Devices and methods for analyzing rodent behavior

• US 10,238,085 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2014
• Issued: 03/26/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Children's Medical Center Corporation, President and Fellows of Harvard College (Harvard Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Children's Medical Center Corporation, President and Fellows of Harvard College (Harvard Corporation)
• Inventors: Woolf, Clifford J., Roberson, David P., Wiltschko, Alexander B., Datta, Sandeep Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Topolski, Magdalena
• Application Number:
  US15/032,730
• Publication Number:
  US 20160270364A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,607 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 1/031 Cages for laboratory animals; Cages for measuring metabolism of animals
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 29/005 Monitoring or measuring activity, e.g. detecting heat or mating
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1038 Measuring plantar pressure during gait
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1105 of laboratory animals, e.g. activity
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/112 Gait analysis
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1128 using image analysis A61B5/1127 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/20 Analysis of motion motion estimation for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals H04N19/43, H04N19/51

Abstract

A device for detecting and recording animal behavior is provided. The device includes at least one corral that defines contained field, the base surface of the at least one corral being sensitive to the animal'"'"'s footprint. The device also includes an image capturing device that cooperates with the base surface to capture both a profile of the animal'"'"'s full footprint and a profile of the animal'"'"'s toe print when the animal is standing on its toes. In some embodiments, the device is capable of providing a stimulus to the animal and observing the resulting behavior of the animal via the image capturing device.

Claims

1. A device for detecting and recording animal behavior, the device comprising:

at least one corral defining a contained field, the at least one corral including a base surface with a plurality of lights positioned around a periphery of the base surface, the plurality of lights emitting band lights that are totally internally reflected within the base surface, the at least one corral being sensitive to a footprint of the animal such that contact between the footprint of the animal and the base surface frustrates the totally internally reflected light and refracts the light out of the base surface; and

an image capturing device cooperating with the base surface to detect the refracted light and capture both a profile of a full footprint of the animal and a profile of a toe print of the animal when the animal is standing on its toes.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the image capturing device cooperates with the base surface to capture a spatial extent and intensity of the profiles and a change of the profiles over time.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the base surface is transparent.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the base surface comprises a glass or a plastic material.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the image capturing device is positioned beneath the base surface.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of lights emit non-visible band light.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the image capturing device is arranged to capture an image of the whole animal.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the device includes a light source arranged to illuminate an inferior surface of the animal.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the light source is located beneath the base surface.

10. A device for detecting and recording animal behavior, the device comprising:

a transparent base surface with a plurality of lights positioned around a periphery of the base surface, the plurality of lights emitting band lights that are totally internally reflected within the base surface, the base surface being sensitive to a footprint of the animal such that contact between the footprint of the animal and the base surface frustrates the totally internally reflected light and refracts the light out of the base surface; and

an image capturing device beneath the base surface to detect the refracted light and capture both an image of a full footprint of the animal and an image of a toe print of the animal when the animal is standing on its toes;

wherein the device is adapted to provide a stimulus to the animal.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the base surface is adapted to provide the stimulus to the animal.

12. The device of claim 10, wherein the stimulus is at least one of a light stimulus, a temperature stimulus, and a texture stimulus.

13. The device of claim 10, wherein the stimulus is at least one of an audio stimulus or a olfactory stimulus.

14. The device of claim 10, wherein the base surface comprises a glass or a plastic material.

15. A method of collecting behavioral information of a group of animals, at least a subset of the group of animals in a corral being isolated from another subset of the group of animals, the method comprising:

stimulating a first animal with a stimulus; and

observing a resulting behavior of the first animal via imaging both a footprint and a toe print of the first animal in response to the stimulus;

wherein imaging both the footprint and toe print of the first animal comprises capturing a frustrated totally internally reflected light resulting from contact between the footprint and the toe print of the first animal and the base surface.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein stimulating the first animal comprises stimulating the first animal using at least one of a light stimulus, a temperature stimulus, or a texture stimulus.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein stimulating the first animal comprises stimulating the first animal via a base surface of the corral.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein stimulating the first animal comprise stimulating the first animal via the transparent base surface of the corral.

19. The method of claim 18, where stimulating the first animal via the base surface comprises delivering light through the base surface.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein delivering light through the base surface comprises delivering light having different wavelengths or different patterns.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein stimulating the first animal comprises stimulating the first animal via a glass or plastic base surface.

22. The method of claim 15, further comprising supplying the group of animals for behavioral monitoring.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein supplying animals for behavioral monitoring comprises supplying genetically modified animals.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein supplying the group of genetically modified animals comprises supplying optogenetically modified animals.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein supplying genetically modified animals comprises employing light for manipulation of genetically encoded or chemically induced light-sensitive proteins or molecules in the animal.

26. The method of claim 15, wherein imaging both the footprint and the toe print of the first animal comprises capturing the spatial extent of the contact, the weight born increasing intensity, and its change over time.

27. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

stimulating a second animal with a second stimulus; and

observing a resulting behavior of the second animal via imaging both a footprint and a toe print of the second animal in response to the second stimulus.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein stimulating the second animal comprises stimulating the second animal with a second stimulus that is different from the stimulus.