JPS6015125Y2 - Experimental animal movement measuring device - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed explanation of the idea] The present invention relates to a laboratory animal exercise measurement device.

In recent years, in the fields of medicine, pharmacy, and psychology, especially in pharmaceutical research, comparative measurements of animal locomotor activity in terms of size, speed, and number of movements have been used to accurately investigate the effects of lower back drugs on animal locomotion. Therefore, there is an increasing need to objectively and quantitatively measure the movement of experimental animals such as mice and rats.

In view of this current situation, various types of laboratory animal measurement devices have been devised in the past, such as those that use light to detect the movement of laboratory animals. It is unsuitable for the purpose of this method, and has drawbacks such as the measurement location being limited to a place where no light enters.

Another example is a method using a resonant circuit, but this method requires an inductance coil to be installed on the floor of the cage in which the experimental animal moves, making the device complicated and large, resulting in high costs. The drawback was that the values were not accurate.

This invention attempts to solve the above-mentioned drawbacks.
To provide a laboratory animal measuring device which has a simple structure, can be miniaturized, is inexpensive, and provides accurate measured values by detecting and measuring changes in oscillation frequency and current due to the movement of a laboratory animal.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the illustrated embodiments.
In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes a cage for containing an experimental animal A such as a rat or mouse, and the cage 1 is made of plastic, glass, or the like.

2 is the electric circuit case set on the ceiling of cage 1, 3
is an antenna.

The antenna 3 is covered with a glass tube or other insulating material 4 to prevent the experimental animal A from biting the antenna.

In this case, the antenna 3 may be placed on the bottom or side of the cage 1, or the tape-shaped antenna 3 may be attached to the side wall of the cage 1.

5 is a feeding box, and 6 is a water supply device. FIG. 2 shows a block diagram of the electric circuit of the measuring device of the present invention. In the figure, 7 is a self-excited oscillation circuit using a transistor, and the antenna 3 is directly connected to the oscillation circuit 7.

As is well known, the oscillation frequency and current of the oscillation circuit 7 change depending on external factors to the antenna 3, if internal factors such as its resonance circuit and power supply voltage are stable.

That is, when the experimental animal A approaches or moves away from the antenna 3, the capacitance and inductance between the experimental animal A and the antenna 3 change, causing the oscillation circuit 7 to change.
Although the oscillation frequency and current change, the measuring device of this invention can
This principle is used.

In practice, the oscillation wavelength of the oscillation circuit 7 is 300 to 1000 megacycles tJHF.

The magnitude of the movement of the experimental animal A can be detected by changing the above-mentioned wavelength. For example, by shortening the wavelength, even small movements of the experimental animal A can be detected.

The detected current of the oscillation circuit 7 is filtered through a low-pass filter 8 to remove high frequency components and take out only the low frequency components, amplified by an amplifier 9, and sent to a data processing circuit 10 for appropriate processing such as graphing. Perform data processing.

It is preferable that the oscillation circuit 7, the low-pass filter 8, the amplifier 9, etc. be housed in the case 2 of FIG. 1, and the data processing circuit 10 may be set separately and connected by a cable.

In addition, in the experimental example, small animals such as rats and mice were placed in cages and their locomotor activity was measured. However, when measuring large animals such as dogs or wild animals, cage 1
Instead, a cage or the like may be used and the device of the present invention may be set therein.

Since the present invention is configured as described above, the device can be made simple and compact, and the cost can also be reduced.

Furthermore, since changes in the oscillation frequency and the current in the oscillation circuit are measured, the measured values are more accurate.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Figure 1 is a partially cutaway front view of the measuring device of the present invention;
The figure is a block diagram showing the electrical circuit of the measuring device. 1...Cage, 2...Case, 3...
...Antenna, 7...Oscillation circuit, 8...
...Low pass filter, 9...Amplifier, 10
...Data processing circuit, A...Experimental animal.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] An oscillation output is radiated to the experimental animal from an antenna directly connected to the oscillation circuit, changes in the oscillation frequency and current of the oscillation circuit due to the movement of the experimental animal are detected, and a low frequency signal is extracted from this detection signal and amplified. A laboratory animal momentum measurement device that processes amplified signals as data.