WO2021232207A1

WO2021232207A1 - Experimental animal behavior monitoring apparatus

Info

Publication number: WO2021232207A1
Application number: PCT/CN2020/090904
Authority: WO
Inventors: 杨星; 刘清晴; 王立平
Original assignee: 中国科学院深圳先进技术研究院
Priority date: 2020-05-18
Filing date: 2020-05-18
Publication date: 2021-11-25

Abstract

An experimental animal behavior monitoring apparatus (100). The experimental animal behavior monitoring device (100) comprises a training box (20) and at least one cage (10); the cage comprises a bottom wall (11), a top wall (12), and a side wall (13) connecting the bottom wall (11) and the top wall (12); the training box (20) comprises a box body (21) and an interactive training device (22) arranged on the box body (21); the box body (21) is connected to the top wall (11) or the side wall (13) of the cage (10); the space in the box body (21) is communicated with the space in the cage (10) by means of an opening (a); the interactive training device (22) is used for implementing interaction with an experimental animal. The experimental animal behavior monitoring apparatus can improve the efficiency of monitoring the behavior of the experimental animal.

Description

Experimental animal behavior monitoring device

【Technical Field】

This application relates to the technical field of animal experiment equipment, in particular to an experimental animal behavior monitoring device.

【Background technique】

In the research process of new drug development, animal nutrition, brain science, etc., it is usually necessary to place experimental animals in corresponding breeding cages to track experimental results, and to ensure a healthy living environment for experimental animals. For example, as the closest animal to humans, the non-human primate model is widely used to study the pathology and treatment of emotions, cognition, social interaction, and various diseases, such as addiction, depression, and heart disease. Vascular disease, cancer, AIDS, multiple sclerosis, organ transplantation, etc.

The evaluation of animal emotions, cognitive abilities, disease models, and drug efficacy does not leave the monitoring of animal behaviors. How to obtain more accurate behavior monitoring data is of great significance to ensure the validity of the evaluation results.

[Summary of the invention]

The main technical problem solved by this application is to provide an experimental animal behavior monitoring device, which can improve the efficiency of detecting the behavior of the experimental animal and the accuracy of the obtained experimental data.

In order to solve the above technical problems, a technical solution adopted in the embodiments of this application is to provide an experimental animal behavior monitoring device, the experimental animal behavior monitoring device includes a training box and at least one cage; the cage includes a bottom wall, a top wall, and The side wall connecting the bottom wall and the top wall. The training box includes a box body and interactive training equipment set on the box body. The box body is connected with the top wall or side wall of the cage, and the space in the box and the space in the cage pass through An opening is connected, and the interactive training device is used to realize interaction with experimental animals.

Among them, the side walls include a front panel, a rear panel and two side panels, the front panel is a transparent panel; the monitoring device also includes a replacement panel, the replacement panel is provided with access doors; the front panel and the replacement panel can be changed with the top wall, The relative positional relationship of the bottom wall and/or the side plates are replaced with each other, so that one of them and the bottom wall, the top wall, the rear plate and the side plates are enclosed to form a cage of the cage.

Wherein, the front plate is slidably connected to the bottom wall, top wall or side plate; and the replacement plate is slidably connected to the bottom wall, top wall or side plate.

Wherein, the bottom wall is provided with a first slide rail and a second slide rail; the front plate is slidably provided on the first slide rail; the replacement plate is slidably provided on the second slide rail.

Among them, the monitoring device includes a plurality of cages connected from the side, the training box is connected with one of the cages; the side walls of each cage include a front plate, a rear plate and two side plates, the front plate is a transparent panel; The plate is a movable plate, and the side plate can be moved to make the space in the adjacent cages communicate; the bottom wall of each cage is provided with a first slide rail and a second slide rail, and adjacent cages The first slide rail is connected to the second slide rail; the monitoring device further includes a replacement board, the replacement board is provided with an access door, the front board is slidably provided on the first slide rail, and the replacement board is slidably provided on the second slide rail superior.

Wherein, the first slide rail and the second slide rail of one of the cages arranged at both ends of the plurality of cages extend in a direction away from the adjacent cage, and the lengths of the extended first slide rail and the second slide rail are different. Less than twice the original.

Wherein, the side wall includes a front panel, a rear panel and two side panels, the front panel is a transparent panel; and the top wall and/or the rear panel are transparent panels.

Wherein, the monitoring device is provided with a communicating door at the opening, and the communicating door is used to close the opening after the experimental animal enters the box.

Wherein, the monitoring device also includes a driving part, and the driving end of the driving part is connected with the communication door; a detection device is provided in the box, and the detection device is connected with the driving part; the detection device is used to control the driving part after detecting that the experimental animal enters the box The drive communication door is closed.

Among them, the interactive training equipment includes electronic equipment. The electronic equipment includes a processor and a touch screen and a speaker connected to the processor. The display area of the touch screen faces the inner space of the box; the electronic equipment is used to generate visual and sound stimulation to the experimental animal through the touch screen and the speaker. , And collect the touch data of experimental animals through the touch screen.

Among them, the electronic device is a tablet computer.

Wherein, the training box also includes a control box connected with the box body; the interactive training equipment is arranged in the control box.

Wherein, the interactive training equipment also includes a food dosing device connected to the electronic equipment; the electronic equipment is used to control the food dosing device to deliver food to the experimental animals according to the collected touch data.

Among them, a drinking tube and a food trough are also arranged in the box body; the drinking tube and the food trough are respectively used for holding water and food from the dosing device.

Among them, the box body including the top is made of transparent materials; the other parts of the box body are made of metal materials.

Among them, the monitoring device also includes a video capture device; the video capture device is used to transmit the captured video stream to the analysis device, and the analysis device is used to analyze the behavior of the experimental animal; and/or the video capture device is used to stream the captured video Send it to the storage device for storage.

Wherein, the cage also includes a moving wall, which can move between the front plate and the rear plate.

Among them, the bottom wall is not provided with a side wall on one side, and a plurality of casters are installed; the bottom wall is provided with a collection groove, and the collection groove is used for installing a collection tray to collect the excrement of the experimental animal.

In this application, the experimental animal behavior monitoring device is provided with a training box and at least one cage, and the box is connected to the top wall or side plate of the cage, and the space in the box and the space in the cage are connected through an opening, so that the experiment Animals can move freely between the cage and the box to enter the training box and complete the training by interacting with the interactive training equipment, thereby realizing the integration of feeding and training, reducing the interference to the experimental animals, and improving the performance of the experimental animals. The efficiency of behavior detection and the accuracy of the experimental data obtained.

【Explanation of the drawings】

In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application or the prior art, the following will briefly introduce the drawings that need to be used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are only These are some embodiments of the present application. For those of ordinary skill in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative work.

Figure 1 is a schematic structural diagram of an embodiment of an experimental animal behavior monitoring device of the present application;

2 is a schematic structural diagram of a second embodiment of the experimental animal behavior monitoring device of the present application;

Fig. 3 is a first structural schematic diagram of a second embodiment of the experimental animal behavior monitoring device of the present application;

4 is a schematic diagram of a second structure of the second embodiment of the experimental animal behavior monitoring device of the present application;

5 is a schematic structural diagram of the training box of the first embodiment of the experimental animal behavior monitoring device of the present application;

Fig. 6 is a schematic partial structural diagram of the first embodiment of the experimental animal behavior monitoring device of the present application;

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of the interactive training device of the first embodiment of the experimental animal behavior monitoring device of the present application;

Fig. 8 is a schematic front view of the structure of the training box of the first embodiment of the experimental animal behavior monitoring device of the present application.

【Detailed ways】

The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be described clearly and completely in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application. It can be understood that the specific embodiments described here are only used to explain the application, but not to limit the application. In addition, for ease of description, the drawings only show a part of the structure related to the present application instead of all of the structure. Based on the embodiments in this application, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative work shall fall within the protection scope of this application.

The terms "first", "second", etc. in this application are used to distinguish different objects, rather than to describe a specific sequence or structure. In addition, the terms "including" and "having" and any variations of them are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions. For example, a process, method, system, product, or device that includes a series of steps or units is not limited to the listed steps or units, but optionally includes unlisted steps or units, or optionally also includes Other steps or units inherent to these processes, methods, products or equipment.

The reference to "embodiments" herein means that a specific feature, structure, or characteristic described in conjunction with the embodiments may be included in at least one embodiment of the present application. The appearance of the phrase in various places in the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor is it an independent or alternative embodiment mutually exclusive with other embodiments. Those skilled in the art clearly and implicitly understand that the embodiments described herein can be combined with other embodiments.

In related technologies, behavior monitoring of experimental animals, especially cognitive ability testing, often adopts a method of completing set tasks in a test cage. Transfer the experimental animals to a special test cage through the transfer cage, and then train and test the experimental animals (such as WGTA) through the experimental personnel one-to-one operation of the equipment; in addition, special training devices can also be used to train and test the experimental animals .

Based on this, this application provides an experimental animal behavior monitoring device.

Please refer to FIG. 1. FIG. 1 is a schematic structural diagram of an embodiment of an experimental animal behavior monitoring device of the present application.

The experimental animal behavior monitoring device 100 includes a training box 20 and at least one cage 10.

The cage 10 includes a bottom wall 11, a top wall 12 and a side wall 13 connecting the bottom wall 11 and the top wall 12.

In this embodiment, when the number of cages 10 is multiple (ie two or more), each cage 10 includes a bottom wall 11, a top wall 12, and a side wall connecting the bottom wall 11 and the top wall 12 13. The bottom wall 11, the top wall 12 and the side plates 133 are enclosed to form a cage 10 with a certain internal space, and experimental animals can be kept in the space in the cage 10. When in use, the bottom wall 11 of the cage 10 can be set on a workbench or on the ground.

Optionally, the side plate 133 of the cage 10 is at least partially made of a transparent material, so that the experimenter can observe or monitor the behavior of the experimental animals in the cage 10 by the video capture device.

The training box 20 includes a box body 21 and an interactive training device 22 arranged on the box body 21.

The box body 21 is connected with the top wall 12 or the side wall 13 of the cage 10, the space in the box body 21 and the space in the cage 10 are connected through an opening a, and the interactive training device 22 is used to realize interaction with experimental animals.

Optionally, the box body 21 and the cage 10 may be integrally formed, and the spaces in the two are communicated through an opening a opened in the connecting part. The box body 21 and the cage 10 can also be separately arranged, and are fixedly connected or detachably connected by assembly, and each is provided with a corresponding sub-opening at the connection position. After the box body 21 and the cage 10 are assembled, the two sub-openings are all or partly They overlap to form an opening a, which connects the space in the box 21 and the space in the cage 10.

In one embodiment, the experimental animal behavior monitoring device 100 of this embodiment can be used to raise and train non-human primates. The training box 20 can be arranged on the top wall 12 of the cage 10, and the bottom of the box body 21 and the top wall 12 are communicated through the opening a. Optionally, the cage 10 may also include several support columns (not shown in the figure). A number of fixing holes are opened on the side wall 13, the supporting column can pass through the fixing hole to extend into the inside of the cage 10, and the supporting column is detachably connected to the side wall 13. The support column can be used as a perch for non-human primates (such as monkeys). By installing several support columns on the side wall 13, it can further satisfy the nature of non-human primates to climb and explore the nature of fresh objects. And it is beneficial for experimental animals to climb into the box 21 provided on the top wall 12 of the cage 10 through the support column for training.

In one embodiment, the box body 21 can be connected to the side wall 13 of the cage 10 so that the experimental animal can directly walk into the box body 21 for training.

In this embodiment, the interactive training device 22 refers to an interactive device (interactive device) that can be used to train experimental animals. The interactive device can process input directly from different channels. The main interactive channels include touch, voice, hand and body movement, and visual tracking, etc., and process the input at different moments.

During training, the experimental animals can enter the space in the box 21 autonomously, and the interactive training device 22 can give sensory stimulation to the experimental animals, collect the interactive data of the experimental animals, and guide the experimental animals to complete certain training tasks to detect the recognition of the experimental animals. Knowing ability.

Optionally, the cage 10 and the box body 21 may both have a cubic shape. Of course, it can also be in other shapes, such as a combination of a cubic shape and a spherical shape, and the present embodiment is not limited herein.

By connecting the box body 21 of the training box 20 with the top wall 12 or the side plate 133 of the cage 10, the experimental animal can enter the training box 20 autonomously and interact with the interactive training device 22 to complete the training, and return after the training is completed In the box 21, the experimental animals can move freely between the cage 10 and the box 21, thereby realizing the integration of feeding and training, and there is no need for the experimental personnel to transfer the experimental animals during training, which reduces the workload of the experimental personnel. It also reduces the interference to the experimental animals, thereby improving the accuracy of the experimental data obtained.

In this embodiment, the experimental animal behavior monitoring device 100 is provided with a training box 20 and at least one cage 10, and the box body 21 is connected to the top wall 12 or the side wall 13 of the cage 10, and the space in the box body 21 and the cage The space in 10 is connected through an opening a, so that the experimental animals can move freely between the cage 10 and the box 21 to enter the training box 20 to complete the training by interacting with the interactive training device 22, thereby realizing the integration of feeding and training , Which reduces the interference to the experimental animals, and can improve the efficiency of detecting the behavior of the experimental animals and the accuracy of the experimental data obtained.

Optionally, the experimental animal behavior monitoring device 100 may also include a video capture device (not shown in the figure).

The video capture device may be a camera.

The video capture device is used to transmit the captured video stream to the analysis device, and the analysis device is used to analyze the behavior of the experimental animal; and/or

The video capture device is used to transfer the captured video stream to the storage device for storing each other.

The analysis equipment can perform real-time or post-mortem analysis on the behavior of the monitored experimental animal by using machine learning methods. The transmission of the video stream can be wired or wireless.

By setting up a video capture device, it is possible to eliminate the on-site participation of experimenters in the process of behavior detection and recording, and to realize all-weather monitoring of experimental animals.

Please refer to FIG. 2, which is a schematic structural diagram of a second embodiment of the experimental animal behavior monitoring device of the present application.

The second embodiment of the experimental animal behavior monitoring device 100 of the present application is based on the first embodiment of the experimental animal behavior monitoring device 100 of the present application. Therefore, the same structure of this embodiment and the first embodiment will not be repeated, and you can refer to the first implementation. The description in the example.

In this embodiment, the side wall 13 includes a front plate 131, a rear plate 132 and two side plates 133.

It should be noted that this embodiment uses spatial relationship terms (such as "internal", "external", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "below", "below" , "Top", "bottom", etc.) are to facilitate the description of the relationship between one element or feature and another or more elements or another feature as shown in the figure, that is, to indicate a relative positional relationship. Spatial relationship terms may be meant to include different directions other than those shown in the figures when the device is in use or operation. For example, if the device in the figure is reversed, the "front plate 131" can also be moved to a direction facing away from the observer. The device can be arranged in other ways (rotated by 90 degrees or in other directions) and the spatial relationship descriptors used in this document can be understood accordingly.

It can be understood that the front plate 131 and the rear plate 132 are arranged opposite to each other, the two side plates 133 are arranged opposite to each other, and each side plate 133 is connected to the front plate 131 and the rear plate 132.

Optionally, at least one of the top wall 12, the front plate 131, the rear plate 132 and the two side plates 133 of the cage 10 is a transparent panel.

In this embodiment, the front panel 131 is a transparent panel. That is, the front plate 131 is a panel and is made of a transparent material to facilitate photographing or observing the experimental animals in the cage 10.

In this embodiment, the device further includes a replacement board 30 on which an access door 31 is provided. When the access door 31 is opened, it is convenient for the experimenter to grab or transfer the experimental animal.

The front plate 131 and the replacement plate 30 can be replaced with each other by changing the relative positional relationship between them and the top wall 12, the bottom wall 11, the rear plate 132 and/or the side plate 133, so that one of them is compatible with the bottom wall 11 and the top wall 12. , The rear plate 132 and the side plate 133 surround the cage body of the cage 10.

The front plate 131 and the replacement plate 30 can change the relative positional relationship with the top wall 12, the bottom wall 11, the rear plate 132 and/or the side plate 133 of the front plate 131. The front plate 131 and the replacement plate 30 can be respectively relative to the cage. The other parts of 10 are moved, rotated, pulled or folded, etc., so that one of the front plate 131 and the replacement plate 30 and the bottom wall 11, the top wall 12, the rear plate 132 and the side plate 133 are enclosed to form the cage 10 Cage. For example, the front plate 131 can move relative to the bottom wall 11 of the cage 10, and the replacement plate 30 can rotate relative to the side plate 133 of the cage 10. For another example, the front plate 131 can rotate around one side of one side plate 133, and the replacement plate 30 can rotate around one side of the other side plate 133.

Alternatively, the replacement board 30 may be a fence panel.

In related technologies, video recording is usually used to monitor the behavior of experimental animals. However, the front plate 131 of the ordinary cage 10 (used to face the experimenter) generally adopts a fence design, and a door that can be docked with the transfer cage is opened on the fence to facilitate the monkeys to enter and exit, and the side is usually used for multiple cages. With 10 connections. However, the design of the front plate 131 as a fence will partially obstruct the shooting and observation of the behavior of experimental animals, which will interfere with the subsequent analysis of the behavior of experimental animals, especially the use of machine vision analysis methods, which is not conducive to the large-scale and automated behavior of experimental animals. monitor. However, if the front panel 131 is changed to a transparent panel, due to the limited laboratory space, the side panel 133 can only be provided with an access door 31 for transferring experimental animals, which will make the cage 10 lose the function of lateral expansion. In addition, due to the need to leave space for operating the transfer cage in the lateral direction, the cages 10 cannot be arranged closely in the lateral direction, which increases the space requirement for the laboratory. Out, although the space utilization rate can be guaranteed, it will increase the complexity of the operation.

In this embodiment, by making the experimental animal behavior monitoring device 100 further include a replacement plate 30, the front plate 131 and the replacement plate 30 can be replaced with each other, thereby achieving: in the first state of the cage 10, the bottom wall 11, the top wall 12, The front plate 131, the rear plate 132 and the side plates 133 surround the cage body of the cage 10. Since the front plate 131 is a transparent panel, it is convenient to photograph and observe the behavior of experimental animals; in the second state, the bottom wall of the cage 10 11. The top wall 12, the replacement plate 30, the rear plate 132, and the side plates 133 surround the cage body of the cage 10, and the replacement plate 30 is provided with an access door 31 to facilitate the grasping or transfer of experimental animals.

Therefore, the experimental animal behavior monitoring device 100 of this embodiment is provided with a replaceable front plate 131 and a replacement plate 30, which can not reduce the space utilization rate of the laboratory and take into account conventional experimental operations (such as grasping and transferring experimental animals). Under the premise of convenience, the demand for shooting and observation of experimental animal behavior is guaranteed to the greatest extent.

It can be understood that the cage 10 is generally in the first state to facilitate the behavior detection of experimental animals. When necessary, that is, when the experimental animals need to be grasped or transferred, the replacement plate 30 is used to replace the front plate 131, so that the cage 10 is in the The second state.

Optionally, the back plate 132 and/or the top wall 12 may also be a transparent panel. In this way, the video collection or observation of the behavior of the experimental animal in at least two directions is realized, so as to monitor the behavior of the experimental animal more comprehensively.

Please refer to FIG. 3, which is a first structural schematic diagram of the second embodiment of the experimental animal behavior monitoring device of the present application.

It can be understood that, in order to highlight part of the structure, other parts are omitted or hidden in FIG. 3, for example, the training box 20 is not shown in the figure.

In one embodiment, the front plate 131 is slidably connected to the bottom wall 11, the top wall 12 or the side plate 133; and the replacement plate 30 is slidably connected to the bottom wall 11, the top wall 12 or the side plate 133.

The bottom wall 11, the top wall 12 or the side plate 133 may be provided with sliding grooves or sliding rails at the edge position where the front plate 131 is connected. It can be slid along the bottom wall 11, the top wall 12 or the side plate 133, so that one of the front plate 131 and the replacement plate 30 and the bottom wall 11, the top wall 12, the rear plate 132 and the side plate 133 form a cage 10 The cage.

Optionally, the bottom wall 11 is provided with a first slide rail 41 and a second slide rail 42.

The front plate 131 is slidably disposed on the first sliding rail 41.

The replacement board 30 is slidably disposed on the second slide rail 42.

Optionally, in the first direction (the first direction is parallel to the bottom edge of any side plate 133 in contact with the bottom wall 11), the length of the bottom wall 11 may be greater than the length of any side plate 133 for setting The first slide rail 41 and the second slide rail 42.

The length direction of the first slide rail 41 and the second slide rail 42 may be perpendicular to the first direction.

The front plate 131 may be located on the side of the replacement plate 30 away from the side plate 133.

Optionally, the front plate 131 and the top wall 12 and the side plates 133 may be detachably connected. For example, the front plate 131 and the top wall 12, and the front plate 131 and the side plate 133 can all be connected by a snap connection or a bolt connection.

When in use, the cage 10 is usually in the first state. When the cage 10 needs to be transformed from the first state to the second state, the replacement plate 30 can be moved to the position where the front plate 131 is located, and the replacement plate 30 can be placed on the top respectively. The wall 12 and the side plate 133 are fixed, and then the connection between the front plate 131 and the top wall 12 and the side plate 133 is loosened, and the front plate 131 is pushed away, so that the experimenter can grab or transfer the cage 10 through the access door 31 Experimental animals inside. In a similar manner, the cage 10 can also be transformed from the second state to the first state.

Optionally, both the first slide rail 41 and the second slide rail 42 can extend in a direction away from the space in the cage 10, and the length of the extended first slide rail 41 and the second slide rail 42 is not less than twice the original length . Both the extended first slide rail 41 and the second slide rail 42 include a main body portion and an extension portion. The main body portion is disposed on the bottom wall 11, and the extension portion extends to the outside of the bottom wall 11.

By extending the length of the first slide rail 41 and the second slide rail 42, when the cage 10 is in the first state, the front plate 131 is arranged on the main body of the first slide rail 41 and the replacement plate 30 is parked on On the extension of the second slide rail 42; when the cage 10 needs to be in the second state, move the front plate 131 to the extension of the first slide rail 41, and move the replacement plate 30 to the second slide On the main body of the rail 42 so as to facilitate the position replacement between the front plate 131 and the replacement plate 30

Please refer to FIG. 4. FIG. 4 is a second schematic diagram and a second schematic diagram of the second embodiment of the experimental animal behavior monitoring device of the present application.

It can be understood that in order to highlight some of the structure, other parts are omitted or hidden in FIG. 4, for example, the training box 20 is not shown in the figure.

In one embodiment, the monitoring device includes a plurality of cages 10 connected from the side, and the training box 20 is connected to one of the cages 10.

It can be understood that the side wall 13 of each cage 10 includes a front plate 131, a rear plate 132 and two side plates 133, and the front plate 131 is a transparent panel. The specific structure of each cage 10 can be referred to the description of the second embodiment of the experimental animal behavior monitoring device 100, which will not be repeated here. In this embodiment, multiple refers to two or more than two.

The side plate 133 is a movable plate, and the space in the adjacent cage 10 can be connected after the side plate 133 is removed.

The multiple cages 10 are connected from the side, and the adjacent cages 10 may be connected to each other from the side. The side plate 133 at the connection is removed to realize the communication of the spaces in the adjacent cages 10 from the side of the cage 10. In this way, two or more lateral cages 10 can be conveniently combined to flexibly adjust the breeding space and facilitate communication between experimental animals in different cages 10.

In this embodiment, the bottom wall 11 of each cage 10 is provided with a first slide rail 41 and a second slide rail 42, and the first slide rail 41 and the second slide rail 42 of adjacent cages 10 are connected. That is, the plurality of first slide rails 41 of adjacent cages 10 are communicated with each other, and the plurality of second slide rails 42 of adjacent cages 10 are communicated with each other.

The front plate 131 is slidably disposed on the first sliding rail 41, and the replacement plate 30 is slidably disposed on the second sliding rail 42.

In this embodiment, each cage 10 includes a front plate 131, and the front plate 131 is a transparent panel. The experimental animal behavior monitoring device 100 may include only one replacement plate 30. Normally, each cage 10 is The first state, that is, the cage body of the cage 10 is enclosed by the bottom wall 11, the top wall 12, the front plate 131, the rear plate 132, and the side plate 133, that is, each cage 10 has at least one transparent panel; When necessary, when one of the cages 10 is in the second state, the replacement plate 30 can be moved to the second slide rail 42 of a cage 10 to replace the front plate 131 of the cage 10, thereby facilitating Grab and transfer experimental animals.

Optionally, the first slide rail 41 and the second slide rail 42 of one of the cages 10 that are arranged at both ends of the plurality of cages 10 extend in a direction away from the adjacent cage 10, and the extended first slide rail 41 And the length of the second slide rail 42 is not less than twice the original length.

The cages 10 arranged at both ends have laterally extending spaces. The first slide rail 41 and the second slide rail 42 of one cage 10 can both extend in the direction away from the adjacent cage 10, and the extended first slide The length of the rail 41 and the second slide rail 42 is not less than twice the original length. Both the extended first slide rail 41 and the second slide rail 42 include a main body portion and an extension portion. The main body portion is disposed on the bottom wall 11, and the extension portion extends to the outside of the bottom wall 11.

By extending the lengths of the first slide rail 41 and the second slide rail 42, when all the cages 10 are in the first state, the replacement plate 30 can be parked on the extension of the second slide rail 42. When 10 needs to be in the second state, the front plate 131 of the cage 10 can be removed, so that the front plate 131 of the cage 10 provided at the end is parked on the extension of the first slide rail 41 and replaced The plate 30 moves to the second slide rail 42 provided in front of the cage 10.

The experimental animal behavior monitoring device 100 of this embodiment includes a plurality of cages 10 connected to each other from the side, and the front plate 131 and the replacement plate 30 can be replaced with each other, which can ensure the space utilization rate of the laboratory and take into account conventional experimental operations ( Such as grabbing and transferring experimental animals) convenience, and minimize the interference to experimental animals.

Please refer to FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 in combination. FIG. 5 is a schematic structural diagram of the training box of the first embodiment of the experimental animal behavior monitoring device 100 of the present application. Fig. 6 is a partial structural diagram of the first embodiment of the experimental animal behavior monitoring device of the present application.

Optionally, the experimental animal behavior monitoring device 100 is provided with a communicating door 50 at the opening a, and the communicating door 50 is used to close the opening a after the experimental animal enters the box 21.

Optionally, the experimental animal behavior monitoring device 100 further includes a driving member 60, and the driving end of the driving member 60 is connected to the communication door 50. The driving member 60 may be a stepping motor.

A detection device 70 is provided in the box 21, and the detection device 70 is connected to the driving member 60.

The detection device 70 is used to control the driving member 60 to drive the communication door 50 to close after detecting that the experimental animal enters the box 21.

Optionally, the detection device 70 may include a sensor 71 and a controller 72. The sensor 71 may be a sensor 71 such as a proximity sensor 71 or a gravity sensor 71 capable of sensing the entry of an experimental animal into the box 21. Take the proximity sensor 71 as an example. The proximity sensor 71 is a device with the ability to perceive the proximity of an object. It can recognize the proximity of an object by using its sensitivity to the approaching object, and output a corresponding signal to the controller 72. The controller 72 According to the received signal, it can be judged whether the experimental animal has entered the box 21. When the judgment result is yes, the controller 72 can make the driving member 60 drive the communication door 50 to close. The proximity sensor 71 may be a photoelectric proximity sensor 71, for example.

It can be understood that the above-mentioned "connection" may refer to a structural connection relationship, and may also be an electrical connection or a signal connection.

Please refer to FIG. 5 to FIG. 8. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of the interactive training device of the first embodiment of the experimental animal behavior monitoring device 100 of the present application. FIG. 8 is a schematic front view of the structure of the training box 20 of the first embodiment of the experimental animal behavior monitoring device of the present application.

Optionally, the interactive training device 22 includes an electronic device 221, which includes a processor 2211 and a touch screen 2212 and a speaker 2213 connected to the processor 2211. The display area of the touch screen 2212, the touch screen 2212, faces the inner space of the box 21.

The electronic device 221 is used to generate visual and sound stimulation to the experimental animal through the touch screen 2212 and the speaker 2213, and to collect touch data of the experimental animal through the touch screen 2212.

Optionally, referring to FIG. 8, the training box 20 further includes a control box 23 connected to the box body 21. The interactive training device 22 may be provided in the control box 23.

In an embodiment, the cage 10 and the box body 21 may both be cubic, and the bottom area of the box body 21 is smaller than the bottom area of the cage 10, and the box body 21 may be connected with the top wall 12 of the cage 10, and The bottom part of the box body 21 covers the upper surface of the top wall 12 of the cage 10 so that the experimenter or video capture device can observe or monitor the behavior of the experimental animals in the cage 10 through the transparent top wall 12.

Optionally, the electronic device 221 is a tablet computer. The tablet computer can be embedded in the control box 23.

Optionally, the interactive training device 22 further includes a dosing device 222 connected to the electronic device 221.

The electronic device 221 is used to control the dosing device 222 to deliver food to the experimental animals according to the collected touch data.

The dosing device 222 can be installed in the control box 23.

Optionally, referring to FIG. 5, a drinking pipe 80 and a food trough 90 are also provided in the box body 21.

The drinking pipe 80 and the food trough 90 are respectively used for holding water and food delivered by the dosing device 222.

In one embodiment, the drinking pipe 80 and the food trough 90 may be respectively arranged on both sides or below the tablet computer (the side close to the bottom wall 11). Optionally, the box body 21 includes a top part (the part away from the cage body) made of a transparent material, that is, the top part of the box body 21 may be a transparent panel. The other parts of the box body 21 are made of metal materials. When the cognitive ability of experimental animals (such as non-human primates) needs to be tested, at the beginning of the training, the connecting door 50 can be set to be normally open, so that the experimental animals can freely go back and forth between the cage 10 and the box 21. After the experimental animals are gradually familiar with completing the task in the training box 20, the connecting door 50 will narrow the opening a after the experimental animal enters the training box 20, and finally the connecting door 50 will be completely closed after the experimental animal enters the training box 20, until the task is completed. Open. According to the touch condition of the experimental animal, the tablet computer can feedback and control the feeding device to pass water (or juice) through the drinking pipe 80 or put food (such as snacks) into the trough 90. After induction training, the experimental animal can enter the training box 20 to complete the task autonomously. During the task, the training box 20 is closed to minimize external interference. After the task is completed, the connecting door 50 is automatically opened, and the experimental animal can return to the cage 10 freely.

In other embodiments, the front plate 131 may also be provided with a storage area for food containers and water bottles.

In one embodiment, the controller 72 can be connected to the processor 2211, or the electronic device 221 can be used as the aforementioned detection device 70 and the electronic device 221 can be connected to the driving member 60, so that the electronic device 221 can be used to detect the entry of an experimental animal. After the inside of the box 21 (for example, detection by shooting animal images or collecting animal touch data), the driving member 60 is controlled to drive the communication door 50 to close, and after the experimental animal completes the task, the communication door 50 is controlled to open.

Optionally, the cage 10 further includes a moving wall (not shown in the figure), and the moving wall can move between the front plate 131 and the rear plate 132.

Optionally, the second moving wall may have a grid structure to save material and facilitate air circulation inside the cage 10.

The first moving wall can be moved between the front plate 131 and the rear plate 132 through a sliding device such as a slide rail provided on the bottom wall 11.

Generally, the moving wall is attached to the rear plate 132. When the moving wall moves between the front plate 131 and the rear plate 132, it can be used to divide the space in the cage 10; when the moving wall moves to the front plate 131 When fitting, it can be used to assist the removal of animals from the access door 31 and out of the cage 10, so as to facilitate the sampling of experimental data or the transfer of experimental animals.

Optionally, the bottom wall 11 is not provided with a side wall 13 on one side, and multiple casters (not shown in the figure) are installed.

The bottom wall 11 is provided with a collection trough (not shown in the figure), and the collection trough is used to install a collection tray to collect animal excrement.

In this application, the experimental animal behavior monitoring device is provided with a training box and at least one cage, and the box is connected to the top wall or side plate of the cage, and the space in the box and the space in the cage are connected through an opening, so that the experiment Animals can move freely between the cage and the box to enter the training box and complete the training by interacting with the interactive training equipment, thereby realizing the integration of feeding and training, reducing the interference to the experimental animals, and improving the impact on the experimental animals The efficiency of the detection of behavior and the accuracy of the experimental data obtained.

The above are only implementations of this application, and do not limit the scope of this application. Any equivalent structure or equivalent process transformation made using the content of the description and drawings of this application, or directly or indirectly applied to other related technical fields, The same reasoning is included in the scope of patent protection of this application.

Claims

An experimental animal behavior monitoring device, characterized in that the monitoring device includes:

At least one cage, the cage including a bottom wall, a top wall, and a side wall connecting the bottom wall and the top wall;

The training box includes a box body and an interactive training device set on the box body, the box body is connected with the top wall or the side wall of the cage, the space in the box and the space in the cage Connected through an opening, the interactive training device is used to realize interaction with experimental animals.
The experimental animal behavior monitoring device according to claim 1, wherein:

The side wall includes a front panel, a rear panel and two side panels, and the front panel is a transparent panel;

The monitoring device also includes a replacement board, and an access door is provided on the replacement board;

The front panel and the replacement panel can be replaced with each other by changing their relative positional relationship with the top wall, the bottom wall and/or the side panel, so that one of them is compatible with the bottom wall, the bottom wall, and the side panel. The top wall, the rear plate and the side plate surround the cage body of the cage.
The experimental animal behavior monitoring device according to claim 2, wherein:

The front plate is slidably connected with the bottom wall, the top wall or the side plate; and

The replacement plate is slidably connected with the bottom wall, the top wall or the side plate.
The experimental animal behavior monitoring device according to claim 3, wherein:

The bottom wall is provided with a first slide rail and a second slide rail;

The front plate is slidably arranged on the first slide rail;

The replacement board is slidably arranged on the second slide rail.
The experimental animal behavior monitoring device according to claim 1, wherein:

The monitoring device includes a plurality of the cages connected from the side, and the training box is connected with one of the cages;

The side wall of each cage includes a front plate, a rear plate and two side plates, and the front plate is a transparent panel;

The side plate is a movable movable plate, after the side plate is removed, the spaces in the adjacent cages can be connected;

The bottom wall of each cage is provided with a first slide rail and a second slide rail, and the first slide rail and the second slide rail of the adjacent cages are connected;

The monitoring device also includes a replacement board, the replacement board is provided with an access door, the front board is slidably provided on the first slide rail, and the replacement board is slidably provided on the second slide. On track.
The experimental animal behavior monitoring device according to claim 5, wherein:

The first slide rail and the second slide rail of one of the cages at the two ends of the plurality of cages extend in a direction away from the adjacent cage, and the first slide rail and the second slide rail after the extension extend The length of the second slide rail is not less than twice the original length.
The experimental animal behavior monitoring device according to claim 1, wherein:

The side wall includes a front panel, a rear panel and two side panels, and the front panel is a transparent panel; and

The top wall and/or the rear panel are transparent panels.
The experimental animal behavior monitoring device according to claim 1, wherein:

The monitoring device is provided with a communicating door at the opening, and the communicating door is used to close the opening after the experimental animal enters the box.
The experimental animal behavior monitoring device according to claim 8, wherein:

The monitoring device further includes a driving member, and the driving end of the driving member is connected with the communication door;

A detection device is provided in the box body, and the detection device is connected with the drive member;

The detection device is used for controlling the driving part to drive the communication door to close after detecting that the experimental animal enters the box.
The experimental animal behavior monitoring device according to claim 1, wherein:

The interactive training device includes an electronic device, the electronic device includes a processor and a touch screen and a speaker connected to the processor, and a display area of the touch screen faces the inner space of the box;

The electronic device is used to generate visual and sound stimulation to the experimental animal through the touch screen and the speaker, and to collect touch data of the experimental animal through the touch screen.
The experimental animal behavior monitoring device according to claim 10, wherein the electronic device is a tablet computer.
The experimental animal behavior monitoring device according to claim 10, wherein the training box further comprises a control box connected with the box body;

The interactive training device is arranged in the control box.
The experimental animal behavior monitoring device according to claim 10, wherein:

The interactive training device also includes a dosing device connected to the electronic device;

The electronic device is used for controlling the feeding device to deliver food to the experimental animal according to the collected touch data.
The experimental animal behavior monitoring device according to claim 13, wherein:

A drinking pipe and a food trough are also arranged in the box body;

The drinking pipe and the food trough are respectively used for holding water and food delivered by the dosing device.
The experimental animal behavior monitoring device according to claim 1, wherein:

The box body including the top is made of transparent material;

The other parts of the box body are made of metal materials.
The experimental animal behavior monitoring device according to claim 1, wherein:

The monitoring device also includes video capture equipment;

The video capture device is used to transmit the captured video stream to the analysis device, and the analysis device is used to analyze the behavior of the experimental animal; and/or

The video capture device is used to transfer the captured video stream to a storage device for storage.
The experimental animal behavior monitoring device according to claim 1, wherein:

The cage also includes a moving wall that can move between the front plate and the rear plate.
The experimental animal behavior monitoring device according to claim 1, wherein:

A plurality of casters are installed on the side of the bottom wall where the side wall is not provided;

The bottom wall is provided with a collecting groove, and the collecting groove is used for installing a collecting tray to collect the excrement of the experimental animal.