Pellet Dispenser for Small Laboratory Animal Cages

This invention is a timed pellet feeder designed to deliver drug pellets inside a cage. It is comprised of an ejector controlled by a timing module connected to a computer, a pellet hopper, and a feedback unit.

Background:
Route administration is one of the main challenges in evaluating pharmacological agents for therapeutic efficacy. Traditional methods require administering compounds intra-peritoneally in small animals. Unfortunately, repeated injection can cause stress, callusing at the injection site and increased resources for this manual labor. This invention solves this issue by scheduling oral delivery of drug pellet administration.

Applications:

• Animal models
• Laboratory equipment
• Pharmaceuticals

Advantages:

• Reduces research costs
• Improves translational validity by simulating prescription schedules and oral administration
• Feedback system can alert for errors

Status: U.S. issued patent #11,622,535