Panorama Newsletter

After 3 years from the Launch of our DVC® – Digital Ventilated Cage, we are starting to read about the first outstanding experiences.

The innovation brought about by the DVC® technology is really revolutionary as we saw at the last Aalas in Austin. One of the most interesting Seminars was entitled "Innovative Frontiers in Automated Rodent Home Cage Behavioral Monitoring and Animal Welfare", under the Category "Imagine, Invent, Improve, Inspire: Innovations in Laboratory Animal Care", bringing together brilliant speakers such as  Jim Wallace (UK), Jareca Giles, UNC (USA), Brun Ulfhake, Karolinska (Sweden) and last but not least Michael Wiles, Jackson Labs (USA). All of them presented their experience with the DVC® Technology.

The seminar demonstrated how a Continuous automated home cage monitoring is today possible, allowing data collection without causing disruption(s) to the animals.

Speakers showed with interesting presentations how the monitoring and analysis of movement and behaviors allows comparisons with traditional behavioral testing systems with a potential replacement end goal.

The audience understood from presentations how Automated home cage monitoring is an area of constant innovations and improvements to help achieving the 3 Rs (especially refinement).

The seminar evaluated the needs, the benefits, and the practical results of continuous home cage monitoring for behavioral outcomes in the research community. The audience particularly appreciated an awareness of the degrees of improvement in animal welfare with the use of new systems and among them of the DVC®.

Brilliant speakers, such as Brun Hulfhake or Mike Wiles, compared the quality of the automated scientific data to traditional methods. The seminar focused on the EMF as the newest emerging technology, thanks to the first DVC® users. Presenters showed types of behavioral testing they were able to conduct including: anxiety-related behavior testing, cogitation and welfare outcomes; analysis of male mouse aggression in association with environmental enrichment options; monitoring of preference behaviors with different caging opportunities; adverse clinical predictability based on movement patterns when using a neurodegenerative mouse model. Lastly, a particularly dynamic speaker panel discussion demonstrated how EMF technology may affect the directions and the future of the behavioral research studies, as well as explaining the tangible benefits of automated home cage monitoring for the animals, the science and the care staff.

Do not hesitate to contact your local TP sales representative for further information on the revolutionary DVC® technology.

Leopoldo Zauner

Marketing Director