Replacement Tunnel Washer/Bedding Dispenser for Innovative Investigations

项目摘要/摘要 这项提案要求资金购买一台新的隧道洗衣机，带有集成床上用品分配器，用于 加工实验室鼠笼等畜牧用品。此单元是 我们医学院校园里的隔膜，目前有3200个笼子，用于繁殖和维护 目前有43个首席研究人员和46个IACUC方案的常规和转基因小鼠， 目前仅波士顿大学医学院教职员工的研究经费就达1.078亿美元 其中8480万美元由美国国立卫生研究院提供)。这些动物计划进行的研究包括生物医学 研究领域多种多样，如记忆、神经运动控制、先天免疫和败血症、皮肤或结直肠 癌症、骨形成、阿片成瘾、心力衰竭、胚胎发育、肥胖、创伤性脑损伤，以及 急性胰腺炎，仅举几例。这一综合设备单元将取代一条较旧的隧道 洗衣机/床上用品分配器容易出现越来越频繁的故障和维修。除了提供 可靠和更节能的升级，更换单元将有助于测试创新的笼子 改善这个实验室小鼠群体(以及可能的其他群体)的管理方式的处理。 将与新单位一起评估的业务改进包括：(1)优化而不是最大化 一批笼子和笼子外围设备通过下游的需求拉动系统，实现更高的效率 整个保持架加工序列的吞吐量；(2)使用比标准温度低的水温 180华氏度的洗涤和漂洗循环，提供更舒适的工作环境，减少 进一步消耗能源；(3)减少或消除对化学洗涤剂的依赖 无害环境的污水；(4)评估安装在关键机械部件上的传感器以进行监测 磨损和允许基于状态的维护(在高性能机械中称为“CBM” 行话)，可以识别迫在眉睫的部件故障或避免日历中不必要的机器服务调用- 主动维护计划；(5)轻松切换床上用品或其他衬底的类型，以满足 给予小鼠品系或表型，以便更好地生产和存活小鼠；(6)更换预定笼子 仅根据笼内条件进行改变，以减少废物和优化动物舒适性。全 这些潜在的变化和其他变化始于不对动物造成额外风险的要求， 科学，或人员，没有净增加的运营费用。

Project Summary/Abstract This proposal requests funds to purchase a new tunnel washer with integrated bedding dispenser for processing laboratory rodent cages and other husbandry supplies. This unit is a central component of a vivarium on our medical campus that currently houses 3200 cages to perform breeding and maintenance of conventional and genetically modified mice currently for 43 Principal Investigators and 46 IACUC protocols, supported by current research funding totaling $107.8M for Boston University Medical School faculty alone (of which $84.8M is provided by NIH). The research for which these animals are intended comprise biomedical research disciplines as varied as memory, neuromotor control, innate immunity and sepsis, skin or colorectal cancer, bone formation, opioid addiction, heart failure, embryogenesis, obesity, traumatic brain injury, and acute pancreatitis, to mention a few. This integrated equipment unit will replace an older tunnel washer/bedding dispenser prone to increasingly frequent breakdowns and repairs. In addition to providing a reliable and more energy-efficient upgrade, the replacement unit will facilitate testing innovative cage processing to improve how this laboratory mouse colony (and by example, possibly others) is managed. Operational enhancements to be evaluated with the new unit include: (1) optimizing rather than maximizing batches of cages and cage peripherals via a downstream “pull” system of demand, for more efficient throughput for the entire cage processing sequence; (2) using water temperatures cooler than the standard 180 degree F for wash and rinse cycles to provide a more comfortable working environment and reduce energy consumption further; (3) reducing or eliminating reliance on chemical detergents for more environmentally benign effluent; (4) evaluating sensors installed in critical mechanical components to monitor wear and tear and permit condition-based maintenance (known as “CBM” in high performance machinery jargon) that may identify looming parts failures or avoid unnecessary machine service calls from calendar- driven maintenance programs; (5) switching types of bedding or other substrates easily to match the need of a given mouse line or phenotype for better production of litters and their survival; (6) replacing scheduled cage changes with changes based solely on intra-cage conditions to reduce waste and optimize animal comfort. All these potential variations and others begin with the requirement to create no additional risk to animals, science, or personnel and no net increase in operational expenses.