Description
This test is based on determination of the animal threshold response to pain induced by the application of a uniformly increasing pressure on the paws or the tail.
This test can be used on both rats and mice. On rat, it is commonly used for paw pressure. On mice, it is commonly for tail pressure. It is possible to use this test on mice paw but it’s moer challenging so the experimenter needs to be particularly skilled.
In the LE7306 paw & paw pressure model, a stimulation unit allows the gradual and constant increase (at selectable rates) of the pressure applied on the animal paw or tail. The pressure increase is achieved by a step-motor inducing the progressive advancement of a sliding support with a distal tip.
The motor and tip are mounted on a pivoting stand preventing any excess pressure on the animal paw. The Control Unit makes possible the adjustment of the force transducer, balance and reset, as well as the selection of the step-motor current speed.
Included accessories
The pressure meter is provided with 2 tips (1 pointed tip and 1 flat tip). The different tips are used for changing the dimension of the area of the mechanical stimulation. Both tips can be used in rats or mice or on the paw or the tail.
A remote foot-switch controls the motor turn on/off allowing rapid hands-free experiments. An automatic mechanism is activated once the distal extreme of the sliding support track is reached or when the pedal is released at the test ending point. Then, the motor reverse its rotation at its higher speed, sliding up the conic tip again.
Software
The optional SeDacom software 2.0 can be used and represents an easy and convenient way to visualize and export the data on a computer for further analysis.
Examples
See this clear example of the use of the Panlab Paw & Tail pressure meter applied on the mouse tail: link