Video based heart rate detection in unrestrained laboratory rats: a feasibility analysis

Area of Science:

• Animal research technology
• Physiological monitoring
• Biomedical engineering

Background:

• Continuous vital signs monitoring is crucial for laboratory animal research and welfare.
• Current invasive methods like transponders can negatively impact animal well-being.
• There is a need for non-invasive monitoring solutions in laboratory animal science.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a camera-based method for non-invasive heart rate detection in unrestrained rats.
• To assess the feasibility of using skin color variations for physiological monitoring.
• To provide a less invasive alternative for vital signs assessment in laboratory animals.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a smart home cage setup for video recording of unrestrained rats.
• Applied classical signal processing techniques to extract pulse signals from skin color variations.
• Analyzed video data to detect heart rate patterns.

Main Results:

• Achieved a mean absolute error (MAE) of 10.6 bpm and root mean square error (RMSE) of 13.8 bpm for detected heart rates.
• Demonstrated the feasibility of camera-based heart rate detection in freely moving rats.
• Identified challenges including lighting conditions and small regions of interest.

Conclusions:

• Camera-based analysis of skin color variations is a viable method for non-invasive heart rate monitoring in laboratory rats.
• This technology has the potential to reduce animal distress and improve research reliability.
• Further refinement is needed to overcome environmental challenges for widespread adoption.