Biomedical research on rodent models of disease depends on research tools that not only facilitate the actual experiments, but also improve reproducibility while enhancing animal care and welfare. In this SBIR application, we propose to develop a complete "turn-key" system for studying physiological biopotentials obtained from immature rodents (i.e., rat and mouse pups). Specifically, we intend to provide tools and devices that will facilitate physiological experiments on immature rodents by designing, building, testing, and then commercializing a wireless recording system with a focus on the electroencephalogram (EEG), a common clinical tool. We will build and test a new temperature-controlled recording chamber, which is specifically necessary for immature rodents because they cannot control their body temperature when separated from the dam. This novel system will also allow investigators to simulate clinical hypothermia for rodent studies of the EEG while modelling neonatal stroke and during the subsequent phases of brain injury. BIOPAC Systems, Inc. will continue to collaborate with researchers at the University of Utah, and have already developed and tested a proof of concept device. This collaboration will engage the engineering expertise of BIOPAC and collaboratively build on the experience of the academic lab at the University of Utah to generate an optimized system for recording and analysis of seizures and other EEG abnormalities similar to those used clinically. This novel system will be a major extension of one of BIOPAC's current products, the EPOCHTM miniature wireless recording system, which was invented and patented at the University of Utah and is already commercially available from BIOPAC. Upon completion, the novel EPOCHTM miniature wireless system will greatly facilitate research on immature rodents as animal models of neurological disease and injury, while improving the reproducibility and animal care for this type of research.
Public Health Relevance Statement: Narrative: This project aims to develop, test, and commercialize an optimized wireless recording system to study physiological biopotentials (e.g., the electroencephalogram (EEG)) in immature rodents. BIOPAC Systems, Inc. will design a novel temperature-controlled chamber to record wirelessly from rodent pups. This recording system, along with a novel antenna design and synchronized video system, will improve basic-science and preclinical studies on normal and disease models (e.g., neonatal stroke) during mammalian development.
Project Terms: 21+ years old; Adult Human; adulthood; Adult; Affect; Animal Welfare; Animals; Back; Dorsum; Animal Behavior; Biomedical Research; Body Temperature; Brain; Brain Nervous System; Encephalon; Butyric Acids; Butanoic Acids; Cells; Cell Body; cold temperature; low temperature; Confounding Factors (Epidemiology); Confounding Variables; Epidemiologic Confounding Factor; Data Analyses; Data Analysis; data interpretation; Disease; Disorder; Dropout; Electrocardiogram; ECG; EKG; Electrocardiography; Electroencephalography; EEG; Electroencephalogram; Engineering; Environment; Equipment; Humidity; natural hypothermia; Hypothermia; Physiologic Monitoring; Physiological Monitoring; Movement; body movement; Mus; Mice; Mice Mammals; Murine; nervous system disorder; Nervous System Diseases; Neurologic Disorders; Neurological Disorders; neurological disease; Neurotransmitters; Nerve Transmitter Substances; Neurosciences; Organism; living system; Legal patent; Patents; Play; Rattus; Common Rat Strains; Rat; Rats Mammals; Research; Research Design; Study Type; study design; Research Personnel; Investigators; Researchers; Rodent; Rodentia; Rodents Mammals; Seizures; Signal Transduction; Cell Communication and Signaling; Cell Signaling; Intracellular Communication and Signaling; Signal Transduction Systems; Signaling; biological signal transduction; Computer software; Software; Technology; Telemetry; Telemetries; telemetric; Temperature; Testing; Time; Universities; Utah; Weaning; Weight; weights; Work; Research Subjects; Artifacts; Morphologic artifacts; Caring; animal care; improved; Clinical; Phase; Physiologic; Physiological; animal experiment; experimental animal; experimental animals; Animal Experiments; pediatric; Childhood; Individual; Acquired brain injury; brain damage; brain-injured; Brain Injuries; Collaborations; Intellectual Property; tool; programs; Event; Stream; System; experience; Membrane; membrane structure; neuroprotection; neuroprotective; Animal Model; Animal Models and Related Studies; model of animal; novel; Basic Science; Basic Research; Disease model; disorder model; Devices; Positioning Attribute; Position; Nervous System Trauma; Nervous System Injuries; Nervous System damage; Neurological Damage; Neurological Injury; Neurological trauma; neurotrauma; Modeling; response; Intervention; Intervention Strategies; interventional strategy; drug discovery; Data; Reproducibility; Resolution; resolutions; Pharmacological Treatment; Rodent Model; Small Business Innovation Research Grant; SBIR; Small Business Innovation Research; Translational Research; Translational Science; translation research; translational investigation; Monitor; transmission process; Transmission; Characteristics; Development; developmental; Behavioral; preclinical study; pre-clinical study; neonate; systems research; designing; design; Neonatal; Coupling; data acquisitions; data acquisition; Implant; 2-dimensional; two-dimensional; prototype; commercialization; pup; standard treatment; standard care; data transfer; data transmission; data exchange; invention; neonatal stroke; experiment; experimental research; experiments; experimental study; wireless; design,build,test; wireless transmission; manufacture
