Animal husbandry – Confining or housing – For experimental purposes
Reexamination Certificate
1999-06-17
2001-10-30
Carone, Michael J. (Department: 3644)
Animal husbandry
Confining or housing
For experimental purposes
C119S420000, C119S050700
Reexamination Certificate
active
06308660
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a bio-containment animal cage system in which individually self-sealing cages are received in a rack having a sealed air delivery and removal system, thereby providing improved animal isolation and containment of air-borne pathogens and viruses within the animal cage system.
2. Related Art
Ventilated animal cage systems in which cages are supported by a rack and air is supplied and removed from the rack are known. U.S. Pat. No. 4,528,941 describes a modular assembly with a plurality of cages supported by a free standing plenum. The plenum supplies and exhausts air to the cages. The cages are connected to the plenum by inlet and outlet tubes.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,000,120, issued to one of the inventors of this disclosure, describes a combination cage and rack system in which a forced air ventilation system is coupled to the cage when placed on the rack. Each cage includes a bonnet section and is supported at the periphery by a bottom section. An air filter is formed in an open top of the bonnet section. The air is directed down to the floor of the cage and circulates around towards the bonnet filter. Circulated air passes out from the cage through the bonnet filter and under the rim of the bonnet to an air exhaust manifold.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,307,757, also issued to one of the inventors of this disclosure, describes an animal cage system in which the cages include a top section supported by a bottom section at the periphery thereof. The cage can include a solid upper surface for preventing exhaust air from escaping through the top of the cage. A spacer bracket is located between the top and bottom sections of the cage to allow air that has circulated the cage to be withdrawn from the periphery of the cage to an exhaust manifold.
It is desirable to provide an animal cage system having improved containment of airborne contaminants, thereby providing increased isolation of animals for highly sensitive animal studies.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention comprises an animal caging system including a self-sealing animal cage removably connected to an air supply and an exhaust. The self-sealing animal cage is supported by a rack. The self-sealing animal cage is sealed by an air inlet connection and an air outlet connection to the air supply and the exhaust connection. After the cages are removed from the air supply and the exhaust, the air inlet connection and the exhaust connection seals the cage to prevent air from entering or exiting the cage. Accordingly, the animal caging system provides isolation of the self-sealing animal cage and provides containment of airborne pathogens within the caging system.
In a preferred embodiment, the air inlet connection and exhaust connection are formed of a female automatic sealing entry port and a male automatic sealing entry port. The female automatic sealing entry port of the air inlet connection and the exhaust connection are coupled to respective apertures in the cage. The male automatic sealing entry port of the inlet connection is coupled to the air supply. The male automatic sealing entry port of the outlet connection is coupled to the exhaust. Accordingly, the female automatic sealing entry port seals the air inlet connection and the exhaust outlet connection of self-sealing animal cage when self-sealing animal cage is removed from rack. The male self-sealing entry port seals horizontal air supply plenum and male automatic sealing entry port seals horizontal exhaust plenum when the self-sealing animal cage is removed from rack.
The air supply and exhaust are provided with an air delivery and exhaust apparatus side mounted to the rack. The air delivery and exhaust apparatus is integrated with high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters. The air delivery and exhaust apparatus operates in a positive pressure mode for pushing air into the cage or in a negative mode for withdrawing air from the cage. Accordingly, air from the environment is HEPA filtered and is used as supply air in the air delivery and exhaust apparatus and exhaust air from the air delivery and exhaust apparatus is HEPA filtered before being emitted into the environment.
In an embodiment of the present invention, a bio-sensing cage, which contains an animal, is connected to the air supply and exhaust in order to measure pressure in the biosensing cage. The measurement of pressure in the bio-sensing cage is used by a controller to maintain pressure in the cages independently of environment and cage conditions. The measurement of pressure in the bio-sensing cage can be displayed. An alarm can be activated if the measured pressure in the cage is outside a predetermined tolerance for the cage.
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Bilecki Brian M.
Coiro, Sr. Michael A.
Herdt Frank J.
Abbott Yvonne R.
Allentown Caging Equipment Co., Inc.
Carone Michael J.
Mathews, Collins Shepherd & Gould P.A.
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