Vivarium – an important part of any laboratory. Creation of a new medicinal product is long and incredibly laborious process. In addition to the creation of the drug it is also need to conduct the study of its safety for human. Naturally, during the process of this work it cannot be avoided the use of laboratory animals.
For maintenance of experimental animals, any research center should have its vivarium. It may present a group of rooms or even a whole building for keeping of laboratory animals.
Features of vivarium arrangement
Vivarium should include the following rooms:
- quarantine room for primary treatment of animals (if animals come from other nurseries);
- rooms for breeding and animal keeping;
- rooms for conducting manipulations with animals;
- storage room for feed and etc.;
- room for washing and sterilization of drinking bowls, cages and etc.;
- operating room;
- autopsy room;
- warehouse for inventory.
Near vivarium (or in its territory, if it is a separate building) there should be obligatory situated the following rooms:
- biochemical and haematological laboratory;
- histological laboratory;
- storage rooms for pharmaceutical substances and drugs;
- staff room.
The vivarium rooms for animal housing should be well ventilated, with the control of carbon dioxide and ammonia levels. Also it is need to maintain stable optimal temperature and humidity, so the conditions of maintenance will not affect the quality of experiment.
The conditions of maintenance should be such that prevent penetration of the infection in the vivarium and its spread in the case of the appearance of such situation. For staff it should be obligatory to use work-wear sets to prevent infecting of employees of the institution and the influence on them of harmful substances which are investigated in the laboratory.
Rodent housing block
Total area of the block is over 400 square meters. In the block there are located: sanitary inspection compartment, disinfection-washing compartment, rooms for disinfection and temporary storage of biological waste, warehouse rooms, handling and operating blocks, rooms for housing rodents.
Total area of rooms is over 110 square meters. In this area it is possible to dispose simultaneously 4500 heads of rats and 3500 heads of mice. For animal placement we use a unique mini-boxing technology which allows to dispose several animal species in one room, о видов животных, to maintain and to regulate the microclimate in mini-boxes.
Total area of the room is over 50 square meters. In this area it is possible to dispose 145 rabbits in individual placing.
We are opened the new rabbit rooms in animal facility. Two new areas for the maintenance of rabbits on 60 sq.m. The rooms provided for the contents of the system box. Each box can accommodate 6 rabbits. Each rabbit has its own box to stay, with non-stop access to hay, feed and drinking system, with automatiс system of collecting feces. The floor in the box is made of plastic strips, the floor area per 1 rabbit is 3500 square centimeters The height of the “box” for accommodation of 40 cm, “box” has darkened to create the effect of the “hole”, a cycle of 12/12 lighting and automatically.
Block of mini pigs
Total area of the block is 300 square meters. It is a separate block of the building with a sanitary inspection compartment and closed cycle of mini pig housing.
The block includes: stern cuisine, warehouse rooms, sanitary rooms and three housing rooms for mini pigs. Housing rooms present a system of boxes. Total number of boxes is 15 with an average area of 15 square meters each one. In this area it is possible to dispose simultaneously 100 heads of mini pigs.