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Animal Activity Meter: Opto-Varimex-5 Auto-Track

Animal Activity Meter: Opto-Varimex-5 Auto-Track
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General Information

The Columbus Instruments latest Opto-Varimex-5 Auto Track System is the 5th generation of our animal activity meter designed for the Open Field Anxiety and Exploratory Tests. The Auto-Track is an advanced system using the latest technology to quantify locomotor activity and trace the animal's path for behavioral analysis. Systems can support up to 16 stations on a single PC and come complete with cages, sensors, brackets, interface, and Windows software.

The Auto-Track System senses motion with a grid of infrared photocells placed around the arena (typically 17.5" x 17.5" (44.5 cm), but other sizes are available). Vertical motion is detected by a second array of photocells placed above the animal.

The simultaneous interruption of beams along the horizontal axes (X & Y) provide coordinates that identify animal location. Vertical motion is scored and stored with the horizontal position data. The software records these coordinates for later playback and analysis. Suitable manipulation of the recorded pattern by analysis methods can reveal subtle changes in animal behavior over the course of an experiment, between experiments, and / or between animals.

The Opto-Varimex-5 also can be adapted to perform automated measurements for other tests such as the Contextual Place Preference Test, Hole Poke Exploratory Test, and Light/Dark Transition Test.

Contextual Place Preference Cage Insert




Hole-Poke Setup




Light/Dark Cage




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Features / Specifications

Distance Traveled (cm)
Resting Time (sec)
Stereotypic Time (sec)
Ambulatory Time (sec)
Bursts of Stereotypic Movement
Horizontal Beam Break Counts
Ambulatory Beam Break Counts
Vertical Counts
Bursts of Vertical Movement
Time in Square Analysis
Raw Data Storage (GLP compliant)
Real Time Monitoring
Validation Protocols
Staggered Start
Re-Analysis of Data

16 beams per axis
Sensors available with 1" (2.54 cm) or 0.5" (1.27cm) beam spacing.
17.5" (44.5 cm) Cage comes with base plate of 23.25" x 23.25" (59cm)
9.5" (24 cm) comes with base plate of 12.625" (32.7 cm)


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Ordering Information

Auto-Track/Opto-Varimex-5 Open Field Systems (17.5" x 17.5" Arena)
0170-R1 Auto-Track/Opto-Varimex-5 System for 1 animal
0170-R2 Auto-Track/Opto-Varimex-5 System for 2 animals
0170-R4 Auto-Track/Opto-Varimex-5 System for 4 animals
0170-R8 Auto-Track/Opto-Varimex-5 System for 8 animals
0170-R16 Auto-Track/Opto-Varimex-5 System for 16 animals

Contextual Place Preference
0150-CPP Opto-Varimex-5 Contextual Place Preference Box Insert

Hole Poke Exploratory Test
0150-HPM Opto-Varimex-5 Hole Poke Kit for Mice: Includes Mouse Board and one 16" Sensor Set
0150-HPR Opto-Varimex-5 Hole Poke Kit for Rats: Includes Rat Board and one 16" Sensor Set

Light/Dark Transition Test
0150-LDB Opto-Varimex-5 Light / Dark Box for Mice and Rats (17.5" x 17.5" total arena size)


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