As another year draws to a close we are proud to look back on the accomplishments of our R&D department and to showcase the new products which we have designed over the course of 2018. These four new products cover a diverse array of experiments and research areas and have been designed to facilitate the experiment from start to finish. Let’s take a more in depth look at each and some of their key design features.
150A: Integrated Muscle Test Controller
The 150A Integrated Muscle Test Controller is our latest instrument. It combines a standard Aurora 300C Series Dual-Mode Muscle Lever, 701C Electrical Stimulator and USB data acquisition hardware into one standard rack-mount enclosure. The 150A eliminates the need for virtually all cables and connections as all inputs and outputs between the software and the instruments are made internally in the enclosure. The 150A can be configured to include any Dual-Mode Lever model up to a maximum force range of 10N so it can be used for a wide range of experiment types and animal models. It is an ideal choice for researchers who need portability, such as those with limited or non-permanent lab space.Figure 1. The 150A Integrated Muscle Test System neatly packs our Dual-Mode Lever System, High-Power Bi-Phasic Stimulator and USB DAQ device into a single enclosure for maximum portability.
220A: Olfactometer
Our 220A Olfactomer replaces the original model 206A which was based upon the design of Dr. Dmitry Rinberg. The 220A includes a third mass flow controller which balances the pressures between the clean air and odor line ensuring accurate and repeatable challenges. The physical design of the olfactometer has been improved with the control electronics consolidated into a new enclosure that includes expanded I/O for communicating with externally written software. This straight-forward integration permits external triggering of odor delivery and monitoring of vial number and final valve opening. In addition, the unit is much simpler to maintain, with vials, tubing and valves all easily replaceable.Figure 2. Our new and improved 220A olfactometer shown with an 8-odor vial configuration.
892A: Swine Isometric Footplate Test Apparatus
The 892A Swine Isometric Test Apparatus is the latest variant of our 890A family of large animal, in-vivo test apparatus. It has been specially designed to fit and securely clamp the hind limb of various strains of swine for in-vivo (footplate) style experiments. The apparatus features swine specific leg clamps and has a specially reinforced frame to accommodate even the largest of animals. Additionally, the torque sensor now comes with a newly designed controller which boasts a dramatically quieter output and much greater bandwidth, for more precise measurements of isometric torque.Figure 3. The 892A Isometric Footplate Apparatus for in-vivo torque measurements with swine.
901D HVSL: High-Speed Video Sarcomere Length System
The 901D High-Speed Sarcomere Length System is the latest generation of our long time Sarcomere Length measurement family. It boasts an improved camera resolution of 1280×720 pixels (increased from 640×480 pixels from past generations). This is helpful for situations where the sarcomere pattern is more difficult to observe visually or at situations where a lower magnification objective is used. Although the frame rate of the camera has not increased, it now communicates with the computer via USB 3.0 eliminating peripheral cards and expensive cables and the price is therefore reduced significantly. The SL measurement algorithm has also been improved, making the software’s spacing measurements more precise.Figure 4. Screenshot of new 901D HVSL user interface.These are just a few of the outstanding products our talented R&D team have completed over the past year. By combining valued client feedback and in house expertise we are able to provide our researchers with the necessary tools to fuel ongoing discovery. If you’d like more information, feel free to contact us to discuss your experimental needs.
