Containment systems and components for animal husbandry

• US 9,066,494 B2
• Filed: 02/19/2013
• Issued: 06/30/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Innovive, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Innovive, Inc.
• Inventors: Conger, Dee L., Perazzo, Thomas M., d'Artenay, Matthew D., Cannell, Asa
• Primary Examiner(s): Xavier, Valentina
• Application Number:
  US13/771,015
• Publication Number:
  US 20130220229A1
• Time in Patent Office: 861 Days
• Field of Search: 119416-420, 119/57
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 1/00 Housing animals; Equipment therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 1/031 Cages for laboratory animals; Cages for measuring metabolism of animals
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 1/0356 Feeding or drinking devices associated with cages for poultry A01K31/005, A01K31/17, A01K39/00; for birds A01K31/06

Abstract

Provided are animal containment systems and components, including single-use animal containment cages and modular rack units. Also provided are methods for assembling and using components of the animal containment systems.

Claims

1. A rodent containment cage comprising a base and a cover, wherein:

the cover and base are constructed from a polymer;

the base or cover, or base and cover, are disposable;

the base comprises walls and a bottom, which walls comprise a thickness of about 0.01 to about 0.08 inches;

are flexible and are coextensive with the bottom;

the base or cover, or base and cover, comprise a plurality of corners, or edges or corners and edges in the interior of the cage accessible to a rodent that can be contained in the cage, defined by surfaces having an angle α

greater than 180 degrees and less than 360 degrees;

all of the corners, edges or corners and edges present in the interior of the cage, accessible to a rodent that can be contained in the cage, and defined by surfaces having the angle α

have a minimum radius φ

;

φ

=0.25/(tan((π

/360)(360−

α

))) inches; and

whereby the corners, edges or corners and edges are resistant to gnawing damage by a rodent that can be contained in the cage.

2. The rodent containment cage of claim 1, which comprises a filter in effective connection with the cover.

3. The rodent containment cage of claim 2, which is ventilated and in effective connection with a blower.

4. The rodent containment cage of claim 2, which is ventilated and in effective connection with a vacuum.

5. The rodent containment cage of claim 2, which is ventilated and in effective connection with a blower and a vacuum.

6. The rodent containment cage of claim 2, which comprises a filter shield, wherein:

the filter shield is between the interior of the cage and the filter, and the filter shield comprises a surface with apertures that is offset from the filter and covers the filter.

7. The rodent containment cage of claim 1, wherein the cage is free-standing in a rack.

8. The containment cage of claim 7, wherein the cage is one of a plurality of free-standing cages in a rack.

9. The rodent containment cage of claim 1, wherein the polymer comprises polyethylene teraphthalate.

10. The rodent containment cage of claim 1, wherein the polymer comprises polyvinyl chloride.

11. The rodent containment cage of claim 1, wherein the polymer comprises polyethylene.

12. The rodent containment cage of claim 11, wherein the polymer comprises high-density polyethylene.

13. The rodent containment cage of claim 1, wherein the polymer comprises polyethylenefluoroethylene.

14. The rodent containment cage of claim 1, wherein the polymer comprises polystyrene.

15. The rodent containment cage of claim 14, wherein the polymer comprises high-density polystyrene.

16. The rodent containment cage of claim 1, wherein the polymer comprises an acrylnitrile butadiene styrene copolymer.

17. The rodent containment cage of claim 1, wherein the polymer comprises polypropylene.

18. The rodent containment cage of claim 1, wherein the walls of the base are of a substantially uniform thickness of about 0.01 to about 0.03 inches.

19. The rodent containment cage of claim 1, wherein angle α

is greater than 190 degrees and less than 300 degrees.

20. The rodent containment cage of claim 19, wherein the minimum radius φ

is greater than 0.02 inches and less than 0.43 inches.

21. The rodent containment cage of claim 19, wherein angle α

is greater than 240 degrees and less than 300 degrees.

22. The rodent containment cage of claim 21, wherein the minimum radius φ

is greater than 0.14 inches and less than 0.43 inches.