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VelO2x

Rapid Oxygen Control Chambers for Mice, Rats and Small Animal Models

System Overview

Specifications

Applications

Features

Features & Benefits

Bundling Systems

Applications

Specifications

System Overview

The VelO2x system has been engineered to provide an isolated and highly controlled oxygen environment to small animal models (ie mouse and/or rat). By directly mimicking the oxygen conditions experienced across a wide variety of disease or treatment models, the VelO2x grants researchers a better understanding of how O2 levels affect various conditions such as sleep apnea, systemic hypertension, pulmonary dysfunction, and ischemia to name a few.

The VelO2x system itself has two components – a gas mixer and animal chamber. The ICONIC Gas Mixer, which offers pinpoint control of O2, is connected to the isolated chamber where animals are held. The isolated chamber comes in 2 sizes: a 31L and 66L size which hold 1 and 2 cages respectively.

Bundling Systems

Tissue oxygen and/or flow – The OxyFlo and OxyLite systems may be used to assess how different tissues respond to changing O2 levels.

Features & Benefits

Full control of oxygen levels

Researchers have the ability to control O2 levels from 0.1% to 23.0% (can be increased). Unlike other systems, the VelO2x comes standard with the ability of static and dynamic control of O2. This provides users of the system the ability to run both chronic and intermittent hypoxia-based studies and as research goals change the velO2x changes with them.

Animal welfare

Animal welfare and safety was considered in the design of the VelO2x system. The system logs all exposure of O2 and CO2 levels if needing to submit to a regulatory committee. Further, sound levels have been checked and comply with animal welfare standards (< 80 dB).

Rapid changes in O2 levels

In the 31L chamber, oxygen can be ramped down from 20.9% to 6% in 15 seconds and ramped up from 6% to 20.9% in 35 seconds. Similarly, the 66L chamber can do 20.9% to 6% in 30 seconds and from 6% to 20.9% in 45 seconds. 

Ramping up and down can also be done slowly over the course of up to 5 minutes. The user, therefore, has full control to choose the ramping that best fits their study purpose.

       Blood pressure spikes correlate directly with exposure to chronic intermittent hypoxia

Ease of use

A fully integrated touch screen makes adjusting all parameters needed for a particular experiment easy. Settings can be adjusted in real time.

All data of O2 and CO2 levels are saved continuously to a USB and can be transferred to any computer for analysis or for validation and verification of animal welfare.

The design of the system lends itself to be easy to clean with standard laboratory cleaning agents (70% ethanol or 70% isopropanol) between uses.

Applications

Apnea/Apnoea

Acute hypoxia and/or hypercapnia

Sleep Apnea

Chronic periodic intermittent hypoxia and/or hypercapnia

Apnea of Prematurity

Chronic sporadic hypoxia and/or hypercapnia

Ocular Angiogenesis

Abnormal blood vessel formation in the eye is a major cause of blindness

SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome)

Progressive acute hypercapnia and hypoxia

Atherosclerosis

Chronic moderate intermittent hypoxia

Ischemia (Cardiac Infarction, Stroke, etc.)

Acute hypoxia usually in conjunction with surgical clamping of major artery

COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease)

Chronic ozone exposure followed by moderate progressive chronic hypoxia and/or hypercapnia

Pulmonary Fibrosis

Chronic or intermittent ozone exposure

Developmental Disabilities

Newborn chronic deep hypoxia

ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder)

Maternal gestational intermittent hypoxia

Recreational Hypoxia (Athletic conditioning)

Chronic periodic moderate hypoxia

Occupational Hypoxia / Altitude Sickness (airline, observatory astronomers, mining)

Chronic or periodic moderate hypoxia

Specifications

General
Gases
100% N2 and O2 in N2 (percentage dependant on application)
Chamber volume
31 L (1 animal cage) and 66 L (2 animal cages) chambers are available
Chamber working area
31 L – 460mm x 250mm x 232mm
66 L – 510mm x 330mm x 423mm
Colour touch-screen
Integrated
External USB port
Integrated. Supports data recording
Physical dimensions (W x D x H)
31 L – 592mm x 270mm x 363mm
66 L – 642mm x 350mm x 474mm
Weight
20 Kg / 44 lbs
Operating temperature range (external)
15 – 30 °C
Operating humidity range (external)
Ambient and 90% RH, Non-condensing
Universal cable gland
2 included (each gland allows up to 6 cables to be inserted)
Oxygen
Oxygen control range
0.1% to 23.0% (can be increased)
Oxygen resolution
0.1 %

Publications & Articles