Animal husbandry – Confining or housing – For experimental purposes
Reexamination Certificate
1999-01-20
2001-10-02
Poon, Peter M. (Department: 3643)
Animal husbandry
Confining or housing
For experimental purposes
Reexamination Certificate
active
06295950
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to caging systems for housing and isolating laboratory animals including food and water feeders to feed such animals and, in particular, to an improved food and water dispenser that can be supported by an edge of the case and an improved cage assembly that can be used therewith.
In the production of colonies of rats, mice or other small laboratory animals by breeding, the mice are housed in animal cages which are arranged in close proximity within confined areas. The colonies are subject to airborne diseases which spread rapidly from one cage to another, particularly where the surrounding environment is not particularly sanitary. It is particularly desirable to maintain a closed, limited defined flora colony, that is, a colony of mice having a limited number of bacteria which are constantly the same. This is also the manner in which animals are maintained during laboratory experimental work to maintain the animals free of outside contaminants.
Conventional animal cages for maintaining animals in a reduced contamination environment are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,480,587 and 4,640,228. These latter type of “shoebox” transparent cage bodies employ a detachable air fill which extends across the entire top of the lid and a retainer member which retains the filter thereagainst. However, and as particularly described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,640,228, these conventional cages employ a wire bar lid feeding and water dispenser to minimize the number of times the cage must be opened. The wire bar lid essentially consists of a stainless steel bar construction having an outer rim which is supported along the entire lip of the cage. A plurality of bars extend across the rim. The lid extends deep within the cage interior for easy access by the animal disposed therein. Within this lid is placed the food items and a water bottle. By providing a lid made of stainless steel or some other metal, the filter and plastic lid are protected from the animal.
However, this type of feeding and watering structure has been less than satisfactory for the following reasons. First, the downwardly sloping surface of the structure typically extends deep within the middle of the cage assembly. Accordingly, it has been found that larger laboratory animals have great difficulty in moving about the cage since the lid extends substantially within the cage interior. Accordingly, as the laboratory animal increases in size, the area within the cage assembly that the laboratory animal is able to move is severely diminished. Secondly, the aforementioned cage construction requires a handler to physically remove the feeding dispenser in order to gain access to the interior of the cage and laboratory animal contained therein. Thirdly, the aforementioned structure limits the visibility of the laboratory animal contained in the cage. When viewing the laboratory animal from the top, the additional opaqueness of the water bottle and food items further hinders the view of the laboratory animal. When viewing an animal from a cage end, the food carrying portion of the lid blocks the view of animals positioned at the opposite end of the cage.
Accordingly, it is desired to provide an improved water bottle holder and feeder construction that permits increased mobility of the laboratory animal contained within the cage assembly and improve visibility of the laboratory animal contained therein. It is also desired to provide an improved cage construction that protects the integrity of the reusable filter once protected by the aforementioned lid construction. The invention disclosed herein provides a wire bar cover in the body portion and provides for such an improved cage assembly construction.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Generally speaking, in accordance with the present invention, a combination food and liquid dispenser for an animal cage is provided. The dispenser, which may be formed of a plurality of wire bars, includes a first compartment in vertical relation to a second compartment and may include a separator for separating the two compartments. The separator may be formed from a plurality of the wire bars which form a bottom of the water compartment. The first compartment is constructed to receive a liquid dispenser therein and provide an animal with access to liquid in the liquid dispenser when disposed in the first compartment and the second compartment is constructed to hold food and provide an animal access thereto.
The dispenser may also include a bracket assembly to permit the dispenser to be supported on one side or lip of the cage in which the dispenser is placed.
In another aspect of the invention, a filter cap for an animal cage is provided. The filter cap includes a body portion dimensioned to fit upon and cover over the top of the cage. The filter cap has a top wall, a side wall, and end walls which define an interior region therein. The filter cap constructed in accordance with the present invention includes an air filter disposed in the interior of the body portion which extends across the top wall of the body portion, a retainer member disposed in the interior of the body portion for retaining the air filter against or at least in close proximity to the top wall of the body portion, a protective cover for preventing access to the air filter by animals within the cage and a securing assembly for releasably securing the air filter, the retainer member and the protective cover within the interior region of the body portion.
Lastly, a cage assembly for housing an animal is provided. The cage assembly includes a cage portion having a bottom and integral side walls. A filter cap including a body portion is dimensioned to fit upon and cover over the cage portion. The filter cap includes a top wall and side and end walls defining an interior region of the body portion. An air filter, disposed in the interior of the body portion, extends across at least a substantial portion of the top wall of the body portion. A retainer, disposed in the interior of the body portion, retains the air filter at least in close proximity to the top wall of the body portion. A protective cover, disposed in the interior region of the body portion, protects the integrity of the air filter and the retainer. A lock releasably secures the air filter, the retainer and the protective cover within the interior of the body portion. Also included in the cage assembly is a food and liquid dispenser that includes a first compartment constructed to receive a liquid container and a second compartment constructed to receive a food item, the two compartments being in adjacent relation, and a bracket assembly affixed to the dispenser for supporting the dispenser on a wall of the cage portion.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved cage assembly for housing and isolating laboratory animals.
A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved cage assembly that provides an animal housed therein with an increased area within which to freely move.
Yet a further object of the present invention is to provide a cage assembly that enables the animal housed within the cage assembly to be more easily viewed.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a combination food and water dispenser that provides the animal housed therein with increased room within which to move about while further increasing the ability to view the animal within the cage assembly while protecting the integrity of the cage filter.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide a cage assembly which eliminates the need to physically remove the water and feeding dispenser in order to gain access to the interior of the cage and laboratory animal housed therein.
Still other objects and advantages of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part be apparent from the specification.
The invention accordingly comprises the features of construction, combination of elements, and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the constructions hereinafter set
Deitrich Eric A.
Sheaffer John E.
Lab Products Inc.
Nguyen Son T.
Poon Peter M.
Stroock & Stroock & Lavan LLP
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