form of a frame consisting of movable and fixed parts, combined with a screw mechanism. One drum is placed in the moving part, and two in the fixed part. The ends of the drums of the moving part are rigidly connected to the displacement limiter of the conveyor belt and to the pulley. A deck is placed under the conveyor belt, rigidly connected to the side walls of the fixed part, with the possibility of the conveyor belt sliding along it. Block B is represented by a case in the form of an inverted rectangular box, the bottom of which is made of organic glass with ventilation holes. The inner part of block B is divided into running compartments by partitions.

EFFECT: limiting the ability of the animal to leave the conveyor belt before the end of the experiment, centering the conveyor belt relative to the drums with adjusting its tension by a screw mechanism by expanding or narrowing the gap on the right or left side, and separately accounting for the natural weight loss of each animal associated with physical activity due to sweating, by collecting animal excrement with the help of sections.

7 cl, 6 dwg

Description

The invention relates to medicine, and more specifically to experimental physiology, and can be used to simulate physical activity in small laboratory animals through dosed, forced running.

Devices for simulating physical activity are known, the basis of which is an endlessly rushing rubberized tape mounted on drums [1, 12-16,19-21,23-31, 33-35,38-45, 48-50].

The constructive technical solutions of the known devices have disadvantages associated with the limited possibility of their use in experiments with small laboratory animals. These devices are adapted exclusively for humans.

The closest device to the claimed invention is a device for physical activity in small laboratory animals without and against the background of hypoxia (patent RU No. 2677193 [36]), including drums mounted on the frame, covered by a conveyor belt, an electric drive of the drums, which are movably aligned with the housing by axial connections having supports aligned with the axes of the drums, with a conveyor belt and an asynchronous electric motor, in addition, the body is equipped with a lid with transparent side walls and with mirrors on the inner surface of the front and rear walls, and longitudinal grooves are made in the end surfaces of the central supports for fixing the side walls of the lid, which, like the front and rear walls, end below the upper part of the conveyor belt and are open for atmospheric air to enter the cover cavity, and mirrors are placed in the cover cavity with counter-reflecting surfaces oriented in the frontal plane along the axes of the shafts of the front and rear drums with the formation of a gap of up to 10 mm between the conveyor belt web and the lower edges of the mirrors, in addition, the device is equipped with a conveyor belt tensioner and a container for collecting animal urine and feces. In the device, the shaft of the rear drum is combined with the shaft of the gearbox of an asynchronous electric motor having a speed controller. In addition, the ends of the rear and front drums are provided with boards that limit the working part of the drums to the width of the conveyor belt, and the lower part of the conveyor belt is provided with a tensioner in the form of a spring-loaded roller device with a freely rotating drum.

The known device provides the task, which includes its use for experimental studies on small laboratory animals, but has design flaws and complexity of the technical solution for mass production.

The objective of the invention is to eliminate the shortcomings of the prototype by introducing technical improvements and design simplifications.

In FIG. 1 - general view of the device with details of the structure of block A and block B;

in fig. 2 - diagram of block A with a view from the left side;

in fig. 3 - diagram of block A with a view from the right side;

in fig. 4 - diagram of block A with a top view;

in fig. 5 - diagram of block B with a top view;

in fig. 6 is a diagram of block B with a cross section along AA ¹ .

The device consists of two blocks (A and B) with the possibility of separating them (Fig. 1).

Block A (Fig. 2 and 3) is represented by a detachable body (1), made in the form of a frame, composed of two parts - movable (2) and fixed (3), which are combined by a screw mechanism (4) with the possibility of changing the gap between them, opposite ends when adjusting the tension of the conveyor belt (5), made of rubberized material. A drum (6) is placed in the movable part (2) of the body (1). The ends of the axle (7) of the drum (6) are equipped with roller bearings (8 and 9), which are rigidly aligned with the side walls of the movable part (2) of the housing (1). One end of the drum (6) is rigidly aligned with the displacement limiter (10) of the conveyor belt (5), and the other end is rigidly aligned with the pulley (11), which performs the functions of rotating the drum (6) and the displacement limiter of the conveyor belt (5) (Fig. 4).

From the side of the gap (12) (Fig. 2, 3 and 4) between the movable (2) and fixed (3) parts, two drums are placed in the fixed (3) part - the front drum (13) and the rear drum (14). The ends of the axles (15 and 16) of the drums (13 and 14) are rigidly aligned with roller bearings (17, 18, 19 and 20), which are rigidly aligned with the side walls of the fixed (3) part. The ends of the front drum (13) are rigidly aligned with the limiters (21 and 22) of the displacement of the conveyor belt (5). The ends of the rear drum (14) are rigidly aligned with the pulleys (23 and 24). The pulley 23 is connected by a friction belt drive (25) to the gear pulley (26) of the electric motor (27), the rotation speed of which is controlled by an electronic device (28) by means of a switch (29). The pulley 24 of the belt drive (30) is aligned with the pulley (11) of the drum (6) (FIGS. 2, 3 and 4).

In the rear section (31) of the fixed (3) part, a container (32) is placed with the possibility of its extraction. The container (32) is divided into sections (33) for collecting animal excrement from the running fields (see below). The container (32) is detachably combined with the cleaner (34) of the conveyor belt (5) (Fig. 2, 3 and 4).

On the outer surface of the side wall of the fixed (3) part, there is a button KD2 (35) for turning on and off the power supply of the device and a switch knob (29) for the rotation speed of the electric motor (27) (Fig. 1 and 2).

The housing (1) of block A (FIGS. 1, 2 and 3) is provided with guides (36 and 37) to prevent lateral displacement and ensure reciprocating movement of the movable (2) part relative to the fixed part. The guides (36 and 37) are made in the form of rectangular strips, which are rigidly aligned with the fixed part (3) of the body (1). To prevent displacement of the movable (2) part of the housing (1) in the vertical direction (up or down), in the guides (36 and 37) in the horizontal plane, through grooves (38) are made, movably aligned with the limiters (39), which are rigidly aligned with the side the walls of the movable (2) part. The guides (36 and 37) can be aligned with the outer or inner surfaces of the side walls of the housing 1.

Block B (Fig. 5) is represented by a body (40) in the form of an inverted rectangular box, the dimensions of the inner perimeter of which correspond to the linear dimensions of the conveyor belt, and the bottom (41) is made of a transparent material, for example, organic glass, and has ventilation holes (42) for the entry of atmospheric air into the inner part of the housing (40) (Fig. 5 and 6), divided into running compartments (43) by partitions (44), which can be made of a transparent material, for example, organic glass. All running compartments (43) for placing or retrieving animals are equipped with movable flaps (45). Each running compartment (43) of the housing (40) limits the running field on the conveyor belt (5).

For permanent installation of block B relative to block A, non-through holes (46) are made in the upper section of the fixed (3) part of the body (1) of block A, which are aligned with the limiters (47) of block B. The limiters are made in the form of short rods, longitudinal and transverse dimensions which are congruent with the holes (46) of the fixed part (3) of the body (1) of block A. The limiters (47) are rigidly aligned with the lower section of the body (40) of block B (Fig. 4 and 6).

The screw mechanism (4) (Fig. 2 and 3), which corrects the tension of the conveyor belt (5), is represented by the upper (48) and lower (49) guides in the form of cylindrical rods, which are rigid (50 and 51) from the side of the gap (12) connected to the end face of the fixed part (3) and movably (52 and 53) connected from the side of the gap (12) to the end face of the movable part (2). Correction of the tension of the conveyor belt (5) is carried out by a bolt (54) with a head (55) equipped with a ratchet mechanism (conditionally not shown) for screwing in or out of the bolt (54) relative to the nut (56), which is rigidly connected from the side of the gap (12) to the end face of the fixed part (3). The tension of the conveyor belt (5) is adjusted by adjusting the gap (12). When the bolt (54) is rotated clockwise, the head (55) of the bolt (54) extends and, resting against the end of the moving part (2), moves it away from the fixed part (3), which is accompanied by an increase in the tension of the conveyor belt (5). When the bolt (54) is rotated counterclockwise, the opposite action occurs, which is accompanied by a decrease in the tension of the conveyor belt (5). By unilaterally increasing or decreasing the tension of the conveyor belt (5), it is centered within the displacement limiters (10, 11, 21, 22, 23 and 24) of the drums (6, 13 and 14). To reduce the friction of the head (55) during the rotation of the bolt (54), a metal ball (57) oriented along the longitudinal axis of the bolt (54) is placed in the end face of the movable part (2) of the body (1) from the side of the gap (12).

To repair the device and replace the conveyor belt (5), inserts are made in the side wall of the housing (1) on one side - front (58) and rear (59) with the possibility of their extraction. The inserts (58 and 59) are fixed with self-tapping screws (60) (FIGS. 1 and 2). In the movable (2) part, there is a recess (61) for the front insert (58). In the fixed (3) part there is a recess (62) for the rear insert (59).

Under the conveyor belt (5), between the drums (6-13 and 13-14), decks are inserted, rigidly aligned with the side walls of the fixed part (3) (not shown conventionally), the size of which in width and length coincides with the sections of the conveyor belt (5) enclosed within the drums (6-13 and 13-14). The decks are inserted so that they can come into contact with the conveyor belt (5) within the sliding limits to prevent it from bending under the weight of the running rat.

Algorithm for working with the device

1. Place the animals in the running compartments (43).

2. Start moving the conveyor belt (5) at a speed that allows the animals to adapt and start running.

3. Gradually accelerate the speed of the conveyor belt (5) until the optimal speed (8-10 km/h) is reached, determined by the purpose of the experiment and set by the speed controller (29).

4. Withdraw animals from the experiment after the specified time has elapsed or when they are tired, when they are not capable of running.

5. In the course of the experiment in animals, it is possible to record an ECG with an analysis of the heart rhythm using the Physiobelt system.

After the end of the experiment, the animals are removed from the device. Block A is disconnected from block B. The container (32) is removed, washed and disinfected. The conveyor belt is washed and disinfected.

The positive effect of using the device:

1. The device is adapted for conducting experiments on small laboratory animals.

2. The ability of the animal to leave the conveyor belt before the end of the experiment is limited.

3. The device is equipped with a rational conveyor belt tension regulator in the form of a screw mechanism.

4. The function of centering the conveyor belt relative to the drums has been introduced with the correction of its tension by a screw mechanism by expanding or narrowing the gap on the right or left side.

5. Tank for collecting animal excrement, due to the presence of sections, allows you to separately consider the natural weight loss of each animal and associated with exercise due to sweating.

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Claims (8)

1. A device for simulating physical activity in small laboratory animals, including drums mounted on a frame, covered by a conveyor belt, an electric drive of the drums, and having a platform that is movably aligned with an axial connection with a body having supports aligned with the axes of the drums with a conveyor belt and an asynchronous electric motor in addition, the housing is provided with a lid with transparent side walls, and in the end surfaces of the central supports there are longitudinal grooves for fixing the side walls of the lid, which, like the front and rear walls, end below the upper part of the conveyor belt and are open for atmospheric air to enter the cavity of the lid, in addition, the device is equipped with a container for collecting urine and feces of the animal, and the lower part of the conveyor belt is equipped with a tensioning means in the form of a spring-loaded roller device having a freely rotating drum, characterized in that the device consists of two blocks A and B with the possibility of separating them, while block A is represented by a body in the form of a frame, composed of two parts - movable and fixed, which are combined by a screw mechanism with the possibility of changing the gap between their opposite ends when adjusting the tension of the conveyor belt on the drums, placed in the amount of one in the movable part and two in the fixed part , moreover, one end of the drum of the moving part is rigidly connected to the displacement limiter of the conveyor belt, and the opposite end of the drum is rigidly connected to the pulley, while both ends of the drum of the fixed part front from the gap are rigidly aligned with the displacement limiters of the conveyor belt, and the ends of the rear drum are rigidly aligned with the pulleys , while one pulley is connected by a friction belt drive to the pulley of the electric motor reducer, and the other pulley is connected by a belt drive to the pulley of the drum of the movable part, in addition, the side walls of the movable and fixed parts are aligned with guides made in the form of rectangular strips, which are rigidly aligned with the side walls of the fixed part, and mobile, with the possibility of reciprocating movement, with the side wall of the movable part within the grooves made in the guides, and the motion limiters in the form of pins, one end of which is rigidly aligned with the side walls of the movable part, and the other end is movably aligned with guide grooves, in addition, under the conveyor belt, to prevent it from bending under the weight of the animal, a deck is placed, which is rigidly connected to the side walls of the fixed part, with the possibility of contact with the conveyor belt within the sliding range, the device also contains block B, which is represented by a body in the form of an inverted rectangular box, the bottom of which is made of a transparent material in the form of organic glass, and has ventilation holes for atmospheric air to enter the inner part of the block B body, divided by partitions into running compartments that limit the running fields on the conveyor belt, and the running compartments are equipped with movable flaps for placing or retrieving animals. 2. The device according to claim. 1, characterized in that for the repair of the device and the replacement of the conveyor belt in the side wall of the movable and fixed parts of the body of block A, inserts are made with the possibility of their extraction. 3. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the ends of the axes of the shafts of the movable and fixed parts are equipped with roller bearings, which are rigidly aligned with the side walls of the housing within its parts. 4. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the screw mechanism that corrects the tension of the conveyor belt is represented by upper and lower guides in the form of cylindrical rods, which are rigidly connected from the side of the gap to the end of the fixed part, and are movably connected within the sliding range from the side of the gap with the end of the movable part, and the conveyor belt is made with the possibility of correcting the tension with a bolt, the head of which is movably aligned with the end of the movable part and is equipped with a ratchet mechanism for screwing or unscrewing the bolt relative to the nut, which is rigidly aligned from the side of the gap with the end of the fixed part. 5. The device according to claim 4, characterized in that the conveyor belt is configured to adjust the tension by accelerating the gap, and the bolt is configured to, when rotated clockwise, rest the head against the end of the movable part and move it away from the fixed part, followed by an increase in the tension of the conveyor belt , and when the bolt is rotated counterclockwise, it is possible to carry out the reverse action with a subsequent decrease in the tension of the conveyor belt. 6. The device according to claim 5, characterized in that in order to reduce the friction of the head during the rotation of the bolt, a metal ball oriented along the longitudinal axis of the bolt is placed in the end of the movable part of the body of block A from the side of the gap. 7. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that for the permanent installation of block B relative to block A, non-through holes are made in the upper section of the fixed part of the body of block A, which are aligned with the limiters of block B, made in the form of rods, the longitudinal and transverse dimensions of which are congruent with holes in the stationary part of the body of block A, and the limiters are rigidly aligned with the lower section of the body of block B, the dimensions of the inner perimeter of which correspond to the linear dimensions of the conveyor belt. 8. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that in the rear section of the fixed part, a container is placed with the possibility of extraction, which is divided into sections for separate collection of animal excrement from the running fields, in addition, the container is detachably combined with a conveyor belt cleaner.

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