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MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY
College of Natural Science
Department of Physiology

TSE Phenomaster / Labmaster Caging System

TSE Phenomaster / Labmaster Caging System (located in the Clinical Center Animal Wing (CCAW)) is a multi-modular platform that allows researchers the ability to carry out metabolic, behavioral and physiological monitoring of mice in an automated and synchronized manner. Currently our system consists of 8 cages with modules to measure metabolic performance, activity, plus feeding and drinking behavior.

The components measured by the system are:

  1. Calorimetry:
    • Flow (l/min)
    • Temperature (0C, measurement in the box)
    • O2 concentration (%, reference and per box)
    • CO2 concentration (%, reference and per box)
    • dO2 difference (%, reference O2 – Box O2)
    • dCO2 difference (%, reference CO2 – Box CO2)
    • VO2 (O2 consumption, ml/(kg x h) or ml/h)
    • VCO2 (CO2 production, ml/(kg x h) or ml/h)
    • RER, respiratory exchange rate (VCO2/VO2)
    • H, heat (kcal/(kg x h) resp., or Kcal/h)
    • The TSE system is carefully calibrated using certified calibration gases whose O2 and CO2 concentrations are accurately known.

  2. Activity measurements via MoTil2 IR sensor frames and/or a passive wheel. The IR sensors frames are configured to measure locomotor activity in the x, y, and z plane. The software records the number of beam interruptions caused by the animal’s movement. The total number of beam breaks recorded is a sum of the ambulatory and fine movements. A passive wheel (of which there are 8) allows measurement of spontaneous activity by the animal with the number of turns the wheel makes clockwise or counterclockwise being recorded.

  3. Drinking and feeding behavior for each animal in each cage is recorded via the sensors the drinking and feeding stations are attached to. Defined calibration weights are also used to calibrate the drinking and feeding system which allows accurate monitoring of how much food an animal eats and how much water it drinks.