Varanasi: Banaras Hindu University (BHU) has secured an Indian patent for developing a low-cost, portable device that can simulate a wide range of environmental conditions for research on small laboratory animals. The innovation, developed as part of a PhD research project, offers an affordable alternative to expensive and bulky existing systems by enabling precise control of multiple environmental parameters within a single integrated platform.The patented invention, titled “A Low-Cost and Portable, Small Animals’ Device for Simulation of Differing Environmental Conditions,” was developed by Anil Kumar Yadav during his PhD research under the guidance of Kumar Sarvottam, Associate Professor, Department of Physiology, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University.The novel environmental simulation chamber enables researchers to precisely regulate atmospheric pressure, oxygen concentration, carbon dioxide levels, air quality, temperature, humidity, and light within a single system. Unlike conventional setups, which are often costly, bulky, and capable of controlling only one or two environmental variables, the indigenous device provides a comprehensive and economical platform for biomedical, physiological, pharmacological, toxicological, and environmental health research.The system can recreate conditions such as hypobaric hypoxia, normobaric hypoxia, hyperoxia, hyperbaric hyperoxia, pollution exposure, temperature fluctuations, humidity changes, and controlled lighting, allowing researchers to study their real-time effects on animal physiology and behaviour.The invention has wide-ranging applications in high-altitude medicine, respiratory physiology, environmental pollution, climate change, aerospace medicine, and translational biomedical sciences. Its affordability, portability, and multi-functional design make it particularly valuable for universities and research laboratories with limited resources.
