Vivarium Major Instruments

Techniplast - Green line Individually Ventilated Caging system(IVC) for Rats & Mice. The IVC-system in which animals are kept to ensure that they are fully protected by use of HEPA-filters (High Efficiency-Particulate Air) that protects them from micro-organisms and maintains an absolute microparticle free micro environment. The individually ventilated IVC caging system serve as a separate barrier unit with great visibility and easy and quick access to the cage for daily health check. The IVC caging system has an exceptional filtration system that protects both inhabitants and facility staff from allergen.

ISO cage is an isolator system that allows to carry out multiple studies on the same rack by providing strong bioexclusion for maximum animal protection and excludes the possibility of cage-to-cage contamination. It is especially designed for gnotobiotics, germ-free and immunocompromised animals. HEPA filtration at cage level to maximize animal protection.

The animals rooms are equipped with dedicated BS60 Biosafety changing stations. The biosafety changing station is an essential part of animal room to perform cage change procedures, conducting detailed helath observations of animals and performaing minor invasive procdures such as blood collection , administration of substances in the animls. The BS60 biosafety changing station has a large work area for performing procedures and act as a double configuration system (change station and Biosafety class II level). The changing station has HEPA filtered air,more ergnomic,hight adjustment and UV- lamp for sterilization procedure.

LARC equipped with CS 5 mobile changing station, a compact mobile Changing Station which allows the researcher to easily move the cabinet inside the animal room along with the cage racks for animal transfer operations, providing protection for animals as well as the operator and the environment at the same time.The CS5 is ergonomically designed for maximum user comfort. The height-adjustable liftsystem with 360° open access optimizes efficiency in cage changing procedures. CS5 provides a large work area for a maximum of two operators with optimum internal visibility with HEPA filtered air.

Edstrom Automated Watering Systems (AWS) delivers fresh drinking water to research animals through stainless steel distribution system and connected to individual ventilated caging system by specialized valves to supply water to cages separately. The system offers both flushing and recirculation system . It is one of most advanced system useful in reducing the amount of water and energy consumption of the facility. Automated watering systems can provide water with less variability. The watering system is working based on RO purification principles delivers the highest quality water to animals. The central controlling system can be used to automate the flushing of rack manifolds and room distribution piping lines to avoid stagnation and bacterial growth.

In order to maintain the specific pathogen free (SPF) status, LARC implemented stringent quality measures at every process of husbandry activitiy .The dirty cages are washed in automatic cage and rack washer system. The IWT Techniplast automatic cage rack washer has maximum cleaning efficacy to clean various instruments such as IVC cages, racks, water bottles,environmental enrichments and trollyes. The cage rack washer is electronically controlled and has a set of preconditioned washing cycles. The 80 °C hot water coming through 64 rinse nozzles(separate circuits) get mixed with Acid, alkali and rinse chemicals that guarantee very clean and dirt free wash. The efficacy of cleaning cycle is validated by temperature strips.

The semi automatic bedding dispenser is compact, mobile, stand alone, dedicated to accurate dispensing of any kind of free flow bedding. Protect the operator from allergen and dust exposure, the unit integrates a high performance air suction system that surrounds the dispensing ports inclusive of double filtration level (G4+F7). It is safe, clean, ergonomic, precise and programed to repeat the dispensing of bedding into cages of different sizes and types, including: corn cob.

Bulk Autoclaves use steam heat to kill any microbial life that may be present on a contaminated load. A load — also known as goods — is considered sterile once it undergoes a full sterilization cycle. Once a load is sterile, it can be used without fear of introducing foreign microorganisms into a sensitive environment.

A small animal anesthesia machine is specifically designed to safely deliver inhalant anesthesia usually isoflurane to mice and rats. We have Kent Scientific's vet anesthestic vaporizer machine offers precisely controlled concentration of anesthesia to maximize the safety of both animals and researchers.Administration of anesthesia is a part of most protocols for performing surgeries in controlled studies with mice and rats. The safest anesthetics are inhalants when used with the proper delivery and scavenging systems in the rodents. The inhalant anesthesia have advantage due to their rapid onset and offset with minimal side effects.

The Collection of animal urine and faeces from rodents is important for analyses of different metabolites and toxic products in pharmacological/physiological studies. LARC equiped with rodent metabolic cages that provides a perfect separation of feces and urine through the specially designed funnel and separation cone. We can use it for rats/ mouse (with single chamber feeder).Designed to minimize animal stress, drawer-style design for easy filling. All the components of the metabolic cages and the cage floor can be removed without disturbing the animals.

The spontaneous rodent activity wheel used to quantify rodent spontaneous activity in their home cage environment. The embedded magnet measure the wheel turns. This instrument useful for studies on Drug screening, Phenotyping and Neuromuscular diseases. The system allows you to record the parameters pertaining to the voluntary exercise of the animal that can be decided depends upon the timing and intensity. Though the analysis focuses on spontaneous activity, it is also highly relevant for long-term studies on alterations of the circadian rhythm.

LARC recently added a small animal imaging core facility. The IVIS® Spectrum in vivo imaging system combines with 2D and 3D optical tomography imaging in one platform. The system uses leading optical technology for preclinical imaging research and ideal for non-invasive longitudinal monitoring of disease progression, cell trafficking, gene expression and tumor development patterns in live animals.