Device and method for inducing brain injury in animal test subjects

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9808193-B2
Application number	US-201414121045-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 24, 2014
Priority date	Aug 9, 2011
Publication date	Nov 7, 2017
Grant date	Nov 7, 2017

Abstract

An apparatus and method for inflicting brain injury on a laboratory animal that employs a platform for supporting the laboratory animal. The platform defines an opening for positioning the head of the laboratory animal over the opening. A projectile is launched from a projectile launching device orientated below the opening of the platform. The projectile launching device has a means for propelling the projectile directly at and/or through the opening of said platform, thereby inflicting brain injury on the animal via either a pressure wave or concussive impact of the projectile. Without helmet, direct impact of the projectile results in severe traumatic brain injury. Use of helmet protects animals from skull fracture, subdural hematoma, intracerebral hemorrhage and contusion yet produces mild concussion-like pathology.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A laboratory rodent sensor helmet comprising:
a flexible substrate conformed to fit a head shape of a life size adult rodent's head and provide even pressure distribution to said rodent's head that will permit concussion to said rodent without overt pathology, said substrate having a first side and a second side;
sensor films mounted on said first and said second sides of said substrate configured for measuring direct projectile impact force, wherein said sensor films measure pressure distribution and magnitude on an outer surface and on an inner surface of the helmet and wherein the helmet protects said rodent's head against skull fracture;
wherein said substrate is about 0.91 mm thick and the sensor films are about 0.18 mm thick.

2. The helmet of claim 1 , wherein said substrate is selected from the group consisting of woven glass/carbon, woven glass and woven glass/epoxy.

3. The helmet of claim 2 , wherein the sensor films are colorimetric sensor films.

4. The helmet of claim 1 , wherein the helmet is molded to fit the rodent's head.

5. The helmet of claim 1 , further comprising one or more fasteners for fastening the helmet to the rodent's head.

6. The helmet of claim 1 wherein said sensor film or films are applied to or made integral with the substrate.

7. The helmet of claim 1 , wherein the sensor film is a colorimetric pressure sensor film.

8. The helmet of claim 1 , wherein the sensor film mounted on the first side of the substrate reveals a pressure distribution profile, contact area and/or pressure and force magnitudes that occurred between the helmet and the rodent's head and the sensor film mounted on the second side of the substrate reveals the pressure distribution profile, contact area and/or pressure and force magnitudes that occurred between helmet and the projectile.

9. The helmet of claim 1 , wherein the rodent is a laboratory mouse or laboratory rat.

10. A laboratory rodent sensor helmet wherein said helmet protects said rodent against skull fracture, comprising:
a flexible substrate configured to fit a head shape of the rodent, said substrate having a first side and a second side;
sensor films mounted on said first and said second sides of said substrate configured for measuring projectile impact;
wherein the sensor film mounted on the first side of the substrate reveals a pressure distribution profile, contact area and/or pressure and force magnitudes that occurred between the helmet and the rodent's head and the sensor film mounted on the second side of the substrate reveals the pressure distribution profile, contact area and/or pressure and force magnitudes that occurred between helmet and the projectile;
wherein said substrate is about 0.91 mm thick and the sensor films are about 0.18 mm thick.

11. The helmet of claim 10 , wherein the sensor films are colorimetric pressure sensor films.

12. A method of measuring projectile impact to a laboratory rodent's head comprising;
a) providing a sensor helmet wherein said helmet protects said rodent against skull fracture, said helmet comprising a flexible substrate molded to fit and conform to a head shape of the rodent, said substrate having a first side and a second side; sensor films mounted on said first and said second sides of said substrate, wherein said sensor films measure pressure distribution and magnitude on an outer surface and on an inner surface of the helmet;
b) placing the helmet on the head of said rodent;
c) impacting the sensor helmet on the rodent;
d) measuring pressure magnitude and distribution of the impact;
wherein said substrate is about 0.91 mm thick and the sensor films are about 0.18 mm thick.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein said measuring pressure step comprises measuring a pressure wave.

14. The method of claim 12 , further comprising the step of measuring an amount of traumatic brain injury in said rodent.

15. The helmet of claim 1 , wherein said substrate is selected from the group consisting of woven glass/carbon, woven glass and woven glass/epoxy and wherein said substrate is flexible to transfers a load efficiently from a projectile impact to the rodent's head to produce concussion without overt pathology.

16. A laboratory rat or laboratory mouse sensor helmet comprising:
a flexible substrate configured to fit and conform to a head shape of a laboratory mouse or laboratory rat test subject and provide even pressure distribution that will permit concussion to said test subject without overt pathology, said substrate having a first side and a second side;
sensor films mounted on said first and said second sides of said substrate configured for measuring projectile impact, wherein said sensor films measure pressure distribution and magnitude on an outer surface and on an inner surface of the helmet and wherein the helmet protects said test subject against skull fracture;
wherein said substrate is about 0.91 mm thick and the sensor films are about 0.18 mm thick.

Assignees

• Us Army
• Us Army

Inventors

• Tortella Frank C
• Holmes Larry R
• Larimore Zachary J
• Shear Deborah A
• Leung Lai Yee

Classifications

• A22B3/02

  by means of bolts, e.g. slaughtering pistols, cartridges {(pistols F41C)} · CPC title

• A01K29/00

  Other apparatus for animal husbandry · CPC title

• A61B2562/0247

  Pressure sensors · CPC title

• A61B5/6803

  Head-worn items, e.g. helmets, masks, headphones or goggles · CPC title

• A61B2503/40

  Animals · CPC title