TruScan Photobeam Activity System for Rat
E63-20
Rat Arena (Cage)
In the Tru Scan system there are two arena sizes, one for small mouse-sized animals and one for larger rat-sized animals. Other systems run rats and mice in the same arena; however, we provide arenas of the appropriate size and beam spacing for each. You don't have to "make-do" with running mice in rat environments.
Our arenas feature a slide-out floor/drop pan so you don't have to take the whole cage out of the station case to wash it. Just pull the floor out and dump it so that the next animal is not distracted or contaminated by the droppings of the previous animal. Extra drop pans are inexpensive. You can replace them for each run with freshly washed ones.
The inside dimensions of the E63-20 Rat Arena (cage) are 16 inches (40.64 cm) wide by 16 inches (40.64 cm) deep by 16 inches (40.64 cm) high. The beams are spaced one inch (2.54 cm) apart providing a 0.5 inch (1.27 cm) spatial resolution.
Tru Scan's photobeam sensor rings are separate from the station's processor rather than being built together in a large case in which a clumsy single-piece test arena rests. There is only one type of sensor ring (sized for each arena). It senses in two dimensions (X&Y) and you use the same ring for floor plane, rearing or nose poke. You can do all 3 measures (with 3 rings) at the same time! The system logs X-Y coordinates instead of just a "yes or no" when monitoring nose poke or rearing. The rings are flat so that you can do nose poke and floor plane recording together.
The light/dark or retreat box covering half of the cage has a door to let the animal pass. Data acquisition protocols allow selection of any half of the cage as the "data area" so that entries, movements and time spent in the box may be recorded. This "solid black" box has no holes for the photobeams so it doesn't let in ambient light, but it is transparent to the photobeams.
The optional nose poke floors have a 16 holes (4 X 4 array ) with an underlying food tray. Because Tru Scan software records coordinates from sensor rings, it is possible to analyze the sequence in which the holes are accessed as well as when each hole is accessed. The nose poke floors are great for memory protocols.
E63-23 Rat Shock Floor
The shock floor may be connected to any of our shockers which in turn may be controlled by one of the stimulus outputs of the Tru Scan Linc.
The Lid for the E63-20 Rat Arena (cage) is recommended when using shock stimulus with the Tru Scan system and is required when using a visual cue to mount the the E63-03 Hi-Brite Cue above the Rat Arena.
One E63-20-DP Drop Pan is included with each E63-20 Rat Arena (cage). Extra E63-20-DP Drop Pans are available which can be used to replace between subjects so you are ready to run as soon as the next subject is placed in the Rat Arena.