Knowledge Base

CatWalk XT 10.7 Technical Specifications

CatWalk XT is a user-friendly and highly sensitive tool for studying gait changes in lab rodents. It includes:

• Walkway - A glass plate with a corridor, illuminated ceiling, control unit, and goal box.
• Camera - A high-speed color camera (100 fps) to record footfalls and body contour.
• Software - CatWalk XT software (version 10) for recording and analyzing footprints and gait.
• Computer - High-performance computer to run the software.

Part 1 - Hardware

Walkway

• Made of scratch-resistant glass to detect footprints.
• Rodents walk from left to right towards a goal box.
• Best used in low-light conditions or dim red light.
• Dimensions: 130 x 68 x 152 cm.
• Weight: approximately 80 kg.

Illuminated Footprints Technology

• Uses green LED light to highlight paw prints.
• High-speed camera captures illuminated paw prints.
• Ensures high-quality data with precise spatial and temporal resolution.

Glass Plate

• Clear, hardened, scratch-resistant glass.
• Dimensions: 130 x 20 x 0.5 cm.

Spring Operated Corridor

• Adjustable width for mice and rats.
• Easy to lift for cleaning and handling rodents.

Goal Box

• Located at the end of the corridor.
• Allows rodents to jump into their home cage.

Illuminated Ceiling

• Red LED (625 nm) backlight to visualize the animal's contour.
• Green LED (522 nm) to highlight paw prints.

Power Supply

• 24V unit, compatible with 100-240V AC and 50-60 Hz.

Control Unit

• Distributes power to the camera, LED rail, and ceiling.
• Controlled via USB connection.

Camera and Mount

• High-speed Gig-E Colour camera (100 fps).
• Light sensitive, high signal to noise ratio, 640x480 resolution image sensor.
• Adjustable to capture different portions of the glass plate.

Part 2 - Software

Navigation

• Task dialogues guide you through the application.
• Menu bar and experiment explorer for easy navigation.

Setup

• Set experiment groups, timepoints and run criteria.
• Define and calibrate the walkway.
• Adjust detection settings for optimal footprint detection.

Acquisition

• Select trials and acquire runs.
• Immediate and automatic feedback on run compliance.

Footprint Classification

• Manual and automatic footprint classification.
• Adjust intensity threshold for individual runs.
• Automatic classification-errors detection.
• Video zoom function makes difficult classifications easy.

Measurements

• Measures time, angles, distances and intensities.
• Creates parameters based on temporal and spatial measurements.
• Calculates functional indexes for nerve evaluation.

Profiles

• Data Segmentation Profiles to select consecutive gait cycles with specific criteria.
• Parameter Profiles to choose disease specific parameters for investigation.

Visualization

• Print view, sub-print view, timing view, 3D and 2D footprint intensities, footfall patterns, and graphical results.
• Custom build circular graphs for circular statistics.

Analysis

• Interactive numerical data sheets (interacts with run visualisation and video).
• Group statistics with appropriate graphs (e.g. circular statistics).
• Export data in multiple formats.

Part 3 - Requirements

Environment

• Operate in low visible light or red ambient light conditions to reduce stress to the animal.

Operating System

• Windows 10 (version 22H2) or later with administrator rights.

Computer

• Tested on Dell Precision 3660 (Intel Core I7 with 16GB of RAM).

Maintenance

• Clean walkway between runs and after use.
• Clean with mild colourless and odorless detergents.
• Handle foam stripe carefully.

Part 4 - Service and Support

Manuals

• Detailed reference manual included with the software. Accessed by pressing F1 in the software interface.
• Installation manual in the install folder on the computer.
• Video tutorials in the install folder on the computer and in MyNoldus.

Installation and Training

• On-site installation and training available.
• Training materials available in MyNoldus.

Technical Support

• Free technical support with Noldus Care.
• Leave support tickets in MyNoldus.

Consulting Services

• Assistance with research problems related to CatWalk XT.

CatWalk is a trademark of Noldus Information Technology bv. Due to our policy of continuous product improvement, information in this document is subject to change without notice.

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