System for handling laboratory animals
First Claim
1. A method of handling laboratory animals used for performing tests comprising the steps of:
- providing at least one animal compartment dimensioned to accommodate at least one laboratory animal therein, said compartment having a bottom panel which is imperforate within a given perimeter, and upstanding side panels around the perimeter of said imperforate bottom panel to define an enclosure for the animal, said enclosure having an upper opening;
depositing a living animal having a respiratory system in said enclosure;
providing life support to said animal through said upper opening and performing laboratory tests by treating said animal while in said enclosure so as to obtain test results;
thereafter providing a closure for said upper opening and introducing CO2 into enclosure through said closure and mixing the CO2 with the air in the enclosure to provide first a concentration of CO2 sufficient to anesthetize the animal;
mainting the flow of said CO2 for a time period to produce a selected volume of CO2 sufficient to fill the bottom of said enclosure with a second concentration of CO2 to a level higher than the height of the animal'"'"'s respiratory system; and
restricting the exhaust of any gaseous medium from the enclosure, thereby maintaining the level of said concentration of CO2 in said enclosure for a time period to subject said animal to the asphyxiating effect of said CO2 concentration.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system for treating laboratory animals with a gaseous medium while the animals are in the laboratory cage. The system includes a limited number of lids adapted to fit the entire range of standard laboratory plastic cages. The lids are in three sizes, each size designed to cooperate with a different group of the cages. The system includes means to supply gaseous medium to one or more of the lids and includes controls having predetermined settings to regulate the rate of flow and the period of flow of the gaseous medium to the lids to provide a volume of medium selected according to the size of the cage to obtain efficacious treatment of the animals.
93 Citations
18 Claims
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1. A method of handling laboratory animals used for performing tests comprising the steps of:
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providing at least one animal compartment dimensioned to accommodate at least one laboratory animal therein, said compartment having a bottom panel which is imperforate within a given perimeter, and upstanding side panels around the perimeter of said imperforate bottom panel to define an enclosure for the animal, said enclosure having an upper opening; depositing a living animal having a respiratory system in said enclosure; providing life support to said animal through said upper opening and performing laboratory tests by treating said animal while in said enclosure so as to obtain test results; thereafter providing a closure for said upper opening and introducing CO2 into enclosure through said closure and mixing the CO2 with the air in the enclosure to provide first a concentration of CO2 sufficient to anesthetize the animal; mainting the flow of said CO2 for a time period to produce a selected volume of CO2 sufficient to fill the bottom of said enclosure with a second concentration of CO2 to a level higher than the height of the animal'"'"'s respiratory system; and restricting the exhaust of any gaseous medium from the enclosure, thereby maintaining the level of said concentration of CO2 in said enclosure for a time period to subject said animal to the asphyxiating effect of said CO2 concentration. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A method of handling laboratory animals used for performing tests comprising the steps of:
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providing at least one animal compartment dimensioned to accommodate at least one laboratory animal therein, said compartment having a bottom panel which is imperforate within a given perimeter upstanding side panels around the perimeter of said imperforate bottom panel to define an enclosure for the animal, said enclosure having an upper opening; depositing a living animal having a respiratory system in said enclosure; applying a lid to said upper opening, said lid having inlet means, exhaust port means, and gasket means surrounding said inlet means and exhaust port means to register with said upper opening and close the same and enclose the animal within said enclosure; after application of said lid, introducing a flow of gaseous CO2 into said opening through said inlet means; and controlling the flow of CO2 to produce and maintain a volume of gaseous medium in the bottom of said enclosure sufficient to fill the bottom with an asphyxiating concentration of CO2 to a height above the level of the respiratory system of the animal in the enclosure, and maintaining the volume for a timed period to subject the animal to the asphyxiating effect of said concentration of CO2. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8)
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9. Apparatus for handling laboratory animals having a respiratory system following performance of laboratory tests while said animals are in one standard enclosure selected from a group of different enclosures, each enclosure of the group having an imperforate bottom and a top opening providing a different volume for affording life support to said animals in said enclosure;
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a group of lids for said enclosures, each said lid dimensioned and arranged to engage the top opening of a different one of said standard enclosures to provide a closure about the perimeter of said opening, exhaust port means within said perimeter to afford limited escape of air from said enclosure, and inlet port means for introducing gaseous CO2 into said enclosure; and means to supply gaseous CO2 to said inlet port including flow regulating means to effect a predetermined rate of flow of said CO2 to said inlet port to displace air from said enclosure through said exhaust port means; and
timer means having a plurality of different time settings, one associated with each different enclosure, to control the duration of the flow from said regulating means so as to introduce a given volume of said CO2 into said enclosure, each of said plurality of time settings providing a flow duration which is sufficient to provide a given volume of CO2 to fill the bottom of the associated one of said enclosures with a concentration of CO2 sufficient to asphyxiate the laboratory animal. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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Specification