On-Demand Water Maze (Atlantis) Platform

ENV-595R
On-Demand Water Maze Platform for Rat

ENV-595M
On-Demand Water Maze Platform for Mouse

System Highlights

• Submersible platform that raises when the animal swims over the appropriate location
• Can be used to improve spatial search strategies
• Rat and mouse sizes available

The on-demand platform, sometimes called the “Atlantis Platform” (Spooner RI, Thomson A, Hall J, Morris RG, Salter SH. The Atlantis platform: a new design and further developments of Buresova's on-demand platform for the water maze. Learn Mem 1: 203-211, 1994), has been used to dissect search strategies based on spatial learning in the water maze task. The on-demand platform differs from the standard water maze platform, in that the on-demand platform remains submerged well beneath the water surface until the animal remains in a defined region for a specified time, at which point, the platform raises and provides an escape surface for the animal. Probe trials conducted with the on-demand platform can minimize confounds due to extinction and non-spatial learning, such as the animal swimming a certain distance from the wall.

Med Associates offers on-demand water maze platforms suitable for either mouse or rat studies.

As with all of our water maze platforms, the on-demand platforms feature a textured surface that provides traction for the animal to grip on to while climbing on the platform.

Specifications

• Operated by 28V DC logic signal; platform remains lowered while the 28V signal is applied, and platform raises when the 28V signal is turned off. TTL to 28V converters are available.
  
  

Users who utilize manual observation to conduct water maze studies can still take advantage of the Med Associates on-demand platform. If direct observation is used, the on-demand platform can be raised at the appropriate time using the supplied pushbutton switch. if the researcher is observing the water maze session on a closed circuit television system, or similar remote system, the on-demand platform controller should be located in the vicinity of the observation room, such that the observer can operate the pushbutton while watching the remote video feed.

Please note that if the pool being used was not purchased from Med Associates then the connector for the on-demand platform must be installed by the user. The thickness of the pool cannot exceed 1/4-inch in order for the connectors to be properly installed.

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