Programmable electronic maze for use in the assessment of animal behavior
First Claim
1. A dynamic maze, comprising:
- an interior maze volume defined by multiple boundary surfaces; and
at least two removable obstacles under control of a programmable system that configures the maze by inserting or removing at least one of the at least two obstacles through a boundary surface of the maze.
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Abstract
A system and method for studying a test subject includes monitoring the test subject as it traverses through a programmable maze. The test subject may be under the influence of experimental drugs or genetic manipulation. The dynamic maze can be changed automatically or manually to test the abilities of the test subject. The dynamic maze comprises of a starting point, an ending point, and an electronically programmable floor capable of constructing various obstacles and passageways. The programmable floor may be programmed by a human user using an interface, or it may be programmed by an automated control system that programs the maze in accordance with the ability of the test subject to traverse the maze. Various devices are incorporated with the use of the maze to monitor the activities and welfare of the test subject.
68 Citations
79 Claims
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1. A dynamic maze, comprising:
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an interior maze volume defined by multiple boundary surfaces; and
at least two removable obstacles under control of a programmable system that configures the maze by inserting or removing at least one of the at least two obstacles through a boundary surface of the maze. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A dynamic maze, comprising:
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an enclosure, for holding a test subject, defined by multiple boundary surfaces; and
at least two removable obstacles under control of a programmable system that configures the maze by inserting or removing at least one of the at least two obstacles through a boundary surface of the maze. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A dynamic maze, comprising:
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an enclosure, for holding a test subject, defined by multiple boundary surfaces;
a maze having at least two removable obstacles under control of a programmable system that configures the maze by inserting or removing at least one of the at least two obstacles through a boundary surface of the maze ; and
a controller having a logic system configured to control design of the maze without manual input from a user.
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28. A dynamic maze for studying a test subject, comprising:
a programmable flooring having a plurality of floor plates such that each floor plate is capable of being a reward or punishment to the test subject traversing the maze. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30)
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31. A dynamic maze, comprising:
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an interior maze volume defined by multiple boundary surfaces;
at least two removable obstacles under control of a programmable system that configures the maze by inserting or removing at least one of the at least two obstacles through a boundary surface of the maze; and
a controller having a logic system configured to control design of the maze. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49)
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50. A method of re-configuring a maze, comprising:
receiving data from a test subject in the maze; and
re-configuring design of the maze by inserting or removing at least one obstacle from the maze through a boundary surface of the maze, based on the data without intervention from a user. - View Dependent Claims (51)
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52. A method of assessing the ability of a test subject to solve a maze, comprising:
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delivering at least one of rewarding or noxious stimulus to the test subject depending on path taken by the test subject in the maze; and
re-configuring the maze without user intervention based on ability of the test subject to traverse through the maze. - View Dependent Claims (53)
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54. A method to assess ability of an animal to solve mazes of differing complexities, comprising:
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recording ability of a test subject to traverse through a maze; and
re-configuring the maze without user intervention to various levels of complexity based on the ability of the test subjects to traverse the maze. - View Dependent Claims (55, 56)
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57. A dynamic maze, comprising:
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an interior maze volume defined by multiple boundary surfaces; and
at least two removable obstacles under control of a programmable system that configures the maze by inserting or removing at least one of the at least two obstacles through a boundary surface of the maze such that the maze rapidly re-configures for measurement of different behavioral responses of a test subject. - View Dependent Claims (58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68)
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69. A dynamic maze, comprising:
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at least one removable obstacle wherein the obstacle is under control of a programmable system that configures the maze by inserting the obstacle into the maze or removing the obstacle from the maze and wherein the obstacle transmits a primary stimulus to a test subject in a rewarding or noxious manner, and a secondary stimulus that can reinforce or conflict with the primary stimulus.
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70. A dynamic maze, comprising:
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at least one removable obstacle wherein the obstacle is under control of a programmable system that configures the maze by inserting the obstacle into the maze or removing the obstacle from the maze;
a controller having a logic system configured to control design of the maze; and
at least one tube disposed thereon, the tube configured to entrap a test subject such that the test subject can only traverse through the tube in one direction. - View Dependent Claims (71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79)
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Specification