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US 6,644,244 B2Granted
Apparatus and methods for testing pain sensitivity
AssigneeUniversity of Florida
InventorsAndre Paul Mauderli, Charles J. Vierck
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Abstract
The subject invention concerns an apparatus for testing pain sensitivity in an animal. The apparatus can be used to evaluate pain sensitivity in response to a disease state, drug, surgical procedure, or other intervention. The subject invention also pertains to methods for testing pain sensitivity in an animal, using the apparatus. The apparatus of the subject invention can be automated and used in conjunction with software for control of experimental conditions, response measurements, and data analysis.
Claims39
An apparatus for testing pain sensitivity in a test animal, comprising:
- a first chamber;
- means for producing a painful condition within said first chamber, wherein said means for producing a painful condition within said first chamber can rapidly produce and rapidly remove a painful condition within said first chamber;
- means for producing an aversive, non-painful condition within said first chamber, wherein said means for producing an aversive, non-painful condition within said first chamber can rapidly produce and rapidly remove an aversive, non-painful condition within said first chamber;
- a second chamber, wherein said second chamber is connected to said first chamber by a passageway of sufficient size to permit the test animal to pass between said first and second chambers;
- and wherein said means for producing a painful condition in said first chamber and said means for producing an aversive, non-painful condition in said first chamber can each motivate the test animal to move from said first chamber through said passageway to said second chamber;
- means for producing a painful condition within said second chamber, wherein said means for producing a painful condition in said second chamber can rapidly produce and rapidly remove a painful condition within said second chamber;
- and
- means for producing an aversive, non-painful condition within said second chamber, wherein said means for producing an aversive, non-painful condition within said second chamber can rapidly produce and rapidly remove an aversive, non-painful condition within said second chamber, and wherein said means for producing a painful condition in said second chamber and said means for producing an aversive, non-painful condition within said second chamber can each motivate the test animal to move from said second chamber to said first chamber through said passageway.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.