Low Friction Rodent Driven Belt Treadmill

Description

Researchers can save time and resources by purchasing the pre-assembled and tested Low-Friction Rodent-Driven Belt Treadmill from HHMI’s Janelia Research Campus. LabeoTech is proud to offer this mouse treadmill, licensed from Janelia’s innovative design. To enhance its functionality, we provide a variety of optional accessories tailored for mouse experiments. The treadmill can be equipped with a head fixation system and/or motorized for improved training efficiency. Additionally, our treadmill comes with software compatible with Windows and Mac, enabling users to monitor and record treadmill speed and distance in .csv format, specifically designed for mouse-related studies. It is also fully compatible with PsychoPy. For added convenience, one extra belt is included with the mouse treadmill.

Specifications

• Low friction, manually (rodent) driven treadmill
• Low profile design fits under most microscopes, including our OiS200 modular optical imaging system
• Can be combined with our Behavioral Camera to record your animal
• Inclination (front-back) and translation adjustment for rodent comfort
• Quadrature rotary encoder, decoded by an Arduino interface
• USB serial interface for speed and accumulated distance
• 0-3.3V analog output of speed and direction
• USB-C powered (wall adapter and cable included)
• Teflon surface for low friction
• Connects easily to M6 or 1/4″ breadboards
• Optional Motor Add-on
  • Wide version (90 mm belt)
  • Easily detachable for low friction function
  • Drive speed: 10 mm/s to 800 mm/s
  • Belt driven
  • Adjustable to match any treadmill slope/position
  • Potentiometer speed control or sofware control via USB/serial
  • Enable/disable switch
  • Slow ramp start feature
  • USB-C powered (wall adapter and cable included)
  • Comes on a 150 X 150 mm metric breadboard (M6 taps) – Available on imperial breadboard on request
• Optional Head Fixation Add-on
  • Compatible with our 25 mm headbars available here. Contact us to design a custom holder for your headbars.
  • Comes on a 150 X 150 mm metric breadboard (M6 taps) – Available on imperial breadboard on request

Description from Janelia (source)

Moreover, the low-friction rodent-driven belt treadmill is relatively small and inexpensive compared to most existing designs. Specifically, it is manually driven with a single sensor to track the movement of the belt. In addition, some users take advantage of this sensor, although it is not necessary for all. Fundamentally, it can be used as a free-turning manual treadmill.

Furthermore, it may be used for natural actions (e.g., walking) by the mouse during an experiment instead of standing still. For instance, some users let the mice walk normally on the treadmill and then play a tone that the mouse associates with a trained response. As a result, researchers can observe if the mouse starts or stops moving in response to the tone.

Training Protocol

Additionally, Mice must be habituated to the treadmill to reduce stress. We recommend doing the habituation for 20 minutes to 1 hour each day for 3 to 5 days.

• Training protocol example for the rodent driven treadmill: Jackson, Jesse, et al. “Inhibitory control of prefrontal cortex by the claustrum.” Neuron 99.5 (2018): 1029-1039.
• Training protocol example for the motorized treadmill: Moeini, Mohammad, et al. “Cerebral tissue pO2 response to treadmill exercise in awake mice.” Scientific Reports 10.1 (2020): 13358. (see Table 1)

Publications

Jackson, J., Karnani, M. M., Zemelman, B. V., Burdakov, D., & Lee, A. K. (2018). Inhibitory control of prefrontal cortex by the claustrum. Neuron, 99(5), 1029-1039.

Advantages

• Enhanced Research Data:
  • More accurate data due to smooth movement.
• Reduced Noise and Vibration:
  • Creates a quieter, less stressful research environment.
• User-Friendly:
  • Intuitive interface for easy adjustments.
• Versatile Applications:
  • Suitable for a wide range of experimental protocols.
• Customer Support and After-Sales Service:
  • Technical assistance for optimal operation.
• Customization:
  • We can provide modified treadmills tailored to specific research needs.