The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Aug. 17, 1976
Filed:
Apr. 21, 1975
Murray O Meetze, Jr, Columbia, SC (US);
Other;
Abstract
A walled enclosure or cage is provided in which laboratory animals may be maintained for observation and evaluation. The floor of the enclosure is provided by a plurality of conductive bar elements that are spacially separate and extend across the bottom of the enclosure. Spacial separation of the bars insulates one from the other and further, space is provided in the floor to remove animal waste, excess food and the like. An electrical resistor is connected between each two adjacent conductive bars and cooperate with the bars to define a resistor network to which a closely controlled feed current is supplied. An animal makes contact with the conductive bars which lowers resistance of the network and produces a voltage change. The resistor network is a.c. coupled to a differential amplifier, and a comparator which receive pulses from capacitors between the network and the amplifier and prepare same for an interface means for a pulse recording system. The amplified pulse may be shaped, divided or the like as required by the recording system. The method of using the present system involves detection of contact between an animal foot and the conductive grid bars, whereupon contact area determines the resistance of the network and a proportional signal is produced therefrom. The signal is then amplified, manipulated to avoid ambient electrical interference, such as an incidental electrical field from line current at 60 Hertz, and/or shaped, divided or the like to provide input to a particular recording system. Raw data from the recording system can then be correlated to locomotor activity of the laboratory animal.