Microelectronic animal identification

A microelectronic animal identification device for a rodent used as a laboratory test animal, the device comprising:

• an inserter cartridge configured to releasably hold a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag at a distal end of a needle;
• a restraining device configured to restrain the rodent such that an upper part of a tail of the rodent presents a substrate to the distal end of the needle;
• and
• an actuator operably coupled to the inserter cartridge and configured to release the RFID tag from the needle when the distal end of the needle is inserted into the substrate of the upper part of the tail protruding from the restraining device to implant the RFID tag in the upper part of the tail of the rodent,
• wherein the inserter cartridge includes a reference feature configured to position the inserter cartridge relative to the actuator in a predetermined orientation, and a locking feature configured to lock the inserter cartridge onto the actuator.

A microelectronic animal identification device for a rodent used as a laboratory test animal, the device comprising:

• an inserter cartridge configured to releasably hold a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag at a distal end of a needle;
• a restraining device configured to restrain the rodent such that an upper part of a tail of the rodent presents a substrate to the distal end of the needle;
• and
• an actuator operably coupled to the inserter cartridge and configured to release the RFID tag from the needle when the distal end of the needle is inserted into the substrate of the upper part of the tail protruding from the restraining device to implant the RFID tag in the upper part of the tail of the rodent,
• wherein the RFID tag further comprises a laminated thin-film vital sign detector.

A microelectronic animal identification device for a rodent used as a laboratory test animal, the device comprising:

• an inserter configured to releasably hold a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag at a distal end of the inserter;
• and
• a restraining device configured to restrain the rodent such that a tail of the rodent is presented in a generally fixed and stable position and orientation to permit implantation of the RFID tag below a substrate of an upper part of the tail of the rodent, the restraining device including:
• a base plate having a pair of opposed members arranged as a tail cleat structure proximate to a distal portion of the base plate and defining a channel between the pair of opposed members having a width that is dimensioned to accommodate the tail of the rodent;
• a biasing member configured to urge the pair of opposed members toward each other to decrease the width of the channel and assert a restraining force against the tail to restrict longitudinal movement of the tail;
• and
• a body restraint defining a cavity configured to temporarily enclose a body of the rodent within the cavity when the body restraint is positioned on top of the base plate and allow the tail of the rodent to extend through the tail cleat structure and away from the body restraint;
• and
• an actuator configured to release the RFID tag from the inserter when the distal end of the inserter is inserted into the substrate of the upper part of the tail protruding from the restraining device to implant the RFID tag in the upper part of the tail of the rodent.