Patent ID: 7234269

Claim:
A test chamber for testing the effect of a chemical agent on animals, the chamber comprising: (1) one or more side walls; (2) a ceiling; (3) a floor, wherein the side wall(s), ceiling, and floor define an internal chamber space in which animals are adapted to be housed and exposed to a chemical agent, and where the floor defines a flat floor portion; (4) a door located on a side wall of the chamber; (5) a port for introducing animals into the internal chamber space; (6) an exhaust port adapted to withdraw air from the internal chamber space; and (7) an automatic cleaning system that comprises: a spray head adapted to spray a cleaning liquid inside the chamber, wherein the spray head is adapted to be automatically moved between a first position outside the internal chamber space and a second position inside the internal chamber space; a drain located adjacent the chamber floor; and a drain cover adapted to seal and unseal the drain in automated fashion so that when the drain cover is sealing the drain it is configured to smoothly merge with a floor surface adjacent thereto to essentially maintain the flat continuity of the chamber floor adjacent the drain.