Project Scope
Current methods of determining mice pregnancy, such as the copulation plug or weight changes, are either very unreliable or can only provide an accurate response later in the pregnancy. We aim to develop a device that can detect whether or not a mouse is pregnant within the first 120 hours of pregnancy. This device should be safe for use in the mice, have an accuracy of >70%, deliver a response within 24 hours, be available for reuse, and be priced below 50 dollars. The deadline for developing this device is on the last day of class.
Design Specifications
Our Product
In order for researchers to successfully detect early mice pregnancies, the following specifications must be met:
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We want fewer than 10% of the mice tested using the device to have a spontaneous miscarriage. Perturbing or stressing a mouse may induce a miscarriage, rendering the mouse unusable for possible applications.
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The device must be able to detect a pregnancy no later than 120 hours after a mating event. Accurate tests in this time frame would also allow for decisions on whether pregnancy experiments can proceed or need to be postponed earlier than current methods of mouse pregnancy detection.
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The device correctly identifies at least 70% of the mice tested after a breeding period as pregnant or not pregnant. This accuracy measurement is characteristic to the 120 hour time frame (i.e. device accuracy may increase later in the pregnancy period)
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The device must report the results of the pregnancy test within 24 hours of use. This allows sufficient time for the researcher to set up mice to rebreed for future planned experiments.
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The device must be available to reuse for at least 20 mice.The device may require brief maintenance (e.g. cleaning using disinfectants).
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This device must be priced below $50. The device should be an affordable alternative to simply purchasing more mice to ensure sufficient number of pregnant cases for a future experiment, as certain strains of mice can cost around $20-$30 each to replace.