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VivaMARS Mobile Activity Rack System
DSI’s mobile, modular IR-photobeam activity rack — 30 subjects per session, 1.3 cm beam spacing for fine-movement and gross locomotor resolution, Ponemah® acquisition with 21 CFR Part 11 data integrity. Configurations scale from a single bench-top cabinet to 10-compartment racks. Pairs with DSI SoHo telemetry for combined activity + cardiovascular / temperature studies.
What is the VivaMARS Mobile Activity Rack System?
The DSI VivaMARS is a modular, mobile infrared-photobeam activity rack for high-throughput locomotor and behavioral activity studies in small laboratory animals. Built around densely spaced (1.3 cm / 0.5″) IR beams that resolve fine movements as well as gross locomotion, the system was designed for CRO neurotoxicology and neuropharmacology pipelines where many animals need to be screened in a single session without sacrificing data quality.
The rack is mobile (wheels for inter-room transport), modular (single bench-top cabinet up to 10-compartment racks, stackable and expandable as cohort sizes grow), and Ponemah-software-driven for collection, analysis, and 21 CFR Part 11 compliant data integrity. Three racks per computer station scale to 30 subjects per session.
Key Features
- 2D (x,y) IR photobeam tracking: 1.3 cm spaced beams resolve fine movements and gross locomotion in one record.
- Mobile and modular: Wheels for inter-room transport; configurations from a single bench-top cabinet up to 10-compartment racks; stackable and expandable.
- High throughput: Up to 30 subjects per session (3 racks per computer station).
- Mouse and rat compatible: Single rack switches between species; phenolic-resin panels resist chemicals, humidity and temperature.
- Multi-parameter activity data: Locomotor activity, fine movements, rearing/jumping, distance travelled, speed — calculated per user-defined time interval.
- Time-saving operation: Swap plastic cages between sessions — IR sensor levels adjusted in software (under a minute per study).
- UNO / Tecniplast cage compatible: EUROSTANDARD Type IV cages with Tecniplast 1354G025 lids.
- Ponemah® software: 21 CFR Part 11 compliance, secure login, electronic records and signatures.
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Why a mobile activity rack matters for behavior research
Locomotor activity is the universal behavioral readout in neurotoxicology, neuropharmacology, and behavioral phenotyping — every CNS-active compound is screened against it, every neurological model is characterized by it. Yet the bottleneck in most labs has been throughput: traditional open-field setups handle one animal at a time, with extensive cleaning and re-calibration between subjects. CROs running screening panels can’t afford that pace.
The VivaMARS is built specifically for the high-throughput end of activity research. 30 subjects per session, swap-cage-between-runs design, dense IR beam spacing (1.3 cm) for both fine-movement and gross-locomotor signal, and Ponemah’s GLP-compliance layer for regulatory study readiness. Combined with DSI’s SoHo telemetry, a research group can pair activity data with implanted physiology (HR, BP, body temperature) on the same animal, in the same cage, in the same software environment.
Typical Use Cases
- Neurotoxicology screening (acute and chronic dosing studies).
- Neuropharmacology dose-response on locomotor activity.
- Psychiatric model behavioral phenotyping (depression, anxiety, schizophrenia models).
- Circadian activity rhythm studies.
- Pre-clinical CNS safety pharmacology with GLP-grade documentation.
- Paired with SoHo telemetry for activity + cardiovascular / temperature co-monitoring.
Specifications
| Rack Dimensions (ext.) | 130 × 80 × 190 cm (51 × 32 × 75 in.) |
| Rack Material | Highly resistant anodized aluminium extrusion structure; phenolic resin panels (chemical, temperature, humidity resistant) |
| Sensor Box Internal Dim. | 40 × 62 cm (15.8 × 24.4 in.) |
| IR Beam Spacing | 1.3 cm (0.5 in.) |
| Cage Material / Dim. | Polycarbonate, 38 × 60 × 20 cm (15 × 23.6 × 7.9 in.) |
| Cage / Lid Compatibility | UNO Life Science EUROSTANDARD TYPE IV • Tecniplast 1354G025 stainless lid (1354G) |
| Throughput per Station | 3 racks per computer station, up to 30 subjects |
| Configurations | 10- or 8-compartment racks; 6-, 4-, 2-compartment configurations; single bench-top cabinet |
| Patent | U.S. Patent No. 12,593,828 |
| Software | Ponemah® (21 CFR Part 11 compliant) |
Data Collected
- Locomotor activity
- Fine movements
- Rearing / jumping
- Distance travelled
- Speed
- User-defined time-binned summary
Applications
- Neurotoxicology and neuropharmacology screening
- Behavioral phenotyping (anxiety, depression, schizophrenia models)
- Circadian activity rhythms
- Pre-clinical CNS safety pharmacology
- Combined activity + telemetry studies (with SoHo)
Motor Functions
Explore All ProductsAnxiety, Fear, and Stress Responses
Explore All ProductsVivaMARS Mobile Activity Rack System Publications
VivaMARS is cited in CRO and academic neurotoxicology / neuropharmacology studies where high-throughput locomotor activity measurement is paired with regulatory-grade data integrity. Publications typically describe screening panels combining VivaMARS activity readouts with telemetry-derived cardiovascular endpoints.
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