MouseSTAT® Jr.

Scientists in search of equipment to meet their study needs should be aware that there are legitimate questions regarding even the possibility of taking these measurements in mobile animals. In reality, there is currently no system capable of 100% reliably measuring pulse ox in active, conscious animals.

The reasons for this are many. First, the sensor must be considered. Systems using neck or throat-fitted optical sensors rely on them being affixed to the animal at the prescribed region while tethered by a cable to the monitor’s controller. The stress of initially applying the sensor in either of these areas causes variations in heart rate and pulse oxygenation and make natural readings unobtainable. Once acclimated to wearing them, the animal must adapt to essentially being at the end of a leash, again, an unnatural condition resulting in skewed readings.

Arguably, placing a conscious animal in an individual animal holder, pacifying and acclimating it to the environment and applying an unobtrusive sensor to its paw is far less disruptive to their normal conditions, and more conducive to acquiring readings that can be relied on.

Remember, any method of restraining your animal will affect the data you’re able to collect. Minimizing the stress of the procedure, reducing the duration of the monitoring period and accelerating how quickly the animal is able to adapt all can have an impact in acquiring more reliable, reproducible readings.