Method and apparatus for assessing metabolic behavioral and physiological status of animals
First Claim
1. A containment system for containing a living specimen and for providing specimen-related data therefrom, said containment system comprising:
- a containment cell for containing a living specimen;
a first weight sensing means connected to said containment cell for sensing the weight of said containment cell and any specimen therein and for providing an electrical signal output indicative of the weight of said containment cell and any specimen therein;
means for dispensing at least one specimen-consumable substance to a specimen contained by said containment cell, said dispensing means mechanically decoupled from said containment cell;
a second weight sensing means connected to said dispensing means for sensing the weight of said dispensing means and any specimen-consumable substances therein and for providing an electrical signal output indicative of the weight of said dispensing means and any specimen-consumable substances therein; and
a signal processing for processing the electrical output signal of at least one of said first or second weight sensing means, said signal processing path including means for distinguishing an AC component of the signal output indicative of specimen activity and a DC component thereof.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Laboratory animals having known genetic, metabolic, and physiologic characteristics are maintained in sterile containment cells with known quantities of food, water, and oxygen provided to the animals and the rate of consumption monitored on a real- or near real-time basis. The containment cell, the food source, and the water source are mounted upon or suspended on or from load beams so that the mass of water and food consumed and the mass of the specimen are independently determinable on a real- or near real-time basis. The oxygen content of the input air is measured and at least the carbon dioxide and preferably both the oxygen and the carbon dioxide content of the output air are determined. A radio-frequency transducer is embedded within the specimen and transmits a short-range telemetry signal encoded with the specimen heart rate, body temperature, and blood pressure to a set of spaced antennas connected to a data receiver. The relative received-signal strengths from the various antennas determines the position of the specimen in its containment cell and the rate of change of the position of the specimen with time to provide an indication of the motor activity of the specimen and the caloric energy expended by the specimen during the period of activity.
87 Citations
31 Claims
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1. A containment system for containing a living specimen and for providing specimen-related data therefrom, said containment system comprising:
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a containment cell for containing a living specimen; a first weight sensing means connected to said containment cell for sensing the weight of said containment cell and any specimen therein and for providing an electrical signal output indicative of the weight of said containment cell and any specimen therein; means for dispensing at least one specimen-consumable substance to a specimen contained by said containment cell, said dispensing means mechanically decoupled from said containment cell; a second weight sensing means connected to said dispensing means for sensing the weight of said dispensing means and any specimen-consumable substances therein and for providing an electrical signal output indicative of the weight of said dispensing means and any specimen-consumable substances therein; and a signal processing for processing the electrical output signal of at least one of said first or second weight sensing means, said signal processing path including means for distinguishing an AC component of the signal output indicative of specimen activity and a DC component thereof. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A containment system for containing a living specimen and for providing specimen-related data therefrom, said containment system comprising:
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a containment cell for containing a living specimen; a first weight sensor connected to said containment cell for sensing the weight of said containment cell and any specimen therein and for providing an electrical signal output indicative of the weight of said containment cell and any specimen therein; means for presenting food to a specimen contained by said containment cell, said food presenting means mechanically decoupled from said containment cell; a second weight sensor connected to said food presenting means for sensing the weight of said food presenting means and any food therein and for providing an electrical signal output indicative of the weight of said food presenting means and any food therein; means for presenting a drinkable liquid to a specimen contained by said containment cell, said liquid presenting means mechanically decoupled from said containment cell and said food presenting means; a third weight sensor connected to said liquid presenting means for sensing the weight of said liquid presenting means and any liquid therein and for providing an electrical signal output indicative of the weight of said liquid presenting means and any liquid therein; and a signal processing path for processing the electrical output signal of at least one of said first, second, or third weight sensing means, said signal processing path including means for distinguishing an AC component of the signal output indicative of specimen activity and a DC component thereof. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A containment system for containing a plurality of living specimens and for providing specimen-related data therefrom, said containment system comprising:
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a plurality of containment cells for containing respective living specimens; a respective first weight sensor means connected to each of said containment cells for sensing the weight of its containment cell and any specimen therein and for providing an electrical signal output indicative of the weight of said containment cell and any specimen therein; means associated with each containment cell for dispensing at least one specimen-consumable substance to the specimen contained by that containment cell, said dispensing means mechanically decoupled from its containment cell; and a respective second weight sensor means connected to each dispersing means for sensing the weight of its dispensing means and any specimen-consumable substances therein and for providing an electrical signal output indicative of the weight of said dispensing means and ny specimen-consumable substances therein; and a signal processing path for processing the electrical output signal of at least one of said respective first or second weight sensing means, said signal processing path including means for distinguishing an AC component of the signal output indicative of specimen activity and a DC component thereof. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25)
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26. A solid food dispensing system, comprising:
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means for containing a supply of solid food in discrete food units for consumption by a specimen and having an aperture therein for presenting successive food units to the specimen; a catch means connected to said food containing means for receiving any food removed from said food containing means and not consumed by said specimen; a load beam connected to said containing means for sensing the combined weight of said food containing means, any foods units therein, and any food received by said catch means and for providing an electrical output signal representative of the sensed weight and variations thereof; and a signal processing path for processing the electrical output signal of said load beam, said signal processing path including means for distinguishing an AC component of the signal output indicative of specimen feeding activity and a DC component thereof. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. A method for determining at least one physiologic characteristic of a living specimen and the effect of a physiology-affecting stimuli thereon, comprising:
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containing a specimen within a containment cell; supplying the specimen with a plurality of specimen-consumable substances; measuring the quantity of at least one of the consumable substances consumed; continuously monitoring a plurality of physiologic parameters associated with the specimen over a selected period of time to determine a physiologic waveform therefor, said plurality of physiologic parameters including physical activity periods of the specimen over time; introducing a physiology-affecting stimuli to the specimen; and re-monitoring the plurality of physiologic parameters associated with the specimen over a selected period of time to determine a change in the physiologic waveform consequence to the physiology-affecting stimuli.
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Specification