System and methods for concurrent germfree and gnotobiotic infrastructure

Abstract

Provided are systems and methods for performing germfree or concurrent germfree and gnotobiotic animal studies in the same room. The system can include one or more isolation individually ventilated cages equipped with HEPA-filtered positive-pressurization housing at least one animal that is germfree, a fecal transplantee, or gnotobiotic. An air handling unit provides filtered air to each of the IsoIVC-Ps when stored on a support rack. Each of the IsoIVCPs can be self-hermetically sealed when removed from the support rack. The system can also include one or more isolators, where each isolator is an aseptic glovebox isolator comprising a hydrogen peroxide vapor module. Concurrent animal studies can be performed by sterilizing, via autoclave, the IsoIVC-Ps, which are then inserted into the isolator. The animal-occupied IsoIVCPs are hermetically sealed while in the isolator and sterilized by hydrogen peroxide vapor. Then the animal-occupied IsoIVC-Ps can be opened inside the isolator for study.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.