Dark Adaptation in Rodents
DarkAdapt, an advanced extension of the OptoDrum system, enables precise and reproducible studies with dark-adapted rodents. This innovative instrument provides a completely light-tight environment to acclimatize animals to the dark in the laboratory environment and prepare them for the experiment. Its robust design is essential for studies that require tightly controlled experimental conditions. Needless to say, it meets all the requirements of modern animal welfare.
Thanks to a reliable ventilation system, more than one hundred air exchanges per hour are guaranteed, allowing for longer dark adaptation times. Its spacious design offers space for cages for mice and rats and is, therefore, versatile. In addition, DarkAdapt is suitable for both stationary and mobile use, i.e. it can be used in the laboratory as well as for the transportation of dark-adapted animals.
The Role of Dark Adaptation
Dark adaptation is a crucial process for the assessment of retinal function under scotopic and mesopic conditions as well as the detection of night vision impairment and thus represents an important focus in ophthalmologic, pharmacologic and neurobiologic research. DarkAdapt is a perfect complement to the OptoDrum system and enables researchers to study the time course and mechanisms of dark adaptation. This insight into the sensitivity and adaptation processes of the retina helps both in the understanding of processing and in the development of therapies for diseases such as retinal degeneration and night blindness. This facilitates the conduct of reproducible in vivo studies, making DarkAdapt an essential tool in basic and preclinical research.
Completely Light-Tight for Optimal Dark Adaptation
DarkAdapt’s fully controlled, light-tight environment eliminates unwanted light exposure, ensuring optimal conditions for dark adaptation in laboratory animals. This feature is critical for assessing scotopic vision and retinal function, as it prevents stray light from interfering with the adaptation process. By providing a consistent and reliable environment, DarkAdapt improves the accuracy of preclinical studies, supporting the development of targeted therapies for visual impairments.
Robust Ventilation System for Extended Adaptation Periods
To maintain a stable and healthy environment, DarkAdapt is equipped with a powerful ventilation system. The extremely quiet fan provides more than one hundred air exchanges per hour, preventing heat build-up and maintaining optimal air quality. Despite this ventilation, light tightness is guaranteed thanks to several light traps in the partition walls. This advanced system allows researchers to dark-adapt rodents for extended periods without compromising animal welfare or experimental outcomes, making it ideal for prolonged experiments.
Spacious Design for a Wide Range of Rodents
The versatile design of DarkAdapt offers space for cages for mice and rats and is, therefore, also suitable for laboratories working with different rodent species. The spacious interior ensures that the animals can remain in their home cage and thus feel comfortable in their familiar environment during the dark adaptation process. This ultimately minimizes stress and optimizes the experimental conditions. DarkAdapt can, therefore, be used in a wide range of studies investigating visual function, regardless of the animal species involved.
Versatile Device for Stationary and Mobile Applications
DarkAdapt is a versatile dark adaptation device that can be used both stationary in the laboratory and mobile. In this way, it can be used directly in the experimental room and also, for example, to transport dark-adapted animals between rooms or facilities while maintaining optimal conditions. This mobility ensures that animals remain fully adapted during transport, increasing the reliability of experimental results and streamlining workflows in multi-site research environments.
Must have for Users of the OptoDrum with ScotopicKit
The ScotopicKit is an add-on for the OptoDrum which allows optomotor tests to be carried out in low light conditions. The brightness of the stimuli used can be precisely reduced in the optomotor drum in logarhythmic steps as required. With the help of DarkAdapt, the animals become accustomed to darkness before the experiments and subsequently enable experiments under mesopic and scotopic conditions. DarkAdapt is, therefore, an ideal addition for researchers who already use the ScotopicKit with the OptoDrum, as it further simplifies the workflow.
Advancing Electrophysiological and Behavioral Studies
The DarkAdapt is used in both in-vivo and in-vitro electrophysiological studies but also in behavioral studies. Especially in preclinical research, proper dark adaptation prior to electrophysiological recordings under scotopic conditions is of crucial importance. Easy-to-perform dark adaptation in advance enables ERG measurements and cortical recordings, but also patch clamping and multi-electrode array recordings under these light conditions. In addition, reliable dark adaptation is also necessary in behavioral experiments on night vision. In combination with the ScotopicKit, visual acuity and contrast sensitivity can be determined using the optomotor reflex. Depending on the research question, scotopic conditions during the experiments are also of decisive importance here, for example, in order to specifically investigate diseases such as retinal degeneration and night blindness.
Key Features of DarkAdapt
This advanced dark adaptation device boasts a suite of features that make it indispensable for R&D departments and laboratories conducting visual neuroscience research.
- Completely light-tight environment for optimal dark adaptation.
- Robust ventilation system with an ultra-low-noise fan providing over 100x air exchange per hour.
- Spacious design accommodating cages for both mice and rats.
- Versatile applications for stationary laboratory use or mobile transportation.
- Seamless extension with OptoDrum and ScotopicKit for comprehensive visual function studies.
- Ideal for electrophysiology and behavioural research, including scotopic ERG and night vision assessments.
- Durable and research-optimized construction to maintain consistent and reliable experimental conditions.
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