This system measures the force that is required to make a mouse or rat release its grip. It is ideal to measure the effects of drugs, toxins, muscle relaxants, disease, ageing or neural damage on muscle strength.
The rat or mouse is placed over a Perspex plate, in front of a grasping trapeze. Rodents instinctively grab anything they can to try to stop this involuntary backward movement. The will continue to grip the trapeze until the pulling force overcomes their grip strength. After the animal loses its grip, the peak preamplifier automatically stores the peak pull force and shows it on a liquid crystal display.
The sensor mechanism is a T-shaped or trapeze-shaped bar whose height is adjustable. The bar is fitted to a force transducer connected to the Peak Amplifier. The Mouse unit is similar to the rat model except the grasping trapeze is proportionately sized for mice and the transducer sensitivity is adjusted to measure the grip strength
of mice.
The data supplied by the peak amplifier is available in digital and analog form. The peak amplifier is provided with a connector for branching it to the Multifunction Printer.
A complete system is comprised of the follow components:
1. A base plate of black sand-blasted Perspex, complete with upright and open-side boss-head
2. A grasping-bar (a grasping trapeze is also supplied)
3. A force transducer of adjustable height, provided with connection cable & connector to the peak amplifier
4. A peak amplifier
Peak Preamplifier
Both the Grip Strength Meter for Rats and the model for Mice are used with this Peak Amplifier. It automatically discriminates whether the grip force is generated by the rat and mouse transducer and expresses them in grams and in decimal of grams respectively.
The data supplied by the peak amplifier is available in digital and analog form. The waveform of the pull can be externally recorded, for example via a channel recorder or the signal may be taken to a data acquisition system. Data from this meter may be recorded directly using a 6-channel printer available as an accessory.
The Peak Amplifier is lodged into a resilient cabinet. The front and back panels are anodized aluminum and feature extremely durable engraved markings.
Grip-Strength Meter is supplied complete with the following components:
Peak Amplifier, incorporating a digital display, Force Transducer Suitable for Either Rats or Mice, Trapezes for Either Rats or Mice, T-shaped bar for Either Rats or Mice, Perspex Plate with 10 mm diameter upright, Open-Side Boss Head, Table Clamp, Mains Cable, Set of 2 fuses for either 115 V or 230 V operation, and Instruction Manual.