RODENT CONTAINMENT CAGE MONITORING APPARATUS AND METHODS

• US 20130228134A1
• Filed: 02/25/2013
• Published: 09/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Innovive, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Innovive, Inc.
• Inventors: Conger, Dee L., Spivey, Cory, Roes, Michael A., McGuffie, Francesca, Jenson, Leroy
• Granted Patent: US 9,516,858 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 119/417
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 1/0047 Air-conditioning, e.g. ventilation, of animal housings
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 1/031 Cages for laboratory animals; Cages for measuring metabolism of animals

Abstract

Methods, apparatuses and systems for convenient management of animals within a rodent containment cage system that includes labeling components, receiving data, associating the data, reporting the data and/or associations and locating components within the cage system. The management of the system may be self-contained, networked through a controller, local server and/or main server.

Claims

1. A method for detecting one or more identifiers on a rodent containment cage, comprising:

engaging a cage with a cage mount assembly of a rack, the cage comprising a base, a lid and one or more detectable identifiers and the cage mount assembly comprising a detector;

whereby the one or more detectable identifiers are detected by the detector on the cage mount assembly when the cage is engaged with the cage mount assembly.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the cage mount assembly comprises a rail guide which contacts the cage lid when the cage is slid into the cage mount assembly.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein a lid covers the one or more detectable identifiers and the one or more detectable identifiers are detected through the lid.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the detector comprises an optical reader, the one or more detectable identifiers are configured for optical detection, and the lid is substantially transparent.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more detectable identifiers are selected from the group consisting of bar codes, serial numbers, radio frequency identifiers, discoloring polymers, reflective identifiers, non-reflective identifiers, electromagnetic identifiers, magnetic identifiers, symbolic codes, chemical sensor identifiers, or combinations thereof.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more detectable identifiers serve as a clocking identifier, a cage position identifier, a content identifier, or combination thereof.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the lid is substantially transparent to some electromagnetic radiation but not all electromagnetic radiation.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more detectable identifiers comprise a first detectable identifier and the second detectable identifier arranged in-line.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more detectable identifiers comprise a first detectable identifier and a second detectable identifier that include regions of overlap.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more detectable identifiers are located on the cage lid and the cage base.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the lid or the base includes two or more detectable identifiers.

12. A method for detecting identifiers on a rodent containment cage, comprising:

engaging a cage with adjacent first and second cage mount assemblies of a rack, the cage comprising a first detectable identifier and a second detectable identifier, and the first and second cage mount assemblies each comprising a detector, whereby the first detectable identifier is detected by the detector on the first cage mount assembly and the second detectable identifier is detected by the detector on the second cage mount assembly when the cage is engaged with the first and second cage mount assemblies.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the cage mount assemblies comprise rail guides which contact the cage lid when the cage is slid into the cage mount assemblies.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the detectors each comprise an optical reader, the first detectable identifier and the second detectable identifier are configured for optical detection, and the lid is substantially transparent.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the first detectable identifier and the second detectable identifier are selected from the group consisting of bar codes, serial numbers, radio frequency identifiers, discoloring polymers, reflective identifiers, non-reflective identifiers, electromagnetic identifiers, magnetic identifiers, symbolic codes, chemical sensor identifiers, or combinations thereof.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the first detectable identifier and the second detectable identifier serve as a clocking identifier, a cage position identifier, a content identifier, or combination thereof.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the detectable identifiers comprise bar codes.

18. A method for detecting identifiers on a rodent containment cage, comprising:

engaging a cage with a shelf of a rack, the cage comprising a base that includes a first detectable identifier and lid that includes a second detectable identifier, and the shelf comprising a detector; and

sliding the cage into the shelf, whereby the first detectable identifier and the second detectable identifier are detected by the detector as they pass the detector when the cage is slid into the shelf.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the shelf further comprises a channel and the cage slides into the shelf by engaging the channel.