Columbus Instruments Tail-Flick Analgesia Meter User manual

Service requests for this instrument
can be made by phone, fax, e-mail or
through our web site:
www.colinst.com/service.htm
Please include
your S/N:_______________
Tail-Flick
Analgesia Meter
Instruction Manual
Copyright 1993
0104-301M

TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. SPECIFICATIONS
1.0 Basic Specifications
1.1 Physical Specifications
1.2 Input Specifications
1.21 Footswitch Input
1.3 Output Specifications
1.31 Printer Output
1.32 RS-232 Serial Output
1.4 Front Panel ontrols
1.5 Rear Panel onnections
2. OPERATION
2.0 Introduction
2.1 System Installation
2.11 Interfacing to a omputer
2.2 First Time Operation
2.3 Setting the Printer Output
2.4 Setting the Tail-Flick Lamp Intensity
2.5 Using the Timer
2.6 Setting the Animal ID Number
2.7 Auto-Detect
3. TECHNICAL NOTES, ACCESSORIES
3.1 Using the Tail-Flick RS-232 Interface Option
3.11 RS-232 Interface, Windows Program Installation
3.12 Windows Program Operation
3.2 Tail-Flick Animal Restrainer Options
3.3 Lamp Replacement
Appendix I: Recommended range of use and actual temperature.
1

- SECTION 1 -
SPECIFICATIONS
2

TAIL-FLICK ANALGESIA METER SPECIFICATIONS
The larger (9” X 14”) adapter plate is used for testing mice and the smaller (1 ¼”
X 3”) adapter block is used for testing rats. Rats and mice are the terms used for the
animal reference, even though any similar sized animals may be used. The rat adapter
block has a storage spot on the upper right corner of the unit. The customer will receive
the unit as shown below:
The above photo is also how the unit should look when testing mice. To test rats
you will need to change the adapter plate. Grasp the mouse adapter plate by the
thumbnuts on opposite corners and lift. You will see 2 small holes by the sensor block
that is permanently screwed into the top of the unit. Lift the rat adapter block from its
storage space and line up the pins that are sticking out from the bottom of the adapter
block with the holes in front of the sensor block. The unit should now look like the photo
on the following page:
3

To test mice, replace the rat adapter block with the mouse adapter plate and store
the rat adapter block in the provided space. When replacing the mouse adapter plate, line
up the pins that are closest to the sensor block first. The mouse adapter plate should be
centered with the sensor block, leaving ~ 3” on each side of the adapter plate.
1. BASIC SPECIFICATIONS
Built-in digital timer: 0 to 60.00 seconds.
Subject ID number range: 0000 to 9999
RS-232 Port: Modem connection, 9600 baud.
Printer Port: entronics/Epson Dot Matrix compatible
Remote footswitch: Momentary contact switch
Lamp: 8V high intensity (6 amps)
4

1.1 PHYSICAL SPECIFICATIONS
Power requirements: ~ 45 Watts Maximum
100-240 VA 50-60Hz.
Size: (48cm x 33cm x 9cm)
19" x 13" x 3.5"
Weight: (~7.26kg) ~ 16lb
Animal restrainers: ylindrical, clear plastic
x-small 15-30 grams – mice
small 30-125 grams – mice
medium 125-250 grams – rat
large 250-500 grams – rat
1.2 INPUT SPECIFICATIONS
1.21 Footswitch Input
The footswitch input is a monophonic 1/4" phone jack located on the rear panel of
the Tail-Flick. It is designed to be used with a normally open, momentary contact
pushbutton or a footswitch. The footswitch input is connected in parallel with the front
panel “START / STOP” switch.
1.3 OUTPUT SPECIFICATIONS
1.31 Printer Output
The printer output jack is on the rear panel of the Tail-Flick. This 25 pin female
D-sub connector is compatible with a standard IBM parallel printer cable and the
entronics/Epson 9 pin dot-matrix compatible printers.
5

1.32 RS-232 Serial Output
The serial output jack is a 25 pin female D-sub connector on the rear panel next to
the printer output. The serial output is a simple three-wire RS-232 interface with none of
the handshake lines used. It is a standard "modem" connection with the output data on pin
3 and the input on pin 2. Pin 7 is the ground connection. The data rate is fixed at 9600
baud: the format is 8 bits, one stop bit, no parity bit.
1.4 FRONT PANEL CONTROLS
1. Front panel four-digit LED display. This display can show the current timer
value, the lamp intensity level, printer status, the animal ID #, or whether the
auto detect feature is enabled or not.
2. Mode indicator LEDs. This set of LEDs indicates what mode the Tail-Flick is in
and what type of data is currently being displayed on the four-digit readout.
3. TIMER -- The display is in seconds and hundredths. It will begin counting when
the START / STOP button is pressed.
6

4. ANIMAL ID -- This displays the subject ID number. It will automatically
increment by one for each timing cycle.
5. AUTO-DETE T -- Displays whether the automatic detection circuitry is
activated.
6. PRINT / INTENSITY -- Displays whether the printer is on or off and the
lamps intensity level.
7. The up [+] and down [-] pushbuttons are used to enter values on the four digit
display. The [+] button increments a digit, the [-] button decrements a digit.
These buttons only operate in the ANIMAL-ID and PRINT / INTENSITY
modes.
8. The MODE button selects the modes described above.
9. The SELE T button selects the display digit that will be affected by the [+] and
[- ] buttons.
1 . The START / STOP button is the main operator control. Press and hold it to start
the timer, releasing it whenever you want to stop the timer. The footswitch
control is a remote START / STOP button and is operated the same way.
11. The POWER switch should be depressed downward to turn the unit on. The
upper side of the switch will show a red surface when the power switch is on.
7

1.5 REAR PANEL CONNECTIONS
1. A power cord input jack -- plug the power cord in here.
2. Fuse holder -- A 3-ampere medium delay fuse should be used..
3. Printer onnection -- A standard IBM printer cable should be connected between
this output jack and the printer. (Refer to section 1.31)
4. RS-232 Serial Port -- A 9 pin to 25 pin serial cable connects this output to the serial
port of your computer. The output only uses three lines. It is a standard "modem"
connection with the output data on pin 3 and the input on pin 2. Pin 7 is the ground
connection. The data rate is fixed at 9600 baud: the format is 8 bits, one stop bit,
with no parity bit. (Refer to section 1.32)
5. Footswitch Input -- The footswitch input is a monophonic 1/4" phone jack on the
rear panel of the Tail-Flick. It is designed to be used with a normally open,
momentary contact pushbutton ie: footswitch. The footswitch input is connected in
parallel with the front panel "START / STOP" switch. In the TIMER mode the
footswitch is depressed and held until a “flick” is detected. In AUTO DETE T
mode the footswitch is depressed and released and the unit will detect the “flick”.
8

- SECTION 2 -
OPERATION
9

2. INTRODUCTION
The olumbus Instruments Tail-Flick Analgesia Meter is designed for rapid and
efficient screening of analgesia levels in small laboratory animals. We employ a shutter-
controlled heat lamp as a standard heat source. The lamp is located below the animal so
as to provide a less confining environment. It is kept in a continuously illuminated state
so that the heat source provides a constant temperature to the animal’s tail, avoiding the
lamp warm-up temperature variations that of non-shuttered systems. Tail-flick detection
may be done either with the footswitch control, or by using the automatic detection
circuitry. Both of these methods leave the user's hands free to handle the animal. The
total time elapsed (0-60.00 secs), between the shutter opening and the animal's reaction is
displayed on an LED display that is located on the front panel. Output data may be sent to
any standard Epson compatible printer, or may be collected via the RS-232 port by any
IBM-P /AT compatible computer. The Animal ID# can be set using the front panel
controls in a range from 0-9999, or the ID# can be automatically incremented from a
starting value selected by the user.
2.1 SYSTEM INSTALLATION
Set the Tail-Flick on a desk or table at a comfortable working level. Plug the A
power cord into the rear panel A jack and the power outlet.
To use the footswitch, all you need to do is plug the footswitch into the rear panel
"FOOTSWIT H" jack. Route the cord around the desk so the operator’s foot can reach
the footswitch comfortably.
10

To use a printer, select the printer option by selecting “y” when the unit is first
powered up. The printer should have paper loaded into it, and be "On Line", ready to
print.
2.11 INTERFACING TO A COMPUTER
The RS-232 output of the Tail-Flick can connect to any computer with a serial
port, but the computer will need to have the Tail-Flick system software running to receive
the incoming data and store it to the hard drive. olumbus Instruments provides a DOS
and a Windows interface program for IBM compatible computers with the Tail-Flick
system.
onnect the 9-pin end of the serial cable to a serial port on your computer and
connect the 25-pin end of the cable to the rear panel of the Tail-Flick. Refer to section 3.1
of this manual "USING THE TAIL-FLI K RS-232 INTERFA E OPTION" for further
instructions on using the computer program itself.
2.2 FIRST TIME OPERATION
The overall operation of the Tail-Flick was completely outlined in the
introduction above. We will now discuss the details and special features of the unit. Turn
the Tail-Flick on with the front panel rocker switch.
2.3 SETTING THE PRINTER OUTPUT
The leading "n" represents the printer output status as being turned off. This is the
default setting for the printer option. If a "y" is shown in the display, the printer option is
active. Use either the [+] button or the [-] button to toggle the printer option on and off.
11

NOTE: If you have the printer option turned on and run a test without an
operational printer connected to the unit, or the printer cable isn’t plugged in properly the
message "PErr" will appear on the Tail-Flick display. This indicates a Printer Error.
Press any button and the unit will go back to timer mode. The experiment time will be
displayed and the PRINTER OUTPUT WILL BE AUTOMATI ALLY DISABLED. If
the printer problem is corrected while the "PErr" message is still being displayed, the
printer output will stay on. You may go to the PRINT / INTENSITY mode at any time to
turn the printer output back on.
2.4 SETTING TAIL-FLICK LAMP INTENSITY
The lamps intensity settings are changed under the PRINT / INTENSITY mode.
The level of the lamps intensity can be set between 1 and 25. When in the PRINT /
INTENSITY mode, push the select button. This will start flashing the 2 zero’s at the far
right of the display. Then you push the + or the – button to change the lamps intensity.
When the Tail-Flick is first turned on, the lamp intensity defaults to 00.
The lamp does not come on until the intensity is increased past !
2.5 USING THE TIMER
The TIMER mode is the main operating mode of the Tail-Flick. Press the MODE
button until the Tail-Flick is in the TIMER mode. The display should show "00.00" if a
test hasn’t been run yet. When a subject is placed on the Tail-Flick, the START / STOP
button or footswitch should be pressed and held. The display will begin timing in
hundredths of a second, up to a maximum of 60.00 seconds. As soon as the subject shows
the symptoms of discomfort, the START / STOP button or footswitch is released to stop
the timer. The time will be frozen on the display. During the timing of the experiment,
12

none of the other buttons are active. Only releasing the START / STOP button or
footswitch can terminate the experiment and stop the timer.
When the START / STOP button is pressed again, the timer is automatically reset,
and begins timing from 00.00 seconds. When the timer is stopped, the Tail-Flick sends
the timer reading and subject number to the display, the printer and serial port if those
options are selected. No matter what mode the Tail-Flick’s display is showing, pressing
the START/STOP button or Footswitch will immediately switch the unit to TIMER
mode, reset the timer, and begin timing.
2.6 SETTING THE ANIMAL ID NUMBER
The Tail-Flick data sent to the printer and serial port contains an experiment
number. This can be a subject ID number. The number can be any four digits from 0000
to 9999. To enter a subject number, press the MODE button repeatedly until the
ANIMAL ID LED is lit. The number entry system works the same as for entering a
temperature. Use the SELE T button to select a digit to change, then use the [+] and [-]
buttons to change that digit. The number you enter will be recorded on the next timer run.
After the timer has been stopped, use the MODE button to move to the ANIMAL ID
mode and enter the next ID number.
NOTE: The Tail-Flick will automatically increment the ID number by one, unless a new
ID number is manually entered. When the Tail-Flick is first turned on the ID number is
set to 0001, by the default setting. If the experimenter does not manually enter any ID
numbers, sequential numbers from 0001 to 9999 will be automatically be assigned to
each timer run.
13

2.7 Auto-Detect
Use the mode button to select auto-detect. The red LED by the auto-detect on the
front panel will be lit and the display will show a flashing “OFF”. Use either the “+”, or
the “-“ buttons to change the display to “ON”. The foot switch and the start/stop switch
will still start the test as before, but instead of depressing and holding the switch you will
press and release the button. The device will detect the flick of the tail when it occurs.
14

- SECTION 3 -
TECHNICAL NOTES, ACCESSORIES
15

3. TECHNICAL NOTES, ACCESSORIES
3.1 USING THE TAIL-FLICK RS-232 INTERFACE OPTION
The serial port on the rear panel of the Tail-Flick must be connected to the
computer's serial port with a 9 pin to a 25 pin serial cable. The RS-232 software must be
running for the RS-232 option to work. Make sure that there are not any bent pins
when connecting the serial cable! A bent pin on either end of the cable could cause the
RS-232 option not to work. The Tail-Flick transmits data to the computer; it does not
receive any signals back from the computer.
3.11 RS-232 INTERFACE, WINDOWS PROGRAM INSTALLATION
The Windows installation is very easy. The disc should automatically start but if it
doesn’t, open either “My omputer” or “Windows Explorer” and double click on the
“LAUN HER.exe” and follow the on-screen directions.
3.12 WINDOWS PROGRAM OPERATION
The Tail-Flick must be connected by the 9 pin to 25 pin serial cable for the
program to work. lick the “Setup” tab to select which Serial om Port to use, the
program defaults to om 1. The only experiment parameters to set up are the user’s
comments on the experiment. You may also add comments on each animal at the time of
their trail. An output data file is automatically created at the start of the program.
The output file format is a . VS file which can be opened by Windows Excel
(Preferred) or Windows Notepad.
16

The data will be displayed in the following format:
Time of Day – Animal ID# - Time (Secs) – Light intensity setting
3.2 TAIL-FLICK ANIMAL RESTRAINER OPTIONS
The restrainers are clear plastic, cylindrical, Broome style enclosures. The animal is
placed tail first into the cage with his tail exiting through a slot provided in the rear of the
tube. A nylon nosepiece is then slid into the tube preventing the animal from squirming
around in the tube excessively and possibly causing false readings. Restrainers may be
sanitized in a washer ( up to 180 deg. F. ), or chemically. The following standard sizes
are available;
x-small - 15 to 30 grams
small - 30 to 150 grams
medium - 125 to 250 grams
large - 250 to 500 grams
3.3 LAMP REPLACEMENT
The first step is to remove the bottom panel of the Tail-Flick unit. To do this, you
must remove the 2 screws that holds the bottom panel to the back plate and then slide the
bottom panel from the unit. To remove the lamp bulb from the holder, use the lever that
is on one side of the mounting bracket by rotating it away from the bracket. Before
installing the new lamp, make sure that the two pins line up with the slots on the lamp
holder. There is a small raised lip (~ 3/8” long), on the lamp bulb that has to correspond
with the little indentation in the lamp holder. Make sure that the bulb is fully seated and
then replace the bottom cover.
17

Appendix I
The recommended range of use (light intensity setting) for the Tail Flick is from 3
to 15. Anything higher than 15 is very hot! are should be taken not to damage an
anesthetized or otherwise altered animal. Higher settings may be used however; the unit
should only be on for 2 to 3 seconds at the most without causing damage to the subject. If
you are unsure as to whether the setting may be causing damage or not, I recommend
setting the unit on automatic at the setting you are checking and use your finger across
the aperture. At intensity setting 10, the sensation of pain usually only takes about 2 –3
seconds. At setting 25 the unit will produce ~ 25 Watts of power.
The change in temperature experienced by the tail is derived from the following
formula:
Q = mc  T
Q = the quantity of heat
m = mass of the object (A rat-tail weighs ~15 – 20 grams, mouse ~ 2 grams.)
c = specific heat (capacity) (The specific heat # is a constant for specific
substances.)
T = hange in skin temperature over time
(The Tail Flick cycles for 60 seconds maximum.)
18