Animal Behavior and Physiology

Climbing Test

The Climbing Test measures vertical activity in rodents as an objective indicator of pain-depressed behavior. Developed with Prof. Sidney Negus at VCU, this automated system uses capacitive height sensors to capture vertical movement in a cylindrical mesh cage.

Incapacitance Tester Librae

The Incapacitance Tester Librae measures weight distribution between injured and unaffected hind paws in mice and rats. Its automated, touch-screen-controlled operation reduces bias for objective spontaneous pain assessment in osteoarthritis, cancer pain, and nerve injury models.

Tail Flick Unit

The Tail Flick Unit measures nociceptive threshold to infrared heat on the rat or mouse tail using the D’Amour & Smith method. Featuring adjustable IR intensity, touch-screen controls, and automatic data storage, it enables rapid analgesic drug screening.

Dynamic Plantar Aesthesiometer

The Dynamic Plantar Aesthesiometer is the only device that automatically delivers the desired force at the desired rate and records paw withdrawal without experimenter bias. An electromagnetic motor delivers 0–100 g of force at adjustable rates, replacing manual Von Frey testing.

Electronic Von Frey Handheld

The Electronic Von Frey Handheld replaces manual filament testing with automated force measurement via a rigid metal applicator. A peak detection algorithm automatically scores paw withdrawal across three force ranges (0–50, 0–200, 0–1,500 gf) with 0.1 gf resolution.

Von Frey Hairs (Semmes-Weinstein Set)

Von Frey Hairs (Semmes-Weinstein monofilament set) measure the paw withdrawal reflex for evaluating mechanical allodynia and cutaneous sensation. The set of 20 monofilaments spans 0.008 to 300 grams, providing a portable, non-invasive method for pain threshold determination.

Plantar Test (Hargreaves Apparatus)

The Plantar Test (Hargreaves Apparatus) is the gold standard for thermal hyperalgesia assessment in unrestrained rodents, with over 2,600 scientific publications. Automated focused infrared stimulation through a glass pane enables precise measurement of paw withdrawal latency.

I.R. Heat-Flux Radiometer

The I.R. Heat-Flux Radiometer provides precise calibration for the Plantar Test, Tail Flick Unit, and all other infrared analgesia meters. A portable, battery-powered instrument ensuring reproducible IR intensity measurement across experiments and laboratory sites.

Thermal Place Preference

The Thermal Place Preference apparatus monitors temperature preferences in rodents by measuring time spent in two compartments set at different temperatures. An evolution of the hot/cold plate test providing operator-independent evaluation of thermal aversion from −5° to 65°C.

Hot/Cold Plate

The Hot/Cold Plate has been the gold standard for thermal pain assessment in rodents for decades. Featuring a temperature range from −5° to 65°C and support for constant temperature and ramp protocols via X-Pad software, it covers all analgesic drug screening needs.

Orofacial Stimulation Test

The Orofacial Stimulation Test measures thermal and mechanical hypersensitivity of the orofacial area in rats (mouse adaptor available). For trigeminal nerve pain research, ORO-Software enables simultaneous data collection from up to 16 cages for high-throughput studies.

Plethysmometer

The Plethysmometer measures small changes in rodent paw volume and oedema to quantify the inflammatory response. With hands-free operation, 0.01 ml resolution, and a 4.3-inch colour touchscreen, it is the standard tool for anti-inflammatory drug screening.