CONTAMINATION BARRIER

Technical field

The disclosure herein generally relates to apparatuses and methods for penetrating animals, and specifically but not exclusively to apparatuses and methods for penetrating animals using a contamination barrier to block a contaminant associated with the animals.

Background Animals including laboratory animals generally need to be identified. An animal may be tattooed with identity information in the form of a plurality of symbols, have an identity tag attached, or have an ear notched. The identity of animals may be determined by inspecting the ear identification notches, attached tag, or tattoo, the application of which generally required penetration of the animal. Radio frequency identity tags may be externally attached to an animal so that it can be identified. An RFID tag may be attached to an ear of an animal, for example.

This may be time consuming and/or difficult in some circumstances, for example when attaching RFID tags to or tattooing hundreds or thousands of mice in a facility.

Contaminants may be generated during a method for penetrating an animal. For example, an animal may defecate or urinate, or material may be ejected from the penetration site. The ejected material may include but is not limited to animal tissue, blood, and tattoo ink. These materials may contaminate other animals and equipment, and may transfer pathogens between animals. Contaminated animals may be euthanised, and contaminated equipment may require expensive and time consuming decontamination, or may be disposed of.

Summary Disclosed herein is an apparatus for penetrating an animal. The apparatus comprises a contamination barrier comprising a port for inserting a penetrating instrument therethrough. The apparatus comprises an animal restraint configured for restraining the animal and presenting the animal to the penetrating instrument. The contamination barrier and the animal restraint are cooperatively arranged to block a contaminant associated with the animal when so restrained. In an embodiment, the contamination barrier comprises a contamination barrier sleeve having a lateral port for inserting a penetrating instrument therethrough, wherein the animal restraint comprises a tail presenting portion disposed within the contamination barrier sleeve for presenting the tail to the penetrating instrument. In an embodiment, the lateral port and the tail presentation portion each extend longitudinally with respect to the contamination barrier sleeve.

In an embodiment, the lateral port defines a slot in a side-wall of the contamination barrier sleeve.

In an embodiment, the penetrating instrument is movably mounted for movement along the contamination barrier sleeve for penetrating the tail at a selected longitudinal position thereof.

In an embodiment, the penetrating instrument is revolvingly mounted to revolve around the tail presentation portion for penetrating the tail at a selected angular position thereof.

In an embodiment, the penetrating instrument is operationally coupled to a carriage movable along the contamination barrier sleeve and operationally coupled to a rotary bearing, in which the contamination barrier sleeve is removably received, for revolving the penetrating instrument around the tail presentation portion.

In an embodiment, the contamination barrier sleeve is engaged such that the lateral port and the penetrating instrument revolve in unison.

An embodiment comprises a motor system operationally coupled to the penetrating instrument for moving the penetrating instrument.

An embodiment comprises a control system configured to operate the motor system such that the contamination barrier sleeve is moved outwardly.

In an embodiment, the contamination barrier sleeve comprises a rim at an open end thereof and the control system is configured to operate the motor system such that the rim is pushed outwardly, whereby the contamination barrier sleeve is moved outwardly.

In an embodiment, the tail presenting portion is removably disposed within the contamination barrier sleeve.

Disclosed herein is a method for penetrating an animal. The method comprises the step of restraining an animal in an animal restraint that presents the animal to a penetrating instrument. The method comprises the step of inserting a penetrating instrument through a port of a contamination barrier. The method comprises the step of penetrating the animal with the penetrating instrument. The method comprises the step of blocking a contaminant associated with the animal with the contamination barrier. In an embodiment, the step of restraining the animal comprises the step of restraining the animal in an animal restraint that presents the tail of the animal to the penetrating instrument.

In an embodiment, the contamination barrier comprises a contamination barrier sleeve, the port comprises a lateral port of the contamination barrier sleeve, the animal restraint comprises a tail presentation portion, and comprising the step of removably disposing the tail presentation portion within the contamination barrier sleeve.

In an embodiment, the lateral port and the tail presentation portion each extend longitudinally with respect to the contamination barrier sleeve, and comprising the step of moving the penetrating instrument along the contamination barrier for penetrating the tail at a selected longitudinal position therealong. An embodiment comprises the step of revolving the penetrating instrument around the tail presentation portion for penetrating the tail at a selected angular position thereof.

An embodiment comprises moving a carriage operationally coupled to the penetrating instrument along the contamination barrier sleeve and spinning a rotary bearing in which the contamination barrier is removably disposed, the penetrating instrument being operationally coupled to the rotary bearing for revolving the penetrating instrument around the tail presentation portion.

In an embodiment, the step of revolving the penetrating instrument comprises the step of revolving the penetrating instrument and the lateral port in unison.

An embodiment comprises the step of operating a motor system to move outwardly the contamination barrier sleeve.

An embodiment comprises the step of causing a control system to operate the motor system such that a rim of the contamination sleeve is pushed outwardly, whereby the contamination barrier sleeve is moved outwardly.

An embodiment comprises the step of removing the animal restraint from the contamination barrier sleeve. In the context of this specification, an animal may be generally any suitable non-human animal or human, including a laboratory animal, a rodent, a rat, a mouse, a cat, a dog, a rabbit, a bird including a poultry bird, livestock including cattle, sheep and horses, a zoo animal or generally any type of animal. Any of the various features of each of the above disclosures, and of the various features of the embodiments described below, can be combined as suitable and desired.

Brief description of the figures

Embodiments will now be described by way of example only with reference to the

accompanying figures in which: Figure 1 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of an apparatus for penetrating an animal.

Figure 2 shows a side elevation view of the apparatus of figure 1 with a housing of the apparatus shown transparently to reveal the interior.

Figure 3 shows a view from the top and front of another embodiment of an apparatus for penetration of an animal similar to that of the apparatus of figure 1, with the housing removed.

Figure 4 shows a perspective view of another embodiment of an apparatus for penetrating an animal similar to that of figure 1, with the housing removed and a contamination barrier removed. Figures 5, 6 and 7 shows a side elevational view, front view, and top view of the apparatus of figure 4 with the housing removed and a contamination barrier removed.

Figure 8 shows an example of an animal to be penetrated by embodiments of the apparatus of the figures 1 to 7.

Figure 9 shows a side elevational view of an animal restraint the can be removably disposed in the contamination barrier.

Figure 10 shows a perspective view of an example of a contamination barrier of the apparatuses of figures 1 to 7. Figure 11 shows a flow chart for an embodiment of a method for penetrating an animal, which may be performed using the apparatuses of figures 1 to 7.

Description of embodiments

Figures 1-7 show various views of various embodiments of an apparatus for penetrating an animal, the apparatuses being generally indicated by the numeral 10. An example of a suitable animal 14 in the form of a rodent is shown in figure 8. The animal 14 may be a mouse or a rat, for example, however the animal may be generally any suitable animal. The apparatus 10 comprises a contamination barrier 12 comprising a port 24 for inserting a penetrating instrument 16 therethrough. The apparatus 10 comprises an animal restraint 18, shown in figure 9, configured for restraining the animal and presenting the animal 14 to a penetrating instrument 16. The animal restraint 18 is, in this embodiment, removably disposable in the contamination barrier 12, and when so removably disposed the contamination barrier 12 and the animal restraint 18 are cooperatively arranged to block a contaminant associated with the animal 14 when restrained within the contamination barrier 12. The contamination barrier 12 comprises a contamination barrier sleeve 20 in the form of a tube, wherein the port 24 is lateral of the contamination barrier sleeve ("lateral port") and formed in a side wall of the tube. The animal restraint 18 comprises a restraint portion 28 configured to restrain the animal and a tail presenting portion 22 that can be disposed within the contamination barrier sleeve 12 for presenting the tail 25 of the animal 14 to the penetrating instrument 16. The animal is restrained in the animal restraint when the tail presentation portion 22 is external of the contamination barrier sleeve 20 and the animal restraint 18 is separated from the rest of the system 10. The tail presentation portion is then inserted via housing port 19 and opening 42 into the contamination barrier sleeve 20.

The animal restraint 18 is receivable by a restraint receiver 30 comprising the contamination barrier sleeve 20 and a rotary bearing 32 in which the contamination barrier is received.

In this embodiment, but not all embodiments, the tail presentation portion 22 is elongated for supporting the length of the tail 25. The lateral port 24 defines a slot 26 in the side wall of the tube 20. While the slot 26 runs along the full length of the tube 20 in the present embodiment, the slot 26 may not run along the full length of the tube 20 in some other embodiments. The lateral port 24 and the tail presentation portion 22 each extend longitudinally with respect to the contamination barrier sleeve. When the animal 14 is restrained in the animal restraint 18, and the tail presentation portion 22 subsequently disposed in the contamination barrier sleeve 20, the tail presentation portion 22, the tail 12, the contamination barrier sleeve 20, and the slot 26 are parallel. The tail presenting portion 22 is in use removably disposed within the contamination barrier sleeve 20.

The penetrating instrument 16 is movably mounted for movement along the contamination barrier sleeve 20 for penetrating the tail 25 at a selected longitudinal position thereof. The movement enabled is linear and may be in either direction indicated by the double headed arrows 34 in figures 8 to 10. The lateral port 24 has a longitudinal dimension selected for marking along a section of the tail 25. The penetrating instrument 16 is also revolvingly mounted to revolve around the tail presentation portion for penetrating the tail at a selected angular position thereof. The selected point of penetration on the surface 116 can generally have any cylindrical coordinates.

The system 10 comprises a penetrating instrument mount 140 in the form of a vertical stage to which the penetrating instrument 16 is mounted. The penetrating instrument mount 140 is operationally coupled to a carriage 142 movable parallel to the tail presentation portion 22 and so the tail 25 when received by the system 10. The carriage 142 is movably mounted on at least one rail 144 (in this embodiment two), which is parallel to the tail 25. A motor in the form of a stepper motor (or alternatively a motor and a linear encoder, or generally any suitable motor) moves the carriage 142 along the rail 144 to move the penetrating instrument 26 along the tail 26. This enables the penetrating instrument 26 to move between longitudinal positions along the tail 25. The penetrating instrument mount 140 is also operationally coupled to the rotary bearing 32 for revolving the penetrating instrument 16 around a longitudinal axial of the bearing and so the tail 12 in use. The rotary bearing 32 is driven by a belt coupled to a stepper motor. The rotary bearing 32 and carriage 142 enable scanning of the penetrating instrument 16 to mark the tail 26, or generally penetrate a selected position on the surface 116 of the tail 25. In this but not all embodiments, the rotary bearing 32 is intermediate of the rail 144 and the penetrating instrument mount 140. Intermediate the rotary bearing 32 and the penetrating instrument mount 140 is another carriage arranged for radial movement of the penetrating instrument mount 40 relative to the rotary bearing.

The contamination barrier sleeve 20 is engaged such that the lateral port 24 and the penetrating instrument 16 revolve in unison. Consequently, irrespective of the selected angular position, the port is positioned for insertion of the penetrating instrument 16. In this embodiment, the engagement comprises an engagement of a port engaging member 136 attached to the penetrating instrument mount 140 engaging the port 24, or alternatively another port or engagement feature in the form of a flange of the contamination barrier sleeve. Additionally or alternatively, the engagement comprises a friction fit between the tube 20 and the rotary bearing 32, or engagement of the sleeve 20 by a clamp or clip attached to the rotor 38 of the bearing 32.

The contamination barrier sleeve 20 extends between an open end 42 and another end 44, which is in the embodiment also open. The other end 44 of the contamination barrier sleeve 20 is inserted through the rotary bearing 32 and engaged with a plain bearing 46. When the contamination barrier sleeve is so received, the open end is engaged with the rotary bearing 32. The contamination barrier sleeve 20 comprises a rim 48 at the open end 42 thereof. A control system comprising a microprocessor is configured to operate the motor system such that a pushing member in the form if the port engaging member 36 pushes on the rim 48 and so moves the contamination barrier sleeve outwardly. The push may be a pull in an alternative

embodiment. The control system may do this after a predetermined number of animals have been penetrated. The user can then take the sleeve 20 and clean and/or disinfect it with, for example, a disinfectant, soap and water or generally any suitable cleaning agent. The ink cartridge is interior of the rim, and replacement of the ink cartridge requires removal of the sleeve. The user can clean and/or disinfect the sleeve 20 when the ink cartridge is replaced. These actions can prompt the user to clean and/or sterilise the sleeve 20.

The system 10 comprises a pigment dispensing system 134 comprising a pigment reservoir 136 and a pigment outlet 138 orientated to deposit pigment on the surface 116 of the animal 14 via the penetrating instrument 16 which is in this embodiment in the form of a needle, or

alternatively directly on the surface 116. The pigment is in the form of a liquid having suspended pigment particles, however it may comprise a pigment powder, a pigment solution, or generally any suitable form of pigment. The pigment may run down the needle 16 to the tip thereof, and the pigment may drop off the tip or otherwise be dispersed on the upwardly facing surface 116 of the tail, which in this embodiment is a dorsal tail surface. The system 10 is configured to deposit the pigment at each of a plurality of positions at which a character is to be tattooed. As the needle 16 penetrates the surface 116, the pigment on the needle 16 and/or surface 116 is transferred into the tail 24, and captured therein when the puncture caused by the needle 16 heals. The penetrating instrument may additionally or alternatively:

1. be configured to insert a physiologically active substance into the part, examples of

which include but are not limited to at least one of a medicament, a pathogen, a pharmacological substance, a toxin, a carcinogenic cell or agent, an organism examples of which include a vims and a bacterium, and generally any suitable physiologically active substance.

2. comprise at least one of a hypodermic needle and a cannula, for injecting a

physiologically active liquid into the animal or venepuncture, for example for taking blood from the part.

3. comprise a cannula for disposing a radio frequency identification tag into the part.

An embodiment of a method of penetrating an animal will now be described, with reference to figure 11 which shows a flow chart 50 for the embodiment of the method. The system 10 described above, and variations and equivalents thereof, can perform the steps of the

embodiment of the method. A step 52 comprises retraining the animal in an animal restraint that present the animal to a penetrating instrument. A step 54 comprises inserting a penetrating instrument through a port of the contamination barrier, wherein a contaminant associated with the animal is blocked by the contamination barrier. A step 56 comprises penetrating the animal with the penetrating instrument. Other embodiments of a method of penetrating an animal are understood with reference to the disclosure herein, particularly with reference to system 10.

Faecal matter and urine that drops from the animal 14 may be caught by the contamination barrier 12. Ink and blood splatter from penetration of the animal may be blocked by the contamination barrier 12, and not enter the mechanism of the system 10. The barrier may comprise stainless steel or a hard polymer, for example, which is amenable to cleaning and/or disinfecting.

Now that embodiments have been described, it will be appreciated that some embodiments may have some of the following advantages:

• Contaminants do not enter the mechanism of the machine

• The chance of disease transition between animals is reduced, which may otherwise need to be euthanised

• The contamination barrier may be easily cleaned and/or disinfected

• The contamination barrier is ejected by the machine, prompting a user to clean and/or disinfect the contamination barrier.

Variations and/or modifications may be made to the embodiments described without departing from the spirit or ambit of the invention. The present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive. Reference to a feature disclosed herein does not mean that all embodiments must include the feature. Prior art, if any, described herein is not to be taken as an admission that the prior art forms part of the common general knowledge in any jurisdiction.

In the claims which follow and in the preceding description of the invention, except where the context requires otherwise due to express language or necessary implication, the word

"comprise" or variations such as "comprises" or "comprising" is used in an inclusive sense, that is to specify the presence of the stated features but not to preclude the presence or addition of further features in various embodiments of the invention.