The LE 100-26 is an electric shock generator used in a wide variety of Panlab apparatus for assessing behavior in laboratory animal. 

The shock is generally applied to the bars of the floor grid of the Experimentation Cages. The electric shock is made of rectangular current pulses switching consecutively over 6 bars (scrambler). Current is isolated with respect to ground, as a basic safety precaution to avoid electrical interference with other equipment. The output current depends entirely on the value selected by the user and not the resistance of the animal or the number of bars it is touching when it receives the electric shock, thereby ensuring that the repeatability of the electric shock is maximized. The time duration of the electric shock is also adjustable.

Rotational behaviour has proved a popular technique for screening the behavioural effects of a wide variety of lesions, drugs, and other experimental manipulations on the brain of rodents. This test is widely carried out in experiments using animal models of Parkinson disease with unilateral lesions in the dopaminergic nigrostriatal system.

Basically, the subject wears an adjustable harness with a soft ring connected to the rotation sensor by a flexible tie. The subject is then placed into a transparent container (cylinder or bowl) with a lateral support for a vertical stand. 

A bi-directional rotation sensor provides a double (right and left turns) output with adjustable regulation of pulses/turns. Two configurations are available for rotation counting: individual counter or a multicounter.

When using a multicounter, the new SEDACOM 2.0 version provides an easy and convenient way to visualize and export the data on a computer for further analysis.

The Panlab LE7306 paw & test pressure meter is used for performing the Randall & Selitto test in rodents.

The “Eight Arms Radial Maze" is extensively used in behavioural laboratories for evaluating spatial memory but also non-spatial memory associated with motivational cues (classically food).

Panlab propose 3 solutions for radial maze experiments:

• Manual radial maze LE760/LE762 that can be used optionally with the SMART video tracking software
• Semi-automated radial maze LE767/LE769 that can be used optionally with the SMART video tracking software
• Automated radial maze with photobeams LE766/LE768

All Panlab radial mazes consist in a central area with eight sliding doors giving access to eight equally-sized arms. The maze, made of black Plexiglas, is mounted on a tripod with adjustable height high (until 1m). Each arm has lateral walls with a height higher in the proximal side of the arm than in the distal side. The arms are easily detachable by unscrewing an underneath fixing knob. In the distal extreme of each arm, a detachable recessed cup can be installed or replaced by cover (all included). 

The sliding doors can be opened and closed automatically or manually:

- Automated doors operation can be controlled by the animal position throughout the test using the Mazesoft-8 software associated with photoelectrical cell mounted on the radial maze and the corresponding control unit. See the application sheet available in the Download section.

- Manual doors operation can be made remotely by the user by using the switches available on the control unit. 

- Manual doors operation can be made in situ by the user by using the threads provided for opening of closing each door. 

A water version of the radial maze (aquatic radial maze) is also available (see related water maze products).

The Digital Water Plethysmometer is designed to provide a highly useful tool in the measurement of small volume changes. This test is typically used to follow the evolution of the inflammatory response experimentally induced in rodents and to screen potential anti-inflammatory or anti-oedema properties of pharmacological substances.

Basically, the volume transducer is formed by two Perspex tubes interconnected and filled with a conductive solution and a platinum electrode for each chamber. All the system is supported by a stand (included) that can be placed over the control unit.

The water displacement produced by the immersion of the animal paw in the measuring tube is reflected into the second tube, inducing a change in the conductance between the two platinum electrodes. The Plethysmometer Control Unit detects the conductance changes and generates an output signal to the digital display indicating the volume displacement measured (0.01 ml resolution). The current value remains in the digital display until a new trial starts. The Control Unit is automatically zeroed between successive readings, thus making intermediate adjustments unnecessary. 

A remote foot-switch allowing rapid hands-free experiments can be used to set control the end point of the measurement.

The optional SeDacom software (new version 2.0 available) can be used and represents an easy and convenient way to visualize and export the data on a computer for further analysis.

Passive avoidance is fear-motivated tests classically used to assess short-term or long-term memory on small laboratory animals (rat, mice). 

Basically, passive avoidance working protocols involve timing of transitions, i.e. time that the animal takes to move from the white compartment to the black one after a conditioning session -in which the entry into the black compartment is punished with a mild inescapable electrical shock- is carried out.

The Panlab passive avoidance box (LE870/872) is defined by a large white illuminated compartment and a small black dark compartment separated by a guillotine gate. The animal position is detected by using high sensitivity weight transducers providing higher effective and reliable detection of animal responses (zones entries) than systems based on photocells beams or on grid floor displacements.

Panlab Passive Avoidance boxes is controlled by the ShutAvoid software, allowing to run passive avoidance experiments in several boxes simultaneously. It is not necessary the use of PCI board installed into the PC. The link is carried out by one only cable from one Box to the other. The first Box is connected to PC or Laptop through a RS232/USB communcation.

The passive avoidance test can also be conducted in a shuttle box for both the active and passive avoidance tests.

Open-field experiments allow the evaluation of animal’s basal activity and its evolution, in response to novelty or anxiogenic environment, and in response to pharmacological treatment, lesion or genetic modification.

Panlab proposes square open-fields available for rats and mice. The arena is made of durable material which has the advantage to be non-absorbent to the odours and easy to clean. The arena is surrounded by high walls and is available in different non reflective colours for video-tracking purposes. The system is entirely demountable for enabling storage in the minimum space. The floor can be divided into equal squares under request for the direct counting of animal activity. 

The Panlab open-field can be combined with the SMART video-tracking system for the automated evaluation of a wide variety of behaviors (activity, exploration, anxiety, etc...)

Panlab provides complete hardware solutions and associated software for isolated tissues studies from simple, manual systems to automated, computer-controlled systems. 

The Panlab Modular Single Chamber Organ Bath was developed to provide a practical and functional design. They are used basically in teaching, where their low demanding maintenance, ruggedness and ease of use guarantee excellent didactic performance. 

This Modular option consists of a Perspex organ bath with a tissue chamber, three-way stopcock for physiological solution exchange and a fine needle valve for gas regulation. 

To maintain a constant temperature in the tissue chamber a Thermoregulated Water Pump is available which can be used with up to four Single Chamber Organ Baths at once. 

All organ baths include tissue holders, transducer holders, micropositiones and tissue chambers (25 ml volume is supplied standard; 5, 10, or 50 ml volumes are available on request). PANLAB S.L. can too supply suitable Isometric or Isotonic Force Transducers.

Standard solution for teaching uses the LE120-1 or LE120-2 flat recorders for recording the signals on paper. Optionally, the PANLAB Modular Organ Baths can be associated with transducers, amplifiers and data output software from several brands. Common configurations use ADInstrument LABCHART or PANLAB PROTOWIN software for data storage and analysis, including Dose/Response.

Download here the Panlab Organ bath leaflet – link

Key features

• Optimal modularity
• 5, 10, 25 and 50 ml chambers available
• Chambers fully and easily interchangeable
• Micropositioner for high precission adjustment of the Transducer and tissue-holder support
• Complete accessibility to all components to facilitate maintenance or replacement
• Extremely easy to place the stimulation electrodes
• Independent valves per chamber for the fine adjustment of bubbling
• Minimum drift of the nutrient liquid
• Use of totally inert materials, PTFE, Delrin, Silicone and other materials that are not degraded by acids or salts

How to order

Isolated organ/issue test & Integrated solutions

For more details about the isolated organ/tissue method, consult the following link

For more details about standard integrated organ bath solutions, consult the “Related Integrated solutions” section of the Isolated organ/tissue test – organ bath webpage – link

Related products

• Transducers (P) –link
• Amplifiers (P) – link
• Organ bath for basic research (P) - link
• Organ bath for advanced research (H)

For  standard operant conditioning and behavioral procedures en small laboratory animals.

The Panlab Operant Chamber is an entirely modular experimental enclosure designed to conduct operant conditioning procedures (e.g. food reinforcement, DMTS, conflict tests, self-administration…). 

The operant chamber is made in an entirely modular structure which allows complete disassembling or rearrangement to build a new space of different dimensions/components or to enable storage in the minimum space.

A frontal door offers a total accessibility inside the chamber. Walls and cover can be of different material or colour, since they are totally removable. 

Each chamber is associated with a Link Box which provides power to up to 8 (expandable depending of the customer configuration) Operant Modules (levers, lights, sound, dispensers, electrical shock...) conferring to the chambers a full autonomy. 

Only one cable connects the Link Box to the PC (PackWin Software), this last for advanced protocol configuration and running.

The Panlab Infrared (IR) Actimeter allows the study of spontaneous locomotor activity, rearings and optionally hole-board test parameters for exploration in rodents. A reliable system for easy and rapid drug screening and phenotype characterisation in both day and night lighting conditions. 

The system is basically composed by a 2 dimensional (X and Y axes) square frame, a frame support and a control unit. Each frame counts with 16 x 16 infrared beams for optimal subject detection.

The system is completely modular: each frame may be used for evaluation of general activity (one or several animals), locomotor and stereotyped movements or rearings or exploration (nose-spoke detection in the hole-board option). The infrared photocell system can be set with up to 15 levels of sensitivity in order to adapt the frames to the typology of the animal (rats, mice). It can also be set to ignore the beams that are obstructed by objects (e.g. the walls/corners of the home cage).

The frames can be controlled by the independent control units LE8825 or directly through the optional SEDACOM computer software. The new SEDACOM 2.0 version provides an easy and convenient way to visualize and export the data on a computer for further analysis. 

Optionally, the ActiTrack software option may be used to analyse animal trajectories (distance, speed, permanence time in selected zones) and then provide additional complementary data to those obtained using the control units.

NEW ACCESSORIES FOR THE DARK/LIGHT BOX TEST!

•  LE8826 Dark Box for Large IR Frames
• LE8828 Dark Box for Small IR Frames