WO2023275095A1

WO2023275095A1 - Animal sampling laboratory device

Info

Publication number: WO2023275095A1
Application number: PCT/EP2022/067803
Authority: WO
Inventors: Pamela DOMÍNGUEZ BÁEZ; Maria José SOLER ROMEO; Concepció JACOBS CACHÁ
Original assignee: Fundació Hospital Universitari Vall D'hebron - Institut De Recerca
Priority date: 2021-06-29
Filing date: 2022-06-28
Publication date: 2023-01-05
Also published as: ES1275994U; ES1275994Y

Abstract

The device (100) comprises a base body (110) with an inner space (120) intended to house at least one sampling collector (200). The sampling collector (200) is formed by a container (210) adapted for receiving therein urine from an animal, and an upper grid (220) adapted such that said animal is disposed thereon and for receiving its feces, allowing the simultaneous sampling of urine and feces from multiple animals disposed on each sampling collector (200). The base body (110) may have dividing walls (260) in the inner space (120) to define compartments for receiving sampling collectors (200). Each sampling collector (200) may have a protective frame (230) on the upper grid (220).

Description

Animal sampling laboratory device

Technical field The present disclosure relates to sampling in the veterinary field.

Background

Sampling, in particular, the collection of samples of feces and urine, for animal care and research is of great importance for checking and monitoring animal conditions as well as for evaluating results of experimental procedures, for example, in biomedical research, and also for preclinical drug development, therapeutic compounds, metabolic and phenotypic studies in developmental biology, neurosciences, cancerology, etc.

At present there is no easy, inexpensive and efficient method for collection of samples from animals, such as rodents.

For 24-hour rodent urine sampling for experimental purposes, metabolic cages are used. A metabolic cage consists of a receptacle adapted for sampling of animal feces and urine for experimental purposes. Metabolic cages are generally designed in such a way that urine is mixed with animal's feces in the sampling procedure, so they are inefficient. A further drawback in conventional metabolic cages lies in the stress applied to the animals prior to sampling.

Techniques have also been developed for urine sampling that consist of pressing the animal's bladder in order to stimulate urination. This technique, however, may cause ulcers to the animal's abdomen due to the pressure applied, and may even require treatments that may influence the results of the sample analysis and, consequently, the ongoing research.

Another well-known technique used for urine sampling is cystocentesis, which involves puncturing the animal's bladder to extract urine. This is, again, an invasive technique for the animal, which is undesirable.

Known approaches, in general, in addition to being invasive, have a low efficacy in terms of the volume of urine obtained since they are individual. Moreover, they do not prevent cross-contamination of samples and therefore do not provide sufficient efficiency for reliable analysis and experiments.

There is therefore a need for an effective and simple alternative to the devices and techniques known so far such that the drawbacks of the state of the art are at least partially overcome, making it possible to collect urine and feces in isolation from animals for rapid and effective analysis.

DESCRIPTION

An animal sampling laboratory device is disclosed herein which has been found to overcome the drawbacks found in the devices which have up to now been used for the same purpose, and which also provides further important advantages, as it will be seen hereinafter.

As used herein, a professional of the present laboratory device is a research user or caretaker who can perform feces and urine sampling operations on animals for care and research purposes in order to monitor and record animal conditions and to evaluate results of experimental procedures.

The animal sampling laboratory device disclosed herein comprises a base body with an interior space. Said base body may be made of any suitable rigid material, such as, for example, plastic. It may be preferred that at least the base body of the laboratory device is made of a disposable material. It may also be preferred that at least the base body is made of a transparent material. Other types of materials are possible, provided they are resistant and allow for adequate hygiene.

The base body of the laboratory device may have any suitable size so as to fit the animal to be examined. In particular, the size of the base body may be suitable for rodents such as, for example, rats, mice, hamsters, guinea pigs, etc. and also other species such as rabbits, goats, and pigs, among others. Other animals to be tested with the device disclosed herein are not ruled out here.

Moreover, as will be seen below, since the present laboratory device allows sampling a plurality of animals simultaneously, the dimensions of the base body may be any depending on the number of animals to be sampled. The interior space of the base body is intended to accommodate at least one sampling collector for sampling an individual animal. Preferably, a plurality of sampling collectors may be arranged in the interior space of the base body. This allows to carry out a simultaneous sampling of urine and feces from multiple animals arranged in each of said sampling collectors.

For this purpose, each individual sampling collector consists of a container made, for example, of rigid plastic material with a parallelepiped configuration, adapted for receiving therein urine from one animal. Other materials and shapes are not ruled out. Each individual sampling collector further includes an upper grid adapted for the animal to be placed thereon, for receiving its feces. Optionally, if required, a filter medium for urine can be included.

The upper grid of each individual sampling collector is preferably a metal mesh, made, for example, of aluminium or stainless steel, although other suitable materials are possible. Said upper grid is configured to act as a separator of animal feces and urine. In particular, the upper grid is designed to retain the animal's feces and, at the same time, to allow its urine to fall into the interior of the collector container. In this way, the samples of the animal's feces and urine can be collected separately avoiding possible cross-contamination of the samples, which is undesirable.

The above described configuration is highly efficient and simple. This is important since, until now, this could only be achieved with very expensive metabolic cages designed for a single animal.

Each individual collector may be also provided with a protective frame arranged over the above mentioned upper grid, surrounding it peripherally. Said protective frame may be made of the same material as the collector container, preferably plastics, or a material other than plastics or a material other than the material of the collector container. The protective frame is configured and arranged to prevent direct contact of the animal or professional with the upper grid of the collector, preventing damage. In one example, the protective frame may be provided with snap-on coupling elements for attachment of the protective frame to the sampling collector container, with the upper grid sandwiched between the protective frame and the sampling collector container.

In a preferred example, the interior space of the base body is compartmentalized, that is, it is provided with a plurality of compartments, such as two or more, each intended for receiving an individual collector. In order to define said plurality of compartments, the base body may include at least one dividing wall arranged in the interior space of the base body. In one example, one or more longitudinal dividing walls and/or one or more transverse dividing walls may be arranged dividing the interior of the base body into said plurality of compartments for receiving corresponding individual collectors, as stated above. The one or more dividing walls defining the compartments in the interior of the base body of the device may be attached to an inner part of one or more surfaces of the base body through any suitable means known in the art, such as gluing, riveting, welding, etc. Although these and other attaching means are not ruled out, it is preferred, however, to arrange said one or more dividing walls in the base body in such a way that they can be removed therefrom. For this purpose, in one preferred example, guide elements, for example U-shaped elements, are arranged inside the base body, configured for slidingly receiving thereon said one or more dividing walls in a removable manner. Said guide elements make it possible to assemble and disassemble one or more dividing walls in a quick and simple manner, facilitating and speeding up cleaning, maintenance, and repair operations of the device.

As stated above, one or more dividing walls divide the interior of the base body into a series of compartments for receiving corresponding individual collectors. Each individual collector is arranged in each compartment such that it is temporarily coupled thereto by any suitable means. For example, each individual collector may be coupled to each compartment by friction coupling, press fitting, mechanical releasable locking, magnetic coupling, etc. or any other suitable means, preferably at the bottom of the base body. Regardless of the type of coupling of each individual collector to the base body of the device, the individual collectors can be removed from the device as desired or required. One example for coupling the individual collectors is through two angle-shaped stops arranged at the bottom of the inside of the base body such that, when the individual collector is mounted on the base body, said stop elements are in contact with opposite corners of the collector container, i.e., at least partially surrounding it, so as to be closely fitted temporarily in position for sampling.

The base body may include a top cover. Such cover is intended to prevent animals from escaping from the laboratory device while they are inside. The cover is a ventilated cover, i.e., it allows air to enter and exit from outside the device, ensuring suitable conditions while sampling. The top cover of the device may be independent of the base body, for example, arranged to be slidingly coupled to the top of the device, or it may be hinged to the base body by any suitable means for tilting relative to the base body. A protective frame may be arranged on the top cover to prevent contact of the animal and the professional with the grid and thus ensure safety.

One or more handles may be provided outside the at least one side wall of the base body for convenient handling of the device. It is also provided, in some embodiments, that the base body has at least one external housing. The external housing may be adapted to accommodate identification cards, documents, and/or similar objects. Said external housing may be transparent in order to facilitate a visual examination of the objects, e.g., cards, contained therewithin.

In some embodiments, liquid detection means may be provided. Said liquid detection means are intended to detect the presence of urine in a container of at least one sampling collector received inside the base body of the device. The liquid detection means comprise at least one liquid sensor preferably mounted below a container of at least one sampling collector. In particular, the liquid sensor may be arranged, for example, at the bottom of each individual sampling collector so as to cover the entire base or at least a relevant part thereof. Thus, when urine falls down from the animal to the bottom of the individual sampling collector, the presence of urine is detected by the sensor and a warning, e.g., a red light on the outside of the box, below the aforementioned external housing, is triggered to warn the professional that a urine sample is available in the individual collector.

The liquid sensor may be a contact sensor. Other types of sensors to detect the presence of urine are possible. As stated above, the warning that triggers the sensor of the liquid detection means may be a light signal, e.g., a warning light, e.g., a LED type or other, arranged below the external housing as explained above, that may be red or another colour. Alternatively, or in addition, however, the warning that triggers the urine sensor may be an audio signal, a text message, a graphic message, or a combination of one or more of the foregoing. Such warning that triggers the sensor of the liquid detection means as an indication that a urine sample is available is of great assistance to the professional, since it is usually more difficult to appreciate the presence of urine than the presence of feces. Once the urine has been collected by the professional, the warning is disabled, i.e. the light is turned off and/or the audio signal is stopped and/or the message disappears or changes, depending on the type of warning being involved.

The liquid sensor may be powered by a rechargeable battery, for example. However, other power sources, such as mains connection or even solar power sources, are envisaged. The base body includes a double bottom configured for receiving at least wiring for the liquid sensing means. The double bottom of the base body may also be adapted to contain the sensor power supply battery, if such a power supply is used.

With a laboratory device such as the one that has been described above, it is possible to perform animal sampling in a multiple and instantaneous manner, i.e. , it allows sampling of urine and feces from various experimental models of mice or other animals to be carried out collectively and simultaneously.

Sampling of urine and feces with the above described laboratory device is advantageously performed in a non-invasive manner, without applying any external stimuli to the animal. Tested animal well being is thus ensured. This advantageously allows to reduce animal stress, as well as pain and suffering on the so that its health and welfare are not compromised. One important advantage derived from the fact that, with the above described laboratory device, no external stimulus is applied to the animal and sampling is performed in a non-invasive manner, is that a greater volume of urine can be obtained in a single micturition compared to other conventional devices, since the animal urinates naturally without any harm. As an example, with the present device a urine volume of the order of 800-1000 pl_ in polyuric mice and 150-200 mI_ in healthy mice can be obtained, which can be up to 10 times more than with abdominal massage techniques.

Wth the configuration described above, sampling has been found to be highly efficient as it allows for the collection of high quality and high purity urine samples as the urine is not contaminated in the sampling process. Obtaining high purity urine samples makes it possible to obtain reliable research data. Wth the present device, sampling of urine and feces is carried out in a very simple way and in a very short time.

The present device is also easy to use for sampling of feces. First, the animal is removed and then, with the help of a forceps, for example, the desired samples of feces are collected. The device is also easy to use for urine sampling. First, the metal grid, free of feces, is removed and, using a pipette with interchangeable tips, the urine is collected and placed in a tube for later storage. Once the urine and feces samples have been collected, all compartments and components can be cleaned, disinfected, and used for subsequent sampling.

Sampling from various animals collectively takes advantage of the biological characteristic that, due to the fact that animals are close to each other, when one animal urinates, in most cases, the others tend to do so immediately afterwards through what is known as the "domino effect". This allows for reduced waiting time and faster sampling, unlike conventional metabolic cages where this effect is not achieved, and urine is usually contaminated with feces.

Wheels of any suitable type may be arranged at the bottom of the base body of the laboratory device described above to facilitate displacement and transportation. One or more of said wheels may include a braking mechanism to prevent them from being moved and thus ensuring a stable position during sampling.

It may be advantageous to include a suction mechanism for urine sampling. Said suction mechanism may be suitably designed to direct the collected urine into a suitable container for storage.

It is also envisaged that the base body may include, on a side wall thereof, an automatic system for sampling feces.

The operation of the laboratory device described above may be controlled by a computer application, for mobile and/or desktop devices, that allows information concerning the target animal, such as weight, body temperature, images, etc. to be recorded. Said target animal information may be associated with date and time when said information has been obtained, which may be individually associated with each animal. That is, each compartment of the present laboratory device and each animal that may be present therein are identified by the computer application. The information may be further processed in combination with an identification system for each animal associated with each compartment of the interior space of the base body where the sampling collectors are received.

In other examples or in combination with the above examples, information regarding the temperature of each tested animal may be obtained, for example, through a body temperature sensor. Said body temperature sensor is capable of obtaining, with no contact, for example by infrared, the temperature of the animal from which samples are to be collected. Said body temperature sensor is capable of recording temperature values of each animal and forwarding them to a processing unit for further processing. The temperature sensor may be arranged, for example, on an inner wall of the base body, at the animal’s height level.

In other examples or in combination with the above examples, information regarding the weight of each tested animal may be obtained, for example, through a system for measuring the body weight of the animal whose obtained values are recorded and further processed. A separate system may be included for measuring the weight of the urine and the weight of the feces. The value obtained is then forwarded to a processing unit for further processing.

In other examples or in combination with the above examples, the device described may include a system for detecting and analysing substances in feces, such as fecal occult blood, presence of mucus, toxicity, among others. Said data is forwarded to a processing unit for further processing. It is also envisaged that a substance detection and urine analysis system may be incorporated to detect their presence and values present in the urine such as, for example, haematuria, albumin, creatinine, urea, in order to determine if there is an infection, drugs, toxicity levels among the elements present in the urine, etc. Data from each animal is recorded and then forwarded to a processing unit for further processing.

In other examples or in combination with the above examples, images of each tested animal may be obtained through a suitable image capturing device. The image capturing device may be capable of obtaining images and/or videos from each animal in each compartment. The image capturing device may be disposed on an inner wall of the base body, in the compartment where the animal is housed. The images and/or videos obtained are recorded and subsequently forwarded to a processing unit for further processing.

An automatic piercer may be included in each compartment of the described device to perform an individual piercing of the animal's ears. The automatic piercer may be remotely controlled through a computer application.

A motion detector capable of recording movements of each animal housed in the device may be arranged in each compartment of the present device. Such motion detector allows the animal's behaviour to be observed and possible stereotypies that could be interpreted as anomalous behaviours to be detected. The information obtained by the motion detector may be forwarded for further analysis by a computer application.

In other examples, the device described above may include a device for the automatic implantation of subcutaneous microchips into tested animals. Such an implantation device may be remotely controlled through a computer application.

It may be advantageous to include an immobilization mechanism for immobilizing each animal in the corresponding compartment. Such immobilization mechanism may also be remotely controlled through a computer application.

It may also be envisaged to include a device for subcutaneously delivery of substances independently to each animal. Such device may be remotely controlled through a computer application.

Including an automatic device for individual blood collection from each animal simultaneously in the corresponding compartment is not ruled out. Such blood collection device may also be remotely controlled through a computer application.

The present device may further include, if required, a system for administering oxygen, drugs or analgesia by inhalation to each animal in the corresponding compartment individually. Such administration of oxygen, drugs or analgesia may be remotely controlled through a computer application capable of assigning a dose to each animal housed in each compartment and simultaneously administering it independently.

The laboratory device described above may include a device to perform electrocardiograms individually to each animal in the corresponding compartment.

The result is forwarded to a computer application. The data could be printed out on paper if required.

In some applications, a device may be provided for measuring blood pressure and heart rate of each animal individually, as well as recording data obtained with date and time for each animal to be forwarded to a computer application. Other data collection means such as an automatic digital microchip reader capable of forwarding individually read data from each compartment and tested animal to the laboratory device are not ruled out.

Recording and forwarding information may be carried out automatically, without professional intervention. The above-mentioned computer application for each above described optional data collection device may be different or an overall computer application capable of managing all the information received from the device.

In the present animal sampling laboratory device, at least one of the compartments intended to receive at least one sampling collector may include a heat lamp.

Such a heat lamp is intended to provide heat in hypothermia conditions or for metabolism studies where the animal is required to have a higher than usual body temperature, for example.

The heat lamp may be controlled through a suitable computer application, which may be run either on a computer, or on a mobile device. Said computer application may be capable of controlling turning of the heat lamp on and off, temperature regulation, as well as usage time, which may be suitably scheduled.

Alternatively, or in combination with the above, in at least one of the compartments intended to receive at least one sampling collector, an individual drinking trough may be provided.

The individual drinking trough is intended to measure the amount of liquids, e.g., water, ingested by the animal. A flow monitoring device may be arranged capable of forwarding liquid consumption data from the animal which may be suitably processed through the computer application. The computer application may be configured to output an alarm when the liquid level is low or zero. Said computer application may also be configured to record the time and date the animal was drinking.

Alternatively, or in combination with the above, in at least one of the compartments intended to receive at least one sampling collector a feeding trough may be provided having a built-in food weighing system intended to measure the amount of food ingested by the animal. Food weighing data is forwarded to a computer or mobile device to be suitably processed through the computer application. Said feeding trough with a food weighing system may include a device for recording the time when the animal has been eating. A detection system configured to warn if the feeding trough is empty and output an alarm to a computer or mobile device may also be provided.

Alternatively or in combination with the above, an airflow and ventilation system enclosed within the present animal sampling laboratory device may be provided.

Such an airflow system may include inlet and outlet air closed circuit connected to an external ventilation system and controlled through the computer application. An air flow can be thus controlled through said computer application.

By virtue of such an airflow and ventilation system, it is possible to work with animals requiring an air system that is as aseptic as possible and to avoid contamination or diseases.

In combination with said air flow and ventilation system, in at least one of the compartments intended to receive at least one sampling collector, means for measuring environmental parameters such as temperature, humidity, and pressure inside the device may be arranged when the closed ventilation system is in operation. These parameters may be monitored, controlled and set through the software application on a computer or mobile device via a digital display on the outside of the device. Alternatively or in combination with the above, in at least one of the compartments intended to receive at least one sampling collector at least one loudspeaker may be arranged inside each compartment of the device. Said at least one loudspeaker is intended to emit sounds for hearing or balance studies, for example. The at least one loudspeaker is controlled through a computer application on a computer or a mobile device.

Alternatively or in combination with the above, in at least one of the compartments intended to receive the at least one sampling collector, at least one incident detection system may be arranged. Such an incident detection system is configured to detect if any of the additional circuits, systems or programs stop working, and forwards an alarm to the computer or mobile device showing the type of incident. Alternatively or in combination with the above, at least one of the compartments intended to receive at least one sampling collector may be provided with at least one artificial lighting means controlled from the outside through the software application on a computer or mobile device. Said artificial lighting means may be configured for controlling light intensity.

The computer application may be common to some or all of the options described above.

Further objects, advantages and features of examples of the present animal sampling laboratory device will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the description or may be learned by practice of the description.

Brief description of the drawings

The present animal sampling laboratory device is described herein below by way of a non-limiting example, with reference to the attached drawings.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of one example of a cover for the device;

Figure 2 is a general diagrammatic perspective view of one example of the present animal sampling laboratory device; and

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of an individual sampling collector.

Detailed description of an example

The particular non-limiting example of the present animal sampling laboratory device described below finds advantageous utility in animal research in many fields such as biochemistry, nutrition, nephrology, urology, toxicology, metabolism, and physiological studies among others, and veterinary use.

With the laboratory device of the example described it has been found that it is possible to collect samples from several animals instantaneously, at the same time, in a very simple and efficient manner, and with considerable time savings, as will be seen herein below. The animal sampling laboratory device described according to the non-limiting example shown in figures 1 to 3 has been denoted as a whole by reference numeral 100 and will hereinafter be referred to as a multi-collector 100. The multi-collector 100 comprises a base body 110 made of a coloured, translucent, or transparent disposable rigid plastic. The base body 110 of the multi-collector 100 has a rectangular-based parallelepiped box-shaped geometry that is 40 cm long, 14.5 cm high, and 25 cm wide, with an interior space 120 defined therein adapted for accommodating various individual sampling collectors 200. Other shapes and sizes are possible.

In the particular non-limiting example illustrated in figures 1-3, the interior space 120 is adapted for accommodating six individual collectors 200 for simultaneous sampling of urine and feces from multiple animals. In this particular example of the multi collector 100, each individual sampling collector 200 has a rectangular parallelepiped geometry that is 12.50 cm long, 3 cm high, and 9.50 cm wide. Other shapes and sizes are possible.

Each individual sampling collector 200 allows an animal, such as a rodent, e.g., a rat, a mouse, a hamster, a guinea pig, etc. to be received therein. The base body 110 of the multi-collector 100 may have other sizes for sampling other species, such as rabbits, goats, and pigs, among others, for example. The size of the base body 110 of the multi-collector 100 will therefore depend on the type and number of animals to be sampled.

The sampling collectors 200 comprise a plastic container 210 adapted for receiving therein urine from an animal, and an upper metallic grid 220, for example, made of aluminium or stainless steel, on which the animal may be disposed for receiving its feces. The upper grid 220 in the non-limiting example shown is configured as a mesh that is 12 cm long and 10 cm wide with a 4 mm spacing so as to act as a separating element of feces and urine from the animal, i.e. , retaining the feces and, at the same time, allowing the urine to fall inside the container 210. In this way, the samples of feces and urine from the animal can be collected separately avoiding possible sample cross-contamination.

A 0.75 mm wide plastic protective frame 230 is disposed over the upper metal grid 220 and surrounds it peripherally in order to prevent direct contact of the animal or professional with the upper grid 220 of the individual collector 200 and thus preventing damage. In the example shown, the protective frame 230 has coupling elements such as hooks for snap coupling of the protective frame 230 to the container 210 of the individual sampling collector 200 with the upper grid 220 sandwiched between the protective frame 230 and the container 210 of the individual sampling collector 200. In the non-limiting example shown, the protective frame 230 is attached to the individual collector 200 through four 3 x 3 mm hooks located 2 by 2 on each side of the container 210 of each individual collector 200.

Professional means herein a user, researcher or caretaker who may perform animal fecal and urine sampling operations through the multi-collector device 100 described herein for care and research to monitor and record animal status and evaluate results of experimental procedures.

As noted above, the interior space 120 of the base body 110 is compartmentalized in order to accommodate six individual sampling collectors 200 for simultaneous sampling of urine and feces from multiple animals. In the non-limiting example shown in the figures, the compartments defined in the inner space 120 of the base body 110 are 15 -20 cm long and 10-15 cm wide. Other sizes are possible depending on the type of animal to be sampled.

One of the compartments could be intended to receive a container for storing objects such as for example 10 cm long and 10 cm wide gauze. In order to define said compartments of the interior 120 of the base body 110 in the multi-collector 100, in the example shown, a longitudinal dividing wall 260 and two transverse dividing walls 260 are arranged in the interior space 120 of the base body 110. Said longitudinal and transverse dividing walls 260 divide the interior 120 of the base body 110 in the multi-collector 100 into said six compartments for receiving the corresponding individual collectors 200.

The dividing walls 260 are removably inserted into guide elements 240. They are U- shaped guide elements 240 which are attached to, coupled with, or solidly attached to the inner surfaces of the walls of the interior space 120 of the base body 110. Due to said guide elements 240, the dividing walls 260 can be quickly and easily slid on and off the base body 110, thus facilitating and speeding up cleaning, maintenance and repair operations of the multi-collector 100.

With the configuration described above, six individual collectors 200 may be arranged in the compartments defined by the dividing walls 260 in the interior 120 of the base body 110. Each individual collector 200 is releasably press-fitted to the bottom of the base body 110 between stop elements 150 arranged at opposite corners of the bottom of each compartment of the base body 110. The stop elements 150 are defined by two walls arranged at right angles which, in use, are in contact with corresponding opposite bottom corners of the containers 210 of the individual collectors 200. The spacing of the opposing stop elements 150 at the bottom of each compartment of the base body 110 is suitable for each individual collector 200 to be closely fitted temporarily in position. Thus, once an individual collector 200 has been inserted into the interior 120 of the base body 110, it cannot be removed unless it is pulled out by applying a specified force. This allows the sampling to be carried out in a very efficient and safe manner, with no possibility of movement of the individual collector 200 during such operations. Once samples have been obtained, each individual collector 200 can be removed from the interior 120 of the base body 110 by suitably pulling therefrom.

As shown in figure 1 of the drawings, the base body 110 includes a ventilated top cover 130 configured to prevent animals from escaping while being inside the multi collector 100. In the non-limiting example shown in said figure 1, the top cover 130 includes a metal mesh suitable to allow ventilation of the interior 120 of the multi collector 100. The ventilated top cover 130 in the non-limiting example shown is 45 cm long and 29 cm wide, although other sizes are possible. In the example described above, the ventilated top cover 130 is independent of the base body 110 and is configured for slidingly attaching to the top of the base body 110.

The base body 110 includes handles 250 formed on opposite sidewalls thereof projecting outwardly therefrom for conveniently handling the multi-collector 100.

In the example shown, the multi-collector 100 further includes an external housing 140 for holding cards. Such external housing or card holder 140 is located on an outer wall of the base body 110 and may include at least one transparent area for viewing the cards contained therein. In the example shown, the card holder 140 is 4.50 cm high, 12 cm long and 0.50 cm wide, although other dimensions are possible.

Also in the example shown, liquid detection means 160 are included to detect the presence of urine in each container 210 of the individual sampling collectors 200.

Said liquid detection means 160, in the particular example shown, comprise a liquid sensor fitted inside 120 the base body 110 of the multi-collector 100, below each container 210 of the individual sampling collectors 200. The liquid sensors 160 trigger a warning light arranged below the external housing 140 to indicate that a urine sample is available in the individual collector 200 thereby informing the professional that sampling is complete. When the sample has been collected from that individual collector 200 by the professional, the warning light turns off.

In the non-limiting example described herein, the liquid sensors 160 are powered by one or more rechargeable batteries housed in a double bottom, not shown, of the base body 110 where wiring of the liquid sensing means 160 is also housed.

Although only one particular example of the present animal sampling laboratory device has been described herein, many other alternative examples and/or uses as well as obvious modifications and equivalent embodiments will be possible for those skilled in the art. Thus, for example, aspects disclosed for the individual sampling collectors of the present laboratory device may apply, as appropriate, to all individual sampling collectors fitted inside the laboratory device, or to a single sampling collector, or to some of them. Reference signs relating to drawings appearing in parentheses in a claim are only in an attempt to increase the understanding of the claim and should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of the claim. The scope of the present description should not be limited to the particular example described but should be determined solely by a fair reading of the claims that follow.

Claims

1. Animal sampling laboratory device (100), comprising a base body (110) with an inner space (120), characterized in that the inner space (120) is intended to house at least one sampling collector (200) formed by a container (210) adapted for receiving, there within, urine from an animal, and an upper grid (220) adapted such that said animal is disposed thereon and for receiving its feces, allowing the simultaneous sampling of urine and feces from multiple animals disposed on each sampling collector (200).

2. The device (100) of claim 1 , wherein the base body (110) includes at least one dividing wall (260) arranged in the inner space (120) to define compartments intended to receive at least one sampling collector (200).

3. The device (100) of claim 2, wherein it includes guide elements (240) arranged inside the base body (110) configured to removably receive said at least one dividing wall (260).

4. The device (100) of any of the preceding claims, wherein each sampling collector (200) has a protective frame (230) arranged on the upper grid (220).

5. The device (100) of any of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one sampling collector (200) is detachably coupled to the base body (110) in said inner space (120).

6. The device (100) of any of the preceding claims, wherein the base body (110) includes stop elements (150) in the inner space (120) arranged to at least partially surround the container (210) of the at least one sampling collector (200) retaining it in position.

7. The device (100) of any of the preceding claims, wherein the base body (110) includes a ventilated top cover (130).

8. The device (100) of claim 7, wherein the top cover (130) has a protective frame disposed thereon.

9. The device (100) of any of the preceding claims, wherein the base body (110) includes at least one external housing (140).

10. The device (100) of any of the preceding claims, wherein it comprises at least one handle (250) on the outside of a side wall of the base body (110) for handling the device (100).

11. The device (100) of any of the preceding claims, wherein it comprises liquid detection means (160) intended to detect the presence of urine in a container (210) of at least one sampling collector (200).

12. The device (100) of claim 11, wherein the liquid detection means comprise at least one liquid sensor arranged below a container (210) of at least one sampling collector (200) configured to trigger a warning that a urine sample is available.

13. The device (100) of claim 11 or 12, wherein the base body (110) includes a double bottom configured to accommodate at least wiring of the liquid sensing means.

14. The device (100) of any of the preceding claims, wherein at least the base body (110) is made of a disposable material.

15. The device (100) of any of the preceding claims, wherein that at least at least the base body (110) is made of a transparent material.