Rotarod+

Capabilities

Detect

• Movement disorders
• Endurance
• Motivational state

Dosing the physical load

Based on the abilities of small laboratory animals (rats and mice) to stay on the rotating drum. A motor deficit is measured by the holding time. The complex allows testing of up to 7 mice or 4 rats. Registration of holding on and falling down is performed by using infrared sensors.

The motivation's state is investigated by changing the quality of the motivational incentive:

• Avoidance of painful stimulation by electric shock
• Fear of height (the table is necessary)
• Water environment (the table is necessary)

Located under the moving drum an electric grid is used to make stimulation

Along with the ease of use of the system, a large number of variable parameters are provided that will satisfy the needs of researchers in the most diverse areas of normal and pathological physiology, pharmacology, kinesiology, neuroscience.

The following parameters are determined:

• Determining the location of the animal in the drum section
• Duration of staying of an animal on a drum
• Passed way
• The speed of rotation of the drum at the time of falling and landing of an animal
• The nature of the motivational incentive (the lack/height/water environment/electroskin irritation with grid)

The following options are possible to configure:

• The speed of rotation of the drum can be changed in real time
• It is possible to set the script of the rotation of the drum
• Changing the nature of the motivational incentive (the lack/height/water environment/electroskin irritation with grid)
• There is a wide range of options for electrostimulation

The hardware-software complex is created according to the safety requirements of the medical equipment:

• All components are made from non-toxic, pollution-resistant materials
• Presence of galvanic isolation of power supply
• A possibility of the emergency stop of giving of a current on a grid

Specifications

• Linear dimensions (WxHxD) 
• without a drum 470х310х450 mm
• with a drum 470х410х450 mm
• Materials — plexiglass, aluminum, steel 
• Drum
• for rats 4 sections (3x70 и 1x90 mm)
• inner diameter 70 mm
• outer diameter 370 mm
• for mice 7 sections (6x40 и 1x60 mm)
• inner diameter 40 mm
• outer diameter 370 mm
• Rodent detection — Automatic in the infrared range (appearance and falling)
• Motivational incentives
• Absence
• Electroskin irritation
• Fear of heights
• Fear of water
• Connecting to a computer via USB
• The step of an electric grid is 18 mm
• The diameter of the rods of the electric grid is 3 mm
• Polarity switching on rods — 10 Hz, 8 phases
• Minimum duration of an electric pulse is 50 ms
• Maximum current strength of the electric grid is 15 mA
• Maximum voltage of the electric grid is 100 V
• Power supply — 220 V
• The height of fall (if you have a special table) is 800 mm

Computer requirements

• Microsoft Windows 7 SP1, Windows 10
• Ubuntu Linux 12+

Specifications

• Standard equipment — Rotarod's main part, 2 drams (for rats and mice), electric grid 
• Table with a hole for Rotarod (height 100 cm, on wheels) and a box for collecting of fallen animals