Monitoring and Control System for Alcohol Vapor Chambers in Rodent Research

Authors

• MA Garmendia
• PM Donley
• RH Pursley
• JA Krynitsky
• JC Vendruscolo
• LF Vendruscolo

Abstract

Alcohol vapor chambers play a pivotal role in modeling alcohol dependence in rodent research. Hence, it is imperative to develop a monitoring and control system that integrates advanced sensors and automation technologies to enhance experimental precision and reliability. Currently, our setup incorporates temperature sensors to monitor environmental conditions within the chambers. However, to achieve finer control and ensure consistent experimental conditions, we aim to enhance our capabilities by integrating airflow sensors and implementing a backup system for the air compressors and alcohol pumps.
The system will enable real-time monitoring of airflow and other environmental parameters, ensuring stable and reproducible experimental conditions throughout studies. This capability is critical for accurately modeling alcohol dependence in rodents and assessing therapeutic interventions.
Moreover, the system will feature automated controls to activate backup pumps in case of failure, thereby reducing manual intervention and minimizing experimental variability. Integration with a centralized data acquisition and analysis platform will alert researchers when malfunctioning occurs, and enable researchers to remotely monitor chamber conditions and access data promptly for analysis and decision-making purposes, thus serving as an additional layer of protection for the animal’s welfare.

Scientific Focus Area: Biomedical Engineering and Biophysics

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