1300B

The 1300B integrated 3-in-1 muscle system is a leading solution for quantifying mechanical properties of muscle in mice. This system utilizes the power of our long standing 1300A 3-in-1 muscle system and creates a smaller footprint for labs with limited or non-permanent space.

By combining in situ, in vivo, and in vitro muscle tests using one simple platform, researchers are able to capture a complete picture of muscle physiology in mice. It is ideal for a number of hindlimb skeletal muscles including the EDL, soleus, tibialis anterior (TA), gastrocnemius and quadriceps. The system comes with a mouse apparatus, complete with temperature controlled animal and limb plate designed to support and fix the animal and limb being tested. In addition, the system can be converted to an isolated (in vitro) muscle test system with the attachment of an optional 25mL horizontal muscle bath for measurement of EDL, soleus, diaphragm and other smaller muscle samples.

Aurora Scientific’s flagship Dual-Mode lever system is packaged into a powerful Integrated Test System along with our High-Power Bi-Phasic Stimulator and USB Data Acquisition hardware. This enables the same power and functionality of our long-standing 1300A system, but in a smaller footprint with minimal cabling that makes it portable and laptop controllable. Conveniently, muscle samples are attached at only one point to measure force and length, saving time and
increasing productivity.

Control and analysis software comes pre-loaded on a custom laptop for the researcher. Experimental setup, data collection and data analysis can all be done in a matter of minutes with our control and analysis software (DMC/DMA). Parameters such as resting length, resting force, stimulation and experimental protocols are all set using the control software. An extensive library of standard experiments such as twitch, tetanus, fatigue, force-frequency, eccentric, force-velocity, stiffness and work loops are provided with the system.

mouse limb plate for in-situ protocols

mouse foot plate for in-vivo protocols

horizontal bath for in-vitro protocols

1300A – 3-in-1 Test System Helps Major Pharmaceutical Companies Dramatically Improve Throughput

CHALLENGE

Several large, Fortune 500 pharmaceutical companies sought a way to quickly screen large groups of mice that had been treated with new experimental compounds/therapies.  Existing equipment in house was either unavailable or difficult to use and lacked the capabilities needed to meet throughput demands.  The precision of any in house equipment was also questionable.

SOLUTION

With the 1300A 3-in-1 System, Aurora Scientific provides researchers with a cost effective alternative, enabling quick, easy measurement of intact and isolated muscle function. Designed for in-vivo, in-vitro and in-situ testing, the 3-in-1 system is ideally suited for experimental protocols which require quick transitions between configurations. Combined with the ability to assess aggregate skeletal muscle function without surgery, sample throughput is further enhanced and scientists are able to meet the testing demands of large animal colonies. The system’s high throughput analysis module continues to improve productivity following experiments by providing batch processing of a large number of data files in seconds.

RESULTS

Researchers at these pharmaceutical companies saw immediate benefit from using the 1300A 3-in-1 test system, in some cases testing up to fifty mice per day and limiting the number sacrificed. Switching between the in-vitro and in-situ configurations when necessary, took only a few minutes saving the researchers time and money, which allowed them to re-invest from their budget into additional systems, further improving throughput. The high precision system permitted small but significant therapeutic changes to be resolved and potentially used in life saving human medication. Furthermore, batch processing provided time saving analysis, enabling researchers to quickly formulate conclusions. Their work led to the publication of many studies, which were presented at major international conferences. The system itself played a significant role in allowing drug DPU’s at major pharmaceutical companies to meet their goals and targets.

3-in-1 in-situ System Enables Biologist to Test Physiology of Muscle Regeneration

CHALLENGE

As a molecular and developmental biologist, Dr. Chen-Ming Fan of the Carnegie Institution for Science studies the molecular mechanisms involved in mammalian development, most notably in the musculoskeletal system. Over the years Dr. Fan has uncovered developmental mechanisms that are involved in muscle regeneration through the skeletal muscle stem cell niche, as regeneration is thought to be a recapitulation of development processes.

After identifying mechanisms that may aid in skeletal muscle regeneration, Dr. Fan needed a way to test if muscle function was improved or restored in aged and diseased mouse models.

SOLUTION

With the ability to test muscle function in-situ and in-vivo, the 1300A Whole Animal System was the logical choice for Dr. Fan to expand his research from molecular mechanisms to functional measurements. The in-situ setup would allow Dr. Fan to measure force produced by specific muscles in the hindlimb while keeping the muscle’s blood supply and nervous input intact. This represents a more physiological environment than the standard isolated muscle experiments. In addition, measurements of aggregate hindlimb function without surgery using the in-vivo setup would permit longitudinal study of muscle regeneration and functional recovery in aged and disease states.

RESULTS

Once the whole animal system was installed and demonstration complete, Dr. Fan and his students were extremely excited about the prospect of the system and began making functional measurements immediately. The lab employed the in-situ technique to measure functional recovery of the Tibialis Anterior (TA) following experimentally induced muscle injury in aged and dystrophic mice. Just over a year later, Dr. Fan’s lab published a paper in Nature Medicine citing our 1300A system. Dr. Fan stated it would not have been possible to publish this article without the 1300A whole animal system and he continues to utilize this powerful system to further test the mechanisms involved in muscle regeneration.