Animal research activity monitor DM-8

General Information DM-8 monitors contact between animal and water bottle sipper tube. It is a classical implementation of electrical conductivity as a means of sensing contact. In this application, the animal stands upon a wire (stainless steel) floor in order to drink from a stainless steel sipper tube. An electrical pathway is completed that allows an imperceptible current (less than 1x10-6 ampere) to pass through the animal. Electronics within the DM-8 Control Unit sense the current flow, converting it into signals that are recorded using Columbus Instruments' Computer Counter line of interface equipment. In practice, each 'count' indicates one lick from the sipper tube. A DM-8 Control Unit supports up to eight drinking dispensers. Drinking dispensers comprise a water bottle with sipper tube to which a wire has been affixed. The standard assembly has a volume of 300 mL and a sipper tube measuring 6 mm in diameter extending about 10 cm from the bottle stopper. Cages of various sizes are available with appropriately connected wire floors to provide a complete sensing assembly. DM-8 and FM-4 are designed for compatibility and together provide a complete food intake monitoring system when configured with the appropriate Columbus Instruments Computer Counter Interface.