Applications

Wireless Power – no limits, no compromise

In vivo physiology and neuroscience studies have been precluded by the lack of an effective and efficient means of collecting meaningful data from conscious experimental animals over long periods of time. The introduction of telemetry technologies has improved this; however, the duration of experiments continues to be constrained by battery life, either restricting the user on the amount or quality of data collected. The Kaha Sciences rat and mouse telemetry systems utilise wireless power technology to remove the dependency on battery power, allowing our customers to collect high frequency data without compromising on the duration of the experiment.

The restraint of animals, including tethering, for long-term physiological experiments increases stress which is likely to directly affect physiological parameters of interest, such as heart rate¹. The implantation of telemetry devices has provided an elegant solution to these problems because, following recovery from a short surgical procedure, animals are able to behave naturally in their home-cage with no, or reduced, handling¹. Telemeter implants do, however, require power and this is most often achieved by the inclusion of a battery. Not only can this increase the size of the implant but relying on battery-life alone can restrict data collection time and reduce the fidelity of data by compromising on sampling rate.

The Kaha Sciences solution removes these limitations by using inductive wireless power, to power both rat² and mouse³ telemeters (Fig. 1). Our TR181 SmartPads (for rats) and MT110 tBases (for mice) generate a magnetic field from mains electrical power which passes safely through non-metallic rodent cages and tissue. The implant is positioned such that the magnetic field powers the telemeter in a freely moving rodent, allowing the freedom to collect high resolution (2kHz), physiologically accurate data in real time, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Without the concern of limited power, the ability to record 24/7 at a high sampling rate has allowed our customers to publish studies on circadian variability in kidney oxygenation (TR57Y tissue oxygen telemeter)⁴, spontaneous arrhythmias in a rat model of complete atrioventricular block (TR50BB dual biopotential telemeter)⁵ as well as monitor unpredictable seizure events in a rat model of epilepsy (TR50B single biopotential telemeter)⁶.

This technology is just one example of Kaha Sciences innovative telemetry systems with uncompromising ability which allow our customers to get more data from their studies.

For more information please complete the webform or email sales@kahasciences.com.

1. Niemeyer, J. E. Telemetry for small animal physiology. Lab Anim. 45, 255–257 (2016).
2. Budgett, D. M. et al. Novel technology for the provision of power to implantable physiological devices. J. Appl. Physiol. 102, 1658–1663 (2007).
3. Russell, D. M., McCormick, D., Taberner, A. J., Malpas, S. C. & Budgett, D. M. A high bandwidth fully implantable mouse telemetry system for chronic ECG measurement. in 2011 Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society 7666–7669 (IEEE, 2011). doi:10.1109/IEMBS.2011.6091889
4. Emans, T. W., Janssen, B. J., Joles, J. A. & Krediet, C. T. P. Circadian Rhythm in Kidney Tissue Oxygenation in the Rat. Front. Physiol. 8, (2017).
5. Kim, N. K., Wolfson, D., Fernandez, N., Shin, M. & Cho, H. C. A rat model of complete atrioventricular block recapitulates clinical indices of bradycardia and provides a platform to test disease-modifying therapies. Sci. Rep. 9, 6930 (2019).
6. Hill, A. C., Thomson, K. E., Newell, T. G. & White, H. S. Correction of medication nonadherence results in better seizure outcomes than dose escalation in a novel preclinical epilepsy model of adherence. Epilepsia 60, 475–484 (2019).