Plantar Test for Thermal Stimulation - Hargreaves Apparatus

Name: Plantar Test for Thermal Stimulation - Hargreaves Apparatus
Brand: Ugo Basile
SKU: 37570

Product Code:37570

Category: Pain and Inflammation

In the late ‘80s Dr. Hargreaves invented a method to assess thermal pain sensation in unrestrained rodents by stimulating the single hind paw and thus allowing for unilateral/contralateral experiments. Ugo Basile made a science-grade instrument to perform this stimulation and automatically measure response, it became a gold-standard with more than 2,000 publications in 2022.

A thermal stimulus, generated by a focused light source is applied through a glass pane to the plantar surface of the hind paw of the animal and the response to this stimulus consists of withdrawal of the stimulated paw. Ideal for hyperalgesia measurements.

One model for Mice or Rats and high throughput with enclosures for up to 12 mice or 6 rats.

Detailed description +-

Background

Thermal withdrawal latency was first described by Hargreaves et al. (1988; see references)
Compared to the Hot/Cold plate and to Tail Flick tests unilateral/contralateral experiments with internal control was possible and enabled the researcher to discern a peripherally mediated thermal stimulation

Automatic detection for accuracy

The Ugo Basile is the only available system which detects paw withdrawal latency automatically (or optionally manually), thanks to a light detector embedded in the control unit. It comes complete with:

Emitter/Detector unit with strong and focused infra-red light source invisible to the animal
Cross line engraved on the top of the emitter to ease the paw targeting
Touch-screen electronic unit to set all parameters (light intensity, thresholds, etc.) and review data
Data saving in the electronic unit and in the provided USB stick
Data export of the USB stick data into .CSV file for easy analysis in Excel
PC software for animal vivarium management
Platform with semi-transparent glass panel to avoid animal distraction
Animal enclosures for up to 12 mice and 6 rats, fully modular

Features & Benefits +-

Features	Benefits
Infrared, strong light source	Invisible to the animal, which is not distracted and high intensity stimulation for short-lasting experiments (a stimulation should not last more than 10-20 seconds, ideally only a few ones)
Embedded light detection	Automated paw withdrawal scoring with no experimenter bias and high accuracy
Optional manual score	The user can decide to manually score the paw withdrawal in those cases where the position of the paw is odd and the automatic detection is not possible
Touch screen control unit	Seamless configuration of the experiment parameters and easy review of data from the control unit
USB stick data export	No need to connect a PC and one-click data export for review in Excel
Modular animal enclosures	The dimension of the area available to the animal can be changed so that it is small but the animal is still unrestrained and amount of habituation can be reduced. High throughput: up to 12 mice and 6 rats

Specifications +-

General
Command input and readout	via 4.3" touch-screen
Power requirements	Universal input 100-240 VAC, 50-60Hz, 50W
Data Portability	via USB flash drive provided
Calibration	via appropriate I.R. Radiometer (not included)
Operating Temperature	10° to 40° C, 5% to 95% RH (non-condensing)
Sound Level	<54dB
Operation
I.R. Intensity	Adjustable in the interval 01-99 (in one digit steps)
Latency Time	0.1s steps
Cut off function	From 5 to 30 seconds
Measurement mode	Manual or Automatic
Start experiment	By start icon, push button or TTL input
Stop experiment	By start icon, push button, cut-off, or TTL input
Data export	.csv format, from USB key
TTL I/O	Input and output TTL signal
Physical
Dimensions	135 (w) x 40 (d) x 50 (h) cm (required space on the table)
Weight	11.0Kg
Packing dimensions	98x49x47cm
Shipping Weight	14Kg approx.
Warranty
Warranty	37570 is covered by a 12-month warranty + 12 after product registration
UB-Care	Additional UB-Care can be added for other 12 or 24 months

Application +-

This plantar test has been used in experiments involving, hyperalgesia, pain sensitization or recovery of thermal pain response following neural injury and regeneration. The test is relatively straight forward and even beginners can master the measurement in a short period of time (Cheah et al. 2017).

Care must be taken to avoid urine and feces on the glass panel, which would alter the experiment results and habituation must be as long as needed for the animals to calm down after the initial exploration phase. Cheah et al. (2017) suggest to perform the habituation and baseline readings 1 week before the start of the experiment.

The amount of space, thanks to the modularity of the animal enclosures, should be adapted to the tendency to move of the strain in use and clear difference exists between rats and mice.

Ordering informations +-

37570 Plantar Test
37570-001	Plantar Test Controller
37570-002	Emitter/Detector Vessel
37000-003	Large Platform
37370-327	4 Supporting column
37000-007	Modular Animal Enclosure
37370-005	Framed Glass Pane
E-WP 008	Main Cable
Optional
37300	Heat-Flux I.R. Radiometer
37370-278	Additional Stimulation Base, complete with glass pane and animal enclosure
37100	Set of 2 Durham Holders for Orofacial Stimulation
37370-365	Replacement Bulb for Plantar Test
37570-UBC12	UB Care 12 Additional hardware warranty extension 12 month for Plantar Test
37570-UBC24	UB Care 24 Additional hardware warranty extension 24 month for Plantar Test