LABORAS is a measurement system which is used to recognize automatically behaviours of small rodents (mice and rats). The system is currently the only system in the market which is able to determine a large number of different behaviours without traditional human observation. The following behavioural elements can be distinguished: climbing, drinking, eating, grooming, immobility, locomotion and rearing. In addition the system determines the following tracking parameters: position, speed, maximum speed, traveled distance and position distribution. Recently, LABORAS release 2 was launched with an improved user interface and faster processing capability.
Examples of application areas: Ethology, (Safety) Pharmacology, Dermatology, CNS and Toxicology.

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SONOTRACK is an advanced non-invasive measurement system to monitor ultrasonic sounds produced by animals. By using a dedicated microphone and hardware the system is able to pick up ultrasonic vocalizations (USV) of animals generated at frequencies between 15 kHz and 100 kHz.

The system not only records and converts the ultrasounds in a for humans audible signal but also provides several graphical presentations of the recorded sounds and an user adjustable Ultrasound Call counter. This counter determines the number of calls in user definable frequency bands, the start time and duration of each call as well as the mean frequency of each call.
Examples of application area: Ethology, CNS and Pharmacology, Bio Acoustics, Pain, Animal welfare studies.

SleepSign for Animal is the latest product in the Metris portfolio. Metris distributes this product in Europe on behalf of Kissei Comtech Japan. It enables further expansion of automated animal behavior research. SleepSign for Animal is a software package that can distinguish several sleep stages (e.g. rapid eye movement (REM), non rapid eye movement (NREM) and wake) in freely moving animals using EEG and EMG data obtained by telemetry. It offers the ability for both in-depth analysis of sleep stages and easy automated sleep stage detection. It drastically reduces the time and labour spent on sleep stage scoring and enables you to generate standard types of reports with only a few keystrokes.
Examples of application area: Neurology, Pharmacology Research, Sleep studies.

   Inglis, J.J.; Notley, C.; Essex, D.; Wilson, A.W.; Feldmann, M.; Anand, P.; Williams, R.;
     'Collagen-induced arthritis as a model of hyperalgesia: functional and cellular analysis of the analgesic actions of TNF blockade.'
      Arthritis & Rheumatism, article in press, accepted july 2007

   Van der Burg, J.J.M.; Bacos, K.; Wood, N.I.; Lindqvist, A.; Wierup, N.; Woodman, B.; Wamsteeker, J.I.; Smith, R.; Deierborg, T.;
     Kuhar, M.J.; Bates, G.P.; Mulder, H.; Erlanson-Albertsson, C.; Morton, A.J.; Brundin, P.; Peters, A.; Bj kqvista, M.
     'Increased metabolism in the R6/2 mouse model of Huntington's disease'
      Neurobiology of Disease, article in press, accepted 29 July 2007

   Pugha, P.L.; Richardson, J.C.; Bate, S.T.; Upton, N.; Sunter, D.;
     'Non-cognitive behaviours in an APP/PS1 transgenic model of Alzheimer's disease'
      Behavioural Brain Research (2007), Vol 178, Page 18-28 (available Jan. 2007)

   Amaya, F.; Wang, H.; Costigan, M.; Allchorne, A.J.; Hatcher, J.P.; Egerton, J.; Stean, T.; Morisset, V.; Grose, D.; Gunthorpe, M.J.;
     Chessell, I.P.; Tate, S.; Green, P.J.; Woolf, C.J.
     'The Voltage-Gated Sodium Channel Nav1.9 Is an Effector of Peripheral Inflammatory Pain Hypersensitivity'
      The Journal of Neuroscience, (December 13, 2006), Vol 26, Issue 50, Page 12852-12860 Full article

   Quinn, L.; Steann, T.; Chapman, H.; Brown, M.; Vidgeon-Hart, M.; Upton, N.; Billinton, A.; Virley, D.
     'Further Validation of LABORAS Using Various Dopaminergic Manipulations in Mice Including MPTP-Induced Nigro-Striatal Degeneration'
      Elsevier Journal of Neuroscience Methods, (September 2006)

   Erschbamer, M.K.; Pham, T.M.; Zwart, M.C.; Baumans, V.; Olson, L.
     'Neither environmental enrichment nor voluntary wheel running enhances recovery from incomplete spinal cord injury in rats'
      Experimental Neurology (2006), Vol 201, Issue 1, Page 154-164

   Zhu, S.; Pham, T.M.; 舃erg, E.; Brene, S.; Winblad, B.; Mohammed, A.H.; Baumans, V.
     'Neurotrophin levels and behaviour in BALB/c mice: impact of intermittent exposure to individual housing and wheel running'
      Behavioural Brain Research (2006), Vol 167, Issue 1, Page 1-8

   Metris b.v. / Dr. Ellen Molewijk
     'High Quality Simultaneous Measurements of Rodents Behaviour, Tracking, Physiology, Sleep Stages and Ultrasounds'
      Touch Briefings, Future Drug Discovery 2006, (report January 2006) Full article

   Quinn, L.; Grundy, R.; Campbell, C.;, Collier, S.; Lawman, A.; Stean, T.; Billinton, A.; Parsons, A.; Upton, N.; Duxon, M.;, Irving, E.
     'A novel behavioural registration system LABORAS and the social interaction paradigm detect long-term functional deficits following middle
     cerebral artery occlusion in the rat'
     Brain Research, (7 January 2005); Vol 1031, Issue 1, Page 118-24

   Horwood, J.M.; Kennett, G.; Sheardown, M.J.
     'A novel, automated method of measuring the Mouse behavioral satiety sequence'
      Poster Paradigm Therapeutics presented at EBPS 2005 in Barcelona (September 2005)

   Aberg, E.; Pham, T.; Zwart, M.; Baumans, V.; Brene, S.
     'Intermittent individual housing survival of newly proliferated cells'
      Neuroreport / Molecular Sience, Vol 16 Issue 13, Page 1419-1422 (September 8, 2005)

   Sommer, R.; Meijer, M.K.; Bulthuis, R.J.A.; Ohl, F.; Baumans, V.
     'Simultaneous collection of behavioural and physiological data in mice: integration of LABORAS with Dataquest A.R.T. telemetry'
      Poster University of Utrecht presented at Measuring Behavior 2005 in Wageningen (August 2005)

   Szondin? Kord醩, K.; Galgoczy, K.; Bulthuis, R.J.A.; Horvath, C.; et al.
     'New automated measurement of formalin induced paw licking in rats by LABORAS system'
      Poster Gedeon Richter presented at the International Forum on Pain Medicine in Sofia, Bulgaria (May, 2005)

   Metris b.v. / Dr. Ellen Molewijk
     'High Quality Measurements of Rodents Behaviour, Tracking and Ultrasounds Using LABORAS and SONOTRACK'
      Touch Briefings, Future Drug Discovery 2005, (report January 2005) Full article

   Puustinen, K.
     'Evaluation of the tail biopsy procedure on the behaviour and wellbeing of mice - a pilot study'
      Thesis Sveriges Lantbrukuniversitet - SLU, Uppsala (October 2004), ISSN 1650-7045 Full report

   Quinn, L.; Steann, T.; Trail, B.; Duxon, M.; Stratton, S.; Billinton, A.; Upton, N.
     'LABORAS: Initial pharmacological validation of a system allowing continuous monitoring of laboratory rodent behaviour'
      Elsevier Journal of Neuroscience Methods, Vol 130, Issue 1, Page 83-92, (November 2003)

   Augustsson, H.; Van der Weerd, H.A.; Kruitwagen, C.L.J.J.; Baumans, V.
     'Effect of enrichment on variation and results in the light/dark test'
      Laboratory Animals (2003), Vol 37, Page 328-340, (October 2003)

   Quinn, L.; Steann, T.; Trail, B.; Duxon, M.; Stratton, S.; Billinton, A.; Upton, N.
     'Validation of LABORAS using various dopaminergic manipulations including MPTP-induced Nigro-striatal degeneration in mice'
     Poster presented at AD/BP (Alzheimer's & Parkinson's Diseases) conference in Seville Spain, 8-11 May 2003

   Kramer, K.; Kinter, L.
     'Evaluation and applications of radiotelemetry in small laboratory animals (review)'
      Physiol Genomics, Vol 13, Page 197-205, (February 2003) Full article

   Quinn, L.; Steann, T.; Trail, B.; Duxon, M.; Stratton, S.; Billinton, A.; Upton, N.
     'LABORAS: pharmacological validation of a system allowing continuous monitoring of animal behaviour'
     Poster presented at Society for Neuroscience meeting in Orlando, Nov. 2002

   Wilson, A.
     'Assessing Rodent Wellbeing': Report of the 2001 RSCPA / UFAW Rodent Welfare Group meeting
     Animal Technology and Welfare, April 2002

   Van der Meer, M.
     'Transgenis and Animal Welfare - Implications of transgenic procedures for the well-being of the laboratory mouse'
     Thesis M. van der Meer, Utrecht, NL (October 4, 2001)

   Van der Meer, M.; Rolls, A.; Baumans, V.; Olivier, B.; Van Zutphen, L.F.M.
     'Use of score sheets for welfare assessment of transgenic mice'
     Laboratory Animals, Vol 35, Issue 4, Page 379-389(11), October 2001

   Van der Meer, M.; Baumans, V.; Olivier, B.; Kruitwagen, C.; Van Dijk, J.; Van Zutphen, L.F.M.
     'Behavioural and physiological effects on biotechnology procedures used for gene targeting in mice'
     Physiology and Behavior, Vol 73, Issue 5, Page 719-730, August 2001

   Baumans, V.; Bouwknecht, J.A.; Boere H.; Kramer, K.; Van Lith, H.A.; Van de Weerd, H.A.; Van Herck, H.
     'Intra-abdominal transmitter implementation in mice: effects on behaviour and body weight.'
     Animal Welfare, Vol 10, Issue 1, Page 291-302, August 2001

   Van der Meer, M.; Baumans, V.; Olivier, B.; Kruitwagen, C.; Van Dijk, J.; Van Zutphen, L.F.M.
     'Impact of transgenic procedures on behavioral and physiological responses in post-weaning mice'
     Physiology and Behavior, Vol 73, Issue 1-2, Page 133-14, May 2001

   Van Herck, H.; Baumans, V.; Brandt, C.J.W.M.; Boere, H.A.G.; Hesp, A.P.M.; Van Lith, H.A.; Schurink, M.; Beyen, A.C.;
     'Blood sampling from the retro-orbital plexus, the saphenous vein and the tail vein in rats: comparative effects on selected behavioural and blood variables.'
     Laboratory Animals (2001) Vol 35, Page 131-139.

   Van de Weerd, H.A.; Bulthuis, R.J.A.; Bergman, A.F.; Schlingmann, F.; Tolboom, J.; Van Loo, P.L.P.;
     Remie, R.; Baumans, V.; Van Zutphen, L.F.M.
     'Validation of a new system for automatic registration of behaviour in mice and rats.'
     Elsevier Behavioral Processes, Vol 53, Issue 1-2, March 2001.

   Krohn, T.C.; Hejgaard, K.; Kornerup Hansen, A.
     'Methods for general assessment of the welfare of laboratory animals'
     Acta Agriculture, Section A - Animal Science, Vol 51, Supplement 30, Page 118-123, Februari 2001.

   Tanja Schubb
     'Automated Systems for Analysis of Rodent Activity and Behavior'
     Article in Lab Animal, January 2001.

   Kramer, K.
     'Applications and Evaluation of Radio-Telemetry in small Laboratory Animals.'
     Thesis K. Kramer (ISBN: 90-393-2313-5), Utrecht, NL, April 2000

   Van Herck, H.; Baumans, V.; Boere, H.A.G.; Hesp, A.P.M.; Van Lith, H.A.; Beynen, A.C.
     'Orbital Puncture in Rats: Effects upon Selected Behavioural Variables.'
     Publication in Laboratory Animals, 1999 .

   Schlingmann, F.; Van de Weerd, H.A.; Baumans, V.; Remie, R.; Van Zutphen, L.F.M.
     'A balance device for the analysis of behavioural patterns of the mouse.'
     Publication in Animal Welfare, 7, 177-188, 1998

   Van de Weerd, H.A.
     'Environmental Enrichment for Laboratory Mice: Preferences and Consequences'
     Thesis H.A. van de Weerd, Utrecht, NL (November 22, 1996)

   Baumans, V.; Schlingmann, F.; Van de Weerd, H.A.; Remie, R.; Van Zutphen, L.F.M.
     'Development of a balance system for analysis of rodent behaviour.'
     Proceedings Measuring Behaviour '96, Utrecht, NL, Oct. 1996

   Dept. of Laboratory Animal Science, Solvay Duphar, Weesp, NL
     Dept. of Laboratory Animal Science, Utrecht University, NL
     Metris System Engineering, Wassenaar, NL
     'Automated Behaviour Classification: The LABORAS Project'
     Proceedings of the Sixth Felasa Symposium, Basel, CH, June 1996