Operant Conditioning Behavior
Test Packages for Rat

Med Associates offers more components for testing rats earlier than any other manufacturer. The following packages are just a few of the more common configurations that we have assembled over the years for rat operant testing. Feel free to custom design your own chamber configuration using any of these designs as your guide to meet virtually any research requirement. Additional items to consider include an audio generator, infusion pump, scrambled foot aversive stimulation, lickometer, movement detector, and constant current square wave stimulator. Each operant package for the rat is a complete single test station including the SmartCtrl™ interface. This does not include the interface support and software package that must be ordered separately.

MED-008-B1:
Basic Rat Behavioral Test Package—MDF Cubicle, Standard Modular
Test Chamber, Fixed Levers, Pellet Reward

This basic package features a standard modular test chamber with a value-pak top and a deep standard MDF sound attenuating cubicle. The modular components included in this package are two fixed response levers, two stimulus lights, and 45 mg food reward. Order the MED-SYST-8 interface and software package to run up to eight test chambers or the MED-SYST-16 to run up to sixteen chambers.

MED-008-D1:
Deluxe Rat Behavioral Test Package—PVC SAC, Standard Modular
Test Chamber, Retractable Levers, Dual Liquid/Pellet Reward

This deluxe package features an expanded PVC sound attenuating cubicle, a standard modular test chamber with two retractable levers and both pellet and liquid reinforcement in addition to the other components listed. The FR Training Procedure provided with the interface package uses convenient named variables to select the correct lever, the reward dispenser, reward time and time out, the FR value and session time. It can also automatically create a time stamp file for the Soft Cumulative Record Utility. Order the MED-SYST-8 interface and software package to run up to eight test chambers or the MED-SYST-16 to run up to sixteen test chambers.

MED-008-CT-B1:
Basic Drug Self Administration Test Package for Rat

This starter package is ideally suited to drug addiction studies using cocaine or similar compounds. It features an extra tall MDF sound attenuating cubicle with standard modular test chamber, two standard response levers with stimulus lights, a pellet dispenser, and a single speed infusion pump with arm, swivel, tether and implant kit. A wide range of drug delivery options are available including variable speed, programmable variable speed and high speed micro-liter pumps (ideal for nicotine), and pump swivels and tethers from Instech Laboratories. Another useful addition is grid floor aversive stimulation to stress the animal. Order the MED-SYST-8 interface and software package to run up to eight test chambers and MED-SYST-16 to run up to sixteen test chambers.