Habitest Rat Hubs/Mazes/Runways
Mazes
Running a mouse through a maze is an age old technique for studying learning and memory performance in rodents. Early experiments, as early as the 1930's, showed that rats had an exceptional ability to learn mazes. Edward Tolman was one of the first scientists to describe the "cognitive map" that the rat employed to solve the spatial puzzle. He theorized that the rats built up some sort of internal map of the maze that they could later use to solve current and novel spatial problems.
While the concept of "maze-running" remains the same the tools have changed and adapted to today's technology. The radial arm maze and the raised plus maze have been developed in an effort to simulate the paths rats naturally create in their search for food. It is with this incentive that the animals are encouraged to run the maze, working through either predefined search sequences or timed minimal error experiments. Monitoring software and a System Controller have taken the place of pen and clipboard.
Rat Hubs
Rat and Mouse Hubs are geometrically similar. The only difference is that
Rat Hubs accept Rat S/R Modules and Runways, while Mouse Hubs accept Mouse
S/R Modules and Runways. There are 4 Rat Hubs in the system; a square,
a hexagon, an octagon and a dodecagon. The first three of these are also
available for Mice. Each hub includes a single Drop Pan, but you must order
a Shock or Non-shock Floor separately.
All Hubs are built using the same bay tracks; the vertical bars with grooves into which the modules slide.
Each bay will hold 6 module height-units. The 3 smallest Rat Hubs and all three Mouse Hubs may be fitted with either non-shock or shockable floors. There is no Shock Floor available for the Dodecagon Rat Hub.
The snap-on plastic lid holds the S/R modules down. You may use an H29-01R Balance Arm on Rat or Mouse Octagon Hubs for infusion and stimulation in a hub by removing the lid and attaching the arm to the Hub rim.
The hubs are used primarily for runway intersections in radial arm, "T", "Y",
square and other mazes. The hexagon, the octagon and the dodecagon however,
are also used as test cages to provide angular intelligence arrays and to
accommodate larger arrays of stimulus and response modules for complex operant,
memory, multi-choice and other procedures.
Only the 8-Bay Mouse and Rat Hubs and 12-Bay Rat Hub will accommodate the H24-61 Infrared Activity Monitor on the lid.
Product List
H10-35R-04 : Rat Square Hub (Requires floor) - picture
H10-35R-04-NSF : Non-Shock Floor For Rat Square Hub - picture
H10-35R-04-SF: Shock Floor For Rat Square Hub - picture
H10-35R-06 : Rat Hexagon Hub (Requires floor) - picture
H10-35R-06-NSF : Non-Shock Floor For Rat Hexagon Hub
H10-35R-06-SF : Shock Floor for Rat Hexagon Hub - picture
H10-35R-08 : Rat Octagon Hub (Requires floor) - picture
H10-35R-08-NSF : Non-Shock Floor For Rat Octagon Hub - picture
H10-35R-08-SF : Shock Floor For Rat Octagon Hub - picture
Runways and Doors
Runways are used to interconnect the hubs, modular test cages, shuttle cages, and the running wheel. The end plates are standard 4-unit high module plates. The runways can be installed in any bay track of the rat shuttle or test cages, any hub or the entry bay of the running wheel.
Runways may be joined to one another end-to-end to double the length of the runway by using the Terminator/ Joiner. The Terminator/ Joiner has a double set of tracks and can also accept standard modules. A runway mmay be terminated with a feeder, cue light, or any other module.
To report animal location, runways have provisions to mount optional Photocell Sensors which may be used to detect animal entries, passage, and exits from the runway.
The optional Guillotine Doors may be added to one or both ends of any of the runways for program-controlled access to and from runways and other arenas.
The optional Manual Doors may be added to the distal end of runways. The coupler with lockable door has a switch to report the animal's contact with the door. The switch report can be used to activate the latch or to report attempts at an "incorrect" or locked door.
Product List
A single Drop Pan is included with each Runway. Purchase Terminator/ Joiner and Guillotine Doors separately.
H10-37R-DP-04 : Drop Pan (Extra) For Rat Goal Box
H10-37R-DP-14 : Drop Pan (Extra) For 14.5” Rat Runway
H10-37R-DP-29 : Drop Pan (Extra) For 3.5” x 29" Rat Runway
H10-37R-GDL : Guillotine Door Lifter (for any Runway) - picture
H10-37R-LD : Coupler with Lockable Door (with solid floor) - picture
H10-37R-LD-SA01 : Coupler without Door (with solid floor) - picture
H10-37-MDR : Manual Guillotine Door (For Any Rat Hub Runway, or Terminator
/ Joiner) - picture
H10-37R-NSF-04 : Rat Goal Box With Non-Shock Floor
H10-37R-NSF-14 : 14.5” Rat Runway With Non-Shock Floor - picture
H10-37R-SF-14 : 14.5” Rat Runway With Shock Floor - picture
H10-37R-TJ : Terminator/Joiner For Rat Runways - picture
Other Arenas and Accessories - Product list
H10-19-BF : Sheet Blackout Film
H10-24 : Isolation Cubicle (For All Cages And Hubs)
H10-24A : Isolation Cubicle With High Attenuation Acoustical Decoupling Liner
H10-24T : Isolation Cubicle (OD: 25" Wide X 20" Deep X 26" Tall)
H10-38R : Rat Shockable Running Wheel (Drop Pan H10-37R-DR-09W)
H10-38R-CMT : Cage Mount Running Wheel
H10-39R : Rat Nest-Retreat Box
H10-35-EPM : Elevated Plus Maze (For Rats Or Mice) - Not Automated
H10-35-EPM-X : Raised Edge For Open Arms Of Elevated Plus Maze (Optional)