Automatic Home Cage System

Description

This product features a safe environment to evaluate chronic disease on up to 10 mice. See the complete description below.

The Automatic Home Cage System provides a secure environment for evaluating chronic diseases in up to 10 mice. Inspired by the “High-throughput Automated Home-Cage Mesoscopic Functional Imaging of Mouse Cortex” study published in Nature Communications, this system facilitates seamless movement between two interconnected cages, with mice identified via RFID tags. Each time they transition between cages, a scale continuously weighs the mice. A fixation system then secures the mice, allowing for simultaneous behavioral tasks and imaging. Monitoring is accomplished through two infrared cameras, which ensure comprehensive oversight. As a result, the system enables large-scale data acquisition with minimal user intervention. On average, mice undergo approximately 30 fixations per day, though this number can vary based on several factors.

By significantly reducing human-animal interaction, the system minimizes stress and enhances data reliability. Automation of monitoring and data collection processes limits the need for frequent human handling, thus preserving the mice’s natural behaviors and health. This approach not only leads to more accurate and reproducible research results but also reduces the risk of variability introduced by handling procedures. Consequently, the system supports high-throughput data acquisition while promoting more ethical and effective research practices.

The system is compatible with most cages. Cages can be provided on demand.

The system is composed of the following items:

• Lock tunnel
• Spout holder 2 axis
• spout holder for training
• Lever Add-On (optional)
• Brain Stimulator Add-On (optional)
• Control Unit
• Water dispenser
• Two infrared cameras for monitoring
• power supply
• computer