Metabolic cage unit for a laboratory animal

A metabolic cage unit for a laboratory animal comprising means for receiving material excreted by said laboratory animal;

• said material including feces and urine;
• said laminar diffuser for separating said feces and said urine;
• said laminar diffuser including an angled serrated ramp including a series of serrations, said serrations having an effective pitch for supporting said feces and for permitting said urine to move therebetween, said peak to peak distance of each of said serrations being about equal to the height of each said serration;
• said angled serrated ramp including means for permitting said urine to discharge therefrom and for conducting said feces to a separate feces collecting location, whereby said urine is separated from said feces.

A metabolic cage unit for a laboratory animal comprising means for receiving material excreted by said laboratory animal;

• said material including feces and urine;
• a laminar diffuser for separating said feces and said urine;
• said laminar diffuser including an angled serrated ramp;
• said angled serrated ramp including means for permitting said urine to discharge therefrom and for conducting said feces to a separate feces collecting location;
• and a collection funnel having a large open end being positioned to conduct said material through said end to said laminar diffuser.

A metabolic cage unit for a laboratory animal comprising a cage for housing said laboratory animal;

• said cage including a floor through which feces and urine excreted by said laboratory animal may pass;
• a collection funnel positionable below said floor;
• a separator body below a lower end of said collection funnel;
• said separator body being inclined at an angle with respect to the horizontal;
• a generally planar laminar diffuser disposed within said separator body;
• said laminar diffuser including means for separating said feces and said urine;
• said laminar diffuser further including a urine port through which said urine may pass;
• a urine collection vessel coupled to receive said urine from said urine port;
• and a feces collection vessel coupled to an end of said laminar diffuser to receive said feces therefrom.

A metabolic cage unit for a laboratory animal comprising a cage for housing said laboratory animal;

• said cage including a floor through which feces and urine excreted by said laboratory animal may pass, a collection funnel positionable below said floor;
• a separator body below a lower end of said collection funnel;
• said separator body being inclined at an angle with respect to the horizontal;
• a generally planar laminar diffuser for separating urine and feces excreted by said laboratory animal, said laminar diffuser comprising a linear ramp;
• said linear ramp defining an axis from a first end thereof to a second end thereof;
• said axis being inclined at an angle from horizontal effective to urge said urine and feces to travel downward thereon;
• said linear ramp including a series of serrations extending parallel to said access;
• a urine tube is disposed in said second end, a urine port communicating with said urine tube, said urine port being defined at an angle with respect to said linear ramp so that said urine passes into said urine tube and said feces are transported over said urine tube for collection separate from said urine when said urine tube is oriented in a substantially vertical position;
• a urine collection vessel coupled to receive said urine from said urine port;
• and a feces collection vessel coupled to an end of said laminer diffuser to receive said feces therefrom.