Method and apparatus for measuring motion amount of a laboratory animal

• US 5,717,202 A
• Filed: 01/29/1996
• Issued: 02/10/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: TOYO Sangyo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: TOYO Sangyo Company Limited
• Inventors: Matsuda, Hideo
• Primary Examiner(s): ALLEN, STEPHONE B
• Application Number:
  US08/593,417
• Time in Patent Office: 743 Days
• Field of Search: 250/221, 250/559.4, 119/15, 119/17, 119/416, 119/421, 340/555-557, 340/573, 340/574, 356/375
• US Class Current: 250/221
• 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: G01V 8/20 using multiple transmitters or receivers

Abstract

A system for measuring the motion amount of laboratory animals includes a main body having a single central processing unit installed, a single frame set to surround an animal in a bounded area, optical sensor light-emitting elements and optical sensor light-receiving elements disposed on opposite sides of the frame. The optical sensor light-emitting elements sequentially emit optical beams such that the light-emitting elements do not simultaneously emit optical beams, the optical beams being received by corresponding light-receiving elements when the emitted optical beams are not obstructed so as to detect the location and movements of the laboratory animal.

Claims

1. A motion amount measuring method for laboratory animals comprising the steps of:

setting a single frame to surround a laboratory animal in a bounded area,

disposing a first plurality of optical sensor light-emitting elements in a staggered pattern on one surface of the frame, and a first plurality of optical sensor light-receiving elements in a staggered pattern on an opposing surface of the frame,

disposing a second plurality of optical sensor light-emitting elements and a second plurality of optical sensor light-receiving elements in a staggered pattern on opposing surfaces of the frame which are respectively orthogonal to those surfaces upon which the first plurality of optical sensor light-emitting and light-receiving elements are disposed, the light-emitting elements of said first and second plurality of optical sensor light-emitting elements sequentially emitting optical beams, said emitted optical beams being received by corresponding light-receiving elements of said first and second plurality of optical sensor light-receiving elements when said emitted optical beams are not obstructed by the laboratory animal so as to detect a maximum length, a maximum width, a location, and movements of the laboratory animal, and

adding a length corresponding to a distance between two neighboring optical sensors to the detected maximum length and the detected maximum width of the animal so as to perceive the animal as a rectangular area.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the animal is detected by a first area to measure motion amounts of the animal which correspond to a first type of motion, and the animal is also detected by a second area to measure motion amounts which correspond to a second type of motion, said second area being greater than said first area.

3. A motion amount measuring method for laboratory animals comprising the steps of:

a. setting a single frame to surround a laboratory animal in a bounded area;

b. disposing optical sensor light-emitting elements and optical sensor light-receiving elements in a staggered pattern on the surface of the frame so as to correspondingly oppose each other, said light-emitting elements emitting optical beams which are received by the corresponding light receiving elements when the optical beams are not obstructed so as to detect a maximum length, maximum width, location, and movements of the laboratory animal.

c. adding a length corresponding to a distance between two neighboring optical sensors to the detected maximum length and the detected maximum width of the animal so as to perceive the animal as a rectangular area, and

d. calculating a motion amount δ

of the laboratory animal, detected as the rectangular area, using the following equation;

##EQU4## where X and Y are numeric data representing the lengthwise and widthwise movements of the rectangular area on a horizontal surface.

4. A method according to claim 3 wherein said optical sensor light-emitting elements sequentially emit optical beams.

5. A motion amount measuring method for laboratory animals comprising the steps of:

a. setting a single frame to surround a laboratory animal in a bounded area;

b. disposing optical sensor light-emitting elements and optical sensor light-receiving elements in a staggered pattern on the surface of the frame so as to correspondingly oppose each other, said light-emitting elements emitting optical beams which are received by the corresponding light-receiving elements when the optical beams are not obstructed by an animal so as to detect a maximum length, maximum width, location, and movements of the laboratory animal;

c. adding a length corresponding to a distance between two neighboring optical sensors to the detected maximum length and the detected maximum width of the animal so as to create a first rectangular area;

d. generating a pre-defined second rectangular area larger than said first rectangular area, to measure motion amounts larger than those detected by said first rectangular area; and

e. calculating a motion amount δ

of the laboratory animal and detected as the first rectangular area using the following equation;

##EQU5## where X and Y are numeric data representing the lengthwise and widthwise movements of the rectangular area on the horizontal surface.

6. A method according to claim 5, wherein said optical sensor light-emitting elements sequentially emit optical beams.

7. A motion amount measuring method for laboratory animals comprising the steps of:

a. setting a single frame to surround a laboratory animal in a bounded area;

b. disposing optical sensor light-emitting elements and optical sensor light-receiving elements on the surface of the frame so as to correspondingly oppose each other, said light-emitting elements emitting optical beams which are received by the corresponding light receiving elements when the optical beams are not obstructed so as to detect a maximum length, maximum width, location, and movements of the laboratory animal.

c. adding a length corresponding to a distance between two neighboring optical sensors to the detected maximum length and the detected maximum width of the animal so as to perceive the animal as a rectangular area, and

d. calculating a motion amount δ

of the laboratory animal, detected as the rectangular area, using the following equation;

##EQU6## where X and Y are numeric data representing the lengthwise and widthwise movements of the rectangular area on a horizontal surface, wherein the step of calculating a motion amount, detected lengthwise movements less than a first pre-determined number of units and detected widthwise movements less than a second predetermined number of units are not recognized as movement amounts of the laboratory animal.

8. A method according to claim 7, wherein said optical sensor light-emitting elements and said optical sensor light-receiving elements are disposed in a staggered pattern on said frame.

9. A motion amount measuring method for laboratory animals comprising the steps of:

a. setting a single frame to surround a laboratory animal in a bounded area;

b. disposing optical sensor light-emitting elements and optical sensor light-receiving elements on the surface of the frame so as to correspondingly oppose each other, said light-emitting elements emitting optical beams which are received by the corresponding light-receiving elements when the optical beams are not obstructed by an animal so as to detect a maximum length, maximum width, location, and movements of the laboratory animal;

c. adding a length corresponding to a distance between two neighboring optical sensors to the detected maximum length and the detected maximum width of the animal so as to create a first rectangular area;

d. generating a pre-defined second rectangular area larger than said first rectangular area, to measure motion amounts larger than those detected by said first rectangular area; and

e. calculating a motion amount δ

of the laboratory animal, detected as the first rectangular area, using the following equation;

##EQU7## where X and Y are numeric data representing the lengthwise and widthwise movements of the rectangular area on the horizontal surface,

wherein the step of calculating a motion amount, detected lengthwise movements less than a first pre-determined number of units and detected widthwise movements less than a second predetermined number of units are not recognized as movement amounts of the laboratory animal.

10. A method according to claim 9, wherein said optical sensor light-emitting elements and said optical sensor light-receiving elements are disposed in a staggered pattern on said frame.