Home Cage System

Key Features: 

Automated Diagnostics and Built-in Validation Aids.
Most commercial systems have some type of beam check, but ours is capable of real diagnosis! Our advanced diagnostics interrogate the performance level of the photobeam components. It’s much more than a simple on/off test. These sophisticated tests provide 4-level circuit evaluation that ensures proper operation, automatically, before the start of each session. The system will tell you when a photobeam is going to fail before it actually happens! In the unlikely case a photo beam failure does occur, you may choose to either correct the failure or remove the failed enclosure before continuing. The session will begin only after a successful automatic diagnostic has been completed.

Shown above is the 4-level test status screen. The serial numbers above the green indicator blocks and in the title block are electronic serial numbers for system components. With these reference numbers, the factory can track the life history of each component. Observe the enclosures labeled Off Line. The system automatically knows what is connected and what is not! This feature isolates faulty components during trouble shooting.

Built-in Pause option. 

This feature makes it possible to have a dual injection phase where the system keeps track of and notifies the technician when it is time to make the second injection and does not collect irrelevant data during the second injection effort.  This keeps you from having to rush to inject an animal and also provides you with only relevant data.  This is extremely useful in studies with a large number of animals being studied simultaneously!

Post Analysis Approach. 

All MotorMonitor products collect the essential beam activity during runtime without calculating any of the measures.  Because of this approach the scientist can change any of the analysis parameters such as time bin size, number of zones, and zone layout and re-analyze existing data for a new presentation of that data.  A simple example would be that you can have a single time bin for the entire session for summary data and/or multiple time bins (in second resolution) so study how particular measures change over time.

Solving the “you can’t see me problem!” 

Because of the nature of infra-red photobeam characteristics, beams that are close to polished surfaces (which is what all enclosures are) can gave a dead zone close to the middle of the arena.   This dead zone causes the subject to disappear from the system view.  Our proprietary filtering design eliminates this common problem to provide more accurate data.

On the receiver side of the enclosure the sensors that appear green are receiving the emitted infrared emission from the opposite side.  As shown here the first beam appears green but should appear black (blocked) but is not because the beam is bouncing off the polished wall of the enclosure.

Lab Space and Your Time Protection!
A single cable connects each station to the control chassis helping you preserve your lab space by preventing large tangles of wiring. Also, most standard home cages will fit inside this system to reduce time lost in cleaning, handling and transporting subjects.

Rearing Frame
The optional rearing frame can be connected with a single durable cable in just seconds. Like all our frames it is very durable and made completely of high quality stainless steel.

General Features:
22 Infrared PhotoBeams (7X & 15Y)
Individual start button at each station
Automatic 4 level diagnostics
Maximum Stations: 40
User Definable Zones – not factory installed
Post Processing Analysis
Session Templates
Individual Runtime Clocks for each station
User selectable output measures
Optional Advanced Graphic Comparators – HotSpots, Playback and OverTime

Measures:
Movement Metrics

X Ambulations
Y Ambulations

Fine Movements

Lever Presses

Rearing Events

Rearing Time

Custom Events

Basic Movements (Total X/Y Breaks)

Hole Pokes

Zone Metrics
Time in Zone
Time at Rest
Entries into Zone
Time Active
Pokes into Zone
Distance