New Ugo Basile Dynamic Plantar Aesthesiometer

Nov. 23, 2010 - PRLog -- Established in 1963, Ugo Basile (http://www.ugobasile.com/) is a manufacturer of research instrumentation for Life Sciences: from Pain Reaserch to Animal Pharmacology, Physiology, Respiration and Behavioral Research on Laboratory Animals.  

The New Dynamic Plantar Aesthesiometer (http://www.ugobasile.com/catalogue/category/pain_and_inflammation/product/37450_dynamic_plantar_aesthesiometer.html) has been designed to automate the assessment of “touch sensitivity” on the plantar surface of rats or mice and comes ready to work with both Mice and Rats.  

Somesthetic (mechanical) stimulation has a long history of effective clinical use to diagnose pathologies of hyper- or hypo-aesthesia, brought about by drugs, neural pathology or experimental lesions, etc., in model and experimental systems using laboratory animals.

It is known by some as the Electronic Von Frey or Plantar Von Frey instrument, but differently from Von Frey devices, Latency time, and Actual Force at the time of paw withdrawal reflex are recorded.  

A moveable force actuator is positioned below the plantar surface of the paw and the desired force and force speed (ramp) is applied.  

A Von Frey – type 0.5 mm filament exerts increasing force, until the animal twitches its paw.

The new model encompasses:
- a movable touch-stimulator unit, well proven in previous model, complete with filament actuator and adjustable angled-mirror
- a microprocessor controlled electronic unit, of new design provided with graphic display, internal memory for data storage, memory stick and optional printer
- a large testing surface
- a new modular animal enclosure, offering from 3 to 12 spaces

Data may be easily ported to a memory stick or directly to computer.

Perforated Metal Platform and multi-configuration animal enclosure, from 3 - 12 chambers, are included.