UGO BASILE PAM User manual

P.A.M.
PRESSURE APPLICATION MEASUREMENT
Cat. No. 3 8 5 0 0

UGO BASILE
BIOLOGICAL RESEARCH APPARATUS INSTRUCTION MANUAL
Via G. Borghi 43
21025 COMERIO - Varese, ITALY P.A.M.
Pressure Application Measurement
Cat. No. 3 8 5 0 0
Series No. Mfg. date
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ALTHOUGH THIS INSTRUMENT HAS BEEN DESIGNED WITH INTERNATIONAL SAFETY
STANDARD, THIS MANUAL CONTAINS INFORMATION, CAUTIONS AND WARNINGS WHICH
MUST BE FOLLOWED TO ENSURE SAFE OPERATION AND TO RETAIN THE INSTRUMENT
IN SAFE CONDITIONS.
SERVICE AND ADJUSTMENTS SHOULD BE CARRIED OUT BY QUALIFIED PERSONNEL,
AUTHORIZED BY UGO BASILE ORGANIZATION.
ANY ADJUSTMENT, MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR OF THE OPENED INSTRUMENT UNDER
VOLTAGE SHOULD BE AVOIDED AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE AND, WHEN INEVITABLE,
SHOULD BE CARRIED OUT BY A SKILLED PERSON WHO IS AWARE OF THE HAZARD
INVOLVED.
CAPACITORS INSIDE THE INSTRUMENT MAY STILL BE CHARGED EVEN IF THE
INSTRUMENT HAS BEEN DISCONNECTED FROM ITS SOURCE OF SUPPLY.
Instruction Manual dated April 2010
Revision 1

PAM
PRESSURE APPLICATION MEASUREMENT
Cat. No. 3 8 5 0 0
Main Features:
User-controlled application of pressure directly to the joint
Automatic recording of Limb Withdrawal
Resolution: 0.1 g
Maximum Applicable Force: 1500 gf
-
- J JO OI IN NT T P PA AI IN N
-
- A AR RT TH HR RI IT TI IS S
M
Me ec ch ha an ni ic ca al l P Pa ai in n T Th hr re es sh ho ol ld d i in n: :
J
Jo oi in nt t H Hy yp pe er rs se en ns si it ti iv vi it ty y
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Ch hr ro on ni ic c J Jo oi in nt t I In nf fl la am mm ma at ti io on n
GENERAL
The new P.A.M. (Pressure Application Measurement)
device from Ugo Basile is a novel, easy-to-use tool for
measuring mechanical pain threshold in experimental
joint hypersensitivity models in rodents.
The PAM device has been designed and validated
specifically for the mechanical stimulation and
assessment of joint pain, and therefore is especially
useful in studying arthritis. The PAM device applies a
quantifiable force for direct stimulation of the joint
and for automatic readout of the response.
The operator simply wears a special force sensor on
his or her thumb and measures the force which elicits
the animal response (normally, limb withdrawal).
Each PAM device comes standard with two force
sensors, which have been specially designed to apply
force to rat and mouse joints. The area stimulated
using the small sensor is useful for mice. The large
sensor is useful for stimulating either mice or rat
joints.

UGO BASILE S.R.L.
BIOLOGICAL RESEARCH
APPARATUS
CHECK-LIST
PAM PRESSURE APPLICATION MEASUREMENT
CLIENTE / CUSTOMER______________________________________________
Ordine No. / Order No. ____________________ Data / Date____/_____/______
Cat. 38500 P.A.M. Pressure Application Measurement
UB code CAT.No.
 Q.ty DESCRIPTION DESCRIZIONE
38500-306 1 INSTRUCTION MANUAL MANUALE D’ISTRUZIONE
38500-001 1 ELECTRONIC UNIT UNITA’ ELETTRONICA
38500-002 1 JOINT TRANSDUCER (large) TRASDUTTORE (large)
38500-003 1 JOINT TRANSDUCER (small) TRASDUTTORE (small)
38500 1
SOFTWARE SOFTWARE
38500-323 1 EXTERNAL TRIGGER SWITCH TRIGGER ESTERNO
52010-325 1 USB LEAD CAVO USB
OPTIONAL 38500-006 0 PAW TRANSDUCER TRASDUTTORE DA ZAMPA
DATE / / Serial No. IMBALLATO DA / PACKED BY
Universal Input 85-264 VAC, 50-60Hz
IMPORTANT/IMPORTANTE:
Check the shipment for completeness immediately after receipt: should you find any discrepancy, please fill in the following part and transmit it
to our fax no. [phone]
Al ricevimento della merce controllate che la spedizione sia completa: in caso di discrepanza, completate il formulario di seguito riportato ed
inviatelo al nostro fax no. 0332 745488
FROM: Name Company/Institution
NOTES
DATE REF.
MOD.04 REV 0

UGO BASILE - ITALY Page i
CONTENTS
C O N T E N T S
1GENERAL.....................................................................................................................1
1.1PRINCIPLE OF OPERATION............................................................................................1
2INSTRUMENT DESCRIPTION ................................................................................2
2.1ELECTRONIC UNIT.........................................................................................................3
2.2JOINT TRANSDUCERS (SMALL AND LARGE)...............................................................4
2.3PAW TRANSDUCER ........................................................................................................4
3INSTALLATION..........................................................................................................5
3.1UNPACKING &PRELIMINARY CHECK..........................................................................5
3.2NOTES ON THE INSTRUCTION MANUAL.......................................................................5
3.3CHARGING THE INTERNAL BATTERY...........................................................................6
3.4CONNECTIONS ...............................................................................................................6
3.5INSTALLING THE PAM SOFTWARE...............................................................................6
3.6ADDITIONAL SAFETY CONSIDERATION........................................................................6
4OPERATION ................................................................................................................7
4.1FIRST TIME OPERATION ................................................................................................7
4.2ROUTINE OPERATION OF THE INSTRUMENT ..............................................................10
4.2.1  T URNING THE INSTRUMENT ON 10
4.2.2  A UTOMATIC DIMMING OF THE DISPLAY 10
4.2.3  M ENU OPERATION 10
4.2.4  T URNING THE INSTRUMENT OFF 11
4.3MAIN MENU .................................................................................................................11
4.4MEASURE MENU..........................................................................................................11
4.4.1  M EASURE P EAK F ORCE 12
4.4.2  V IEW A CQUIRED D ATA 14
4.4.3  M EMORY S TATUS 14
4.4.4  T RANSFER D ATA TO PC 14
4.4.5  E RASE M EMORY 14
4.4.6  B ACK TO M AIN M ENU 15
4.5CONFIGURE MENU.......................................................................................................15
5OTHER IMPORTANT FEATURES OF PAM........................................................17
5.1BATTERY VOLTAGE WARNING ...................................................................................17
5.2MEMORY LIMIT WARNING...........................................................................................17
5.3CALENDAR CLOCK.......................................................................................................17
5.4APPLIED FORCE RATEMETER ......................................................................................18
5.5AVAILABLE CONFIGURATION SETTINGS ...................................................................18
5.6UPDATING THE PAM FIRMWARE................................................................................19

UGO BASILE - ITALY Page ii
CONTENTS
5.7SKIPPING THE INTRODUCTION................................................................................... 19
6USING THE PC SOFTWARE PROVIDED WITH PAM..................................... 20
6.1STARTING THE PAM PC SOFTWARE......................................................................... 20
6.2ONITORING PAM TESTS ............................................................................................. 21
6.3DOWNLOADING DATA FROM PAM................................................................................... 23
6.4ANALYZING DOWNLOADED DATA............................................................................... 24
6.5EXCEL FILES................................................................................................................ 26
7MAINTENANCE ....................................................................................................... 26
7.1LONG INACTIVITY ....................................................................................................... 26
7.2CUSTOMER SUPPORT ................................................................................................. 27
8ORDERING INFORMATION.................................................................................. 27
9BIBLIOGRAPHY....................................................................................................... 28
9.1METHOD PAPER .......................................................................................................... 28
9.2OTHER PAPERS MENTIONING UB PAM ................................................................... 28
FIGURE INDEX
Figure 1 "Joint Transducers" ................................................................................................................................................1
Figure 2 "Paw Transducer"...................................................................................................................................................2
Figure 3 PAM “Standard Package”.......................................................................................................................................3
Figure 4 “Electronic Unit and Small Joint Transducer”.............................................................................................................4
Figure 5 “Large and Small Joint Transducers”........................................................................................................................4
Figure 6 “Paw Transducer”...................................................................................................................................................5
 

UGO BASILE - ITALY Page iv
CONTENTS

UGO BASILE - ITALY Page 1
38500 Instruction Manual (Rev.0)
P.A.M. PRESSURE APPLICATION MEASUREMENT
Cat. 38500
1GENERAL
PAM is designed to measure and record the forces exerted on a subject’s joint, paw or
muscle. Its fields of application include:
- Arthritis
- Chronic and Acute Pain
- Allodynia and Hyperalgesia
- Phenotyping and Functional Genomics
PAM is battery-operated and is charged via the included USB cable.
1.1 Principle of Operation
The force transducer is mounted on the operator’s thumb so that routine procedures may be
employed to examine and test the joint concerned.
The completion of each test may be indicated by the operator either by the sudden release
of the pressure on the joint or, optionally, by pressing the external foot operated trigger
switch provided.
Figure 1: “Joint transducer” (small) mounted on the operator’s thumb
The display then gives the operator a summary of the results of the test (i.e. force and time
corresponding to the animal response) and the operator may choose to reject the results or
to accept them, in which case they are recorded in PAM’s internal memory.

UGO BASILE - ITALY Page 2
38500 Instruction Manual (Rev. 1)
The rate of application of the force is decided by the operator and the PAM includes
software tools that help the operator in consistently applying the force at the desired rate.
The results of, typically, several thousand tests may be stored in PAM for transfer to a PC
when convenient.
In addition to the thumb transducers, a hand-held force applicator is also available to
measure pain threshold in paws and muscles (see also paragraph 2.3).
Figure 2: “Paw Transducer”
2INSTRUMENT DESCRIPTION
The 38500, is composed of:
1 Handheld Electronic Unit 38500-001
1 Large Joint Transducer 38500-002
1 Small Joint Transducer 38500-003
1 Pedal Switch 38500-303
The instrument is delivered in a convenient plastic case which should be retained for the
safe storage of PAM and its accessories.
Beside the above listed items, the case contains the following items, see also Figure 3:
External trigger foot pedal
USB Cable
Power adapter
Operating Manual

UGO BASILE - ITALY Page 3
38500 Instruction Manual (Rev.1)
Figure 3: P.A.M. “Standard Package”
2.1 Electronic Unit
The PAM electronic unit is battery operated. Its internal rechargeable battery is charged
automatically when external power is supplied to its miniature USB ‘B’ socket, either from a
PC or from a suitable USB power adapter. A fully charged battery will operate PAM
continually with its display at maximum brightness for approximately 16 hours.
When PAM is switched OFF, it goes into a standby mode in which it takes almost no current
from the battery although it still updates its internal calendar clock. PAM is switched ON by
pressing the ON/OFF button.
PAM uses the three buttons below the display as soft buttons whose functions change at
different stages of the PAM program. The lower line of PAM’s 4 by 20 character display is
normally used to indicate the current function of each button.
When PAM is switched ON, the initial menu choice is between making measurements and
configuring the instrument to suit the user’s specific requirements. The detailed menu
options will be discussed later.
As each PAM transducer has a built-in identification chip, PAM is able to interrogate each
transducer and adjust its own internal specification to match that of the transducer.
Prior to making any measurements, PAM automatically balances out any offsets using its
Autozero function.
Both gain and offset are adjusted automatically; the only operational requirement that the
user does not apply any force to the transducer during the Autozero process.

UGO BASILE - ITALY Page 4
38500 Instruction Manual (Rev. 1)
Figure 4: “Electronic Unit and Small Joint
Transducer”
2.2 Joint Transducers (Small and Large)
The Small and Large joint transducers are shown in Figure 5, worn comfortably on the
operator’s thumb.
These transducer have been designed specifically to apply force to the joints (for example
to study animal models of arthritis) of mice and rats but they can be used also for other
parts of the animal body, including muscles and paws, or for other joints, such as the ankle.
Each transducer contains a memory chip which identifies the type of transducer and its
specific characteristics including all relevant factory calibration information. This feature
allows PAM to adjust automatically to each transducer and ensures that transducers and
PAM instruments may be interchanged without the need for routine re-calibration.
Figure 5: “Large and Small Joint Transducers”
2.3 Paw Transducer
The paw transducer is shown in Figure 6. The force sensor is mounted into a hand-held
device. The force sensor incorporates a cone-shaped applicator to stimulate the animal’s

UGO BASILE - ITALY Page 5
38500 Instruction Manual (Rev.1)
paw with a “Randall-Selitto approach“ (as shown is Figure 6). The same principle can be
applied to the animal’s tail or muscles.
Figure 6 “Paw Transducer”
The Paw Transducer is composed by:
a. 1500 gf transducer (as Large joint transducer)
b. A detachable part (on the other side of transducer) that will mount one of the
following parts:
- Rounded tip (8 mm);
- Cone tip
3INSTALLATION
3.1 Unpacking & Preliminary Check
Check the contents of the shipment for completeness, packing list to hand, and visually
inspect the instrument as soon you take it out of the packaging. Use the Check List
supplied.
If the instrument is damaged or, after having tested it, fails to meet rated performances,
notify the carrier and our company immediately.
P
Pr ro ot te ec ct t t th he e e en nv vi ir ro on nm me en nt t! !
Dispose of packaging properly, according to existing and
applicable waste management rules and regulations.
3.2 Notes on the Instruction Manual
The Instruction Manual included in the package is necessary for the correct installation and
operation of the instrument.
We recommend keeping the manual in good condition, ready to be consulted by the
qualified personnel who use the instrument.

UGO BASILE - ITALY Page 6
38500 Instruction Manual (Rev. 1)
Copies of the instruction manual are available free of charge upon request: please contact
our service department (see paragraph 7.2-Customer Support) specifying the series number
of your instrument.
3.3 Charging the Internal Battery
The instrument is dispatched from the factory with a fully charged battery. However, it is
recommended that the battery is charged before initial use by connecting it to a USB socket
on a functioning PC or to a suitable power adapter, using the USB cable provided. PAM
should be charged initially for at least 3 hours.
3.4 Connections
Plug one of the force transducers and the foot pedal into the PAM electronic unit, by using
the connectors located in the back panel.
3.5 Installing the PAM Software
The software provided with PAM should be installed on a suitable Windows PC, running
Windows Vista or XP.
First, install the software, by double-clicking on the Set-up.exe file; follow the instructions
until installation is complete.
Then, connect the PAM via a USB port. The PAM will be automatically recognized and the
drivers should install automatically, by simply following the instructions on the screen.
The Ugo Basile PAM Software can now be launched from the desktop icon or from the
Program Files folder.
See section 6, for instructions on how to use the Ugo Basile PAM Software.
3.6 Additional Safety Consideration
a. Use original accessories and spare parts only, see also paragraph 8-ORDERING
INFORMATION;
b. Do not operate the instrument in hazardous environments or outside prescribed
environmental limitations (i.e. +18C°/+24C°, 60% relative humidity, non-
condensing);
c. Do not spray any liquid on the connectors;
d. Keep inflammables far from the instruments.

UGO BASILE - ITALY Page 7
38500 Instruction Manual (Rev.1)
UGO BASILE DOES NOT ACCEPT ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR
PROBLEMS OR HARM CAUSED TO THINGS OR PERSONS ARISING
FROM:
INCORRECT ELECTRICAL SUPPLY;
INCORRECT INSTALLATION PROCEDURE;
INCORRECT OR IMPROPER USE OR, IN ANY CASE, NOT IN
ACCORDANCE WITH THE PURPOSE FOR WHICH THE INSTRUMENT
HAS BEEN DESIGNED AND THE WARNINGS STATED IN THE
INSTRUCTION MANUAL SUPPLIED WITH THE INSTRUMENT;
REPLACEMENT OF ORIGINAL COMPONENTS, ACCESSORIES OR
PARTS WITH OTHERS NOT APPROVED BY THE MANUFACTURER;
SERVICING CARRIED OUT BY UNAUTHORIZED PERSONNEL.
4OPERATION
The PAM device is a simple and easy-to-use device. As usual in any behavioral
measurement, care must be taken to by the operator to guarantee a consistent performance
of the test.
When using the PAM, we can envisage two main potential sources of experimental
variability: the first is the animal emotional state, which can be overcome by preliminary
habituation procedures and the second is the rate at which the operator applies the force.
The PAM device incorporates several tools to help the operator consistently apply the
desired amount and rate of force on the animal. These tools are described in the following
paragraphs.
4.1 First time operation
After charging PAM for at least 1 hour, plug in the large transducer and turn the instrument
ON by pressing the ON/OFF button. Once the introduction is completed, the initial menu
will appear as below.
The lower line of the display indicates the current functions of the three soft buttons
labelled F1, F2 and F3. In this case, F1 is Measure, F2 is not being used and F3 is
Configure.
Main Menu
--------------------
Measure Configure

UGO BASILE - ITALY Page 8
38500 Instruction Manual (Rev. 1)
Press Measure. A screen will appear similar to:
After a few seconds, the instrument completes an Autozero operation and then the display
shows.
IMPORTANT NOTE: do not apply force while the instrument is autozeroing.
Note that, in this case, all three soft buttons are in use.
Press Select this. The display is similar to:
Check that no force is being applied to the connected transducer and then press Test.
PAM checks the transducer zero and then displays:
Apply gentle1force to the transducer. The display changes to typically.
For as long as the force is applied steadily, the Force value will indicate the applied force in
gf and the Time remaining will indicate the number of seconds left to complete the test.
Release the transducer after a few seconds and the screen changes to something like:
1Do not apply more than 500 or 1500 gf (mouse or rat transducers respectively). Excessive force can
permanently damage the transducer.
Measure Peak Force
Apply the force NOW
PAM Transducer
Large: 0->1500gf
Calibrated: 091009
PAM gain matched
Measure Peak Force
--------------------
Next View Select
option config this
23/07/09 14:23:35
Test 1
Exit Test

UGO BASILE - ITALY Page 9
38500 Instruction Manual (Rev.1)
Press Accept and the screen changes to:
Press Exit to return to:
Press Next option giving:
Press Select this. The stored data will be loaded and after 1-2 seconds the display will be
similar to:
The most relevant information of each measurement (Date, Time, Progressive number of
the measurement, Automatic or Foot Pedal measurement mode, Peak Force, Peak Time)
are shown and the measurements can be browsed by simply pressing Next.
Press Exit to return to:
23/07/09 14:23:35
No 1 Auto
234.5gf at 3.55s
Previous Exit Next
23/07/09 14:25:43
Test 2
Exit Test
Test 1
Peak Force 234.5gf
at 3.55s of 4.30s
Reject Accept
Measure Peak Force
--------------------
Next View Select
option config this
V
iew Acquired Data
--------------------
Next Select
option this

UGO BASILE - ITALY Page 10
38500 Instruction Manual (Rev. 1)
Press the ON/OFF button to switch PAM OFF.
PAM did not behave as above, please repeat the above steps, including charging the
internal battery and resetting manually the PAM by pressing with a needle into the small
reset hole located to the right of the display.
For further assistance, please contact Ugo Basile directly ([email protected] or
[email protected]).
4.2 Routine operation of the instrument
4.2.1 Turning the instrument ON
PAM is turned ON, from the OFF state, by pressing the ON/OFF button.
4.2.2 Automatic dimming of the display
The display backlight may be configured to dim automatically in most menus if no soft
button is pressed during a preset period which may be set between 2s and 29s. This
feature, which extends the battery life, is turned OFF by default and may be turned ON in
the Configuration Menu.
4.2.3
Menu operation
PAM is operated through a number of menus by pressing the three soft buttons, F1, F2
and F3 below the display. The current functions of these soft buttons are indicated by the
lower line or lines of the display.
For example, the Measure menu consists of 6 options:
Measure Peak Force
View Acquired Data
Memory Status
Transfer Data to PC
Erase Memory
Back to Main Menu
Measure Peak Force
--------------------
Next View Select
option config this