Knowledge Base

Carry Out Data Acquisition

5.1 Prepare the Walkway

Before you acquire data you need to make sure that:

The Glass Plate Is Clean

Lift the corridor. Use a soft cloth or tissue to remove droppings, urine or other dirt from the glass plate. You can use a proprietary glass-cleaning fluid to further clean the glass plate. Experience from CatWalk users has shown that water with some vinegar added or a 70% alcohol solution are also effective in cleaning the glass plate.

The Camera Is at the Correct Position

The distance of the camera to the glass plate determines how much of the walkway is visible. In order to get 5-6 step cycles per run, you should see about 45 cm of the walkway for mice and about 70 cm for rats. Try this out with one or two animals to make sure you get the appropriate camera position.

If you change the position of the camera, you need to redefine the walkway and re-calibrate the walkway (see Set Up the Walkway). Also make sure to focus the camera.

The Corridor Is Put in Place

Make sure the middle of the corridor is positioned in the middle of the glass plate. Adjust the width of the corridor to match the animal's size.

The Illuminated Ceiling Is Lowered

When you did not install the diffusion plate on top of the corridor walls, it is useful to leave a gap between the top of the corridor and the illuminated ceiling so you can put an animal into the corridor from the top.

When you adjust the vertical position of the illuminated ceiling, always check in the Define Walkway window that the red LED lights of the illuminated ceiling completely cover the defined area.