An open source automatic feeder for animal experiments

Oh, Jinook; Hofer, Riccardo; Fitch, W. Tecumseh

doi:10.1016/j.ohx.2016.09.001

Cited by 23 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…There are numerous examples of FOSH scientific equipment in all fields, ranging from syringe pumps [6] to self-assembling robots [7]. Examples exist in the field of biology [8][9][10][11][12], optics [13], and microfluidics [14,15]. Many open tools exist for physics and materials, including radial stretching systems with force sensors [16], a robot-assisted mass spectrometry assay platform [17], a large stage four-point probe [18], and automated microscopes [19].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

General Design Procedure for Free and Open-Source Hardware for Scientific Equipment

Oberloier

Pearce

2017

Designs

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Distributed digital manufacturing of free and open-source scientific hardware (FOSH) used for scientific experiments has been shown to in general reduce the costs of scientific hardware by 90-99%. In part due to these cost savings, the manufacturing of scientific equipment is beginning to move away from a central paradigm of purchasing proprietary equipment to one in which scientists themselves download open-source designs, fabricate components with digital manufacturing technology, and then assemble the equipment themselves. This trend introduces a need for new formal design procedures that designers can follow when targeting this scientific audience. This study provides five steps in the procedure, encompassing six design principles for the development of free and open-source hardware for scientific applications. A case study is provided for an open-source slide dryer that can be easily fabricated for under $20, which is more than 300 times less than some commercial alternatives. The bespoke design is parametric and easily adjusted for many applications. By designing using open-source principles and the proposed procedures, the outcome will be customizable, under control of the researcher, less expensive than commercial options, more maintainable, and will have many applications that benefit the user since the design documentation is open and freely accessible.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

General Design Procedure for Free and Open-Source Hardware for Scientific Equipment

Oberloier

Pearce

2017

Designs

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“…Time-stamp analyses of pellet retrieval events allow for calculation of caloric intake with high temporal precision. Pellet dispensing devices can be small enough to be placed in standard vivarium housing, and open source versions exist that are cheap to build (Nguyen et al, 2016; Nguyen et al, 2017; Oh et al, 2017). Dispensers can be programmed to restrict food based on caloric or temporal requirements (Acosta-Rodriguez et al, 2017), or based on the animal performing an operant task (Rainwater et al, 2017).…”

Section: Overview Of Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Challenges in quantifying food intake in rodents

Ali

Kravitz

2018

Brain Research

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Feeding is a critical behavior that animals depend on for survival, and pathological alterations in food intake underlie disorders such as obesity and anorexia nervosa. To understand these disorders and their development in animal models, researchers must quantify food intake. Although conceptually straightforward, it remains a challenge to obtain accurate records of food intake in rodents. Several approaches have been used to accomplish this, each with benefits and drawbacks. In this article, we survey the four most common methods for measuring food intake in rodents: manual weighing of food, automated weighing scales, pellet dispensers, and video-based analyses. We highlight each method's benefits and drawbacks for use in feeding research, focusing on accuracy, potential sources of errors, affordability, and practical concerns relating to their use. Finally, we discuss the outlook for feeding devices and unmet challenges for measuring food intake in laboratory rodents.

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“…An automatic feeder is a crucial part in such devices in animal experiments because it motivates animal subjects to participate for the experiments. Although several of them have been already developed [11,12], feeders to release high quality food items is rare. Most automatic feeders for animal experiments use either a solid item with simple shape such as dry pellets and plant seeds, or a liquid item such as fruit juice and sucrose solution.…”

Section: Hardware In Contextmentioning

confidence: 99%

A conveyor feeder for animal experiments

2019

Preprint

Self Cite

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Several different types of open source feeders have been used in animal experiments in cognitive biology, neuroscience, psychology and related fields. These feeders use either dry pellets, which have hard surface and simple shape, or liquid food types such as sucrose solution. These food types can be rather easily manipulated due to its physical attributes. Although it is beneficial in terms of controllability, animal subjects often lose motivation to interact with operant conditioning devices offering such food items. Using natural food items such as fruits, insects, worms and pieces of meat will be helpful to keep the subject's motivation high, however, those food items are not very well suited for currently available open source feeders due to its physical attributes, including its complex shape, sticky and delicate texture. We made a feeder to deliver such natural food items to animal subjects for operant conditioning, using relatively cheap and easily obtainable parts. For a validation, we built a full operant conditioning device for wolves and dogs, containing two of these feeders, a pressure-sensitive monitor and a speaker. Hardware nameConveyor feeder for animal behavioral experiments Subject area • Cognitive Science • Ethology • Neurology • Psychology Hardware type • Animal feeder for cognitive or psychological experiments Open source license GNU General Public License v. 3 Cost of hardware ≈ e150 Source file repository https://osfi.io/kgrm9/

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An open source automatic feeder for animal experiments

Cited by 23 publications

References 8 publications

General Design Procedure for Free and Open-Source Hardware for Scientific Equipment

General Design Procedure for Free and Open-Source Hardware for Scientific Equipment

Challenges in quantifying food intake in rodents

A conveyor feeder for animal experiments

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