New Developments

VO2 MAX Test Optimization for Cardiometabolic Phenotyping in Rodents
Coronary Heart Disease is the number one killer in the world, and while a great number of tests exist, they don’t always downsize gracefully for mouse models. The Graded Exercise Test (GXT), the gold standard in assessing cardiopulmonary function, is a perfect example of a test that is far more challenging to reproduce in mice. While getting mice to run a treadmill is rather straight forward, accurately and consistently assessing VO2 MAX is not. Measured VO2 peaks that fall short of VO2 MAX or have endless plateaus are common frustrations.

Telemetric Metabolic Treadmill for Heart Rate and VO2 max
President, Jan Czekajewski Ph.D. is excited to announce the new Telemetric Metabolic Treadmill. Our Oxymax and Metabolic Treadmill have long been the gold standard for measuring VO2 max in mice and rats. But telemetric measurements have always proved difficult on a treadmill. Static and motor electrical-noise have always interfered with the signal. But we have recently developed a special antenna for our treadmill that produces a clear signal for core body temperature and heart rate. Coupled with our Oxymax software, readings are recorded at 5-second intervals for heart rate, temperature, VO2/VCO2, RER, and energy expenditure. Also, all experiment parameters like treadmill speed and/or angle (requires the motorized incline option) are programmable from the software.

UroFlow Analyzer for Mice and Rats
UroFlow analysis is now possible in mice and rats. Urine is allowed to fall freely from the cage floor onto a collection plate that rests on a specially designed load cell. The load cell is very precise (+/- 0.005g accuracy, 0.001g resolution); the load cell is not vulnerable to off-axis loading so measurements made at the edge of the cage are the same as in the center. Measurements are streamed at 10Hz to a dedicated data file for true urine-flow analysis.

New & Improved Contextual Place Preference Box
Our Contextual Place Preference Apparatus (CPP) has been redesigned and improved in a couple of different ways. Our previous design had one side black, the opposite side white, which led to limited modification possibilities. Additionally, our CPP photocell detection hardware and software were made “task specific” and didn’t have the flexibility to be re-purposed for other related tests like the Open Field Test. Our latest design combines all the advantages of our flagship Opto-Varimex Auto-Track activity monitor with a clear CPP box that can be modified with patterns printed from the user’s own printer...

Velocity/Acceleration Race Track for Small Animals
This custom-built runway race-track is used to assess acceleration and velocity of small animals as they run end to end. The runway measures 2.5 meters long and has an adjustable width between 2.5 and 12.5 centimeters. Walls are designed with height extensions to accommodate larger animals that may be able to jump out of the track lane. Photo beam “curtains” are spaced evenly at 10 centimeter intervals (24 gates total); as the subject runs end to end they break these photo-beams and time is measured between each gate allowing for calculation of acceleration and velocity. System comes complete with software, cables, and all hardware. Contact us for pricing or for additional information.

Improved Metabolic Cage with Urine Collection & Calorimetry
New and Improved feature for Oxymax-CLAMS is the ability to employ the Techniplast funnel and cage, along with parts fabricated by Columbus Instruments, into a complete solution for monitoring VO2/VCO2, activity (not pictured for illustration purposes), food intake, & water consumption as well as urine and feces production. Systems are available in 4 to 32 station setups with complete automation for data collection plus a software program (CLAX) that can perform statistical analysis. Systems are installed by a Columbus Instruments certified engineer who also trains users on operation and maintenance.…