Please note: A PDF version of this guide is available for download at the bottom of the article.
The iRIS™ system includes numerous tools for animal subject cage tracking and management, including fields for entry of cage type, status, count and location, and the ability to print customized, barcoded cage cards.
Navigation in iRIS™
iRIS™ includes two standard navigation tools on all pages nested one or more levels beneath the primary Workspace page of the module currently in use (e.g., Study Assistant, Conflict of Interest Assistant, Animal Resource Center, etc.): a Path directory tree, and Back buttons.
Path Directory Tree
The Path item at the upper left of iRIS™ pages provides a hyperlinked menu directory tree, allowing the user to quickly navigate back through the path they followed to get to their current location. Path appears on all pages nested at least one level beneath the main workspace
In the example shown the user is viewing the Broadcast Notice Add a new notice page. This page is nested three levels beneath the main workspace page, as indicated by the three links available in the Path directory tree: Home, board admin and broadcast notice.
Click on broadcast notice in the Path to navigate up one level in the directory tree, to the main Broadcast Notice page. There are now two levels in the Path directory tree: board admin and Home.
Click on board admin in the Path to navigate up one level in the directory tree, to the Board Administration page. There is now one level in the Path: Home.
Click on Home in the Path to navigate up one level in the directory tree, to the main Workspace page. No Path item is displayed here because the user is now at the top-most level of the directory tree.
Back Button
The second navigation tool is the Back button, which appears on all pages nested at least one level beneath the main workspace. The Back button takes the user to the same location as the last link shown in the Path.
In the example shown above, both the Back button and the broadcast notice link in the Path return the user to the Broadcast Notice page:
Clicking the Back button on the Broadcast Notice page returns the user to the Board Administration page, as indicated by the last link in the Path directory tree shown in the screenshot above.
Note that where the Back button appears on a page with editable fields or document upload controls, clicking the button before saving changes returns the user to the same location as the last link shown in the Path without saving changes.
Setup Cage Status
Cage statuses are highly configurable in the iRIS™ system, which allows for creation, revision, deletion and color-coding of custom cage statuses. The system also provides four default system statuses, which are editable and configurable but cannot be deleted.
To begin, navigate to ARC > Review Board Administration System Setup tab and click the Setup Cage Status link.
The Setup Cage Status page opens.
The Cage Status items shown in the screenshot above are system default entries, marked “Yes” in the Reserved column. These statuses can be edited, but Reserved statuses cannot be deleted.
Edit Cage Status
To edit a cage status, navigate to ARC > Review Board Administration System Setup tab and click the Setup Cage Status link.
The Setup Cage Status page opens.
Click the icon in the Edit column to edit the desired Cage Status. An edit panel opens for the Cage Status.
In the example above the first Cage Status record, “Active”, is open for editing.
Cage Status is the name of the status.
Color sets a background color for this cage status wherever it appears in system pages. A preview box displays the color currently selected for the status. To change it, click on the desired color swatch in the grid to the right of the preview box.
Set Allow Edits to “Yes” to allow study personnel to revise Name and Color settings for this status going forward. Set Allow Edits to “No” to limit status changes to iRIS™ system administrators.
When desired changes are complete, click the Save Cage Status button to save changes.
Add Cage Status
Navigate to ARC > Review Board Administration System Setup tab and click the Setup Cage Status link.
The Setup Cage Status page opens.
Click the Add a New Cage Status button. A panel opens for creation of a new cage status.
Enter the desired Cage Status name (e.g., “Alternate”, “Treatment Holding”, etc.). The name chosen should be descriptive and should not duplicate any existing statuses.
Color sets a background color for this cage status wherever it appears in system pages. A preview box displays the color currently selected for the status. To change it, click on the desired color swatch in the grid to the right of the preview box.
Set Allow Edits to “Yes” to allow study personnel to revise Name and Color settings for this status going forward. Set Allow Edits to “No” to limit status changes to iRIS™ system administrators.
In the screenshot below, an example of the filled form is shown. When desired changes are complete, click the Save Cage Status button to save the new status.
As shown below, the new record is added to the Setup Cage Status list.
Note the select box at far left for the new Cage Status, and that “No” has been populated in the Reserved column for this status. Because this is not a Reserved status, it can be deleted.
Delete Cage Status
Navigate to ARC > Review Board Administration System Setup tab and click the Setup Cage Status link.
The Setup Cage Status page opens.
Select the checkbox to the left of the status to be deleted and click the Delete selected Cage Status button.
A confirmation popup window displays.
Click CONFIRM to delete the record and return to the Setup Cage Status page. Click CANCEL to return to the Setup Cage Status page without deleting the record.
Setup Cage Types
The iRIS™ system allows for setup, tracking and management of a variety of cage types for animal subjects.
To begin, navigate to ARC > Review Board Administration System Setup tab and click the Setup Cage Types link.
The Setup Cage Types page opens.
Edit Cage Type
To edit a cage type, navigate to ARC > Review Board Administration System Setup tab and click the Setup Cage Types link.
The Setup Cage Types page opens.
Click the icon in the Edit column to edit the desired Cage Type. An edit panel opens for the Cage Type.
In the example above the first Cage Type record, “Crow Medium Cage”, is open for editing.
Cage Type is the name for the type. Note that this field cannot be edited.
Species is used to indicate the type of animal subject to occupy the cage. This list is maintained by an iRIS™ system administrator under ARC > Review Board Administration > [List Maintenance Setup tab] > [Animal Species Configuration List link]. Select the desired Species from the dropdown list by clicking on it.
The Cage Size field is used to indicate how many square feet of floor space are required to accommodate the cage. Number formatting (e.g., decimal places) for this field is configurable by the system administrator.
Max. Animals Per Cage specifies the maximum number of animal subjects that can occupy the cage.
Select “Cage” or “Animal” in the Per Diem By dropdown list to specify whether expenses are to be assigned to the cage or to the individual animal subjects occupying the cage.
Select “Yes” or “No” for Is default cage for selected species? Note that only one cage type can be set as the default for the selected species, an error popup window will display when the record is saved if this field is set to “Yes” when another cage type has already been set as the default for the selected species. Refer to the main Setup Cage Types page to see which cage types have been set as a default for a species.
When desired changes are complete, click the Save Type button to save the record.
Add Cage Type
Navigate to ARC > Review Board Administration System Setup tab and click the Setup Cage Types link.
The Setup Cage Types page opens.
Click the Add a New Cage Type button. A panel opens for creation of a new cage type.
Cage Type is the name for the type. Note that this field cannot be edited after the record is saved.
Species is used to indicate the type of animal subject to occupy the cage. This list is maintained by an iRIS™ system administrator under ARC > Review Board Administration > [List Maintenance Setup tab] > [Animal Species Configuration List link]. Select the desired Species from the dropdown list by clicking on it.
The Cage Size field is used to indicate how many square feet of floor space are required to accommodate the cage. Number formatting (e.g., decimal places) for this field is configurable by the system administrator.
Max. Animals Per Cage specifies the maximum number of animal subjects that can occupy the cage.
Select “Cage” or “Animal” in the Per Diem By dropdown list to specify whether charges are to be assigned to the cage or to the individual animal subjects occupying the cage.
Select “Yes” or “No” for Is default cage for selected species? Note that only one cage type can be set as the default for the selected species, an error popup window will display when the record is saved if this field is set to “Yes” when another cage type has already been set as the default for the selected species. Refer to the main Setup Cage Types page to see which cage types have been set as a default for a species.
When desired entries are complete, click the Save Type button to save the record.
As shown below, the new record is added to the Setup Cage Types list.
Delete Cage Type
Navigate to ARC > Review Board Administration System Setup tab and click the Setup Cage Types link.
The Setup Cage Types page opens.
Select the checkbox(es) to the left of the Cage Type(s) to be deleted and click the Delete Cage Type(s) button. A confirmation popup window displays.
Click CONFIRM to delete the record(s) and return to the Setup Cage Types page. Click CANCEL to return to the Setup Cage Types page without deleting the record.
Setup Cage Records
In the iRIS™ system a user in the role of Primary Investigator (PI) is allowed to set certain controls that dictate visibility and validation rules for cage records. However, the institution may wish to set some or all of those controls at the system level and keep them locked.
The Setup Cage Records page is where the system administrator sets cage record controls at the system level. To begin, navigate to ARC > Review Board Administration System Setup tab and click the Setup Cage Records link.
The Edit the Animal Management – Cage Records panel opens in the Setup Cage Records page, with fields unlocked for editing.
Options set here propagate to all iRIS™ system areas where the referenced items (e.g., cage record “Edit” and “Delete” columns, animal quantity and reason data fields, etc.) are accessible for viewing, editing or printing. Specific examples of related screen impacts are shown in the Impacts on Related Screens section of this manual, immediately following.
To limit the number of times a cage card for a given cage record can be printed by all iRIS™ users across the system, set the Limit the amount of time a new or changed cage card can be printed? flag to “Yes” and specify the maximum number of printed cards in the text field to the right of the flag.
Note: Again, the limit set here is applicable to ALL iRIS™ users across the installed system, and its corresponding counter is incremented by one each time a cage card is printed by any iRIS™ user.
Set the Hide "Delete" column from cage records queue? flag to “Yes” to hide the Delete column for cage records on pages where the cage records queue appears.
Set the Hide "Edit" column from cage records queue? flag to “Yes” to hide the Edit column for cage records on pages where the cage records queue appears.
Set the Hide Animal Records from edit cage screen? to “Yes” to hide fields related to animal subjects on pages where the cage records queue appears and on pages where cage records are edited.
Set the Require animal quantity and reason at the time of cage creation? flag to “Yes” to make animal quantity and reason for the cage requisition required fields.
Set the Use "Separation ID" and display "Origination ID" column? flag to “Yes” to indicate separation numbering is in use for animal subjects and display the Origination ID column on pages where animal subject records appear.
Set the Hide "Barcode" column from cage records queue? flag to “Yes” to hide the Barcode column for cage records on pages where the cage records queue appears.
Set the Display the "Bulk Change Cage" button? flag to “Yes” to include bulk change operation buttons (Bulk Cage Activation, Bulk Cage Hold, Bulk Cage Deactivation) on pages where the cage records queue appears.
Impacts on Related Screens
The primary page for cage card actions is the Cage Card page, which is accessed via the Cage Cards link in the main ARC menu or via the Cage Cards icon in the main ARC workspace. In the image below, colored boxes are used to map the data fields in the Setup Cage Records page at top (black border) with the impacted areas in the Cage Card page at bottom (royal blue border).
Impacts of Setup Cage Records settings are also seen on the Animal Management page, accessed via Study Assistant > Find A Study > [animal subject study open for editing] > [Animal Management tab].
In the image below, a semi-transparent box demonstrates where bulk action buttons appear when the Display the "Bulk Change Cage" button? flag on the Setup Cage Records page is set to “Yes”.
In the image below, colored boxes are used to map the data fields in the Setup Cage Records page at top (yellow border) with the impacted areas in the Add New Cage(s) panel of the Animal Management page at bottom (royal blue border).
Note that these examples are not the only system pages that include Setup Cage Records items.
Setup Cage Reason and Description
The iRIS™ system allows for tracking animal subject cage requisitions by the reason the cage is needed and details of intended use. To begin, navigate to ARC > Review Board Administration System Setup tab and click the Setup Cage Reason and Description link.
The Setup Cage Reason and Description page opens.
Edit Cage Reason and Description
Navigate to ARC > Review Board Administration System Setup tab and click the Setup Cage Reason and Description link.
The Setup Cage Reason and Description page opens.
Click the icon in the Edit column for the applicable record. The record is opened in a panel with editable fields.
The Reason field is used to enter the reason a cage is being requisitioned. Typical Reason entries might be “Study”, “Breeding” or “Treatment”. It is up to the institution to determine its preferred naming convention for Reason.
The Description field is used to provide further details of the stated reason.
The Deduct from Authorized Quantity? flag is set to “No” by default. Set this flag to “Yes” to automatically deduct a cage requisitioned for the specified Reason from the total number of cages authorized for a study.
Make desired changes and click the Save Reason button to save changes and return to the Setup Cage Reason and Description list page.
Add Cage Reason and Description
Navigate to ARC > Review Board Administration System Setup tab and click the Setup Cage Reason and Description link.
The Setup Cage Reason and Description page opens.
Click the Add a New Cage Reason button. A panel with editable fields opens for creation of the new record.
The Reason field is used to enter the reason a cage is being requisitioned. Typical Reason entries might be “Study”, “Breeding” or “Treatment”. It is up to the institution to determine its preferred naming convention for Reason.
The Description field is used to provide further details of the stated reason.
The Deduct from Authorized Quantity? flag is set to “No” by default. Set this flag to “Yes” to automatically deduct a cage requisitioned for the specified Reason from the total number of cages authorized for a study.
Make desired entries and click the Save Reason button to save the new record and return to the Setup Cage Reason and Description list page.
Delete Cage Reason and Description
Navigate to ARC > Review Board Administration System Setup tab and click the Setup Cage Reason and Description link.
The Setup Cage Reason and Description page opens.
Select the checkbox at far left for the record to be deleted and click the Delete Cage Reason column for the applicable record. A confirmation popup window displays.
Click CONFIRM to delete the record(s) and return to the Setup Cage Reason and Description list page. Click CANCEL to return to the Setup Cage Reason and Description list page without deleting the record.
Setup Separation Numbering
Separation numbering is required when animal subjects in a cage that already has a tracking number assigned are separated into two or more cages. Assigning a separation tracking number ensures an electronic paper trail of cage and animal subject history is preserved.
To configure separation numbering, click the Setup Separation Numbering link under ARC > Review Board Administration > [System Setup tab].
The Setup Separation Numbering page opens.
As shown in the Description of Number Part column in the screenshot above, the order number can be configured to include a Constant Prefix, Calendar Year and System Generated Number. Selecting the checkbox in the Use in Number column includes all items in that row in the numbering scheme.
Options to pad the System Generated Number with leading zeroes, set a fixed digit count for numbers to be generated, and insert an optional Separator character are also available.
In the screenshot shown below, a separation numbering scheme that employs all available options has been entered.
The Constant Prefix is “SEP”.
The first Separator character is “ – “.
The Last 2 digits of the current Calendar Year are “19”.
The second Separator character is “ / “.
The first sequence number to be used is “1”, the checkbox for Zero Pad the Sequence Number is selected and Number of Digits is set to “4”.
The first separation number generated by this scheme would be:
SEP-19/0001
Click the Save Numbering button to save the numbering scheme.
Setup Cage Card Template
iRIS™ includes tools for creation of customized, optionally barcoded, animal subject cage cards.
In addition to boilerplate text and barcodes, system Merge Codes can be added to cage card templates to include identifying details, order details, and other data relevant to the animal subject.
Edit Cage Card Template
Navigate to ARC > Review Board Administration System Setup tab and click the Setup Cage Card Template link.
The Setup Cage Card Template page opens.
Click the icon in the Edit column for the record to be edited. The Edit a letter template panel opens, with editable fields.
The Title field contains the name of the cage card template.
The Comments field is where more information about the template can be entered.
The HTML Content section contains a text editor panel with standard text editing and formatting tools. This is where the system administrator enters text and Merge Codes to populate the printed cage card.
Merge Codes are used to pull data from iRIS™ records into documents, templates, forms and system webpages. For example, to include the vendor name on a printed cage card the system administrator would insert the Merge Code for vendor name in the cage card template where the vendor name should appear.
Merge Codes are selected from a picklist, the system administrator does not need to write or edit any programmatic code to use Merge Codes. This process is covered in more detail in the Insert Merge Codes section of this manual, immediately after this section.
Make desired edits and click the Save the Letter Template button to save the template.
Insert Merge Codes
To insert a Merge Code in a cage card template, place the cursor in the text editor window where you want the corresponding data value to appear, then click the Insert Merge Codes button to open the Merge Codes picklist.
Note that the Merge Code only contains a data value. Desired titles, labels and informational text to be printed on the cage card must be manually entered (typed or copied and pasted) in the template text editor panel. For example, in the screenshot below “ARC Ordering Info Merge Codes” is a manually entered title and “Order Date:” is a manually entered label. The Merge Code entry of “ [%order_order_date%] “ was inserted by the system when the item “Order - Order Date “ was selected from the Merge Codes picklist.
To add a Merge Code to the template, click to place the cursor inside the text editor panel where the Merge Code is to be inserted and click the Insert Merge Codes button. The Insert Data Merge Code popup window opens. The window contains a scrollable list of iRIS™ data items that can be added to the cage card template.
Scroll to the desired item and click to select it, then click the OK button to insert the selected item in the template.
Click the Cancel button to close the popup without inserting a Merge Code.
Merge Code List
Depending on the user’s data access rights and the institution’s Review Board Administration settings, the Merge Code list can include system data from the following categories:
| Review Board | Study Financial Information |
| Meetings | Submission Information |
| Multi-Site | ARC Request Information |
| Study Personnel | ARC Ordering Information |
| Study Contacts | ARC Receiving Information |
| Form Creator | ARC Cage Information |
| Department Reviewer and Signoff | Study/IRB/IACUC Application Information |
Most of the Merge Codes in the picklist are grouped under category titles. As shown in the screenshot below, category titles are offset by dashed lines. Selectable Merge Code items are indicated by blue boxes.
Category titles are not Merge Codes and cannot be inserted in the cage card template. If a title item is selected and the OK button is clicked, an error popup window displays.
Merge Codes Applicable to ARC
Categories and Merge Codes from the list that are most applicable to ARC cage card templates are summarized in the table below.
| ---ARC Request Info --- | ---ARC Ordering Info --- | ---ARC Receiving Info --- | ---ARC Cage Info --- |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Females | Order - Order Date | Date Received | Cage Type |
| Number of Males | Expected Delivery Date | Purchase Cost | Bar Code |
| Age Size | Confirmation Number | Service Cost | Cage - Cage ID |
| Species Name | Method of Ordering | Container OK | Cage - Species |
| Strain Name | Vendor Name | General Appearance | Cage - Strain |
| Order Number | Vendor Contact | Eyes, Ears, Nose, Mouth | Cage - Number of Males |
| Request - Order Date | Vendor Phone | Urogenital, Anus | Cage - Number of Females |
| Preferred Delivery Date | Vendor Fax | Respiratory | Cage - Number of Unknown Sex |
| Preferred Vendor | Vendor Email | Hydration | Cage - Cage Card Comments |
| Request - Stock Number/Code | Order - Species | Receive - Number of Males | Cage - List of Animal IDs |
| Request - Age/Size | Order - Strain | Receive - Number of Females | |
| Request - Number of Males | Order - Stock Number/Code | Must go through Quarantine | |
| Request - Number of Females | Order - Age/Size | Receive - Number of Cages | |
| Request - Number of Cages | Order - Number of Males | Receive - Approved Location | |
| Request - Approved Location | Order - Number of Females | ||
| Order - Number of Cages | |||
| Order - Approved Location |
Cage Card Barcode Placement
Cage cards can include barcodes for scanning into ordering, invoicing and inventory management systems. Where barcodes are in use, they can be positioned where desired in the cage card template.
Navigate to ARC > Review Board Administration System Setup tab and click the Setup Cage Card Template link.
The Setup Cage Card Template page opens.
Click the icon in the Edit column for the record to be edited. The Edit a letter template panel opens, with editable fields.
Click the Barcode Settings button. The Bar Code Settings popup window opens.
Note the directions at top.
To move the barcode to a different location, click on it and hold, then drag it to the desired location on the card.
To resize the barcode, click on the resizing handle at the lower right corner of the barcode (indicated by a red arrow in the screenshot above) and drag to enlarge or shrink it.
In the example shown below the barcode has been enlarged and dragged to the bottom of the card template.
Click the close icon (red X ) at the upper right corner of the popup window to close it without saving changes.
Click the Reset Bar Code button to reset the barcode to its original location and size.
Click the Save button to save changes and close the popup window.
Add Cage Card Template
Navigate to ARC > Review Board Administration System Setup tab and click the Setup Cage Card Template link.
The Setup Cage Card Template page opens.
Click the Add a New Template button. The Add a letter template panel opens.
The Title field is used to name the cage card template.
The Comments field is used to enter more information about the template.
The HTML Content section contains a text editor panel with standard text editing and formatting tools. This is where the system administrator enters text and Merge Codes to populate the printed cage card.
The Insert Merge Codes button is used to insert Merge Codes in the text editor.
Merge Codes are used to pull data from iRIS™ records into documents, templates, forms and system webpages. For example, to include the vendor name in a cage card when it’s printed, the system administrator would insert the Merge Code for vendor name in the cage card template where the email address should appear. This process is covered in more detail in the Insert Merge Codes section of this manual, within the Edit Cage Card Template section.
Make desired entries and selections in the panel. In the example below, a template has been created with boldface formatted text and inserted Merge Codes.
Click the Save the Letter Template button to save the template. The add panel closes and as shown below, the template is added to the list on the main Setup Cage Card Template page.
Delete Cage Card Template
Navigate to ARC > Review Board Administration System Setup tab and click the Setup Cage Card Template link.
The Setup Cage Card Template page opens.
Select the checkbox(es) in the Delete column for the record(s) to be deleted and click the Delete Selected Template(s) button. A confirmation popup window displays.
Click CONFIRM to delete the cage card template(s) and return to the Setup Cage Card Template page. Click CANCEL to return to the Setup Cage Card Template page without deleting the record.