Containment systems and components for animal husbandry
Provided are animal containment systems and components, including single-use animal containment cages and modular rack units. Also provided are methods for assembling and using components of the animal containment systems.
1. A free-standing rodent containment cage comprising a base and a cover, wherein:
the cover and base are constructed from a polymer;
the base comprises a wall or walls and a bottom;
the wall or walls of the base are 0.01 to 0.03 inches thick;
the cage is free-standing;
the base or cover, or base and cover, have at least one corner or edge present in the interior of the cage, accessible to a rodent that can be contained in the cage, and defined by surfaces having an angle α is greater than 180 degrees and less than 360 degrees;
all corners and edges of the base or cover, or base and cover, present in the interior of the cage, accessible to a rodent that can be contained in the cage, and defined by surfaces having said angle α, have a minimum radius φ;
φ=0.25/(tan((π/360)(360−α))); inches and
α is measured in the cage interior.
2. The free-standing rodent containment cage of claim 1 , which comprises a filter in effective connection with the cover.
3. The free-standing rodent containment cage of claim 2 , which is ventilated and in effective connection with a blower.
4. The free-standing rodent containment cage of claim 2 , which is ventilated and in effective connection with a vacuum.
5. The free-standing rodent containment cage of claim 2 , which is ventilated and in effective connection with a blower and a vacuum.
6. The free-standing rodent containment cage of claim 2 , which comprises a filter shield, wherein:
the filter shield is between the interior of the cage and the filter, and
the filter shield comprises a surface with apertures that is offset from the filter and covers the filter.
7. The free-standing rodent containment cage of claim 1 , wherein the cage is free-standing in a rack.
8. The free-standing rodent containment cage of claim 7 , wherein the cage is one of a plurality of free-standing cages in a rack.
9. The free-standing rodent containment cage of claim 1 , wherein the polymer is polyethylene teraphthalate.
10. The free-standing rodent containment cage of claim 1 , wherein the polymer is polyvinyl chloride.
11. The free-standing rodent containment cage of claim 1 , wherein the polymer is polyethylene.
12. The free-standing rodent containment cage of claim 11 , wherein the polymer is high-density polyethylene.
13. The free-standing rodent containment cage of claim 1 , wherein the polymer is polyethylenefluoroethylene.
14. The free-standing rodent containment cage of claim 1 , wherein the polymer is polystyrene.
15. The free-standing rodent containment cage of claim 14 , wherein the polymer is high-density polystyrene.
16. The free-standing rodent containment cage of claim 1 , wherein the polymer is an acrylnitrile butadiene styrene copolymer.
17. The free-standing rodent containment cage of claim 1 , wherein the polymer is polypropylene.
18. The free-standing rodent containment cage of claim 1 , wherein the cover and the wall or walls of the base are 0.01 to 0.02 inches thick.